To the rescue. Melody sp3

Melody sp3-To the rescue

I have listened to this amp many moons ago and did not give me much good impression. I ask for opinion regarding this amplifier  and all of them give me thumbs up .I still remember that night we have a shootout with marantz 8b, Diva bluesky, pilot sa232, and another cheap push pull el34 made in china amp. That night I rate the SP3 at the last place. I can only say this amp might need some more time to run in (Did you know how many rave review, especially by the HK magazine?)

So last night has been call to rescue it. At first listening the sound is not much different although a lot of goodie have been put in. The sound still sounds slow and dull.

The speaker cable or the interconnect alone already cost more than the amp. Beside wire, the fuse have been change to audiophile fuse (the price can buy normal fuse 300 pieces) and all the stock have been change .I saw  telefunken ecc83 and  6l6..The stock use 5881 tube.

Upon arrival i start by reposition the speaker and later confirm the owner including overv setting the bias. I have to trust the owner as time is too short for me to check by myself.
Later I start tube rolling from the telefunken ecc83 to stock(printed melody) and later the 6922 and at last the 12au7.Nothing much progress and after discussion with FHwong we suspect there might be tube wrongly inserted.So a call been make back to china(no kidding) and confirmed everything is right in the place.

Later I replace the stock feet with 2 slab of stone and there is slight improvement but still not up to the par.

I bypass a regulator and directly plug to the wall plug.Emmm….still the same.

Now I suspect the wire. To save time another amplifier been send in replacing  the SP3

Ahhh…this is more like it. It’s time to let go this amplifier. Anyone interested?

BTW anyone have anymore suggestion on something I might miss out?