advertisement


Audio Innovations Valve amps

Greetings from Baltimore!

I have a question and hope someone here may help me. I bought in the early 90's an integrated AI400. Having limited resources, I had to pair it with the speakers I already owned: Mission 762. It sounded great and I loved it.
Forward almost 20 years. I now leave in the USA an the AI400 is still with me, together with the old speakers. I got in the meantime another system with a pair of KEFQ35, but unfortunately the AI400 is unable to drive the KEF. I am now thinking about buying new speakers for the AI400, but I suspect it may be hard to pair in the right way. I will end-up taking the ampli it to the shop, but would like to go as an "educated customer": at the moment I am simply clueless about the best strategy. Is there someone that may give me any suggestion? I would avoid to go pay much more than the value of the ampli (guess <1000$).
Another question; the AI400 was bought in Europe and takes the usual 220V/50Hz. I now leave in the USA and drive it with a power converter from 110V to 200V. Should I expect any degradation? Is it worth to have the ampli refurbished to accept directly 110V/60Hz?
Thanks!
 
Hi All
I am new to the fourm. I saw that Pureaudio has a file of schematics for the value amplifers made by Audio Innovations. Pure Audio, would you mind emailing me a copy of the 1000 MKIII mono amp. I believe I would like to build a pair for my Acoustats and want to get started on it as it appears from looking at the 800 that it must have more outputs to gain the extra class A power.

email is [email protected]
thanks
 
Sorry Pure Sound. IT is you that I addressed the request for pure Audio to. It is late here in Atlanta, GA and I need some sleep. Anyway, would you email a schematic of the 1000 MKIII mono amplifier so that I can possibly build?

Thank You
Email is [email protected]

Good night
 
I am away from my main computer until tuesday.

Then I'll send the schematics.

mrobberto, a good match that is cheap & relatively easy to find in the USA would be Snell K or J/II.
 
Hello,
Hello,
I've my AI 800 mk2 for about 20 years, without any problema.
Now I have to' change the valves and I'm thinking to' buy kt77.
Anyway I'm thinking to' change the power valves with a quad of 6b4g; what about tris? Do you think 6b4g Will fit the AI 800 mk2 layout?
Is it possible to send me the schematic for my AI 800 mk2? My email is [email protected]

Thanks to all
 
pure sound said:
email with diagrams sent.
Click to expand...
Tanks,you Are very kind...
Just another answer. I use this amp with a passive pre,cause the high sensitive. Any idea to lower it to use with an active pre? Do you know some good tweak for this amp schematic (mine is V2 version)?
Thanks before and anyway...
 
Hi All (esp pure sound),

I've just bought a pair of AI Second Audio monoblocks, and am looking for any advice people with experience of these beasts can offer on setting up, care/maintenance and matching. If anyone has schematics they could email that would be a big help as I want to start off with as much information as I can.

The matching question really relates to a phono stage that I could run with a passive pre (4mV output Music Maker cart) , and to speakers (I'm thinking Living Voice, maybe...?)

The Second Audio amps have 4 x ECC82s and 4 x 8-pin 2A3s, so from a post earlier in this thread I'm guessing they are late models that probably haven't been updated to take modern 4-pin 2A3s.

I've lusted after these since I heard the Voyd/Helius Cyalene/Audio Note IO with an AI Series 1000 and Second Audios playing through Snell As (or A2s) in a certain Guy Adams' basement in Cheltenham many years ago. I bought the Voyd and still have it, so I want to do the front end and amps justice with suitable phono/pre and speakers. I haven't managed to find a 1000 pre for sale, and couldn't fit the big Snells in my living room even if I could find/afford a pair, so any views and ideas would be welcomed!

Thanks,
Nick
 
Go for a Puresound P10 , or if you can find one , the P2 an alternative is the Croft RIAA.

As for the LV speakers with 2nd's , they should work but i heard my mates pair round at Kevin Scot's with the Auditorium's using a series 1000 pre and to me it just didn't gel the same as my mates own Snell type E .
 
Personally, I think they'll be slightly under powered to be ideal for LVs. I agree with Chris that the Snell/AN Es would be a better match.
 
I have to agree with Mr Underhill. What a brilliant and elaborate reply. I had an 800 integrated powering Ruark Templar's and they were a match made in heaven.
 
I saw these on ebay - they went for exactly the same price as I paid for mine this time last year, which is reassuring, although mine were in knackered condition, so I think you did better than me. Also yours are a later version - mine have the Sovtek 6B4G output valves.

Your amps will be old - more than 20 years old, and so their capacitors will probably benefit from a change, and the valves testing. A service in other words.

I sent mine to David Wright in Sussex, and I was very pleased with his work and with his enthusiasm for these amps. My exploits are detailed on this very thread from last May. Posting them was a complete nightmare and I had all sorts of bad luck, but it ended well and they are now properly run in.

Regarding input valves, I have tried all sorts (JJs, Old Mullards, Sovtek 6922s )over the past 12 months. The ones I prefer are russian (military) 6n23p-ev's. These are far & away the least microphonic. I don't know whether these are any good for a 2A3 version of the amp though. I'd take Puresound's advice on that.

I took David Wright's advice regarding a matching pre-amp, and bought a TVC as the 2nd Audios are extremely sensitive and need attenuation rather than amplification in front of them. I'm using a 2nd hand Promitheus which was less than £200, and am happy with the results. I'll probably stick with TVCs or AVCs (as Puresound suggests) and upgrade to a more exotic one in the fulness of time. My valve pre-amp was WAY too loud, so it went. I am building my entire system around the 2nd audios.

Next on my list is speakers - they work well with my Klipsch Heresys, but I have begun to fixate on some Audio Note E's as their best possible partners.

Hope this helps,

Craig
 
Hi Craig

Excellent post , i would say that's bang on , David serviced my mate's 2nd's ,did a super job!
I used a Concordant Excelsior with my 2nd's and it had too much gain, though luckily it had a low setting which was a godsend, enjoy your amps .:)
 
Guy, Chris, Craig and all - thanks very much! I have lots of food for thought and research. The difficult bit will be avoiding jumping in with both feet when I see something likely....
Nick
 
has anyone here used S200MC pre? it appeared in the local ads, i understand it's a passive line (no gain) with a MM/MC phono based around 3xECC83 plus 1xECC82? this probably means the MC stage is active too - what i'm curious is how noisy it is and how the attenuation is sorted, is it some sort of RVC or a mere pot? last but not least what are the prospects for upgrading/refreshing and how does it sound at all by modern standards?
 
Funny you should ask. I have (MM version) and it's for sale in Classifieds as we speak. It sounds very nice, the passive pre outperforms a lot of amplifers.
 
thanks steve, i can't seem to find it in the classifieds at the mo. out of curiosity, what preamp you have upgraded to and which models it outperformed...?
 
It's not actually mine, though it's in my house right now. It actually belongs to a friend who has found a Bob Carver pre that is a thing of considerable beauty and rarity, and he's asked me to see if anyone on pfm wants it, hence the ad. The AI saw off all sorts for several years - Michell Argo HR, Quad (various), others too numerous to mention. My friend is an Ebay junkie and has a houseful of stuff to play with. When I say a houseful, I mean his house is full. I'm not exaggerating. The ad is here: http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=99241
 
anubisgrau said:
has anyone here used S200MC pre? it appeared in the local ads, i understand it's a passive line (no gain) with a MM/MC phono based around 3xECC83 plus 1xECC82? this probably means the MC stage is active too - what i'm curious is how noisy it is and how the attenuation is sorted, is it some sort of RVC or a mere pot? last but not least what are the prospects for upgrading/refreshing and how does it sound at all by modern standards?
Click to expand...

i sold my 200mc on ebay last night. the moving coil input sounded pretty good and was even quiet enough through 2nd audios. soundwise it is full of life and vitality. not a warm soft sound which people think about valves.
good value for money for what they sell for on ebay
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top