Here are some more impressions (also posted in the General Audio forum):

I really like the Svetlana tubes.  They were last week broken in to a point where they sounded great.  The reproduction of some piano was unlike any that I have heard on cd before, quite natural and full-bodied!

I should have known SOMETHING had to give because Saturday morning I turned on the amps and one channel was quiet. . . turned out one of the Svetlana EL34s had failed!  Well, the evening before FedEx had dropped off a pair of JJ EL34s that I had decided to try one day soon, and that day was sooner than I thought!  It took a few days for the haze to burn off the JJs. . . they're pretty good tubes, but no Svetlanas!  I emailed DeVon about the tube gone bad, and ordered a pair of "C" Logo Svetlanas as well that I saw at a very nice price on ebay.

What was nice about the JJs was that I have a pair of Mapleshade Tube Anchors that will fit these, and don't yet have a pair that will fit the Svetlanas.  Quite nice how the Tube Anchors give you that smidgeon more of detail and warmth that some tube lovers seek.  

The amps themselves are settled in quite nicely.  I get pretty much the satisfaction I got from my Selects with them, PLUS gobs more power.  I find that I am listening to a lot of familiar music in order to analyze the sound, and I'm also listening to larger ensemble pieces or more dynamic pieces and enjoying the headroom and scale that the Monoblocks bring to the listening.  

Overall I am quite happy with my purchase and am enjoying the tweaking and comparing and analyzing. . . . I think they'll be even better performers with some more use; they are definitlely blooming and breathing better now, but probably will improve in those areas over the next few months.

Great amps!

It's more the latter:  they don't have a coloration really that I would normally associate with the EL34.  Which I was expecting them to have at first, but am happy with them as they are; they are neutral and open sounding like the Select.

I'm looking forward to a weekend of listening.

Chris, I would say it is "in between" the two bias positions in the Select.  I prefer the laid back, because I'm in a small room and forward is IN YOUR FACE.  With the right combinations of tubes I'm sure you could move the sound more towards the forward-sounding position just as I am working to move it towards the more laid-back position. . . .

Well, I got my upgraded Monoblocks back from Steve last night.

The visible new differences are a "direct" input added and a switch on the front that either places a cathode bypass resistor in the path or takes it out.

From what little listening I've been able to do so far, I find that the front position (which I am GUESSING is with the resistor IN the signal path) has a more powerul appearing sound (it's louder) and maybe more bass, and is a little more forward.  The rear position is more laidback and quieter.  

I'll listen this weekend and report more if I feel I have more to offer.  I'm so happy to have these back.  I really enjoyed my time with my Proton AA1150 driving the Radials, and I like that amplifier a lot (it was my main one for a number of years before I got my EICO integrated in the system) and I'll have it in my living room system again soon.  But immediately, as soon as that single-ended tube Zen sound was back something in me relaxed!

I'm really not sure of the correct answer Scotty as I haven't had much communication with Steve.  He told me that he had upgraded the machines to have the switched cathode bypass resistor, and that he had changed one other resistor in the circuit to "reduce distortion."  I am under the impression that these two changes are now stock production.

The dual input I don't believe is; he is quoted in the bulletin board here somewhere as saying he would add this to those who bought the machines when the web page erroneously showed that they came with the machine, but that future units would only have the one input (controlled by the input gain control).

I didn't have to pay anything for these changes other than about 62 dollars in shipping. . . .

Some more impressions, in case anyone is interested in the EL34 Monoblocks.

I've become seduced by the sound of the amps with the cathode bypass resistor in the circuit.  There is a fullness and a touch of mellowness that is pure classic tube sound and very . . . seductive.  It gives just the right touch of weight to the mid and bass and enhances dynamics.  However, right on the top end of my normal listening volume range it seems to be a bit too much of a good thing.  So I would say that 95% of the time the last few weeks I have been using this position, and when I want to play full orchestral pieces loudly or want to "rock out" (I would estimate about 5% of the time total) I restore the amps to their original signature. . . .

After having them back from upgrading and getting a good number of hours on the upgrade now I have to say I continue to enjoy these amps.  They have nearly everything the Select brought to my system, and more power to boot.  I'm glad I made the change.

Yes MM, I think in a few years they'll have that ease and depth that the Select slowly surely developed!  Man, that Select just lured you INTO the listening.  The Monos should become that seductive as well.

Lon,
The cathode bypass switch position that you say
you like most of the time, actually has the resister
OUT of the circuit. The laid back position has the
resister in the circuit, which tames it.

This same switch is also employed on the 34I.
The resister value may be different, I don't know.
but same effect.

Steves EL34 MonoBlocks do seem like a really good
companion for those RL-2's

Preparing myself for the Dec-685, I'm using the cd player with fixed output and the gain knobs on the Monoblocks.  The direct inputs on the Monoblocks sound a tiny bit better but this way there is a bit more weight to the sound, a nice tradeoff.

Can't wait for the new machine to arrive!

I know.   I'm being patient.

I also would have liked a shipment from Chicago to arrive Friday and it didn't:  a "fifties or sixties stereo system" that used to belong to my wife's aunt and uncle that her cousin is sending to me as they liquidate the assets of their estate.  He wouldn't tell me the brand, he "thought they might be tubes". . . . As the other stereo they had was a B&O system from the nineties, this could be good stuff. . . but no guarantee.  It would have been nice if it had made it for the long weekend as well!

Lon, you've noted on several occassions that your listening room is "small".  Well how small is it?

Mine is 11x12x10 and I wondering if the HDTs will be overkill in it...
???

Lon,

I just talked to Steve to get his opinion on the HDTs in my small room:  11x12x10.

He did not think it would be a problem.
According to him others also are using these in a small room without difficulty, some even near corner loading as I am with my DIY horns.

As a side note, my SE34-I2 will be here on Friday!  whoo-hoo!

Just thought I would add a thread to this forum.

Sincerely loving his Monoblocks and Radials,
Lon

No, I'm not in line for the Taboo.  I really don't want to go through the process. . . . The biggest hassle for me is the shipping aspect.  I would have to take time off work to be home and receive the amp which is often hard to do, and I would have to take a long cab ride to a USPS store and pay an awful lot to ship it to the next destination (the local UPS joint is really crappy, the force you to buy an extra box from them before they will insure it for value). . . . Logistically, it's close to a nightmare for me!

I had the Select long enough that I feel I know pretty much how the Taboo sounds and I'm not really that tempted to make the change for my personal system.  I am quite happy with the Monoblocks. IF I could find the money, and find a cheap short pair of my interconnects (PS Audio is not making the Xstream Statement any longer and you can get deals for longer versions right now, but not for half or one meter pairs) I would try adding one of the Decware preamps. . . .

Thats to bad but I can understand all those hassels, enjoy them monoblocks and keep the music a spinnin .  Take care   Dave......

Well, I felt like adding another post to this forum to show some life here!

I listen to my RL2s everyday, and everyday I marvel at how wonderful and lifelike the sound is that I have here in my system.  The amps have been on about 13 hours today and they sound SWEET.  Seems they get faster, just letting out the notes and rythmns glide and purr.  I'm listening to Suba "Tributo"--a collection of items the late Brazilian producer Suba put out, and its got both acoustic and machine percussion and instruments, and the whole soundstage is artificial but it sounds like a dancefloor in a club, really nice and swinging!  

A few weeks ago I took the JJ E34Ls out and put the Svetlana Winged C EL34s back in.  A more easily flowing sound resulted.  I think there was deeper bass with the JJs, but there's a sweeter treble with the Svets.  So they're staying in for now, now that I've moved the speakers all around and found the best spot for THEM.

In the previous thread I was musing about my next move, but shortly after that Steve announced he was taking orders on the Zbox, and well now I'm hoping my Zbox will soon ship!

Lon,

I for one will be looking forward to your Zbox impressions!



[quote author=Lon  link=1073500136/30#31 date=1116715864]In the previous thread I was musing about my next move, but shortly after that Steve announced he was taking orders on the Zbox, and well now I'm hoping my Zbox will soon ship! [/quote]

I've been listening to the 2's this weekend a little while my 3's are at Ziggy's.  I must agree that they are great speakers.  There is something special about the presentation that always makes me enjoy listening to them.

Matt

Lon,

      Matts 3's should be going out by Friday, if not it will be Tuesday.

    My Z-box was on my front steps this afternoon, I just hooked it up and waiting for things to warm up a bit. I heard it at Steves in Feb. and its been haunting me ever since.  I've been using the Dec343 for about 6 months and now adding the Z-box. Lets see if I hear the same thing I heard at Steves earlier this year.

  Bob Z.

Lon,

 Tonality.... doesn't change much or very little, but what did change was for the better. I'd have to say the bass has gotten a little tighter if anything.

 Imaging....the first night the image was all over the place. One minute it was bigger than anything I'd ever heard, and the next it was laying on the floor between the two speakers, what a roller coaster ride that was. At times it was way to big, not real at all but then it settled down and got real. I don't think its made any big changes as far as width or depth, but more in a micro way that makes things a lot better. I think this is going to be hard to explain but I'll give it my best shot....

Take the numbers 1 thru 20  with #1's image on the far left of the L speaker #2 just out side the L speaker  # 10 dead center #20 to the far right of the R speaker # 19 just to the  inside of #20  So I guess if you had a good image youd have # 9 and #8 just to the left of dead center and #11 and #12  just to the right of dead center. That would leave #'s 3,4,5,6,7 coming from the left speaker and #'s 13,14,15,16,17,18, coming from the right speaker.  This can get confusing and congested all these instruments coming from the same place.

   Now, put the Z-box  in place and while everthing else remains the (#'s 1,2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, & 20)  the rest of the numbers (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)  are all sepearated into there own space, and places relieving the congestion and confusion giving a better image overall with out making anything unreal.

 It seams to me that it relieves the stress a bit which is a good thing.

Zigster, what are you smokin dude?!!!!
Just kidding. I know what your saying. I had friends on acid trips 20 years ago that would have freaked out while stoned listening to the imaging we get from these amps.

Decware offered for a while (and will still build as a custom amp) a monoblock EL34 amplifier that was based on the Integrated, but did not have a preamp stage and was a monoblocked amplifier.  I bought a pair when I decided that the Radials were the most indispensable part of my system. . . . Steve developed this and then goaded me into buying a pair.  I've used them ever since and I really like them. . . . Maybe in hindsight I should have held out til the new Integrated came out but I'm broke and relatively happy right now.

Honestly, it's MY opinion that if you have a really good DAC/transport combo or great cd player and a really good preamp you won't really get dramatic improvement with the ZBox. Others here however may differ in that assessment.

Five single-ended tube watts per channel.

Lon those look SAWEEEEEEEEEEET!  enjoy

Well, my latest tweak:  Herbie Audio Lab "Grungebuster Dots" between my Radials and the brass speaker spikes I have them on.

They were cheap, and the whole set cost less than twenty dollars including shipping, and I think they made a subtle difference coupling the spikes to the speakers, better than Blutac.  Seems to give a better focus to the sound.  Nothing dramatic, but glad to have them.