Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 Tube Amplifier Review

[40th Anniversary]

I purchased mine new. A friend of mine now uses it. And the information will be useful if ever the amplifier needs a repair. This is greatly appreciated.

 

[AndreaT]

It might be time to consider a review of the little brother ST-35, according to some, a better lower powered amp by Dynaco

 

[TriodeLuvr]

I have heard incredibly heroic attempts at LP playback at audio shows. We are talking both vintage and and modern > $50,000 turntables. Rarely am I impressed with such playback experiences. On the other hand, master tapes from the era are excellent and clearly superior to any digital versions.

If this is a reference to music from the '70s and '80s, those tapes have long since aged to the point of serious degradation. The highest quality resource for such music is in fact original LPs, and there is no substitute for this. The masters are deteriorated, and CDs produced 20 or more years later - made from the same deteriorated tapes - will also lose the nuance and transparency of the original material. The sad fact is that once all the original LPs are gone or significantly worn, the music will never again be heard in its original glory.

Jack

 

[Sal1950]

If this is a reference to music from the '70s and '80s, those tapes have long since aged to the point of serious degradation. The highest quality resource for such music is in fact original LPs, and there is no substitute for this.

You are seriously deluded if you believe vinyl was ever capable of delivering accurate reference quality sound.
Have you listened to any of the new releases of 70s and 80s music being done by engineers like James Guthrie or Steven Wilsons from those old degraded tapes on modern digital 2 and more track sources? Can't say there's been zero degradation, but they still contain a much better detail and overall sound quality, along with a much closer representation of what the mic's heard back then. Do you know how much butchering of the master tapes had to be done to the music to come out with a acceptable vinyl pressing master due to the technologies weaknesses?. Vinyl has never been able to deliver an accurate representation of what the artists and recording engineers put on the master tapes.

Mastering For Vinyl Records | Gotta Groove Records Gotta Groove Records

Tips for vinyl mastering - preparing digital masters for vinyl pressing.

www.gottagrooverecords.com

The Truth About Vinyl Records

The year is 1877 and Thomas Edison presents his “Phonograph” to the world. It wasn’t the only device able to reproduce recorded sound but it was the most reliable. The medium in this early machine was the “Brown Wax” cylinder, which was not actually composed of wax but made of a metal soap...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Mastering for Vinyl | Envato Tuts+

Some people say that a master for vinyl isn't necessary. That a well mastered track will translate equally as well on CD, as it would to vinyl. I say that this simply isn't true. There is no...

music.tutsplus.com

 

[TriodeLuvr]

You are seriously deluded if you believe vinyl was ever capable of delivering accurate reference quality sound.

Please don't make this personal. LPs continue to be the gold standard for musical reproduction. If a playback system doesn't reveal this simple truth, it needs to be better.

Jack

 

[Sal1950]

LPs continue to be the gold standard for musical reproduction. If a playback system doesn't reveal this simple truth, it needs to be better.

Jack

ROTFLMAO
I guess you have no interest in reading or learning, your loss.

 

[TriodeLuvr]

I've accomplished things you can't even imagine. You are hereby ignored.

Jack

 

[antcollinet]

LPs continue to be the gold standard for musical reproduction.

Oh dear.

Seriously - no they don't. Noise level, distortion, limitations in frequency response etc. are all baked into the format, and no gear - no matter how good can get around that. Vinyl comes nowhere near the measurable capability of digital, and I am speaking as someone who regularly spins and buys vinyl. It can sound surprisingly good, given it's limitations - but don't for one minute think it can remotely compare with digital for being the "gold standard" of anything.

 

[DSJR]

Please don't make this personal. LPs continue to be the gold standard for musical reproduction. If a playback system doesn't reveal this simple truth, it needs to be better.

Jack

I admit that some older rock albums (maybe other genres too) were mixed for the vinyl end product, the losses in the vinyl cutting and playing kind-of acting as the final artistic 'mix' as heard (some careful remasters take this into account), but seriously, if you've ever heard the sonic degradation in the control room comparing the live feed, to the analogue and then digital playback of recordings of said feed, followed by hearing a nice 30IPS half-inch master (no noise reduction needed) be cut to lacquer then compared to the LP made from that master, you'd never in a million years think that vinyl is any standard at all!!! The CD if mastered sympathetically from said tape, sounds pretty much the same as the original master if said player isn't an 'audiophool-special' deliberately hobbles as some were back in the day when audio people were fighting 'digital.'

I've been lucky in past times to do the above and l do play records for the tactile 'vibe,' Sorry sir, but the feeling that the playback system needs to be 'better' doesn't wash these days, as a better system, as well as making vinyl sound better (it does, actually, for those that think it'd make vinyl worse), digital also improves so much too and the 'difference sonically' between the two formats is still there, digital always winning when I could be bothered to compare - heck, this was thirty years back and things have improved and costs come down since then...

What fully convinced me as hearing a drum kit and brass played fairly close to, accepting the limiting and mixing when put into a recording. Vinyl always sounds 'smaller' and more detached from reality, even if the 'tone' can be nice - and yes, I've worked with very high end vinyl playback costing many thousands of pounds with fancy tonearms and expensive Japanese pickup cartridges from Lyra, Dynavector, Kiseki, Clearaudio and (spit) Koetsu, this latter brand in the past romanticising the sound in a totally incorrect way in all but the cheapest 'black' version (maybe they're better these days?)..

 

[Sal1950]

but don't for one minute think it can remotely compare with digital for being the "gold standard" of anything.

They ARE the gold standard on inconvenient and expensive music reproduction sources.

 

[antcollinet]

They ARE the gold standard on inconvenient and expensive music reproduction sources.

View attachment 501583

If I had £1 £1000 for every time you'd posted that particular "gem"

 

[Chr1]

What gets me is the rediculous price of (very poorly pressed) vinyl these days too.

Often released and repackaged with marginally different versions, so that gullible collectors/completists have to spend even more.

Seems to me that vinyl is more about profiteering and fashion, than fidelity nowadays. YMMV.

 

[TriodeLuvr]

What gets me is the rediculous price of (very poorly pressed) vinyl these days too.

Often released and repackaged with marginally different versions, so that gullible collectors/completists have to spend even more.

Absolutely right. I bought a few reissues several years back, but no more. Even when the physical production is good, musical quality doesn't compare with the originals from 40 or 50 years ago. I do occasionally buy used LPs, but only from local sellers. My collection will eventually wear out, but I'm getting older too, so they might outlive me.

Jack

 

[MattHooper]

Can't resist:

"Harley-Davidson: the most efficient way yet devised of converting gasoline into noise without the side effect of noticeable horsepower."

 

[mpw]

Please don't make this personal. LPs continue to be the gold standard for musical reproduction. If a playback system doesn't reveal this simple truth, it needs to be better.

Jack

Totally agree with you Jack, Lp's have stood the test of time, they sound real, engaging not always perfect but musical, great album covers works of art and liner notes that one can actually read.

 

[Sal1950]

engaging not always perfect but musical

Never perfect or even close to, for reproducing the true sound of original master tapes. They're compromised in every area of what's considered High Fidelity by 21st Century standards.

great album covers works of art and liner notes that one can actually read.

Hummm, what's your problem reading non-LP covers and artwork?
I'd be happy to compare the resolution, color, and readability of your LP cover against the Artwork included with modern digital releases. Specially when viewed on my 85" 4k monitor. Again just no comparison. Time marches on my friends and ignoring the improvements made over the last 60+ years is just plain silly.

 

[Ropeburn]

Never perfect or even close to, for reproducing the true sound of original master tapes. They're compromised in every area of what's considered High Fidelity by 21st Century standards.


Hummm, what's your problem reading non-LP covers and artwork?
I'd be happy to compare the resolution, color, and readability of your LP cover against the Artwork included with modern digital releases. Specially when viewed on my 85" 4k monitor. Again just no comparison. Time marches on my friends and ignoring the improvements made over the last 60+ years is just plain silly.

The floating pig

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Used to have an original Dyna 70 from a used audio gear shop in Berkeley. Predictably gummy sounding but nice on old, damaged LPs. Had a lot at the time (mid-1980s). Had a PAS 3 preamp and little Mission speakers back then and an AR XA 'table with a Grace 707 arm.

I'll bet it was Honest Bob. I got mine there.

 

[mpw]

Never perfect or even close to, for reproducing the true sound of original master tapes. They're compromised in every area of what's considered High Fidelity by 21st Century standards.


Hummm, what's your problem reading non-LP covers and artwork?
I'd be happy to compare the resolution, color, and readability of your LP cover against the Artwork included with modern digital releases. Specially when viewed on my 85" 4k monitor. Again just no comparison. Time marches on my friends and ignoring the improvements made over the last 60+ years is just plain silly.

You can enjoy your digital and I can enjoy my Lp's but to say Lp's are not even close to digital is absurd to say the least. All the classic album covers come from Lp's. My eye sight is fine. If I had to listen to digital full-time I would get rid of all my audiophile components.

 

[rjp]

Never perfect or even close to, for reproducing the true sound of original master tapes. They're compromised in every area of what's considered High Fidelity by 21st Century standards.


Hummm, what's your problem reading non-LP covers and artwork?
I'd be happy to compare the resolution, color, and readability of your LP cover against the Artwork included with modern digital releases. Specially when viewed on my 85" 4k monitor. Again just no comparison. Time marches on my friends and ignoring the improvements made over the last 60+ years is just plain silly.

In a way, this visual is the perfect analogy to the audio you guys are discussing. I assume your opinion is that this much higher resolution digital rendering blown up on an 85" monitor is better than the original album cover. But how, exactly, is it better? Certainly is is technically better in terms of resolution and dynamic range and lower distortion. But how about artistically? I think some will say yes, and some will say no. Vinyl has a similar appeal.