Wolfbane Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I came across this made in Japan Tube Amplifier Kit and was wondering if anyone here is familiar with them (i.e. especially how do they sound)? Link here: http://vkmusic.ca/TU-8200.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 dang that's clean and pretty. seems like a good price point for the kit too. no input on the sound, sorry, but the visual aesthetics are nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 I found this write up where the author compares it favorably with his McIntosh MC240: http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/elekit/tu-8200.htm There is also a 2A3/300B kit but they are sold out. see: http://www.vkmusic.ca/TU-8233.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Nice looking kit. what's the wattage rating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Nice looking kit. what's the wattage rating? It depends on which power tube you are using and also which mode (SET, SEP, etc) you've selected. From a review: "Since it's single-ended and the bias is automatically calibrated for each output tube in real time, there is no need for matched tubes. In fact, feel free to swap the 6L6GC with KT88, 6550C, 6CA7 or EL34 and it automatically adjusts the bias for perfect operation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Based on Rockwell's measurements, that amp is excellent and should sound wonderful. For the price I can't imagine finding a better deal. Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. It appears to be very easy to build for anyone with some pcb based soldering experience. Personally, I would not hesitate to buy this amp, especially since it has enough power to drive most Heritage and Reference Series speakers to extremely loud levels!Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Based on Rockwell's measurements, that amp is excellent and should sound wonderful. For the price I can't imagine finding a better deal. Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. It appears to be very easy to build for anyone with some pcb based soldering experience. Personally, I would not hesitate to buy this amp, especially since it has enough power to drive most Heritage and Reference Series speakers to extremely loud levels! Maynard WDo you think the optional V-Cap upgrade be worth the additional cost (adds another ~ $300)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. I'm seeing $724. Does the price change when you put it in your cart? EDIT, it's the DX, the regular is $699 as Maynard eluded to. Edited March 21, 2016 by CECAA850 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. I'm seeing $724. Does the price change when you put it in your cart? EDIT, it's the DX, the regular is $699 as Maynard eluded to. That's one dollar cheaper than the Canadian Distributor's price of $725. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Based on Rockwell's measurements, that amp is excellent and should sound wonderful. For the price I can't imagine finding a better deal. Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. It appears to be very easy to build for anyone with some pcb based soldering experience. Personally, I would not hesitate to buy this amp, especially since it has enough power to drive most Heritage and Reference Series speakers to extremely loud levels! Maynard WDo you think the optional V-Cap upgrade be worth the additional cost (adds another ~ $300)? I don't consider "audiophile grade" caps to be worth the expense. However, that's just my opinion. Some guys say they can hear a big difference with them. So, you really need to make a personal judgment call on that one. Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Based on Rockwell's measurements, that amp is excellent and should sound wonderful. For the price I can't imagine finding a better deal. Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. It appears to be very easy to build for anyone with some pcb based soldering experience. Personally, I would not hesitate to buy this amp, especially since it has enough power to drive most Heritage and Reference Series speakers to extremely loud levels! Maynard WDo you think the optional V-Cap upgrade be worth the additional cost (adds another ~ $300)? I don't consider "audiophile grade" caps to be worth the expense. However, that's just my opinion. Some guys say they can hear a big difference with them. So, you really need to make a personal judgment call on that one. Maynard I'd be guessing. I can hear a difference between tubes and on occasion with a tube swap the wife snaps out of whatever women spend their time thinking about mode and makes a comment that surprises me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaBoy Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 (edited) Based on Rockwell's measurements, that amp is excellent and should sound wonderful. For the price I can't imagine finding a better deal. Tube Depot is selling it for $699 including free shipping in the USA. It appears to be very easy to build for anyone with some pcb based soldering experience. Personally, I would not hesitate to buy this amp, especially since it has enough power to drive most Heritage and Reference Series speakers to extremely loud levels! Maynard WDo you think the optional V-Cap upgrade be worth the additional cost (adds another ~ $300)? I have a Triode Corp TRK3488. A $1200 kit I bought assembled for $900. I used a pair of V-Caps in it and they are very good but $300 for caps in a $699 kit may not be cost effective. You may want to try a pair along with a pair of different caps. Just sayin'. I think caps make a difference but the most expensive are not necessarily the *best*. The Jupiter HT Copper foils are very good too and will not break the bank. BTW, I am using the V-Cap Coppers from the TRK paralleled with a Vitamin Q in another amp. The only way to find out what works for you is to experiment. That looks like a nice amp for an intro to tubes though. Edited April 9, 2016 by FloridaBoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 It does look like a nice amp (to get a start in tube amps), but I can't imagine it sounding like a Mcintosh MC240. Kind of like comparing apples and kumquats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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