Hello, I just joined, primarily for the audiophile products. Looking at purchasing the NHT C3 speakers for our new living room. Space is about 15 feet wide by 33 long and they will fire long ways. Space is just for general listening, music room with all equipment is downstairs, so hoping they will fill it with sound nicely. Cheers.
Mar 18, 2024
Keep the tubes that come with it for test purposes, esp. if you replace caps.
Listen to those tubes first though, it's a baseline, then move on, i.e. ship the unit back or replace them (the move to prepare for).
Needful things to get your reward:
Replace the interstage caps with 0.47uF; Mundorf supreme's will allow you to put the cover back on (retain shielding), got mine here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/0-47-uf-1000VDC-MUNDORF-M-CAP-Supreme-Capacitor-0-47-uf-600-VDC-for-Audio/192319064599?hash=item2cc71c0a17%3Ag%3AH4QAAOSw2s1Uz5Na&_sacat=0&_nkw=mundorf+0.47uf&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0
I also replaced the cathode caps with 1000uF Elna SIMIC II's: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/elna-america/RFS-25V102MJ8-5/604-1059-ND/970220
The CBS (Hytron) 6V6GT's are the best I have used in the 1502A, a very open stage: https://www.ebay.com/itm/CBS-6V6-GT-NOS-MATCH-PAIR-1950s-5E3-ORIGINAL-BADBOY-RAUNCHY-OVERDRIVE-C05/223058149948?hash=item33ef4d423c%3Ag%3A9m0AAOSwKGpa53Rg&_sacat=0&_nkw=6v6gt+nos+pair&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.A0.H0.X6v6gt+nos+pair.TRS1&LH_TitleDesc=0
Preamp tube,, many choices,,, mine now goes between a 12BH7A or an E80CC: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NIB-1962-Vintage-Amperex-E80CC-6085-GOLD-Premium-TESTED-STRONG-96-96-NEW-NOS/332689683988?hash=item4d75d9b614%3Ag%3AgCkAAOSw9gRaNS6u&_sop=16&_sacat=0&_nkw=E80CC+NOS&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0%7C0
Thread fyi: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/any-opinions-reviews-on-gemtune-appj-pa1502a.780178/
I really love the look of this thing too!
To answer your other question; if you are willing to upgrade this 1502A with the caps and put some nice NOS tubes in it, it's worth it I feel. You will have a nice SET that will now work better with some cans than your OTL, and you can play around. Why you see it noted (elsewhere) that it has Japanese Z11 steel transformers, it matters, still a budget amp,, that I may never part with... would gift first.
I sometimes carpool with a fellow who now heads an audio R&D department, who also ran the soundboard for the Dead at one point. We got to talking about transformers, Tango, Tamura et al. and how critical the material/orientation is to the end result, shit goes deep, like Tamahagane... The C-Core amorphous transformers look interesting to me, such as Audio Note uses,, or the Lundahl's with silver wire winding,,, just takes money.