customsteve01 Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 I was in a shop listening to a RF-7 setup I am looking at buying for our upcomming HT, and was treated to some Stealy Dan on a McIntosh 275. OMG I could not believe what I HAVEN'T been hearing. I really wish I had the funds to get a tube amp to use with my 5.2's that will stay in the livingroom. The only downfall was the amp wasn't hooked up to Klipsch's. They had two monoblock MC1201 hooked up to their XRT30 speaker system. I didn't ask him to crank that up tho. Thats WAY, WAY, WAY, out of my pocketbook range....... I am very good with DIY kits can anyone recomend a tube amp kit that has a somewhat easier to swallow price tag??? I don't know but I might be hooked on this tube thing with just one listen............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 Welcome to the forum. I remember my first experience with a tube amp. SET tubes on Khorns. My jaw hit the floor. I took my 200 watt Mac out of the rack and brought it upstairs. Of course, Steely Dan is going to sound really good anyway since it is so well recorded. When I audition my system, I know what I'm doing, I grab a Dire Straits or Steely Dan CD. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan krajewski Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 ---------------- On 1/15/2005 10:46:25 PM customsteve01 wrote: I was in a shop listening to a RF-7 setup I am looking at buying for our upcomming HT, and was treated to some Stealy Dan on a McIntosh 275. OMG I could not believe what I HAVEN'T been hearing. I really wish I had the funds to get a tube amp to use with my 5.2's that will stay in the livingroom. The only downfall was the amp wasn't hooked up to Klipsch's. They had two monoblock MC1201 hooked up to their XRT30 speaker system. I didn't ask him to crank that up tho. Thats WAY, WAY, WAY, out of my pocketbook range....... I am very good with DIY kits can anyone recomend a tube amp kit that has a somewhat easier to swallow price tag??? I don't know but I might be hooked on this tube thing with just one listen............... ---------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This sounds a lot like my experience 9 years ago. Since then, I have gone full circle back to SS. The thing I never realized is that I had a system where the components were not in synergy and/or NOT set up improperly. I belonged to an audio club for years and heard all sorts of tube equipment and speakers. Tubes and SS both have their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Its funny. There was one group of guys who had SET tubes, another grroup were push-pull tube devotees and then the SS guys. But then there was one more group, those who had open minds and ears and closed mouths and just listened and enjoyed. To buy a tube rig to instantly achieve audio nirvana is a pipe dream. And yes there are great solid state rigs out there. I have heard them. When you find the "type" of sound you are looking for and every component interacts well with each other, you will be pretty happy but never totally satisfied. Thats audio! The proper room is the really tough part. Take my word for it. Just my personal 2 cents. Nothing more. No offense intended. Enjoy the ride. I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 ---------------- On 1/15/2005 10:46:25 PM customsteve01 wrote: I am very good with DIY kits can anyone recomend a tube amp kit that has a somewhat easier to swallow price tag??? ---------------- Try the Sonic Impact at $29 You can find the thread on this list somewhere. Seriously, it's a great little amp for the price of a nice lunch. If you want to try tubes, I'd suggest going over to Audiogon and see what's up for sale. Or, you could try a vintage integrated (like a Scott 299 or a Fisher) for about $300 - $500. Jolida's got some nice stuff, as does Transcendent Audio. Have fun! Remember, it's a fine line between a hobby and an addiction _______________________________ Music Hall MMF-7 Turntable w/ Goldring Eroica H MC Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CDP with 24 bit/192 KHz Upsampling Wright Sound WPP-100C Phono Stage JF Lessard Pantheon 6SN7 SRPP Preamp w/ RCA 5R4GY & Sylvania 6SN7 JF Lessard Horus Parafeed Cobalt 2A3 SET Monoblocks w/ Tung Sol 5687 & AVVT 2A3 1976 KCBR Klipschorns with ALK Crossovers Gear Online: Two Channel & Home Theater Systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtaylor Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Chris, what side of this fine line are you on or should we ask your wife? There are plenty of choices but what is your price range? Used is fun but brand new is good too. I've built a hafler solid state amplifier and modded a pair of Dynaco MK-II's. Trust me if I can do it so can you. I'd spend some time looking around first before buying anything. You may end up finding something at a yard sale or something that you could purchase and try out for cheap while you are deciding what to spend any real money on. Just a thought. Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Steely Dan sounds good on a boombox,great to listen to,don't use it"alone" for audition.Take some old semi crappy recording also and see how that sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 ---------------- On 1/16/2005 11:01:07 AM rtaylor wrote: Chris, what side of this fine line are you on or should we ask your wife? Randy ---------------- Randy, if you asked my wife, she'd DEFINITELY reply "addiction" ... One look at the piles of Klipschorns, Cornwalls and original audio boxes are prima facie evidence It makes me happy! What can I say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Depends on your budget. I'm guessing that Chris' suggestion on a Scott or Fisher integrated may be the bet to get your feet wet on tubes with your 5.2s. Too bad they did not have tubes running the RF-7s. The right tubes running RF-7s is breathtaking. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillH2121 Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Carl - what do you consider the right tubes to run the RF-7s? I trying to educate myself re the tube world and apprectiate everyone's view as to what sounds best with the 7s. Thanks - Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 "I am very good with DIY kits can anyone recomend a tube amp kit that has a somewhat easier to swallow price tag???" Steve, Here is a source for good sounding EL-84 based 17WPC amp based on the popular Dynaco ST-35 amplifier. Depending on the chassis and trannies you choose the completed amp will cost between 300-400. DIy St-35. The one I built used a Dynaco STA-35 I bought on eBay for a transformer donor. STA-35s or their bare trannies can still be had on eBay for 200 or less. If you have any problems or questions ask them of Shannon or his web site regulars. They know this game! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Rick, Thanks for the info on the tube amp kits. I will send them an e-mail to see if I can get the pc board and parts list and go from there. Looks like a fun project to get into this winter while its cold. Looking forward to hearing something alittle different from my 5.2's. Do you think this amp will sound good with them? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstrachan Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I am using a Consonance Ella tube amp with my Fortes and it sounds great. Mine has NFB onóff switch and a triode/UL switch so, lots of options to play with. It is a kit available from DIY audio. Check out Audiogon and the DIY forum. Lots of knowledgeable builders there. I think the kit now retails for around $650.00. It is the kit form of the Conconance M100 integrated amp...very highly regarded. Lots of upgrading options and lots of tube rolling possibilities - EL34, KT88, KT90, KT100, 6550. GOod luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 ---------------- On 1/16/2005 4:00:09 PM BillH2121 wrote: Carl - what do you consider the right tubes to run the RF-7s? I trying to educate myself re the tube world and apprectiate everyone's view as to what sounds best with the 7s. Thanks - Bill ---------------- In my experience, RF-7s are among the most demanding and/or quirkiest Klipsch speakers to run with tubes. I really like running them with push/pull monoblocs of 50 watts per channel or higher that are KT-88 based (output tubes) such as NosValves VRDs or Dynaco Mark IIIs. I tried a variety of tube amps with my RF-7s, and I was not really happy until I retubed my Mark IIIs. (with KT-90s) So, if you want new, a VRD or something similar. Secondarily, pick up a nice pair of vintage monoblocs and have someone rebuild them for you. Now I have silky smooth sounds all the way up including at extreme volume levels and incredibly tight bass response is included. I used to think that a tubed preamp with a very nice solid state amp was the only way to run RF-7s, and a combination such as that is pretty, pretty good. However, for RF-7s, a SS pre + a nice tube amp is better. Even at low volumes, large and detailed soundstage yet very full and rich sounding. You know its good when the volume is extreme, yet you can walk right up to the speaker (right in front of it), and there is no ear fatigue - and its still clear as day. It happened for the first time this weekend. We are there. Now, time to perfect my Heritage part of my rig. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Steve, Three different routes for you both involving DIY to one degree or another. 1) Grab an Eico HF-81 off ebay cheap and recap the entire thing yourself with a mix of auricaps and Spragues. Incredible sound, pride of ownership, etc. 2) Review the DIY offerings for www.diyhifisupply.com. Their Ella kit (40wpc PP) is simple and offers great sound and bang for the buck (and great cosmetics) or go the separates route. 3) Review the doc bottlehead offerings. IMHO, they are plain ugly but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Pick the tube amplifier circuit of choice, scrounge up the parts you want, and build it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 The ST-35 is an easy amp to build for a first timer IMO. It was my first home built amp. Of "coarse" I did some things different like external bias and feedback adjustments dual inputs and dual volume controls. And, IMO, it sounds better than an HF-81 and is easier to build than it is to rebuild the EICO. especially if new transformers are used with their long leads.ST-35 trannies. Rick http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/dynreppowtra.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted January 18, 2005 Author Share Posted January 18, 2005 Shannon sent me an email with a preview of the manual but I will have to wait until tomorrow to look at it. They have these computers at work so locked down you can't download hardly any files. It looks like a lot of fun to build one of these, the only thing is that yall talk about alot of upgrades and changes that I have no clue what your talking about. All I know is that it will be fun learning and experamenting. That is with help from yall that is. Rick, what do you think the price of all the parts for this amp?? I look forward to bugging yall for help.......haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotbuck Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Greetings, It might be helpful to get a good used "toob" amp from eBay or your local store. This will let you really give the thing a proper audition; if you end up being a true toob-a-holic, you can always sell the amp (likely for what you paid for it) and buy something better - whether that be a DIY kit or a more standard amp. In the past I've used Luxman (ss/tube combined), Dynaco, Knight, RCA, N.E.W., and Scott amps. I've got an Audio Note single-ended amp, and am currently running a SS Harman/Kardon 730. All have their merits. More power has generally meant more slam; less power typically has meant more sweetness. Which is better? I dunno... Like I said, they all have their merits. But since you're at the beginning end of the learning curve, I'm guessing that spending only a little $$ with an opportunity to recoup your investment might be the easiest way to start your sonic journey. Hope this helps ... and have fun! Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Steve, This guy sells Shannons board and the parts as a package:ST-35 KIT. Don't worry about the extra stuff I did, it is unnecessary for the function of the amp. I had a lot of extra room on my chassis. LOL Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Here is the one I built on a sheet of brass: Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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