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McChanson Valve Amp Owners Thread


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On 20/10/2020 at 9:17 PM, doogie44 said:

Here is a recent pic of most of my lounge room system.

 

The McChanson 300B )Shuguang Black Treasures) is to the right [next to the Elekit (then 5881) SEPentode amp]. I am trying the 6FD7 driving tubes with adaptors.

 

In the front is the Line Magnetic EL84-based 219iA Mini SEP & headphone amp (3W output). Back left is the king--the Line Magnetic 518iA SET 845 amp. Feeding them in the very back is the Leben RS-28CX valve preamplifier (with phono). Other sources are the Clearaudio performance T/T (with Maestro Wood MM); the Naim NAT-01 tuner (hidden); the Audionote CD-2 CD player and the Cambridge CXN streamer.

 

Speakers are the Tekton Design Perfect SET 15 (98dB + 8 ohm). 2 x REL Storm5 subs are stashed elsewhere out of frame.

 

I rotate through the amps according to whim and specific music. The FM radio (ABC or 2MBS Fine Music) via the 845 amp takes some beating.

 

It's a tough gig but someone's got to do it!

 

IMG_2762.JPG

Love the speakers!

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8 hours ago, doogie44 said:

Thanks, Muon

 

Did an amateur review here:

 

Thanks for sharing the review @doogie44 ... Enjoyed the read! Look foward to hearing Tektons somewhere... Maybe once we can all travel again. :) 

 

Also, where did you source your Shuguang Black Treasures from? Do you remember how much they cost you?

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The 300B Black Treasures came with the amp when purchased. [I have previously bought the 6CA7 Black Treasures for another amp online from the Tube Amp Doctor.]

 

I note that Wolster here on SNA sold a matched pair for $220 some 18 months ago.

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Hi all,

I use one of Eric's mini tube amps  for my desktop set up.Its been upgraded to push around 5 or 6 watts instead of the standard 2 watts.

The amp is dead quiet and sounds absolutely terrific.I recall what a good experience I had with Eric during the build process etc.

Eric was sending constant pics to me of each stage of the build.Great communication.I have to one day try one of his larger amps in my main system. 1759212495_desktopampsetup.thumb.jpg.8bd765758585934299431628c11f46d6.jpg

227817303_Inkeddesktopspeakers_LI.thumb.jpg.65d6099274824c5b2f52167d051af152.jpg

Edited by craka
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I use the 6AS7 parallel SET approx 12wpc, more than enough to drive my hybrid horns setup which is still evolving atm, recently added a pair of small tweeter horn so the mid horn can just do its own duty. Next year will look at building the woofer box to complete the project.

I used to have a few of Eric's amps but the 6AS7 is what left becasue this is the one that sings best with my setup.

I am a good friend of him, I think I have tried most of his amps, and we had a few get together sessions to try out his different amps...etc. and actually I have his first 6AS7 amp, as you all know 6AS7 is very popular in the headphones amps world. So I asked Eric to design one for me using the 6AS7, it was started as a power amp to go with his 12AU7 pre amp. Since then my 6AS7 has gone through many rounds of surgery, upgraded to a stage that Eric said there is nothing to change.... it is now an integrated amp without any caps.

It still has his marzE transformer which is now discontinued. I also added bits and pieces myself to change the look a little. Timber trim on the sides, big solid aluminium knobs and removed the words on the front panel  also changed the feets to viprapod cones. 

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Edited by dwbasement
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  • 3 weeks later...

I decided some time ago loved the sound of tube amps then after about a 100 emails back and forth I had my small silver bedroom amp its a little dusty but gets plenty of work (PSVANE EL84-T Mark Ⅱ tubes) Klipsch B-10 speakers with Volumio PI player Aoide DIY modded with touch screen and justboom DAC.

Then setting up the media room main amp is a 300b timE amp with 2 6BQ5 amps (side and back) and a mono EL84 for the center speaker. The mono was a special built just for the media room. all running Klipsch speakers

 

 

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Love the 300b it gets a hammering during the week end (playing from the turntable) I would like to upgrade the main tubes (300b) but that will have to wait maybe xmas bonus lol.  I was looking into  Genalex Gold Lion PX300B or Psvane 300B-T Mark II would like KR Audio 300B but they are a bit out of the budget range.

The switch lower left can change the turntable playing amps to the rear speakers on the 6BQ5 paired with Klipsch R-15M that sound good with Mullard EL84 tubes as well.

 

 

PS when they are all on it shakes the house and wife keeps complaining as the photos keep falling of the wall. :)

Edited by ARFrater
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

So there's a McChanson's amps thread here. ?

 

I've had lots of headphone tube amps but only recently have I dip my toes into the world of Eric's amps. Over the Easter long weekends, Eric loan me 3 of his amps for trial. 2 300b amps and a 6bx7gt headphone amp. Of the 2 300b amps, one is a pEar (parafeed design - more linear and tight) and the other a timE (more lush and romantic). The 6bx7gt SET amp is 3w !!! sound very punchy and has lots of slam. However I much prefer the 300b amps for the wider soundstage and lovely mids that's perfect for vocals.

 

A friend also brought over his McChanson's KT150 amp using KT77 or RCA 6L6 tubes, the latter is very good.

 

So impressed was I of Eric's amps sound that I'll be getting him to make me a KT150 amp (can also use the whole range of KT**, EL34, etc tubes). Meanwhile here's some pictures of the 300b and 6bx7gt amp and KT77 amp.

 

 

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46 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

Oh I forgot to mention that I was primarily auditioning it with my headphones. Specifically the HiFiman's He1000v2 and He1000se and my LCD-3f. Also a He6se using speaker taps cable.

 

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Matt, you should try Eric's 6EM7 SET, it has a mix of 300b and 6as7 sound but only 2W, hoever it should drive the HPs easily. 

Edited by dwbasement
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5 minutes ago, dwbasement said:

Matt, you should try Eric's 6EM7 SET, it has a mix of 300b and 6as7 sound but only 2W, hoever it should drive the HPs easily. 

 

Nope Dennis. ? I'm instead totally being wow by Eric's SET amp that use 6EM7 as drivers, a GZ34 as rectifier and for power tubes... KT150, KT88, KT77, KT66. EL34, 6L6, 6L6GC, 6550, 807, etc, etc. This setup as both headphone and speaker amp really impressed me. Eric cannot get MarzE transformers anymore but he has kindly let me have his own last set of MarzE power and 2 x output transformers. There's no matching choke but he will mount a generic choke inside the chassis. For chassis, I wanted a silver chassis and he has one kept aside and that will be used for my amp. I'm currently listening to my friend's @xtiva2000 KT77 SET amp using current production Svetlana KT88 tubes and it's lovely.

 

It was a hard decision choosing between the 300b or this KT150 amp.

 

My finished amp will look like one of Eric's earlier creation and I think it look very good. I won't have the meter because that's only for decoration. It will have 1/4 inch and xlr headphone outputs on top of the chassis, towards the front like the earlier photo of the black amp above. 

 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, dwbasement said:

I see. But that's not a true SET?

 

Oh very new to tube amp so don't know Technology behind Eric's amp but his amp has impressed me so much upon first audition decided to purchase the amp.. KT150 timE, but with KT77... 

 

Now using RCA 6L6 and this tube has transformed the amp!!! Great bass extension without losing detail on treble...

 

SET OTL or Push-pull... don't really understand but amp has amazing sound without any noise!!!11

 

Ps. Loving your GZ34 in my amp... this definitely made difference in clarity of the amp compared to Eric's usual rectifier!!! Money well spent...  

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1 minute ago, xtiva2000 said:

 

Oh very new to tube amp so don't know Technology behind Eric's amp but his amp has impressed me so much upon first audition decided to purchase the amp.. KT150 timE, but with KT77... 

 

Now using RCA 6L6 and this tube has transformed the amp!!! Great bass extension without losing detail on treble...

 

SET OTL or Push-pull... don't really understand but amp has amazing sound without any noise!!!11

 

Ps. Loving your GZ34 in my amp... this definitely made difference in clarity of the amp compared to Eric's usual rectifier!!! Money well spent...  

Glad you like the mullard.

SET is vocals heaven, chamber music, jazz trio...etc

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12 minutes ago, dwbasement said:

Glad you like the mullard.

SET is vocals heaven, chamber music, jazz trio...etc

 

It sure sound great for Classicalq music too to my ear....... moving from solid state, it definitely opens up the stage so much :)  then I am just beginner for tube amp 

 

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35 minutes ago, dwbasement said:

I see. But that's not a true SET?

 

Eric said it's SET. Can set to triode or ultralinear. I'll just leave it at triode. The 300b is set.... up until now I still haven't decided on whether 300b or the KT150 amp.

 

What's a true SET? ?

 

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Here is my newly built KT150 SET timE amp that I acquired less than month ago.  Heard about him but honestly didn't  like the looks of the amp.. .

 

But one audition was enough to convince me to get it.

 

Currently using RCA 6L6 metal tube.

 

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7 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

 

Eric said it's SET. Can set to triode or ultralinear. I'll just leave it at triode. The 300b is set.... up until now I still haven't decided on whether 300b or the KT150 amp.

 

What's a true SET? ?

 

KT150 is UL / Triode switchable, it is not true Triode, but tapped into triode. When KT150 tapped to triode.

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2 minutes ago, dwbasement said:

KT150 is UL / Triode switchable, it is not true Triode, but tapped into triode. When KT150 tapped to triode.

 

Sounds great to me nevertheless with headphones. In fact I have a slight preference of it over the 300b ... ymmv as usual.

 

I don't use KT150 tubes though. I will use KT88, KT77, EL34, 6550, 807, etc

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10 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

 

Eric said it's SET. Can set to triode or ultralinear. I'll just leave it at triode. The 300b is set.... up until now I still haven't decided on whether 300b or the KT150 amp.

 

What's a true SET? ?

 

I changed the look of mine a bit...timber side panel, solid aluminium knob and isoacoustics feets...

20210409_231737.jpg

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