#Vintage heathkit manuals driver#

I was very puzzled by its sonic presentation cold and distant and nothing changed when I increased the volume level. When I got home and connected the amplifier to the rest of my system, I was somewhat shocked by the differences between the two amplifiers. I had read numerous very positive reviews of this amplifier, so I made the decision to purchase one without any hesitation. The STA 120 is a 60 watts/channel solid state amplifier which was rather powerful for the period. It has a similar case like the ST 70, but thatвЂ™s where the similarities end. The amplifier is a really a great looking piece of equipment and an iconic piece of audio equipment.ДЄnother Dynaco amplifier that I purchased was the STA 120. Parts are readily available from a number of online dealers so youвЂ™re never going to be left out in the woods with the ST 70. None of the tubes are very expensive to replace, but you donвЂ™t want to get into the business of buying new output transformers when youвЂ™re spending a decent amount of money on this kind of amplifier. I can recommend theВ ST 70В with theВ oneВ caveat that youВ really need toВ understand the owner/builder and learn as much history as you can about the specific sample that you find. The Eе…ѓ4 is one of my favorite output tubes for both its tone and the availability of tubes (both new and NOS) from dealers online. The overall tonal balance is quite warm, and I love the powerful presentation that it can deliver with the right pair of loudspeakers. The 35 watts/channel power rating gives one some latitude with loudspeakers IвЂ™ve mated it successfully with every bookshelf loudspeaker IвЂ™ve tried with it and itвЂ™s a workhorse of an amplifier. SinceВ theВ purchase,В the RCA plugs have be updated and the small hum itВ developedВ was remedied by placing it on a book or some vibration isolators.В DIY indeed. The vintage audio community really has a different attitude in regard to trying products out. He has helped me with a number of vintage audio projects, and it seemed like the best way for both of us to enjoy the product. What gave me confidence was that it was the personal unit of the shop owner and he knew everything about it and itвЂ™s always reassuring to have the history of a piece of vintage audio equipment before you open up the wallet.ДЄfter we agreed on a price, he packed it up really well for our journey back to Buffalo, where it now resides at the home of our neighbor.

My journey with the ST 70 started off without a lot of drama my wife located one that was for sale at a record store in Vermont and we made the trip for New York to take a look.

#Vintage heathkit manuals driver#

The STВ 70 usedВ fourВ Eе…ѓ4В output tubes, one GZ34/5AR4В rectifierВ tube, two 7199 input (driver) tubes, two outputВ transformers, one power transformer, and a preassembledВ printed circuit boardВ (PCB) containing the driver circuit.В The power output was 35 watts/channel. The Stereo 70В ( STВ 70)В wasВ Introduced in 1959 andВ was available as a kit ( Dynakit) intended for assembly by the purchaser or as a complete factory-wired unit. The company had developed high-quality output transformers for use with DIY home electronics and when Hafler moved on and formed the new company with Laurent, they realized that there was a big market for build-it-yourself kits. The ST 70 stereo tube amplifier was its most popular component Dynaco sold more than 350,000 units before the brand was liquidated in 1980.Дavid Hafler had become popular in the Hi-Fi world in the 1950s with his brand, Acrosound. The results varied from excellent to horrific nightmare worse than the 4 consecutive Super Bowl losses by my beloved Buffalo Bills in the 1990s.Дynakit Stereo 70 (ST 70) The Dynaco StoryДynaco was formed inВ 1955В by Ed Laurent and David HaflerВ in Philadelphia, and the brand quickly became popular for its affordable and wide range of audio components.

This week, IвЂ™m going to dig a little deeper into my own personal experience with 2 Dynaco and 2 Heathkit models that I purchased. The finished product could be excellent, or really terrible if the person made serious mistakes. Some of these people were quite skilled and knew what they were doing. The products were available factory-assembled,В but what madeВ allВ ofВ theseВ specificВ pieces unique was that they were mostly assembled by hobbyists. Heathkit and Dynaco sold products thatВ featured quality components,В detailedВ instructions and could be completed over the course of a few days with decent soldering skills and patience.