If you have a temperature controlled soldering iron and good solder, I would suggest desoldering pump that sucks solder if you make a mistake. Read the entire manual, lay out the parts and mostly take your time and enjoy it. It is a fairly simple DIY build and I have not heard of any failures to complete. At the end of your build, check your test points. If they all within range you good to go. These all depend on your tubes. I also use a light bulb tester and variac to slowly ramp up voltage on initial power up.
OK, I'm a bit confused, are you saying $4000 for a pair of the LL2770Ag-AM or $4000 for each individual output transformer X 2 = $8000 for the pair which would be ridiculously expensive?
I love all of them, 45, 2A3, 300B, but I would have to say the Main downside is the much lower power output of 2A3 compared to 300B. No problem, of course, if one is using 100+ dB sensitive speakers/horns.
DO you know how much ....each...
Lundahl LL2752Ag Silver wire Tube Output Transformer, 5.458,09 €
it is EUR not US$...
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I would love to hear 45 tubes. Right now my Zu 97DB speakers are perfect for 2A3 - I get to about 11:30 o clock on volume dial. Of course with 300B its backed down to about 9 o clock.
I passed the 100hr mark yesterday on my amp with the Cossor WE300b and the sonics have noticeable improved over this time and I think will most likely continue to do so for a while.
From past experiences with Teflon capacitors I know the long burn in required is very real.
I've started building the hours on my
WE 2A3 tubes I had been conscious that my initial impressions of the amp running the 2A3 were not inline with others which is why I've been a bit reluctant to comment when asked on different threads and BBs.
These initial impressions I think have been predominantly due to my 2A3 tubes being new combined with maybe a leaner presentation of my dac.
With roughly 15hrs on the 2A3 now sonics are I am pleased to say are very much improved and definitely more inline with feedback from others users here.
I'm thinking that the WE2A3 if they prove to be similar to the Cossor WE300B will require a good few hours before revealing their true virtues. With that in mind and how much the 2A3 have improved with just 15hrs and how good things sound at the moment if they continue to improve as the WE300b did the prospect of what's to come with100hrs + on them is quiet exciting.
Good things come to those who wait....
From past experiences with Teflon capacitors I know the long burn in required is very real.
I've started building the hours on my
WE 2A3 tubes I had been conscious that my initial impressions of the amp running the 2A3 were not inline with others which is why I've been a bit reluctant to comment when asked on different threads and BBs.
These initial impressions I think have been predominantly due to my 2A3 tubes being new combined with maybe a leaner presentation of my dac.
With roughly 15hrs on the 2A3 now sonics are I am pleased to say are very much improved and definitely more inline with feedback from others users here.
I'm thinking that the WE2A3 if they prove to be similar to the Cossor WE300B will require a good few hours before revealing their true virtues. With that in mind and how much the 2A3 have improved with just 15hrs and how good things sound at the moment if they continue to improve as the WE300b did the prospect of what's to come with100hrs + on them is quiet exciting.
Good things come to those who wait....
Glad to hear its working out for you. I spent most of Sunday listening to both 300B and 2A3 in 8900, and to my ears I can hear a BIG improvement in clarity 3D imaging and just spooky sounds coming out from nowhere when I switch from 300B to 2A3. 300B seems to be too mellow or warm to me - reminds me of old school tube amps. Now putting in same 300B into 8600 makes it come alive.
I picked up several Tung Sol 12au7/6189 and had them matched for low noise, microphonics and balanced triodes. If anybody finds RCA clear tops little bright or any other tubes bright, I would recommend these. They are still detailed, add little more bass and their top end leans to warm side.
Btw I don’t find my 8900 with RCA 12au7 bright.
Surprisingly even with a solid state rectifier Elekit has done a good job of balancing warmth of tubes and coldness of solid state.
Btw I don’t find my 8900 with RCA 12au7 bright.
Surprisingly even with a solid state rectifier Elekit has done a good job of balancing warmth of tubes and coldness of solid state.
I have been using a Chord Dave also have a Oppo 205 but not tried it with that as yet. My turntable is out of action at the moment as well which is annoying as had been looking forward to trying that with the TU8900
I swapped over to my 205 about a hour ago and its sounding very nice paired with the 8900.
The 205 is a superb bit of kit don't be in any rush to upgrade, Dave is amazing but that extra performance comes with a significant cost, your probably 90% there with the 205 imho.
Yeah, I get what you are saying.
Years ago I had an entry level AudioNote Conqueror "stereo" 300B amp (was a new line at the time), in my home set-up. I loved how alive female vocals were rendered, bass was on the wooly side but I couldn't get past an electric high tension wire zingy sound that would pop-up every now and then ... and out went the amp. When I had heard the same zing on an $$$ system at a Philadelphia Audio Society function, I had pointed it out to Herb Reichert and he acknowledged hearing it and said it was probably an impedance spike somewhere in the speaker ($$$ nice sounding Classic Audio Loudspeakers Horn speaker).
Months latter Herb told me he was going to bring his AN Conqueror with upgraded premium caps and (new production from mid 1990's) Western Electric 300B's to the next big Philly gathering which he did and I still heard the zing.
Next I tried a Gordan Rankin Wavelength Audio entry level para-feed OPT 300B amp in the system with the same speakers as well as with a large JBL horn speaker and ProAc Resp 1SC monitor. No zing on any of the speakers. Better tighter bass, good extension up and down. Only that alive midrange magic coloration of the entry level AudioNote 300B stereo amp was missing. The Wavelength Audio amp, too clean, too solid state sounding to my ears. Closer to the $tereophile recommended components class A glass ceiling breaking, Pass Aleph 3 amp I had tried in the system. My speaker didn't have the midrange performance to work well with the Aleph 3.
I ended up with a Don Garber Fi 2A3 which again did not have the zingy sound of the AudioNote (I have also heard the same zing on other more expensive tube amp/speaker combos), but also not quite the same female vocal live breathy sounding midrange that I remembered of the AudioNote. (I also have and have had Push-Pull tube amps, with the right speakers I prefer SET's).
I can't guess how the Elekit TU 8900 with Lundahl AM core C core OPT's will compare to the point to point silver wired (standard) NFB tube rectified Fi 2A3 / Magnequest OPT's, and or given respective price points (adjusted to current if new were still available), if I should even bother trying to find out.
I suspect, "romantic sound wise", the Fi 2A3 amp would be more comparable to Victors latest offering tube rectified point to point SV 300B amp with Hashimoto OPT (looking forward to reviews). I suspect the Fi 2A3 has a slightly better power supply. Speaking of which and getting back to the Elekit TU 8900, I'm under the impression it may have a better power supply then the SV 300B, that even with it's solid state rectification of which I believe is good at giving a tube amp tighter and or more bass.
Well over my head, I've read enough issues of Glass Audio magazine over the years to know there are too many designs variables to compare one topology to another and declare one as being predictably better. Always trade off's one way or another. Explains Victors seemingly vague non committal answers when asked on this forum to compare the upcoming SV 300B kit to Elekit 300B (300B/2A3) kits.
Even though TU-8900 is a tube amp but the design is bassed on current technology. Mr Fujita is one of the top tube amp designers in Japan. He likes to use new stuff with tube amp. TU-8900 is one of his new inventions..
If you want silver opt for TU-8900, it is available. LL2770ag is the silver opt for TU-8600S and TU-8900.
If you want silver opt for TU-8900, it is available. LL2770ag is the silver opt for TU-8600S and TU-8900.
@vkung, I have respect for Mr Fujitsu and what he has done with 8600/8900 amps. I do wonder what he would change if price was not an issue 
Is he working on a new amp?
@mp9, good write up. I too have a “zing” or certain passages in songs I am very familiar with that I use to judge any amps or tweaks.
I do feel that the Sun Valley SV1616D will be more traditional tube sound but then again there are so many ways to tweak to each individual taste from components within amp to various power tubes, preamp tubes and rectifier tubes, the combination is mind boggling and limited to your wallet ��
Is he working on a new amp?@mp9, good write up. I too have a “zing” or certain passages in songs I am very familiar with that I use to judge any amps or tweaks.
I do feel that the Sun Valley SV1616D will be more traditional tube sound but then again there are so many ways to tweak to each individual taste from components within amp to various power tubes, preamp tubes and rectifier tubes, the combination is mind boggling and limited to your wallet ��