Antique Sound Lab Hurricane Problem


I just picked up a used pair of these and was as happy as a clam, because these sound really fabulous.

Until the amp blew a tube (V3) and that socket is now dead. Has anyone experienced this very upsetting behavior from this amp ? Is this a common problem and does it have an easy fix ? Or is the amp just really temperamental and needs lots of tips to the factory ?

The filament lights up, but there is no blue halo and the tube doesn't get hot. Meter reads "1" for that socket irrespective of what tube I use there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love these amps but can't afford to own an amp that is not reliable.
dimitry

Showing 6 responses by judy426

1markr
>>Tubes make them, or can break them.<<
They break by themselves; changing tubes only prolongs the inevitable.

Jeffreybehr
Criticism is often confused with the truth don't you think?
>>How can you distinguish old and new versions of the Hurricane?<<
That's a great question. The older units fail after 3 months and the new units fail after 6.
>>Clearly a regular occurance in the life of this amp<<
In that case you have a flawed design. Burned out resistors or caps should not be a regular occurrence in any amplifier. All of course IMO
I agree with Denf. It makes no sense to spend 15K on a pair of VTM-200's when you can get the same dry, sterile sonics found in the Hurricanes for 6K. Good point.
I certainly wouldn't judge any amplifier based on the sonics of Magnepan 1.6.