Has any one here re-stored or built a Radford ST25 Valve amp, if so , could you tell me if you thought it was a good sounding amp compared with other valve amps.
bcorn aka acorn
Radford amp
#2
Yep, they are good sounding PP amps, just repaired a ST15 as it happens. Good transformers.
Whenever an honest man discovers that he's mistaken, he will either cease to be mistaken or he will cease to be honest.
#3
Before Peter Comeau went bust with his WD business and probably his Arena Electronics parent companies, owning the Radford name, he was seeking to replicate this amp commercially. His significant problem was finding a transformer winding company that could replicate the transformer design of the original ST25. He went bust before any conclusion was reached.
As Nick says, very good transformers. Nothing more needs to be said after that. You can do your own tweaking to the rest of the circuit.
Greg
As Nick says, very good transformers. Nothing more needs to be said after that. You can do your own tweaking to the rest of the circuit.
Greg
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#4 Radford amps
Yes they are interesting amps, I note that there is one company making
be-spoke Radford amps at this present moment at around the 2K mark.
bcorn
be-spoke Radford amps at this present moment at around the 2K mark.
bcorn
#5 Radford amps
Has you stated Greg, the problem would be sourcing the output transforms but I am not sure what is so special about them, does any one know?.
bcorn
bcorn
#6
Sowter do them for £190 each, I dont think there was any extra magic, just cost a bit to make because of the winding schedule.
I have no reason to believe Sowters copies are not as good as the original.
I have no reason to believe Sowters copies are not as good as the original.
Whenever an honest man discovers that he's mistaken, he will either cease to be mistaken or he will cease to be honest.
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shane
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#7
It certainly seems that it was the transformers that made them what they are. After Arthur Radford ceased trading, Woodside Electronics took over servicing and a bit of development with his blessing, and in a separate development some years later Peter got hold of the name and attempted to create a revival. As Greg says above, that ground to a halt when Peter went to China, but the two strands came together again a year or two ago in the shape of Raford Revival which is a continuation of Woodside's activities. Peter has ceded all rights to them, I think, and crucially they've managed to unearth Arthur's original detailed specs for all of the transformers, allowing exact replicas to be made. They do seem to have gone a bit quiet lately, but their website is here:
http://www.radfordrevival.co.uk/
http://www.radfordrevival.co.uk/
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#8
I had a st15 a few years ago, it was one of the best 'bought' amps i've heard, i decided to part with it when i got divorced a few years back... Big mistake looking back.. The amp, not the divorce
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