Heath Hi-Fi Question // Why Heath ???

[Harvey A. Kader]

shadow wrote:

> > This message has been written by one of the 5 or 6 audio guys on the list.
> >
> > Hi All....
> >
> > The reason Heath and a few other power and integrated amp are so desirable.....
> > Is the TRANSFORMERS.....
> >
> > In the Audio World...  That is the main and key factor needed to obtain that
> > Smooth and Full Range Sound...
> >
> > Circuit theory and design have not changed much from the conception of the tube.
> >
> > Yes.... We have better designed capacitors, resistors, connectors, pots and
> > electrolytic capacitors that hold their value vs temperature today.
> > But the key factor and weakest link has always been the Audio Output
> > Transformers. A few companies today are making a attempt to manufacture output
> > transformers. Most SUCK.... The winding and design of audio transformers is a
> > dead art. Most of the pioneer of that audio era took all the information to
> > their graves with them and it was one of their biggest and most guarded secrets.
> > One would think you take a few steel I's and E's, some magnet wire, fish paper
> > and you have a audio transformer..... WRONG... I have been thinking about
> > building them myself. I have done a lot of research and have more to do. It is
> > just unbelievable the effort that it takes to design and wind that transformer.
> > You may be able to blunder your way around and  make one or two over time for
> > your own use. If you can make ten that is not bad. If you can make one hundred
> > that work correctly the first time, now you have a product to market.
> >
> > As Hams have used the ARRL  Handbook of many years ago to design their circuits.
> > The Audio World uses the Radiotron Designers Hand Book or Western Electric's
> > Principles of electricity are the Bible's of the industry.. All the designs and
> > formulas are still unchanged. We have been using them for many years.
> >
> > Why the Heath modular block amps ?
> >
> > All steel chassis, easy to work on, rugged and solid construction and that
> > classic vintage look. Yep.... Looks count . Also no printed circuit to have
> > break, cold solder joint, cracks or unsolder with heat from the tubes. Heath did
> > use some printed circuit boards in some later integrated tube units and the did
> > have their problems, plus the transformers were smaller.
> > The modular block amps had good healthy power supply, lot's of high voltage,
> > plenty of current and filtering. Designed from the tube manual, straight forward
> > design. Just a basic Williamson Ultra Linear audio amp.
> >
> > If you look and play with amps from the 50's and 60's. Manufactured in United
> > States, England or other parts of europe or Japan. Sooner or later you will
> > notice they are very much the same, but with settle difference's. The quality of
> > the parts, but mainly the audio output and power Transformers . Just like with
> > test equipment, Heath, Eico, Paco, RCA. Most of the designs were similar. Some
> > had a little feature not on others, but the basic's were the same. You may
> > notice a difference with Heath over the course of time, that I have grown to
> > appreciate. I owned lots of Heath stuff in my lifetime, I always thought the
> > cases were a little on the cheep side. They were very strong and rugged, but
> > just felt cheep. But they never were cheep.... Just a good design and practical
> > construction. When you take a Heath apart for service it still is strong and
> > ridged. Pull apart a Eico or RCA and it falls apart in your hands. The guys at
> > Benton Harbor kept everything as practical as possible. Heavy and massive as the
> > audio amplifier when necessary or as simple as the V 7A for a VTVM.
> >
> > Basically the Heath audio stuff was designed rugged, strong, durable and they
> > never cheeped out. Everything has a perceived value, like Marantz, Mac or Harman
> > Kardon. Heath only problem was, people thought that being a kit,  it must be
> > cheep, substandard or inexpensive.  No... Not true. Just practical and
> > affordable for the masses.
> >
> > Gary
> > ~~~~~~~~~
>
> Gary, I agree with you 100%. One of the very BEST, and most desirable output
> transformers were those from Dynaco. This iron is superb! David Hafler, the founder
> of Dynaco, designed these transformers and, in the early years, manufactured them.
> His designs were sheer genius! Harvey.

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