Obsession

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:59 pm

Let's face it , if we weren't ,we could leave it alone, couldn't we?

That's not the point.

I have the luxury of being able to have a 'few' things on the go at once. It may not be wise, this is just what I do.

The silver ongaku has lain in the shed for a good few months. Lee came along and waxed overjoyful about LW and this amp of mine was an LW before it was silver0.

Mr Rankin's silver ongaku is sleepwalkingly simple; choke loaded 2A3SE with ecc81SRPP. But, he warns, if you use peanuts you get monkeys (and although I still have the overwhelming urge to swing through the trees, eat bananas, spend a not inconsiderable time copulating etc etc the component count is low so I spendspendspend.

I duly bought Audionote tantalum resistors (expensive and many people say are 'orrible and used AN copper coupling caps. Output trafos are my silver wound amorphous'. My power supply 'tuned' choke loaded. It was good with a hint of hum.

Now, with Fostex208s, I couldn't live with the hum.

Rather than renew my joy in LW, (I'll do that next week) I thought, it or me - the hum has to go. So now choke, cap choke, caps - no hum.

How good is it now?

Last night we sat down to dinner, chew and talk about the day's disasters and successes; all very intense. The music is on though. Twin Peaks - pretty simple stuff.

Anna sarts to ..... listen .... and she goes on - words are not spoken any longer and the meal carries on in silence.

This is a sign.

Tonight Anna's gone out with the girls. I hook down Eleanor McAvoy SACD. It sounds beautiful.

My point?

I've forgotten.

(it could have been, a) well done Mr Rankin, b) SE really is the only way to go, c) this is a very expensive amp so bleeding better be good or d) this really is very fine

probably b

I can't remember.

I'm going back to the music. Corrr ...

laters ...

Paul Barker · Post by **Paul Barker** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:00 pm

I feel your enthusiasm vicariously.

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:18 am

Ah, a man of the cloth. Greetings brother!

It's not a bad amplifier - I'm keeping it a while longer.

(Paul, I'm putting off that transformer and putting it off. If I was to have rebuilt the Leak stereo20 I'd love it, NOW.

But I was disgusted with the condition of the amp when it was sent to me. One channel worked and it was filthy. Wax, from the provious trafo had run everywhere too, so there had been meltdown. (By the colour of yours I assume it is a more recent model and in good condition.) I couldn't be bothered and was uintrigued by DiyParadise simple el84amp and of course the lazy man's CCS. So I ripped the amp apart, cleaned, sprayed and started again, and I like it. So, if it is still available when next we meet its a probably and many thanks. Right now, the dread of XmasXcess is freezing my marrow. )

richardcooper2k · Post by **richardcooper2k** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:05 pm

hi andrew - what makes it an 'ongaku' - is it to do with the circuit ?

pre65 · Post by **pre65** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:37 pm

Hi-this is the article.

http://www.wavelengthaudio.com/SP-BabyO.PDF

in Dec 05 Andrew answered a question from Nick

"'apparently, our Nick, the baby Ongak is so called because ' the end product is very similar to the real thing sonically'. To go a little further on in the article, '...Any fool who thinks that he or she can conjure up a 'magic amp' with a few dollars worth of surplus parts, an old car radiator and a $4-98 weller soldering iron should put this magazine down now! Drop it, Fool! Take your 59cent hamburger and plain wrap soda pop and retreat to the friendlier environs whence you came.'

I'll have to build one but I just got a NOS radiator from ebay. "

richardcooper2k · Post by **richardcooper2k** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:50 pm

thanks phillip - so is it the silver op trannies that make this 'baby' what it is ? if built without would it be an average 2a3 amp ?

Ray P · Post by **Ray P** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:37 am

Andrew, it looks pretty simple - shame about the capacitor before the 2A3.

Do you have the magnequest transformers?

Ray

andrew Ivimey · Post by **andrew Ivimey** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:51 am

Hello Ray, no I have never used magnequest. I'd like to give them a go but have never stubbed my toe.

I'm using AE amorphous core silver wound trafos in the Silver Ongaku They aren't that bad.

It is sleepwalkingly simple, but what makes it special is the attention to detail and the shedloads of dosh you have to fork out.

audio-talk

Obsession

#1 Obsession

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#7 Ongaku

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