- Welcome to AudioNervosa.
Recent posts
#1
Amplification and Preamplification / Re: my search for a tube amp
Last post by ejk - Today at 02:22:28 AMRegarding the R8. Willsenton has put out an mk2 version of the R8 but not admitting to it that corrects some faults that caused failures that Skunkie found. You would have to watch the whole series on youtube as I dont remember which episode.
#2
Album Reviews / Re: What are you listening to ...
Last post by Nick B - January 16, 2026, 08:05:14 PMupsampled to DSD 256 via HQP and JPLAY
#3
Album Reviews / Re: What are you listening to ...
Last post by Nick B - January 16, 2026, 08:00:59 PMupsampled to DSD 256 via HQP and JPLAY
#4
Album Reviews / Re: What are you listening to ...
Last post by Nick B - January 16, 2026, 07:41:39 PMupsampled to DSD 256 via HQP and JPLAY
#5
Album Reviews / Re: What are you listening to ...
Last post by Nick B - January 16, 2026, 07:35:31 PMupsampled to DSD 256 via HQP and JPLAY
#6
Album Reviews / Re: What are you listening to ...
Last post by Nick B - January 16, 2026, 07:15:04 PMupsampled to DSD 256 via HQP and JPLAY
#7
Amplification and Preamplification / my search for a tube amp
Last post by Nick B - January 16, 2026, 06:20:27 PMI have a great sounding system nowadays. It's all solid state, but I have been thinking about getting a tube amp for a while. I owned 2 tube amps years ago and then recently I had the Supratek tube preamp as well. I really liked that preamp, but ended up selling it when I got my Hattor Big preamp which is beautifully built, sounds great and has a lot of flexibility with dual mono readouts and an excellent attenuator and remote control. The Supratek also had a cheap Alps pot in it which I did not care for. My purpose isn't simply to get a tube amp and try it out. It is to get a tube preamp that uses very high-quality parts and is very low noise. Another criteria is simply the weight. I really don't want to deal with 60+ lb amps.
My main interest has been the modified Dynaco ST 70 amps. They put out about 35 W per channel or a bit more and weigh about 35 pounds. I have looked at many different versions as I can and I believe the best one is the Miller Audio version. It was Dave who first made me aware of this version. I then checked out the website and gave Bryan Miller a call. He was very gracious with his time and I called him again recently. His prices are very good and he will do custom orders. I've looked at a couple of utube videos again yesterday and today and I think all things considered, Bryan's is the best version for me. I prefer a preamp that uses the 6NS7 tubes like I had on my Supratek. It also has a solid state rectifier which I prefer over a tube. I can also choose the type of chassis that I want, various colors and cosmetic options. I also may request some different parts than what Bryan offers.
I'm attaching a couple of utube videos if anyone is interested. Dave previously told me that the 35 W per channel that the Miller version puts out is plenty to drive my JM Reynaud Voce Grande speakers. They are rated at 88.5dB. Bryan Miller also told me that his version comes close to putting out 40 W per channel.
There were a couple of other tube amp options available to me recently. One was an Underwood HiFi integrated that a member here suggested. Apparently the parts quality is good and the price was right at about $1300. I called the owner Walter who told me that he would not accept an order. It appears he's in the process of selling his business, or if that doesn't work out, then closing it down completely. He told me he is 73 and wants to retire and enjoy the beaches of Hawaii where he lives.
I was also told about a Willsenton R8 integrated that has been highly modified. But that was some days ago and I still don't have any photos of the amp or any details about what mods were done. So the best candidate for me at the moment would be the Miller ST 70. It will run me around $2500, but I am fine spending the money as the amp would be put together exactly how I like.
Any comments or suggestions are still appreciated and I'm not sure yet when I would put in an order for the Miller amp.
Skunkie Designs tests new vs old
https://youtu.be/mloj0S-hris?si=Ol3nqcdDvgzIZQZ5
Novalux tests regarding negative feedback, a solid state rectifier etc.
https://youtu.be/flnI_e_u1dw?si=PrG8TUdqEBLG4Pmt
Skunkie Designs comments about the Willsenton R8
https://youtu.be/LD10RvhKNP4?si=YS4zmgdXnRyTPZ0u
Nick
My main interest has been the modified Dynaco ST 70 amps. They put out about 35 W per channel or a bit more and weigh about 35 pounds. I have looked at many different versions as I can and I believe the best one is the Miller Audio version. It was Dave who first made me aware of this version. I then checked out the website and gave Bryan Miller a call. He was very gracious with his time and I called him again recently. His prices are very good and he will do custom orders. I've looked at a couple of utube videos again yesterday and today and I think all things considered, Bryan's is the best version for me. I prefer a preamp that uses the 6NS7 tubes like I had on my Supratek. It also has a solid state rectifier which I prefer over a tube. I can also choose the type of chassis that I want, various colors and cosmetic options. I also may request some different parts than what Bryan offers.
I'm attaching a couple of utube videos if anyone is interested. Dave previously told me that the 35 W per channel that the Miller version puts out is plenty to drive my JM Reynaud Voce Grande speakers. They are rated at 88.5dB. Bryan Miller also told me that his version comes close to putting out 40 W per channel.
There were a couple of other tube amp options available to me recently. One was an Underwood HiFi integrated that a member here suggested. Apparently the parts quality is good and the price was right at about $1300. I called the owner Walter who told me that he would not accept an order. It appears he's in the process of selling his business, or if that doesn't work out, then closing it down completely. He told me he is 73 and wants to retire and enjoy the beaches of Hawaii where he lives.
I was also told about a Willsenton R8 integrated that has been highly modified. But that was some days ago and I still don't have any photos of the amp or any details about what mods were done. So the best candidate for me at the moment would be the Miller ST 70. It will run me around $2500, but I am fine spending the money as the amp would be put together exactly how I like.
Any comments or suggestions are still appreciated and I'm not sure yet when I would put in an order for the Miller amp.
Skunkie Designs tests new vs old
https://youtu.be/mloj0S-hris?si=Ol3nqcdDvgzIZQZ5
Novalux tests regarding negative feedback, a solid state rectifier etc.
https://youtu.be/flnI_e_u1dw?si=PrG8TUdqEBLG4Pmt
Skunkie Designs comments about the Willsenton R8
https://youtu.be/LD10RvhKNP4?si=YS4zmgdXnRyTPZ0u
Nick
#8
Power Conditioning / Re: Active Grounding
Last post by P.I. - January 16, 2026, 12:15:13 PMQuote from: rollo on January 16, 2026, 08:32:04 AMI'll put something together...Quote from: P.I. on January 15, 2026, 10:27:13 AMQuote from: rollo on January 15, 2026, 09:33:07 AMDave, any progress on grounding device ? This cannot be rocket science.Yep. Thing is I'm retired and unwilling to be retreaded
charles
How about a tutorial so we can make our own maybe ??
charles
#9
Amplification and Preamplification / Re: Close call with my Dodd P...
Last post by P.I. - January 16, 2026, 12:13:07 PMQuote from: Nick B on January 15, 2026, 06:31:23 PMQuote from: P.I. on January 15, 2026, 06:24:21 PMQuote from: Nick B on January 15, 2026, 06:21:58 PMIntellectual property rules. He did things no one else ever considered. Gary was brilliant, a great friend and gone way too soon.Quote from: S Clark on January 15, 2026, 11:00:33 AMWell, all of that Dodd gear is still top of the line stuff. Just for grins, I was looking around for a set of his Dodd 120 amps. Found a pair... at about double what they cost new.I absolutely agree about passing his ideas on. I'm trying to suss out the conversion of my preamp from the twin 6922 amp to the single 6H30 version. I never got sound to the project and have somehow lost the sparse instructions he gave me right before he passed... 🧐
I am not surprised. He had a great reputation as to his products. I understand some areas of his products are sealed/encapsulated so the particulars of his design will remain unknown.
Dave,
I get the intellectual property aspect, but I also think it's a shame that products that were so well designed and sounded so good cannot be replicated. How nice it would've been if Gary had made an arrangement with someone else to produce it and maybe get some income for his family or at least allow the product to be named as a Gary Dodd design.
#10
Power Conditioning / Re: Active Grounding
Last post by rollo - January 16, 2026, 08:32:04 AMQuote from: P.I. on January 15, 2026, 10:27:13 AMQuote from: rollo on January 15, 2026, 09:33:07 AMDave, any progress on grounding device ? This cannot be rocket science.Yep. Thing is I'm retired and unwilling to be retreaded
charles
How about a tutorial so we can make our own maybe ??
charles