Help!!!
I've got a pair of VTL 300 DeLuxe mono blocks and it sounds like someone is gargling on one of them, could this be a tube or is it a cap or possibly something else. I opened it up and made a circuit diagram to the best of my ability but one part of the trace was very hard to follow so I'm not sure if it is 100%. Does anyone have a factory copy or enough knowlege of VTL 300s to check my attempt out?

I'm thinking of turning it into a project and rebuilding it with Black Gates,Holco's, Mills, Ohmite's etc, as for signal caps, should I use oil & paper or polypropelyne & foil or metalized film. Any of these may change the original sound for better or for worse, so as you can see I definately need help.

All input is good so do not be afraid to put your 2 cents in. This project may not get off the ground for a while as I have a Marantz 2250B arriving tomorrow which will need a little TLC. The VTL's have been sat around unused for quite a while, if I remember correctly the problem arose when I changed to a tubed pre, perhaps I can hook them up to the pre out on the Marantz and that may help the problem. If anyone thinks this may put the Marantz in danger tell me now, I would rather learn from your experience than my own. I seem to remember my mother telling me I did not listen and could only learn the hard way.

Look Mum, I'm getting better, at least I'm asking. Whether I take the advise or not is another story.

Sorry it's such a long post and thanks for any help.
Alan.

P.S. Why do I have to keep logging in on the same visit?

I use a 2226B as a preamp and it is a very good preamp. Never cared that much for the amp stage in this machine but the tuner and preamp section are exellent.

Give us another post after you try using the Marantz, and let us know if this is a problem from day one since you bought them.

By the way if the gargle is a very regular sound that does not go away, change with the volume........you might have not gotten a speaker not hooked up correctly and turned the amp into an expensive oscillator. Unless you just happen to be fond of listening to oscillation you might have to rebuild the thing. I don't believe this would have damaged the transformers but if it ends up you need to put in all new caps and a few other parts, then would be the time to ask the designer what his TOTL choice of parts would be and do it to both the amps.

With the limited amount of info from you and my extremly limited amount knowledge of how tube amps work, a gargle sounds like a regular motorboat type of sound......Oscillation would be my first thought.

I did Google up a bit of info on your amp and while it I didn't really find out if it is a PP or SE (guessing PP from multiple 6550s) I did find out that when the article I read was written that there was a lifetime warrenty transferable from owner to owner. Good news if you own an amp built before they went to a 90 warrenty that is now what they have, and the amps have not yet been worked on or modified.
http://www.vtl.com/pages/support.html

Here is the article stating that they had a lifetime warrenty
http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/689/index2.html


Let us know how it turns out.

I use a 2226B as a preamp and it is a very good preamp. Never cared that much for the amp stage in this machine but the tuner and preamp section are exellent.

Give us another post after you try using the Marantz, and let us know if this is a problem from day one since you bought them.

By the way if the gargle is a very regular sound that does not go away, change with the volume........you might have not gotten a speaker not hooked up correctly and turned the amp into an expensive oscillator. Unless you just happen to be fond of listening to oscillation you might have to rebuild the thing. I don't believe this would have damaged the transformers but if it ends up you need to put in all new caps and a few other parts, then would be the time to ask the designer what his TOTL choice of parts would be and do it to both the amps.

With the limited amount of info from you and my extremly limited amount knowledge of how tube amps work, a gargle sounds like a regular motorboat type of sound......Oscillation would be my first thought.

I did Google up a bit of info on your amp and while it I didn't really find out if it is a PP or SE (guessing PP from multiple 6550s) I did find out that when the article I read was written that there was a lifetime warrenty transferable from owner to owner. Good news if you own an amp built before they went to a 90 warrenty that is now what they have, and the amps have not yet been worked on or modified.
http://www.vtl.com/pages/support.html

Here is the article stating that they had a lifetime warrenty
http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/689/index2.html


Let us know how it turns out.

Now that is interesting, a life time warranty, I'll have to find out when they changed their policy on that. It may cost $lots to ship them back to Califonia but it could be worth it, or perhaps they will arrange for repair locally (makes more sense). I know if I ask and give them the ser#s they will tell me when they were built, lets hope it was before the policy change.

Thanks for pointing that out,
Alan.