SOLD!
Custom-Built EL84 Integrated Amp (w Photos)
Very nicely made, as you can see in the photos. Teflon-insulated wiring, good RCAs, instrument-grade biding posts. PRP non-inductive resistors and a variety of good caps. TKD volume control. Hefty input selector switch.
And yup, that’s a retrofitted McIntosh chassis. The tube cage is included.
Awesome input stage, with 5687 tubes. (7044s will also work.). And those are Bugle Boy 6BQ5’s in the output stage. .
Output power is typical for an EL84 push-pull amp, probably a substantial 15wpc.
This amp has a regulated power supply—which is pretty unusual for a power amp stage. It’s built on the heat sink that’s on top of the chassis. The power transformer is somewhat oversized, so it has not trouble handling the extra current draw through the regulator.
As for the sound, first of all, it’s the quietest tube amp I’ve ever heard—probably because of the regulated power supply. It isn’t quite as lush as you might expect from an EL84… It’s airier. Vocals have more air around them, and it nevertheless has a characteristic EL84 sound. It does sound a little warmer with the Bugle Boys than with the TAD EL84’s I have. The TADs are also a nice tube. I’ll include either set, buyers choice.
Built by Charles Cocci in Brockton, MA. (He builds a small number of tube amp, preamps and integrateds, and also mods lots of audio gear. He might be better known, except that there’s a fairly small number of us who buy up most of the equipment he builds.)
Asking $565 shipping included.
More photos in my gallery
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=1821
