Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
Obviously as I service all makes that includes AI
Good evening all!
Must say I'm really enjoying the latest upgrade; a pair of 1972 Mullard E88CC Gold Pins. All I can say is WOW!
Good evening all from a cold, wintery and locked-down Adelaide. Found this forum and thread while doing some research, so I thought I'd share a story...
Many, many years ago I lived in Brighton and found myself working at Audio Innovations for a short while in the test area with Tony (if my memory serves). So a special 'hello' to pure sound - hi Guy! Well, they went out West, I left and eventually wound up on the other side of the world. I remember being very much thrown in the deep end when, after only two weeks there, Tony went on annual leave leaving me alone in the test room! I think I spent the first two days acting cool and calm while inside I was a nervous wreck, and the next three days asking anyone and everyone a thousand questions! Thanks guys for your patience. That first week alone I predominantly worked with the S500 and carry a love for that amp to this day without ever actually owning one myself. An astonishing looking thing which I clearly remember caused some differing opinions within the company! By the end of that week, I was confident enough to quietly place a tiny sticker inside each unit with my initials on after testing. It was a great place to work - Innovations indeed, and I remember Guy, Peter and Erik being very available. There was always a new industry magazine or some different test speakers arriving.
So, to 2020. During our first lockdown here at the start of the pandemic, I had my 60th birthday. It was the day they closed the international borders here. Not my idea of the celebrations I had in mind, so like many others, I hit the online stores. I'd often looked online for the S500's but had never commited to buy, but this time one popped up in Australia so I bid, and won, my birthday present to myself. It arrived safe and sound with a strange umbilical cord poking out the back - soon to be identified as being for the Border Patrol psu, a full complement of Sovteks, and equipped with the full set of speaker taps. The previous owner knew his stuff, it seems. Unfortunately I think that it was now part of a deceased estate so no history could be gained. The family finally located the BP and gave me a great price. Finally, I own my first Audio Innovations!
The final knockdown moment came when I opened her up to assess the internal condition - there, under a few decades of dust, was a little sticker with my faded initials on!! In a very personal way, this beautiful piece of audio, Brighton and my own history had made it's way home.
My memory of the full testing required has long since faded, but inspection tells me that the replacement of some of the aged components has not been carried out, hence the research that I mentioned before. I have made contact with the highly regarded juancho, and aim to get started on the upgrades soon with hopefully, his advice. I have some circuit diagrams gleaned from the net, but now that I see that Guy posts here, I would also like to ask if I could get a set of his diagrams to start the work.
All that remains to say is that I still visit Brighton as my parents and friends live locally and that occasionally, if we both happen to be in the same pub up the hill in Hanover at the same time, I bump into Jeremy, one of the guys who assembled the units and who helped me so much in that week when I was left alone in a very special, small room in a back street corner of Brighton.
Geoff.
Drop me a PM with your email address & I'll send them.G but now that I see that Guy posts here, I would also like to ask if I could get a set of his diagrams to start the work.
Geoff.
Good evening all from a cold, wintery and locked-down Adelaide. Found this forum and thread while doing some research, so I thought I'd share a story...
Many, many years ago I lived in Brighton and found myself working at Audio Innovations for a short while in the test area with Tony (if my memory serves). So a special 'hello' to pure sound - hi Guy! Well, they went out West, I left and eventually wound up on the other side of the world. I remember being very much thrown in the deep end when, after only two weeks there, Tony went on annual leave leaving me alone in the test room! I think I spent the first two days acting cool and calm while inside I was a nervous wreck, and the next three days asking anyone and everyone a thousand questions! Thanks guys for your patience. That first week alone I predominantly worked with the S500 and carry a love for that amp to this day without ever actually owning one myself. An astonishing looking thing which I clearly remember caused some differing opinions within the company! By the end of that week, I was confident enough to quietly place a tiny sticker inside each unit with my initials on after testing. It was a great place to work - Innovations indeed, and I remember Guy, Peter and Erik being very available. There was always a new industry magazine or some different test speakers arriving.
So, to 2020. During our first lockdown here at the start of the pandemic, I had my 60th birthday. It was the day they closed the international borders here. Not my idea of the celebrations I had in mind, so like many others, I hit the online stores. I'd often looked online for the S500's but had never commited to buy, but this time one popped up in Australia so I bid, and won, my birthday present to myself. It arrived safe and sound with a strange umbilical cord poking out the back - soon to be identified as being for the Border Patrol psu, a full complement of Sovteks, and equipped with the full set of speaker taps. The previous owner knew his stuff, it seems. Unfortunately I think that it was now part of a deceased estate so no history could be gained. The family finally located the BP and gave me a great price. Finally, I own my first Audio Innovations!
The final knockdown moment came when I opened her up to assess the internal condition - there, under a few decades of dust, was a little sticker with my faded initials on!! In a very personal way, this beautiful piece of audio, Brighton and my own history had made it's way home.
My memory of the full testing required has long since faded, but inspection tells me that the replacement of some of the aged components has not been carried out, hence the research that I mentioned before. I have made contact with the highly regarded juancho, and aim to get started on the upgrades soon with hopefully, his advice. I have some circuit diagrams gleaned from the net, but now that I see that Guy posts here, I would also like to ask if I could get a set of his diagrams to start the work.
All that remains to say is that I still visit Brighton as my parents and friends live locally and that occasionally, if we both happen to be in the same pub up the hill in Hanover at the same time, I bump into Jeremy, one of the guys who assembled the units and who helped me so much in that week when I was left alone in a very special, small room in a back street corner of Brighton.
Geoff.
Hi Geoff,
Great story and happy to help in any way. Havn't heard from you yet...I am AD Audio aka Juancho!
David
Hi Geoff
I also run a Mk 1 S500 up here in sunny but cold Brissie - I wonder if it could be one of yours? Mine has had the vol pot replaced and runs 5881 valves which produce less power but run fairly cool. I use mine to feed the mid/tweeter half of my speakers. Good luck with your restoration.
Mike
Drop me a PM with your email address & I'll send them.