Favorite H H Scott Tube Integrated Amplifier

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?

Hi Johnny - I'm sorry I can't answer your questions (or that nobody else has), but I thought I would just say hello. I am really continuing to enjoy my 222A.

I tweaked my 222c, and now it sounds even better. The tweaks were simple and reversible. First, I replaced my old 7189a power tubes with matched new tubes. I couldn't find a matched quartet, but I had a number of tubes on hand so I was able to get matched pairs on each channel. Next, I followed my tech's advice who measured the power supply sagging on demanding passages, and added two extra capacitors to the stiffen power supply. (If I didn't like the result, he offered to remove them free.) No alterations were made in the signal path. The result? Background instruments and vocals are now much more defined and distinct. The striking you-are-there quality on lead vocals and instruments now extends to the background as well. The sometimes wooly bass that I took to be a feature of living with a low-powered tube amp has tightened up considerably. My conclusions? It is definitely worth springing for good matched power tubes. If you have a good tech and your amp sounds good but suffers in the bass, consider whether the diagnosis might be a power supply inadequacy. This is the second amp I have owned for which adding capacitance to the power supply made a noticeable improvement. Personally, I still would not make any changes in the signal path unless absolutely necessary. Any other experiences out there with these kinds of tweaks?