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Salt Cellar Initiative


mwhouston

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I wonder of there should be a Salt Cellar Lite for those with high blood pressure. A reduced Salt in the Cellar. What if a member wants do try a SC amp/speaker setup but can’t muster a setup with the points outlined early. We don’t want them having a heart attack over the project. A relaxing of some suggested guidelines may be in order.

 

A Salt Cellar Lite (low salt version) may just be;

 

  • at least a tube power amp
  • horn mid range
  • and mono.

There is a SCL for those wanting to have a go but with restricted ability. 

 

 

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Edited by mwhouston
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Assembled not wired. Stained and lacquered and with a rustic up from the cellar look and an aged timber feel. Ive include a raw wine box ($9) to show the difference. . 
 

But the universal transformer pack I use with my Wine Box 6L6 amps can’t be used here with tube rectification. A new external Tranni will be assembled bread board style. 

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On 14/06/2020 at 9:50 PM, mwhouston said:
  1. a monaural system
  2. high efficiency speakers - horns where possible
  3. a tube low power Class A mono power amp or even tube integrated amp
  4. vintage tubes
  5. mono vinyl phono playback from mono cart or mono wired phono stage 
  6. ultra short non shielded interconnects and speaker leads of Silver plated wire wrap wire

 

Just had a read of the thread, thanks for putting the note in the "what are you building" thread.

 

I am not sure I have absorbed exactly what it is all about yet, but it puts me in mind of the system I have run for many years in my record library room.     I have always really enjoyed the mono sound it produces, so I may have an inkling of what these salt cellar systems are about.

 

It is mono , so tick #1 on your list.  I use a 12" twin-cone Plessey Rola speaker, so quite efficient, but not a horn (except for the horn in the middle of it)  - so partly #2.  Noting Dave's comments, it IS mounted in an open back box (open baffle).

 

I usually power it with a mono 6L6 UL push-pull amp, but have many Class A SE amps I could use.  Probably would use one channel of a 6SN7/6L6 amp I have. - tick #3.

 

By vintage, I suspect you mean older than 6L6?   What if I use an old metal can 6L6, or old coke bottle 6V6 ?  At least it's all octal.   Part #4?

 

I use 2 turntables, a Garrard 4Hf with original tonearm for 78s, and a cutout for an SME3009 (that I can put back in a few minutes.) and a Garrard AT6 changer for stacking old mono 45s.  Mono wired stereo carts mostly, although I do have some mono crystal/ceramics.  Tick #5

 

Not sure why you want to do #6.  It almost doesn't seem to fit the feel of the rest of the stuff.

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8 hours ago, aussievintage said:

 

Just had a read of the thread, thanks for putting the note in the "what are you building" thread.

 

I am not sure I have absorbed exactly what it is all about yet, but it puts me in mind of the system I have run for many years in my record library room.     I have always really enjoyed the mono sound it produces, so I may have an inkling of what these salt cellar systems are about.

 

It is mono , so tick #1 on your list.  I use a 12" twin-cone Plessey Rola speaker, so quite efficient, but not a horn (except for the horn in the middle of it)  - so partly #2.  Noting Dave's comments, it IS mounted in an open back box (open baffle).

 

I usually power it with a mono 6L6 UL push-pull amp, but have many Class A SE amps I could use.  Probably would use one channel of a 6SN7/6L6 amp I have. - tick #3.

 

By vintage, I suspect you mean older than 6L6?   What if I use an old metal can 6L6, or old coke bottle 6V6 ?  At least it's all octal.   Part #4?

 

I use 2 turntables, a Garrard 4Hf with original tonearm for 78s, and a cutout for an SME3009 (that I can put back in a few minutes.) and a Garrard AT6 changer for stacking old mono 45s.  Mono wired stereo carts mostly, although I do have some mono crystal/ceramics.  Tick #5

 

Not sure why you want to do #6.  It almost doesn't seem to fit the feel of the rest of the stuff.

Hey, glad you are taking this seriously. Love it.


#6 is an Allen Wright thing. Short, ultra fine non shielded interconnects and speakers wire. Wire warp wire from Jaycar is silver plated fine wire. Can be used for speaker wire in flea power amps in short lengths and as interconnects. Non of my interconnects in my main system are shielded and most made from wire wrap wire. 

 

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9 hours ago, aussievintage said:

 

Just had a read of the thread, thanks for putting the note in the "what are you building" thread.

 

I am not sure I have absorbed exactly what it is all about yet, but it puts me in mind of the system I have run for many years in my record library room.     I have always really enjoyed the mono sound it produces, so I may have an inkling of what these salt cellar systems are about.

 

It is mono , so tick #1 on your list.  I use a 12" twin-cone Plessey Rola speaker, so quite efficient, but not a horn (except for the horn in the middle of it)  - so partly #2.  Noting Dave's comments, it IS mounted in an open back box (open baffle).

 

I usually power it with a mono 6L6 UL push-pull amp, but have many Class A SE amps I could use.  Probably would use one channel of a 6SN7/6L6 amp I have. - tick #3.

 

By vintage, I suspect you mean older than 6L6?   What if I use an old metal can 6L6, or old coke bottle 6V6 ?  At least it's all octal.   Part #4?

 

I use 2 turntables, a Garrard 4Hf with original tonearm for 78s, and a cutout for an SME3009 (that I can put back in a few minutes.) and a Garrard AT6 changer for stacking old mono 45s.  Mono wired stereo carts mostly, although I do have some mono crystal/ceramics.  Tick #5

 

Not sure why you want to do #6.  It almost doesn't seem to fit the feel of the rest of the stuff.

Big fan of the 6L6.

 

https://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2017/02/silver-supreme-6l6-se-ul-amp-in-wooden.html

 

https://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2017/07/retro-6l6-se-ul-mkii-power-amp.html
 

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Good progress at least in the audio section of the amp. About  to start the PS section.  As usual with my builds it’s make it up as you go along - wiring that is. I’m working from a modified schematic and using half the 6SN7 as a preamp. This is an integrated amp.

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25 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

 

Ever consider wiring the two halves in parallel?  I know people argue pros and cons, but I did it once to some 12AT7s and it worked nicely.

I did but I want a true  integrated not a power amp with attenuator. I had the stereo version of the 807 and 6SN7 preamp seperate schematic. . I figured half 6SN7 preamp and half driver. The guy who design the 807 also design the preamp section. 
 

more progress, in-fact amp section is complete and started the rectifier/PS section.

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7 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

OK, I didn't understand before.  I see now.

But I did consider parallel operation. Also I placed the pot after the preamp stage so I’m not  throwing away raw signal. Preamping the lot then taking what’s needed for a comfortable listening level. 
 

All parts (or 90%) were what’s on hand which is one of the Salt Cellar guides. With a result there is very mixed compliment of values, in some areas, are ball park and not absolute. Also a mix of carbon 1W and metal 1/2W resistors, metal film and PIO caps. 

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Of the five big HT tube trannies I have none will produce the 300V I need for this SC amp. My hope was to use one of these big trannies as part of the hobbled together SC mono tube amp. They would have left me at least 40V short. In operation you may not have noticed the difference but for the sake of $200 I can get a healthy 300V which should push the amp to deliver its full brutal 2W. Tranni is ordered. Now the wait.

 

I have two other projects in line at the mo. so I’ll push on with those until the Tranni arrives. I have a matching Tranni board ready to go for when it does arrives. Still annoyed I had to layout to get this project done but I’m sure the extra time and cost will be worth it. At least I won’t die wondering. 

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Here is the matching plinth for the power Tranni which will sit naked on the brd. I put in a inline power switch to keep with the old world feel. Not only that easier to install than a switch on the board. Fuse is incorporated.

 

A 12 way multi-pin connection is on the amp three umbilical cords to connect to the Tranni secondaries. Still waiting the Tranni.

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The big ass Tranni arrived. Nearly finished another external PSs for preamps and phono tube amps. Once done (hopefully today) I’ll finish off the external Tranni brd. Then I can test the amp and setup my SC system. 

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Set myself up to get the voltages right when I realised I had the 807 socket wired incorrectly. Fixed that without too much trouble.

 

Then I had the wrong HT+ wire hooked to the filtering network. Corrected that. I have the dropping resistor figured now so I can finish the wiring of the PS. Then to test the sound.  A very long day. 

 

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I have done this once before but I was hoping an easier way. The reason I say that is because I record the audio and video seperate. I use tube studio stereo mics and a 24/192 Steinberg digital recorder for the audio. Then just my iPad for the video and then bring them together on YouTube. 
 

But the audio quality is wasted if others just use their phones or iPads etc to listen to it. Unless of course they use high end phones. First get the SC setup done then worry about it. Should have it up tomorrow if I can stop listening to it. Very addictive.  

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5 minutes ago, lemarquis said:

How big is the audio file? It's possible it can be hosted on a server then link copied here. Google Drive etc. If small enough to email I can do it if you don't have somewhere to host it?

Thanks for the offer. Still sorting the project out. I can post on my retro-thermionic face book page. One small sh!tty recording is up there now. 
 

Not sure how to link it to here. 

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10 minutes ago, mwhouston said:

I can post on my retro-thermionic face book page. One small sh!tty recording is up there now. 
 

Not sure how to link it to here. 

Do you want to post just the audio file in 24/192? If you can post that to FB you can link here or if not  you will need to provide the audio file separately so it can be hosted somewhere I think, then a link to that can be posted here.

Edited by lemarquis
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