Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[BearCityUSA]

Originally Posted by Rosco65

Let me guess: matching phono stage? I've asked Dennis about it and he's hinted at something mid-summer. Let's hope my place in line is saved. R

Not sure what Twanny is awaiting but the phono pre prototype is still there and Dennis only referred to at as the prototype which is not ready for production yet.

[BearCityUSA]

Originally Posted by Musica Amantem

Fantastic! I wish I could interact with Dennis about his thoughts on a couple of related topics. I praise my Inspire KT-88 (oversized OT version) and LP-27a combo more each day, and as time goes by I'm sure I'll appreciate it even more.

An interesting note, most of our PTs are overstock Cary Rocket 88 PTs Dennis bought from Cary sometime after he left.

[x3workshop]

Originally Posted by Rosco65

Let me guess: matching phono stage? I've asked Dennis about it and he's hinted at something mid-summer. Let's hope my place in line is saved.

R

Not a phono stage as I don't do vinyl.

[x3workshop]

Hi All,

Admin approved my request and allowed me to change my user name to the same one I use on other forums in an effort to unify things on my end. Some of you may know me from other forums.

I wonder how many LP-27a users have been running 56 tubes in their setup? What are your impressions?

[FloridaBoy]

I prefer the 27's but 56's are cheap so try a pair.

[x3workshop]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

I prefer the 27's but 56's are cheap so try a pair.

They're both reasonably cheap and fairly plentiful. When I spoke with Dennis early last week he said he prefers the 56.

[Musica Amantem]

Originally Posted by x3workshop

Hi All,

Admin approved my request and allowed me to change my user name to the same one I use on other forums in an effort to unify things on my end. Some of you may know me from other forums.

I wonder how many LP-27a users have been running 56 tubes in their setup? What are your impressions?

In my case, I also prefer 27 in general, given its fuller sound body, but 56 is more open and leaner which may be good for heavy orchestral passages (tutti). I think both tubes are great in the LP-27a so choices would be rather subjective.

[x3workshop]

Originally Posted by Musica Amantem

In my case, I also prefer 27 in general, given its fuller sound body, but 56 is more open and leaner which may be good for heavy orchestral passages (tutti). I think both tubes are great in the LP-27a so choices would be rather subjective.

The 56 is slightly higher gain which may account for your impressions, but it is indeed a subjective preference.

[Musica Amantem]

Originally Posted by x3workshop

The 56 is slightly higher gain which may account for your impressions, but it is indeed a subjective preference.

What I meant by that is, independently of gain differences (something that can be adjusted for through the attenuator), to my ears and in my setup, the 56 sounds leaner (less warm) and with less body to the sound than the 27. Congested passages with multiple instruments' participation may benefit from this tube over the 27, other things being equal. Similarly, acoustic music with few instruments/voices may benefit from the 27 over 56, for the same reasons. Of course, these are not the only differences or characteristics in these different tubes, just the most relevant aspect to my ears. YMMV

[BearCityUSA]

Originally Posted by BearCityUSA

Sorry about that. Accidentally hit send. To rewire the driver socket. Move wire from pin 4 or 5 to pin 9 and jumper 4 and 5. Anyway, this opens up a whole new batch of tubes for rolling. Maybe a good thing maybe not. Dennis had a bag of loose 6cg7s that he went through to show me a particular tube that he liked. In his preamps he wires this tube's pin 9 to ground and there is a certain make and model that has a shield plate between the two sides. Very distinctive. He generously gave it to me but I can find no distinctive markings beyond model that clue me in as to how to get more. I got the feeling that Dennis could tell a lot by looking at the tube innards and listening to them and did not get to involved the hype of the market. Tomorrow I will wrap this up.

Ok, so to wrap up the recap of my visit with Dennis, as he was showing me his new LP-3a preamp he rattled through a bunch of tech that I didn't really understand. Regulated this and B+ there. Beyond my feeble understanding of tube circuitry. When he saw my 2013 'vintage' preamp, an lp-2 with (2) 6922, 6cg7, and rectifier, he immediately offered to rewire mine to his new lp-3 circuit. He said it would be a noticeable improvement from the lp-2 design. That I could understand and the answer was YES. He wanted to tell me how much $. Did it matter? His products are such a bargain. The price he quoted was very reasonable. Interestingly his new lp-3, as you may have seen, is populated by octal tubes. Mine has nine pin. Maybe it should be a LP-3b. I will have to ask him. It might need a new face plate. Anyway, I now had something to 'buy' so I felt better. I cannot wait to get it back.

Another topic of discussion was speakers. Very interesting though more that went right over my head. He went through some history of Soliloquy. He does seem to have the midas touch with regard to starting a business. We talked about the speakers he has there in his listening room. Open baffle designs which do have a unique soundstage. I was interested. The models there are no longer available for different reasons. It just so happens that a previous career of mine was in furniture making. With a source for the cabinet, me, he was intrigued by the idea of bringing something new to the world. We discussed a concept which of course I have been thinking about all week. In the end it was a project we were both interested in and he pointed out that if we were going to build 1 pair we might as well build 4. I like 5, I like prime numbers. I am back home now and as much as the whole concept of designing and building a speaker with the DENNIS HAD is something that seemed such a sure thing less than a week ago, it now seems a little far fetched. I am going to pursue it as time allows. I have 2 young boys, a wife, family and a business to run. I still plan to make time and see what happens. If it develops into something I would plan to start a thread on the project. I'll keep you all posted if things progress.

As you all can probable tell, I had a wonderful time. We discussed many things more than I can recall and/or relay here. Due to life's busyness it took me a year to make it to visit Dennis since he first suggested it 'if I was in the area'. I hope it is not another year before I can make it happen again. I highly recommend if any of you are ever in the Raleigh, NC area you get in touch with Dennis and go see him. As I said when I started this recap, he is a great guy. Of course he is also a legend. I am honored to have had the opportunity to own his equipment and, now, to have spent some time with him in person.

Thanks for letting me share.
Scott Bartholomew
Asheville, NC