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On Oct 3, 10:50=A0am, John Stone wrote:

And yet you find old Dynaco tube products to be worthy of your trust? I
wouldn't leave one of those things switched on unattended for even a few
minutes for fear of burning down my house. Have you ever seen a UL label =
on
a Dynaco product?

John:

I will distill it down for you. When I am done with a Dynaco product
*today* and deem it ready for polite society, it has been
substantially rebuilt down to the boards if necessary. That would
include resistors, caps, tube sockets, wiring, connectors & plugs,
even controls if required. Various modifications developed over the
years will be included as well. And I will also typically de-rate the
load on the power-supply - because - absolutely 17.5 wpc (or 35 wpc
from the 70) is patently absurd. But then and at those levels the
difference between the 'real' 12 watts or so and the rated output is
of negligible sonic value. The going rate for a SCA-35 with good iron
these days is under $200. For about $150, one may rebuild it right
down to the boards and sockets and have a quite nice little amp that
is extremely reliable and sounds as well as any other similarly-rated
tube amp whether from Yaquin or elsewhere. One thing Hafler did do was
use good output iron. Perhaps his power transformers are a bit edgy,
but the number that have survived over the years suggests that they
were at least adequate.

As to the single example - yes. But the 6550-based amp mentioned in
this thread was sitting right beside it - and its innards were no
better than the pre-amp. Elegant on the outside - but about what one
might expect of a hobbyist with his Dynaco wiring on the inside.
Really.

I dunno - I find Dynaco products to be very well laid out and very
well designed. That they were also designed to be resilient enough to
withstand an amateur assembler and work very much most of the time is
a good indicator as well. Now, my Scott LK150 is a quantum-leap better
all the way around - also a kit. But not something I would have put in
inexperienced hands. Today, I cannot imagine what its functional
equivalent would cost.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA