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Aguilar DB680 with odd Tube layout?

blueacid4l

blueacid4l

Mar 9, 2006
896
415
#1
I have a friend who lent me a DB680 to try out before buying. He said he hated the sound... too muddy and the Power bulb kept burning out.


I got it and opened it up to try some fresh tubes and to clean it out and to my surprise found only 4 tube slots instead of five.. only 2 12AU7s instead of 3.

I swapped out the ancient looking AX7s and I immediately heard it to run quieter and it didn't sound as muddy any more.

I've got a pair of 12AU7s on their way, but all the wiring diagrams and pictures I see show 5 total tubes. Anyone ever heard of a different layout? It has a really low serial number and I'm wondering if it use to be built differently or or if this maybe have been modified by a past owner.

As a side question... does the 12AU7 Tubes really effect the sound that much?
 
#2
This is really strange.

I did a google image search for DB680 and found two pictures of the insides. One of them had five tubes, but the other had four. Maybe there was some revision in the spec early on?

5 Tube
aguilar-db-680_3.jpg


4 Tube
DB680inside.jpg



Very strange... I'd call Aguilar.
 
#9
Also, the indicator light problem was going on with my old one as well. The limiting resistor for the bulb was getting too hot resting against the board. The tech I took mine to replaced it with a higher wattage resistor and then left some room between it and the board.
 
#13
somaramos said:
What is the difference other than number of tubes?
Click to expand...
Per the photos, totally different circuit boards.

I wouldn't expect much more of an explanation other than that.

FYI Pretty sure Dave B. is Dave Boonshoft... the cofounder and former owner of Aguilar . The last post from the profile is from 2018.
 
Last edited:
#15
Wasnex said:
Per the photos, totally different circuit boards.

I wouldn't expect much more of an explanation other than that.

FYI Pretty sure Dave B. is Dave Boonshoft... the cofounder and former owner of Aguilar . The last post from the profile is from 2018.
Click to expand...
Dave is now fully retired.
 
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#18
galore said:
Anyone?
Click to expand...

I don't have any experience with the DB680. If the number of tubes are different and the circuit board is different, it represents a pretty significant redesign. I would be very surprised if there are not differences in tone.

I do have experience with the DB750 vs DB751, which have different tube counts and also a redesigned output section. I own a DB751. My recollection is the DF750 had a lower mid focus and was a bit looser/woolier down low. This is consistent with what others have said about these amps.

Most people seem to prefer the DB751, but some prefer the DB750. My point here: It probably doesn't matter if the two versions sound different. In order to determine which YOU like best, you need to hunt down both versions and find out for yourself.

Good luck!
 
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#19
Thanks! My thoughts exactly, the internals of first version seems significantly different compared to the second version so it would be reasonable to expect variation in sound. But then both versions are DB 680 which leads to think that Aguilar wanted to continue with the essence of it rather than make it much different.
 

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