Finally!
Okay, I completed the second chassis, burned them in for 10 hours or so and have done listening. In short, I guess I have to be a bit biased, but in all honesty these are very nice.... even with cheap 125ESE outputs they sound far better than Hammond iron has any right to sound. They are not in the same league as my top-end Hashimoto-based 45 amps, but these are also a mere fraction of the (parts) cost. I can easily say that the cost difference is far greater than the sonic difference, but that's typical diminishing returns in the high-end audio arena.
Spec-wise, they're right on target:
Maximum output: 2-watts minimum into 8- or 16-ohms (switchable)
Freq Response: 30Hz - 30KHz within 1dB at 1-watt output (at 2-watts, low frequency response suffers due to OPT)
Distortion: less than 0.5% at 1-watt and less than 1.5% at full power
Signal/Noise: 75dB unweighted referenced to 1-watt output
These should be very reliable as all parts used are high-quality and none are stressed. This design should yield an exceptional long life. Overall, these are a bargain for the price, which equates to ~$250 in parts per (mono) chassis sans tubes. I fitted a set of NOS Tung-Sol 12AT7 input/drivers and a NOS pair of Philco 45 ST glass outputs. The 45 actually yields the S/N spec. I have poor ones which won't drop below 60dB and some superb ones that are pushing the 90dB mark.... with AC filaments.
I'll get the next pair built (mid-December) with the MQ RH-40 end-belled units and am expecting a full step or two better.
Regards, KM
