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- Modern Tube (9)
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Welcome to Tube Dreams!
Posted on March 20th, 2008 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *.
Tube Dreams specializes in high-end tube audio gear, both new and used. We are an authorized dealer for Cary Audio Design tube and solid state electronics as well as Totem Acoustic and Usher Audio speakers.
We also usually have some select used items, currently including a Shanling CD-T100A tube CD player, Musical Design SP-1 preamp, Audio Electronic Supply AE-25 Super Amp, and Epos M-15.2 speakers.
For those on a tighter budget, we frequently have restored vintage equipment including Dynaco power amps and preamps. We also repair and restore vintage tube audio gear.
Please call to make an appointment and get directions. Tube Dreams is located in South Austin near Oltorf and Lamar in the colorful 78704 neighborhood (more than a zip code, a way of life). We can be reached by phone at 512-736-6601.
Usher speaker demo sale
Posted on March 20th, 2008 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, Speakers, Usher.
Tube Dreams has one pair of Usher V-Series floor-standing speakers and matching center channel in Golden Birch finish for 25% off list price:
- Usher V-602 mid-size floorstander (pair) - $780 ($1040 MSRP)
- Usher V-603 Center Channel - $465 ($620 MSRP)
All demos include full manufacturer’s warranty. Call 512-736-6601 to make an appointment to audition or to purchase any of these demos, separately or together!
Musical Design SP-1 Tube Preamp - $595
Posted on March 5th, 2008 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, Preamplifiers, Modern Tube, Musical Design.
This is a manufacturer-refurbished Musical Design SP-1 tube preamplifier. This great sounding little preamp has six inputs, five on the selector switch and one ‘DIRECT’ input which is hard-wired with Musical Design AURA interconnect and bypasses all other switching and the balance control. The tube circuit is on a separate board which is acoustically isolated (decoupled) from the main PCB and the chassis. It has a stepped-switch balance control which does not degrade the audio signal. It has dual ‘MAIN OUT’ jacks to simplify the connection of bi-amped systems. It has a ‘MUTE’ switch and the output is automatically muted for 30 seconds following powering on and also instantaneously muted at power-off to protect your amp and speakers.
This unit has been refurbished by the manufacturer: The tube circuit board was replaced as were all the power supply capacitors. It has seen very little use since being refurbished.
The tube complement consists of two strong Sovtek 6922 tubes. The pics below are not of the unit for sale, but I will provide pics of the actual unit on request. The unit for sale has some light scratches on one knob, visible up close but not from a distance. It is otherwise identical with the unit pictured, but comes with Sovtek 6922 tubes rather than Electro-Harmonix tubes.
The original MSRP for this preamp was $1295. This preamp pairs perfectly with the AES AE-25 Superamp listed below. Buy both together for $1295 (a $95 discount). You have to hear these components to believe the musicality of their sound!
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AES AE-25 Super Amp with Oil Caps - $795
Posted on March 5th, 2008 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, Amplifiers, Modern Tube, AES.
This Audio Electronic Supply AE-25 Superamp is a great starter power amp with the best sounding vintage tubes for a great price. This unit has been completely serviced and retubed. It has Audio 1 oil caps, new Cardas RCA jacks and new Cardas binding posts. The tube complement includes (note that these are different than the tubes pictured below):
- 2 NOS Raytheon 6CG7
- 2 JAN Philips 6DJ8 (used, test strong)
- 4 Svetlana KT88 (used, matched at ~88%)
For those not familiar with the Superamp, the beauty of this self-biasing amp is the wide range of output tubes which can be used in it: 6550, KT88, KT77, KT66, EL37, EL34, 6L6, and 6V6. Here are the manufacturer’s specs:
| Power output (RMS) | 15W RMS in triode mode into 8 ohms |
| Frequency response | 15Hz-20kHz +/- 0.5dB |
| Gain | -91dB |
| Input impedance | 150K ohms |
| Sensitivity | 1.5V |
| Power requirements | 165W maximum, 80W stand-by |
As for the service history, there was a hum in the right channel of this kit-built Superamp when I first got it. When I inspected it, I found that while the builder had done an extremely professional job, there were some wire misroutings which put wires carrying 120V AC too close to signal wires. There was also one cold solder. Once these problems were corrected, the hum was gone.
Cosmetically, the amp is in great shape, with the only real defect being a slight scrape of the top layer of paint just above the right speaker binding posts.
The original MSRP for this amp with oil caps was $1500 assembled. Buy this amp together with the Musical Design SP-1 preamp listed above for $1295 (a $95 discount). You have to hear these components to believe the musicality of their sound!
Here are the pictures:
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Dynaco Stereo 70 Audiophile Boards
Posted on February 22nd, 2008 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, Dynaco.
We now have Dynaco Stereo 70 Audiophile grade circuit boards available. with prices ranging from $100 to $400 depending on the brand of coupling capacitor.
NOS tubes
Posted on January 2nd, 2008 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *.
Recently, I’ve been doing some buying and have the following New Old Stock tubes available. Call 512-736-6601 for pricing and further information:
- NOS RCA VT-229 (6SL7GT) (two pair left)
- NOS Tung Sol 6SL7GT round plates w/black glass (one pair left)
- NOS GE ’60s 6SN7GTB (two pair left, one Motorola branded)
- used GE ’50s 6SN7GTB (two pair left)
- NIB Sylvania ’50s 6SN7GTB “chrome domes” (one pair left)
- NOS RCA 12AU7 cleartops
- NOS RCA 5963 (12AU7 substitute)
- NOS Philips 12AX7 (one pair left)
- NOS Sylvania JAN UHS CHS 5U4GB (pair)
More are coming in daily so check back often. I also have a variety of used vintage tubes. I recommend used tubes for new tuberollers as you can try more types of tubes for around half the price of new tubes. All my used tubes have plenty of life left in them!
Newsflash: the Usher Audio Be-718s are IN!
Posted on November 14th, 2007 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, Speakers, Usher.
Tube Dreams is pleased to announce that our Usher Audio Be-718 “Tiny Dancer” demos are IN!
These mini-monitors have been getting rave reviews: from John Potis on 6moons.com, Doug Schneider on SoundStage and Robert Hawley in the November 2007 issue of The Absolute Sound, who said:
“A tremendous sense of speed, precision, and clarity that many big speakers don’t deliver, Easy to forget you’re listening to a reproduction rather than to music itself. The Be-718 get out of the music’s way to a degree that is unprecedented in a loudspeaker of this price, in my experience.”
Call Simon at 736-6601 to make an appointment to audition the Tiny Dancers today!
Cary SLI 80
Posted on September 13th, 2007 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, Amplifiers, Modern Tube, Cary.
The Cary SLI 80 is an 80 watts per channel in Class A/B ultra-linear mode, push pull amplifier design, 40 Watts per channel in Class A Triode mode, stereo integrated amplifier, 3 stereo input pairs, sub woofer preamp output, black steel chassis, KT88 or 6550 output tubes. Standard with remote volume control, has 4 or 8 ohm speaker impedance switches, headphone jack, triode or ultra-linear mode switches and oil filled capacitors. Black anodized aluminum front panel.
MSRP: $3500
Cary CD 303/300 CD Player
Posted on September 13th, 2007 by Simon.
Categories: * Home *, CD Players, Modern Tube, Solid State, Cary.
The Cary CD 303/300 is an HDCD decoding, single CD playback at 44.1, 96, 192, 384, 512 or 768 kHz sample rates, remotely selectable with the remote control handset or with a front panel button. Digital buffer stage to eliminate jitter! 24 bit Burr Brown 1792 DAC chips used for D/A conversion, C-core power transformer, fully regulated power supplies, and fully shielded drive mechanism. The vacuum tube outputs have a removable panel above them for tube exchange or ‘tube rolling’ without opening the chassis. Received the “2005 Product of the Year” award from Electronic House magazine.
MSRP: $4000
Cary SLP 03 Stereo Preamplifier
Posted on September 9th, 2007 by Simon.
Categories: Preamplifiers, Modern Tube, Cary.
The Cary SLP 03 is a balanced vacuum tube preamplifier with dual 12AU7 vacuum tubes. It features full remote control for input switching and volume control. The front panel has a readout display for selected functions and current settings. The SLP 03 has 4 RCA stereo input pairs, one XLR input pair, a tape monitor loop and mute switching. Black or silver anodized aluminum faceplates. It has one set of XLR balanced outputs and dual RCA stereo outputs.
MSRP: $3000