Sutton's Phased Linear White Oaked 1000 Rigg

[laatsch55]

Thanks Joe. Load test was good. aVERAGED 65 VOLTS AT 8 OHMS, WHICH IS 528 WATTS.
tOOK THE LOADED SQUARE WAVE AT 1000 HZ TO 85 VOLTS, SOLID, NO OVERSHOTS, GHOSTS OR DISTORTION OF WAVEFORM, Very Solid square wave, 85 volts= 903 watts.

 

[laatsch55]

Time to unhook the umbilicals and see how the K-Horns like it!!!!!

 

[laatsch55]

I'm halfway through " Tales of the Inexpressible" AW JEEZ...... I've never had this kind of definition at this volume ----- EVER------ Larry, that includes your's. Soundstage, clarity, definition , have never heard anythin g like it, WHY??? WHY???? I hate when this can't be QUANTIFIED!!!! I KNOW WHAT I"M HEARING!!! THE BEST AMP EVER PLAYED IN THE MANCAVE!!WHY!!!????

I did a few things different on this amp.
1---Ran the AC main in on THE LEFT SIDE of the chassis by the transformer. No high level AC signal is even close to a low level signal. Even the return for the thermoswitch is routed to the top and back to the Star ground point. The AC feed for the DC protect relays are routed this way too! BTW---Don Imlays DC protect are VERY IMPRESSIVE, super fast relays, no nusiance activation. If they could be activated by pure music power, i'd be doin it!! Don, I'm impressed, VERY, VERY good stuff. Sonically transparent as anything could be, (that could be a reason right there)
2--Instituted Joe's new grounding scheme FULLY, I even ran 2 separate wires for the 5L, 5R pads to the star point.
3- New Alps pots.
4---- Better bundling and routing of wiring in general. I have not devoted the time on the others for this as I have on this one, had more waiting time and every time I looked at that mess of wires thought it could be done better.

Ok, maybe it's just one of those pieces of equipment you can't explain, but would NEVER SELL. Sutton you're getting your wish, IF I HAD NOT ALREADY SOLD YOU THIS IT WOULD Be GOING NOWHERE.

 

[laatsch55]

Trying to wrap my head around this.........could RFI, EMI, TMI, FBI, TGI-----F be the ultimate soundstage robbers?? This is what immediately jumped out at me was the vast improvement in soundstage. But why would those subtle and sometimes (not) so subtle nuances be susceptible moreso than a C major note?? Maybe every amp should be missing a faceplate and have their volume pots grounded through carpet static!! This audio thing has so many twists and turns, I think nothing could sound better than what I've just heard, then the next thing I listen to blows it away. So many things....................

 

[speakerman1]

There is so much that can cause a difference in the sound. It is PFM I tell you.What all do you need from me. Just the BGs and resistors? And wire right.

Larry

 

[laatsch55]

If IT WAS PFM, why did it decide to jump in the amp here and now???? Yep, just the wire and resistors, and BG's. Real interested to see how your's sounds now.

 

[speakerman1]

I may pack it today.

Larry

 

[ksrigg]

I am absolutely thrilled. I am so glad that this amp is presenting itself as a REAL monster. I know you have done a few of thes, and each one seems to get better and better. I hope all this experience helps in determining your final design and assembly of the Laatsch 1.3 K PLWO Monster 240V amp from Hades. I just want you to know how much I appreciate all your hard work, and that of Joe and all the people involved in making thes fine amps something they never had a chance to beback in the 1970's. I sknow they had it in them to be GREAT amps...if they had the technology and the minds of today, they would still be at the top of the list of audio nuts dreams..

I can not wait to listen to what I have been missing for all thee years.......and again thank you to Lee, Joe, and evryone involved in the resurrection of Phas Linear !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[laatsch55]

Jani had said the same thing after hearing it. Each one I've dne has sounded better, but the difference in this one is very notable. It hadn't been playing for ten seconds and Goldears knew it was something we hadn't heard before. The soundstage has markedly improved.
The light boards made it so time to finish this puppy up. I'll check with Joe to see if he's finalized his low frequency mod before I finish. Hed did send me a copy of the freq response before and after his experimenting------ALMOST FLAT DOWN TO DC......WHOA!!!

 

[laatsch55]

Well, after talking to Joe tonight, he is not done with his improved low freq response mod in totality-----yet----but he could tell me chanmging C6 from the stgandard 100Uf to 470uf will improve the bass response. Just so happened I had some Nichicon KZ (muse) in stock. Yep, I'm here to tell ya the bass response is improved. No quantitative analysis is forthcoming from me, I will pass on Joe's real world results with response graphs, charts, etc. What I can say is , I usually run the Spec 1's tone controls at +1.5DB at 50 hz, and +3DB at 100 hz. Well, no more, had to reduce the bass boost to zero, and was even tempted to subtract some, I was not a Mach 8 or I probably would have.
Joe has done it again. Can't wait until I hear his final recommendations. Oh lord.

 

[ksrigg]

Lord...........maybe we should wait for Joe to finalize his work. I gotta have symmmetry.....and flat response.......how long does Joe think it might be until he is on final? I can wait, casue I'm sure it will be worth it. The other 700B should arrive tomorrow. They both need to have all the latest greatest...and I'n assuming the mods are all on the PCB?

 

[laatsch55]

Yes Sutton, just a few cap changes. Joe has computer modeled it but the real world has a way of making models irrelevent. Joe just wants to make sure there are no stability issues with the improvement. He did say I could do the C6 swap with no concern about stability so I did convert youirs last night. The bass "tightened up" , a lot. Better definition on the bass, a match in every waqy for my Spec 2's, including soundstage and bass definition, and THAT I DIDN"T THINK COULD BE DONE.

 

[laatsch55]

He thought a week Sutton.

 

[ksrigg]

It's up to you andJoe. I don't want to miss out on the upgrade that might be a revelation, and defiantely want the two 700B's to sonically match, and a week isn't anything in the greater scheme of things, but I leave it to you guys to decide. If you think she is ready, and sounds like she is, then send me shipping info and I'll email the shipping label, but it'll be another 4 or 5 days til I'mhome anyway....so that may have answered the quandry....I'm just tickled pink, and can't wait to listen...I'd almost like to get the four amps all at the same time, and make the switch all at once...just dreaming out loud.....

 

[laatsch55]

Ok, it'll be worth the wait.

 

[ksrigg]

Anybody ever run a 700B in mono, or is it possible? Running 4 ohms all the time might make her crap out? I'm not going to do it, but if one wanted to....is it possible? Left channel positive, is positive, and right chanel negative post is negative....or would she blow sky high?

 

[laatsch55]

You have to incorporate a "bridging adapter" and know where to hook it up . Rod Elliot has one that would work and I'm sure Joe could tell me where. I've been threatening to do that to a 400, it would quadruple the power, but would be limited to an 8 ohm load only. Bridging cuts the load tolerance bad.

 

[ksrigg]

NAAAAAAAAAAA.....just thinking with my keyboard again. I need to run the 700B and the 400's in stereo so I can bi-amp, and run rear and center channels anywy. Maybe down the road if might be something to consider, but for now...stock....stereo.....well not exactly stock.....interesting to know it can be done though...

 

[laatsch55]

Ok, I have been torturing these K-Horns for a solid week now with Sutton's 1000, have been dropping the in-laws jaws for a couple days, and it just gets better. Suttons one -eyed road warrior still remains as the best sounding , most powerful amp ever played here, and that includes the newer B i converted of mine, however I didn't go as far with that one as I did with Sutton's.The extra attention paid to the routing of the AC mains and the low signal inputs has a more profound effect than I thought. There has been some A/B testing between the Cali 700 I did and Sutton's and Sutton's has been the preferred amp, of all the in-laws.

 

[ksrigg]

I think I am finally mentally prepared to receive the Phase Linear White Oak Rigg Laatsch amplification devices. I have re-read all the Phase Linear White Oak and other PL threads, and am mentally ready to SHPONGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having had my recent experience with the Altec A-7's, I am ready to be brave and experience the White Oak Phase Linears. I really don't know how much power the Altecs will take but I am ready to find out. I think my ears will probably yell "uncle" before the speaker diaphrams give out. I will be selling two Bryston 4B's and a pair of Bryston 7B ST mono blocks..They are all pretty much pristine and I have the factory boxes.

Oh yeah, I have to sneak the Altecs into the house when the PL's arrive...I might as well do it all at once so the wife only sees one massive changeout instead of incremental component and speaker changes.. One skirmish instead of many...
Ready to experience the best....