x-pre already worked on by previous owner.

[nando]

After opening up my x-24k I am going to work my way through the mod kid of Mike for my -x-pre.
Many years ago I fitted "new" tubes in them myself. But I dod't notice that there was allready being worked on by a previous owner. I see some different wiring, a C15 condensor missing and a wierd repair of a input socket (?).

Here are photo's of before Mike's mod.




These tubes I fitted many years ago.










Is this stock?



This is not stock.



C15 missing, is that bad?



Middle point wired without the connector.

[nando]

I think you couldn't see the photo's in my top post, right?
Are these visible now?

[nando]

Here are the photo's of the x-pre (v1) with Mike's kit in place (done by me).








These Samwah's were to close to each other to be perfectly vertical. That is: I couldn't place them as I wanted.




New Quad socket because the old one was in half and repaired.



Some tubeglow in the dark.


Basically I want a tube to be seen from the outside if an apparatus has a tube. But I like the case of the x series that much that I don't mind. Then again, the metal tubes of the Nu-vista aren't very pretty and a lot of the x-series doesn't have tubes so there would be an inconsistency.

[nando]

The x-pre is playing for a week now and is much better than it was. Stupid MF for saving a few pennies by placing those Jamicons elco's and other cheap stuff. This is how it should have been from the start.

At first I thought there was something wrong with the amp. The bass was very different than I was used to. But listening a bit closer, bass was there only softer. The music was further away behind the speakers.
After a few good listening sessions I can confirm everything is allright with the amp and the music is oh so present and in 3D. My Quad esl-63s can present a perfect picture of the soundstage but the last couple of years this was becomming a bit flat. In hindsight this might be because the tubes were degrading. This mod of the x-pre really bring the 3D back to life.

With one chain in my audio link is modded (x-cans not counting) I want to do them all! If the x-pre can sound this well, how good can my Nu-Vista become?