Favorite H H Scott Tube Integrated Amplifier


I just purchased an H H Scott 222c integrated amplifier on these very pages. Wow, it is hard to believe that this thing was built in the early 1960's. Using it to drive Rogers LS 3/5a's, the palpability and realism on vocals and lead instruments can be startling at times. It totally blew away some highly regarded solid state gear I was using previously.

H H Scott made other integrated amps with different features, transformers, output tubes and power ratings. I am interested in hearing about other people's experiences with this and other models. I think that this gear is very under-rated, and can stand up favorably to many more expensive modern efforts. Do others agree?
johnnybgoode
The better vintage equipment has stood the test of time. There was good and mediocre stuff in the vintage era as well, but the dreck has long since fallen by the wayside.
Time will tell if people will still be looking for Jolida and Rotel pieces 30 to 40 years from now. Like the people who designed the Linn Sondek, I think that at Scott they designed around the idea that listening was much more important than specs. Fortunately, they also emphasized build quality so we can enjoy some real music decades later.
I owned a Scott 70b or 72b or something like that, as well as Golden Tube amps, Jolida's, and other BARGAIN PRICED TUBE AMPS. The Scott "stock" was good to a point, and enjoyable for cheep nonetheless. Still, it couldn't compete with the other amps!
HOWEVER, in defese of the old Scott, it did sound better than AT LEAST ONE JOLIDA 502A I owned, that I bought with some horrible tubes in it! Once you get regular good tube stock for it, it's no contest however. The Scotts parts are so old and antiquated I presume, the sound isn't so refined or anything. But, still better than cheap midfi any day!
Tubes is goooooooood.
Some vintage components portray the musical truth outstandingly well. In addition to my own Scott 222c, I bought a broken, tubeless LK-48 chassis for a few bucks and gave it to a electronic tech who could fix it. He reports the same thing I heard - an absolutely magical and often startling "you are there" quality to lead vocals and lead instruments. When he first tested it, his wife in the next room asked him "are you playing drums in there?" I don't find the old Scotts to be the last word on transparency, speed, or background detail, but what they do well stands up to the best I've ever heard. I think you would have to spend much more money to better them with modern gear.
Is vintage tube gear smoother-sounding than modern tubes?
There are preferences on both sides of the old versus new debate. People who like the newer stuff often talk about more detailed presentation and extended frequency response, while those who like the older stuff cite an elusive musicality, flow, smoothness, and lack of harshness that may be tough to find in modern gear. What are the differences?
Is stock power supply capacitance optimal? Any experience out there with adding more capacitance to the power supply in Scott integrateds? An Atlanta tube technician claims that the power supply output may drop off about 10% during demanding passages, and that adding a few more capactors to the power supply can rectify this and help clean up the bass. Could such a modification actually improve the sound, or is it something to be avoided?