• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

S-5 K-16LS Kit arrived in Germany !!

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Hi to all !

Yesterday my S-5 K-16LS Kit with the PL Stereo Tube Preamplifier
from S5 Electronics arrived.

Sadly the German Toll costs nerves !!
The turnover tax on imports and toll is for Germany
€ 49,- !! That´s US $ 61,- and the freight is $ 66,- extra.

That´s a lot !

But the kit is a very good piece of craftsmanship.
Nothing is missing on this kit. The PCB´s are very clean and the
construction manual is traceable. The building time for this kit was
one and half an hour. By the way, the main switch is horrible !
No German electrican will use this switch because it´s too unsafe !

Tomorrow I will start with listening. I think the best speaker
for this amp will be my Buschhorn MK II with the Fostex FE 103.

But here is my question to all of you:

What do you think about the output transformers ?
I think that they are a little bit gnomish.
O.K. in the last time my projects were SE amps with the EL34
and the output transformers were a big packet of iron.

Thank you for your answers and sorry for my bad school English !

Greetings again from Hamburg / Germany and God bless you !

Lufton
 
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Joined 2004
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230V power transformer? Make absolutely sure before you plug it in. If not get a small auto-transformer.

The duty and shipping does sound expensive..

The small output transformers are reputed to be reasonably good, but I have heard of people replacing them with custom made Edcors.. There are several transformer makers in Germany who should be able to provide upgrade iron if you decide to go that route.

I haven't heard one of these amplifiers so I can make no comment on their sound.
 
Hi !

Unfortunately one of the 6005 tubes has a manufacturing error.
On the photo you can see that the glass mould is full of air pockets.
As I want to push the tube into his socket the glass break
and one my fingers gets hurt. Ooouch ! Aarrrgh, it´s hurting !

In the attachment a photo of the tube socket (without blood).

Now I am waiting for an new tube. The listening test is paused.

Lufton
 

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    manufacturing error tube 6005.jpg
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Cap upgrade

Guten tag,

I have built two of these kits and think that they sound fantastic. The mods are helpful and the best improvement for the money has been the front end capacitor upgrades as explained in other threads. I have also experienced a broken 6005 tube. they were mass produced and it seems that about one in ten has a flaw. I think they put out a great sound though. My brother has a set of home built 4 ohm Cerwin Vega three ways with 12" subs and they sound beautiful. I am running them through a set of Phase Tech three way 8 ohm that sound just a bit better although the low end seems to start clipping a little sooner. I have played everything from the Three Tenors to Led Zepplin the music is better than I remember it ever sounding.:bigeyes: :hphones:
Tcuss Tchau.
 
Hello !

After receiving a matched oktett (!!) of new tubes 6005 National Electronics NOS I was able to start my listening test with the
Buschhorn MK II with Fostex FE 103.

First start of the amp:

A smooth glowing of the tubes and no resistor or capacitor
blows up. Yea !

But a loud HHHMMMM !

O.K. we are in Germany. So I can use the German called "Schutzkontakt" = safety contact of the "Schukostecker" =
safety contact plug.

This third wire of this plug connects directly to the earth. On the PCB from S5 is a soldering point for the connection of earth. The suggestion from S5 is to connect this point with the protective steel sheet of the output transfomers. O.K. this reduces the HHMMMM
a little bit. After connecting the earth of the amp with the earth of the "Schukostecker"- earth, you can guess what you will hear ?

Nothing, only silence !! The HHMMM is gone !

Fine ! No HHMMM and no HISSS !

Part two

Connecting my Sandisk Sansa e260 pimped with Rockbox 3.0.
Looking for my prefered song: "Jazz at the Pawnshop"
decoded with ogg at quality setting q3.

Wonderful ! Crisp highs, transparent mids, and a loud and clear bass. By the way, the Buschhorm MKII can do really 50 Hz
with a full sound pressure. But you have to place them into a corner.
But after a period of listening I noticed some background noise
from the sansa while listening. Hmmm...

After switching to my CD walkman Philips EXP 2540
a door and a curtain were opened.

Finest highs, warm but transparent mids and a firm bass.
It´s an avatar !!!

Part three

Connecting the amp to my Klein + Hummel SL30 with the
Electro Voice T35. I know that the Klein + Hummel needs more
power the S5 did his job to low volume. But not more.
O.K. this was the wrong partner.

Part four

Phoning my neighbour. He is infected with the same hifi virus.
His listening combination is a amp from REVOX A 78 and a
Klipschhorn made by ACR. It is a copy of the Klipsch from the
80´.

Connect the amp to the Klipsch and connect the REVOX tape deck
A 77 high speed.

WWOOOOW ! Yeah !!!! That´s it !
I never hear before such a sound. With the REVOX it sounds
boring. But with the S5 amp we felt as if we are in the seventh heaven !

You can imagine what my neighbour wants ?
He asked to me if" I want to import another amp from America
because this amp has changed his lording."

In a short form. I have to import a new amp.

Thank you S5 for your wonderful little amp !

Best whishes to all of you. And god bless you !

Lufton
 
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