DaMuffinMan Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) Good morning, I am researching to build (hopefully) my own tube amp(s) and have a few questions. Can anyone point me in the direction (reading material) to find out what the different types of tube amps that are available. (I have seen SET, tube hybird.Tubes in the front and SS rear. , integrates stereo tubes, to name a few). And its a little confusing. I am 55 and my hearing is not very good. So I am not as a critical listener as some are. Also with tube amps do I need to build a pre amp also? My audio room is currently 15 x 15 with wooden floors rugs chairs and sofa. My current setup is an Onkyo TX-8500, Technics SL-1300 MKII and Cornwalls from 1983, this system sounds fantastic and can get extremely loud (I haven't been past 6, it gets scary). Anyway, I usually listen to bands Like Pink Floyd, Robin Trower, Grand Funk, Steely Dan etc. What I want to eventually do after doing this research is build my own tube amp, I am not looking for earth shattering volume (I already have that). I just want to build a low cost great sounding tube system. My Budget is less than $500.00, hopefully a lot less, I know you get what you play for. Also I am Located in Brandon Fla. Cant seem to update my signature! Thanks for your input! Edited November 3, 2016 by DaMuffinMan additional info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Here is a brief discription of the various typesl:https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-do-the-different-tube-amp-types-mean Way too much to ask from a single reply. (Remember Google is your friend.) But here is a very quick & dirty response. SET = single ended triode. A tube amp with only one output tube per channel that handles both the + and - sides of the waveform. Tend to be lower power but highly beloved by their followers. Push-Pull = has two output tubes per channel. One tube handles the + side of the waveform and the other handles the - side. Easy to get more power from than an SET. Triode = the simplest amplification tube type. The cathode (filiment/heater) emits electrons to be picked up by the plate. A grid in the middle regulates the flow. The 3 elements = triode. Pentode = five elements. A cathode, plate and 3 grids. Gives better control of the tube for certain conditions. Ultralinear = a push-pull tube circuit that helps reduce certain types of distortion. Class A = a bit tough to describe simply, but the output circuit is always on. They are very linear but waste a lot of power so the design tends to be used for lower wattage amps. SET amps are Class A operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 One important question is your budget. That will determine just what is possible in terms of an amp build. How are your soldering skills? And, as William asked, are you looking for a kit or do you want to build from scratch? The latter is not something to tackle without some prior experience. Also, are you well versed in working with possibly lethal voltages in a safe manner? As you know, I'm sure, even the voltage brought into the chassis on the power cord can kill you. Lastly, where are you located? There may be some experienced forum members nearby who could offer you some assistance. And, I just want to add another good contender if you decide to go the kit route. This amp interfaces very well with CWs: http://bottlehead.com/product/single-ended-experimenters-kit-2-1-for-headphones-sensitive-speakers/ Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMuffinMan Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 Thanks for the reply's everyone, I will check these out. I am in a $200.00 to $500.00 budget I have built speakers and soldered crossovers but nothing major, Willing to learn though. Yeah I hear you about "lethal voltages". derrickdj1 tthanks, is that a comprehensive list of all the types of tube amps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 You may want to look here as a starting point: https://tubedepot.com/products/elekit-tu-8200-stereo-tube-amplifier-kit Quality of materials here is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Those are the major categories. I am new to tubes myself. I'm not brave enough to build one yet, lol. Good tube amps can be purchase for the same price as some of these kits but, you miss all the fun of the build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 I don't recommend going with a pc board based amp as a first project as it's too easy to damage components by overheating, short adjacent traces with a blob of solder, or damage the traces themselves. In thinking about a good starter amp project, this popped into mind: http://spudkit.com/ I believe the original design was created by a guy in Texas (Jef Larsen) who sold amps under the name Abraxas Audio. It has been around for a long time with many very positive comments about what it offers. As can been seen in the picture, it uses a minimal number of components, and has lots of room in which to work. Even if it doesn't quite meet your expectations, the experience you gain in building it will allow you to move on to more complicated amps with a higher level of confidence. There are many helpful tips the guys on here can provide which will help to ensure a totally successful outcome, so please post when you have made a decision about what you will build. Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMuffinMan Posted November 4, 2016 Author Share Posted November 4, 2016 Thanks for the input everyone, I have some more reading to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twk123 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Tube amps are very well known around here for sounding great with Klipsch but if you find yourself not wanting to go with the tube amp build due to the inherent complications and dangers, there are some great Class D amp builds that work on lower voltages that are much safer. Here is a 125W per channel kit for about your budget and you will just need to build the case and get the binding posts etc from Parts Express: http://www.classdaudio.com/sds-amplifier-kits/sds-250-power-amplifier-kit/ Class D is extremely well regarded by those who have listened to them. All my stereos run on Class D amps and I think they are the clearest amps you can buy. If you want a warm tube sound as well, I would just get a DAC with a tube buffer and you can try out different tubes which have different sonic 'signatures'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMuffinMan Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 A couple of Quick Questions. I own a pair of 1983 Cornwall 1.5 all stock: Is the SENSITIVITY: 98 db @ 1watt/1meter a correct statement and does that number change over time? These are 8 ohm speakers correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 I can't say specifically, but the CWs all seem to be around 100-102 db in terms of their rated sensitivity and should remain quite stable. The nominal impedance is 8ohms, but at some frequency it can dip down to a little below 4 ohms (I'm working from memory on this but think it's about 160 Hz), and at other frequencies it is going to be higher. Maynard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnowon Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 On November 4, 2016 at 7:59 AM, tube fanatic said: I don't recommend going with a pc board based amp as a first project as it's too easy to damage components by overheating, short adjacent traces with a blob of solder, or damage the traces themselves. In thinking about a good starter amp project, this popped into mind: http://spudkit.com/ I believe the original design was created by a guy in Texas (Jef Larsen) who sold amps under the name Abraxas Audio. It has been around for a long time with many very positive comments about what it offers. As can been seen in the picture, it uses a minimal number of components, and has lots of room in which to work. Even if it doesn't quite meet your expectations, the experience you gain in building it will allow you to move on to more complicated amps with a higher level of confidence. There are many helpful tips the guys on here can provide which will help to ensure a totally successful outcome, so please post when you have made a decision about what you will build. Maynard Hello, I built the spud kit referenced above over Christmas break. It was a blast. After about 10 hours of listening now it is really breaking in nicely and sounds great. I contacted Jerry several times with questions and he was extremely helpful. The directions and pictures were excellent. I feel that i learned a lot from this and enjoyed the challenge of trying to build it as neatly as I could. I highly recommend the spud kit. Thanks Maynard for your post which led me to this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Thanks for posting about your experience with the Spudkit. How much is Jerry charging for it now? His site doesn't show a current price that I could find. Which Klipsch speakers do you use it with, and what are you using as your source to drive it? Do you have any pictures you can share? Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnowon Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Sure! The base kit was $395 + shipping. Sides, bottom and extra tubes were $25 more; I went ahead and got them and am still finishing the sides (the picture I attached shows them stained only - they are nicely cut and routed. Nice oak pieces. I'm glad I got them - still have to finish and attach them.). It comes in many colors - I picked black. I'm playing my spud through Heresy I's. So far my source has been a Fiio High-Res player (with FLAC files) and I have a small headphone/pre-amp in between the player and the new spud. I think the spud needs a good strong input signal. I found that building it did take effort and some thought. It was fun; I didn't rush and I worked on it on-and-off for the entire week between Christmas and New Years. It was a nice break from my full-time job. I even labeled the "B+ power supply connection" and "Screen Grid bias connection" (ha ha I just felt like labeling those) I feel a sense of accomplishment and it's rewarding to listen now, having had a role in creating the amp. Pretty cool to be listening to the parts I soldered and stripped and assembled/oriented correctly/made sure were well-grounded etc. and it even sounds awesome too! I understand that there used to be a forum dedicated to discussing this amp and related mods. It was at a place called Hawthorne Audio that went out of business unfortunately. I think Jerry is trying to recover those discussions which would be very cool if possible. My impression is that this amp really is a labor of love for Jerry and he was great to work with. Anyway to me, all things considered, it was really worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMuffinMan Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Nice work fno thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 You did a nice job on that amp so your sense of personal satisfaction is well deserved! For the price Jerry is selling the kit for it almost doesn't pay for someone to go with a full diy build. He can't be making much money on the kits. And, it's impressive that he's even using a choke in the p/s instead of a resistor. I didn't know that the Hawthorne site was no longer functional. That's too bad, but maybe someone has everything archived. In any event, thanks for posting. I hope it motivates the guys who are aching to build their own tube amp to order one and start enjoying the sound of tubes. I bet you love to shut the lights at night and enjoy the gorgeous blue glow (normal, by the way) as well as the glow of the filaments. Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No.4 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Fromnowon, nice build. It's great you went for a point to point build for your first! It is something I have been wanting to do for some time. All of the amps I have built so far have been from a pcb. Way to jump right in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davesans Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Your amp looks great very well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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