Amp for Acoustic Zen Crescendo 2 ?

Wig, I will add everyone should bypass their speaker binding posts for better sound. Same goes for the amp’s binding posts. Lastly, don’t use any speaker cable spades or bananas if possible. This, as you are starting to learn, makes the music more real and less electronic or reproduced. Really hear what your gear is possible of! These are free mods that do more for sound improvement than the numerous tweaks we all spend hundreds of dollars and more on. 

@wig

I have a few questions on your amp.

- Do you hear any hum/buzz through your speakers a foot away? 3 feet away?

- Do the transformers make a mechanical buzz noise you can hear when the room is quiet? Not through the speakers, but simply emanating from the physical amp.

- How loudly do you listen when you go loud? Did you ever capture with a db meter?

- How many hours are those 805 tubes good for in that amp before they need replacing?

- Do you know if the amp is circuit board built or hard wired/tag strip. I could not find internal pics of your amp. Other LM amps are a combo of point to point wiring with only a two or three very small circuit boards.

- Finally, can you bypass the volume control with a direct input option on the back of the amp?


Thanks!

Bill

wig,
Thanks for posting.  
grannyring,
Thanks for the battery of pertinent questions.  I'm all ears! 

Wig,
I’m glad you responded to thread as you’ve used multiple amplifiers with your Crescendos and in truth you have much valued experience in general. To the best of my knowledge the 508ia is hard wired and can used as strictly a power amplifier via bypassing the preamplifier section.From what I’ve read by numerous Line Magnetic owners the amplifiers are "very" quiet. I’m sure wig can address all of Grannyring’s inquiries.
Charles

Wig,
You’ve had the EML 300b tubes for 4 days, let me know how they perform as driver stage tubes. I’ve used the EML XLS for over 3 years in my amplifier as output tubes and they are stellar! Wig, you're as impressed with the 508ia as waltersalas. I completely trust both of you,  no doubt that this is a superb sounding amplifier. 
Charles