What is your dream tube project?

[NYListens]

I want to build an integrated amp with KT88 output tubes. Anyone know of an "affordable" kit? What would you like to build?

[seamas]

I have several amp projects on the back burner right now,but the one i would like to build the most from scratch is the Mullard 5-20.Started gathering parts.:yes:

[ablethevoice]

I'd like (if I knew enough about EE and ME) to build a y2k version of something like the RCA R390A/URR communication receiver

[ducati_EL34]

A monoblock pair of parallel SET 2A3 or 300B amplifiers.

[cfranz]

300B push-pull. Just for the shear majesty of it all. Also a Transformer-less might be interesting.

Still, I'm more interesting in a Pre-amp then amp

[ducati_EL34]

300B push-pull. Just for the shear majesty of it all. Also a Transformer-less might be interesting.

Still, I'm more interesting in a Pre-amp then amp

Well since you bring up PP, there is this circuit I got from another forum that would be good to use for some Fisher X-100 iron I have, but a dream system would be this circuit using 2A3 or 300B outputs and some good one electron iron. It is a PP without feedback and no phase splitter.

http://www.triodeel.com/compact.html

[Grainger49]

http://www.electronluv.com/

'nuff said! This guy blows me into another dimension. Nice guy too!

[specialidiot]

A monoblock pair of parallel SET 2A3 or 300B amplifiers.

Same here. I'm likely to build the Bottlehead Paramount II kit this winter. That would make a nice Christmas present for myself, right?

[FalconEddy]

Although I'm not interested in building an amp from scratch at this time, I'd love to find and restore a pair of Scott 280 monoblocs, an LK-150, or a 296. Which I find somewhere completely free of charge, of course. (That's the 'dream' part). :)

. . Falcon

[GordonW]

Big honkin' screen drive PP amp. Been working on a design for a while. At least 80w/ch.

Think there's some real gold there, waiting to be discovered... triode-like distortion characteristics, very efficient use of output tubes (should last a LONG time), and BOATLOADS of power without generating lots of heat. Could be something special!

Got a bunch of parts, to go toward one... now, just gotta finalize a circuit...

Regards,
Gordon.

[toxcrusadr]

I have tubes for a big one and a small one. The small one would be a parallel-output 6L6 amp, the original tall black metal ones. The big one has 100TL's.

[Grainger49]

Has there been mention of SET 6C33CBs?

[sloober]

I'd love to make a tube amp for the car. Not using an inverter, but to run off 12v DC.
Just a thought.
John

[nerdorama]

I'm planning a PP 300b, all active loaded differential amp. Already have the MQ outputs and Lundahl IT's. Have been looking at the K&K PP circuit.

OTOH, a tube phono preamp is probably nearer on the horizon. Gotta get my TT back in action.

http://www.kandkaudio.com/images/PPAmpInput.pdf

Hi Grainger. How have you been since VSAC? It was enjoyable to have a beer with you.

Regards,
John Ferguson

[Tinkerbelle]

I want to build an integrated amp with KT88 output tubes. Anyone know of an "affordable" kit? What would you like to build?

I guess that depends on what you mean by "affordable". If you're looking for a relatively low cost approach, one option might be to look for some high powered PA mono amps and work from there. For instance Bogen MO-100 (not the MO-100A which uses 8417) or Stromberg Carlson APH-1100 are 100W KT88 monoblock PA amps that can be had for relatively little money, so two of these could be a good starting point. Other options could be Bogen MX-60A mono integrated amps that use 8417 tubes but could be modified for KT88/6550 or EL34. These are relatively common amps and usually not expensive; in fact you could probably fund a good part of your build with the sale of the 8417s, Mullards and microphone transformers that often come with them.

The photo below shows a couple of MO-100 amps with 6550s. There's a lot of iron there to play with.

As for a dream project, I just can't seem to settle on one. The more I play with these things the more I want to do. However, that said, I am planning on an integrated EL34 or 6550 amp over the winter but that might turn into something else by the time the snow comes.

[jaymanaa]

Something with a B+ over 2kv running tubes that you can turn the fils off once they start conducting.:thmbsp:

[cableguy]

What is your dream tube project?
one built for me by either Jay, Nate (Redboy) or Kegger....:yes:

[dividebytube]

transformer coupled PP 300B amplifier - something like this:
http://www.nutshellhifi.com/triode2.html

and perhaps a big voltage 845/211 amplifier - SE or PP

I've already built one of my 'dream amps' - my SE EL156 amplifiers. I've always wanted to hear what a single ended Ultralinear amplifier sounded like and now I have - I like it more than the last SE 300B amp I built.

[saltwater]

phono pre.... schematic anyone?

[SET12]

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4771/833nightglowrb1.jpg

Or the 212E which is like 845's on steroids.

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/3228/212enc1.jpg

[jon_s]

I have a 813 project amp that may never be completed ... I am intending to use all 1930s vintage Thordarson CHT power iron... two chokes down, a few power transformers to go. Will easily exceed 100 lbs... for the power supply ;)

[WopOnTour]

http://www.electronluv.com/
'nuff said! This guy blows me into another dimension. Nice guy too!I'm with you on the Electroluvs, I love his imaginative "organic" chassis designs! (more akin to metal/materials artwork as opposed to traditional chassis form factors)
Josh's site is down actually (except for the homepage), below are some pics of his awe inspiring creations...

As far as my own dream project...
For a long while now I have dreamed about converting my home theatre to 100% tube powered 7.1 (all monoblocks in a single "tower" chassis hopefully as tasteful as a Josh Stippich creation) and combined with full compliment of Klipsch Heritage speakers
Someday...
WopOnTour

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=43494&d=1174155337http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=43495&d=1174155337

[Destructor]

Finding a complete unbuilt Scott LK72 and building it with some modern caps. I have a NOS power transformer and two NOS output transformers for a McIntosh MA230. I've considered copying the circuit and layout from my own MA 230 but build it as a stand alone Mac 30 watt/channel tube amp.

[PR Audio]

Set,

Is that the infamous 1st Generation Playstation 1 being used as CD player or transport? I tried an old one (2nd Gen) that I had lying around, but it didn't have analogue out, so I used its factory connector, but didn't like the sound.

Are you using it as player or transport connected to a DAC?

I am finishing a dedicated Audio/HT room (14' x 20'), which in part is my dream project. But, would love to have an all tube monoblocks 7.1 surround system. Suggestions for pre/processor are welcomed.

[SET12]

I have a 211 project amp that may never be completed ... I am intending to use all 1930s vintage Thordarson CHT power iron... two chokes down, a few power transformers to go. Will easily exceed 100 lbs... for the power supply ;)

Love the sound of the 211 especially driven with a 300B hope your chokes are low DCR types thats key to superb dynamics IMO.

I'm with you on the Electroluvs, I love his imaginative "organic" chassis designs! (more akin to metal/materials artwork as opposed to traditional chassis form factors)
Josh's site is down actually (except for the homepage), below are some pics of his awe inspiring creations...

As far as my own dream project...
For a long while now I have dreamed about converting my home theatre to 100% tube powered 7.1 (all monoblocks in a single "tower" chassis hopefully as tasteful as a Josh Stippich creation) and combined with full compliment of Klipsch Heritage speakers
Someday...
WopOnTour



http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=43494&d=1174155337http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=43495&d=1174155337

I love his work as well!

Set,

Is that the infamous 1st Generation Playstation 1 being used as CD player or transport? I tried an old one (2nd Gen) that I had lying around, but it didn't have analogue out, so I used its factory connector, but didn't like the sound.

Are you using it as player or transport connected to a DAC?

I am finishing a dedicated Audio/HT room (14' x 20'), which in part is my dream project. But, would love to have an all tube monoblocks 7.1 surround system. Suggestions for pre/processor are welcomed.

The amplifiers are not owned by me nor built by me although I do admire them

The 212E is designed by Nori Komuro a review is here

http://6moons.com/audioreviews/roadtour14/roadtour14.html

The 833 I have no recollection of who actually built it but I think it was designed and built by a German fellow. I have some more pictures on my local clubs site on a thread that I started, titled 833 AMP.

http://newaudiosociety.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=amp;action=display;num=1137773606;s tart=60

At the bottom of page 2 of the above thread is a picture of myself holding an 833 in my hands lit up using my car battery jumper cables as the tube needs 10 amps to light it up I used a 1/4 ohm resistor to drop the voltage down to 10 volts. The 833 is fairly inexpensive to at about $150 or less!

As For Home Theater I prefer 2 channel. And I'm sorry but I don't use a line stage. I use CD direct and I prefer DVD direct as well. After all my yrs in audio I have found that less is more that doesn't mean that the less is less sophisticated it just means I prefer as few gain stages as possible as I have heard few preamps that didn't get in the way.

I also put my money into my crossovers which has payed off hugely! Its an area that is to taken for granted IMO.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=159340

I would be using likely the Benchmark USB DAC1 Pre into my power amps for HT.

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac1pre/

This is a Class A rated product that can be used with DVD players the nice thing about it is its USB connection that addresses the issue of jitter with a totally isolated clock. And with your computer and its hard drive providing error free data you have a transport that only the best $10,000 CD transports could match for music. So for Home Theater my 2 channel throws out a huge sound stage that has the capacity to totally envelop a room of your size with some pretty spectacular imaging and effects.

As for my Digital I have recently modified my Sony X77ES CDP to compete with some of the $10,000 CDP's I have heard recently and I feel I have accomplished a high degree of that challenge here.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=159340

SET12 :smoke:

[Fast996]

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4771/833nightglowrb1.jpg

Or the 212E which is like 845's on steroids.

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/3228/212enc1.jpg

Wow......Some real tube envy there.......that's the ticket.

[ke4mcl]

my dream system, owning a pair of audio amps that use 807's. its not too far fetched but i dont feel confident enough to build amps yet.


it always baffles me how many people build amps that require hard to get and expensive tubes when theres soo many affordable decent tubes out there. i have enough 6v6's and 807's to build myself an igloo out of them so i try to keep my tube amp purchases only to those which use cheap and common tubes. you wont see me owning anything with a 300b or a set of 7591's in it!

[Fran604g]

Simple: Build from scratch a pair of 300B/2A3/45 mono block SET's:yes:

Not so simple: Having the space in my cramped home to do it...:no:

[jon_s]

Love the sound of the 211 especially driven with a 300B hope your chokes are low DCR types thats key to superb dynamics IMO.

As it turns out, I meant to write 813, but was still waking up from a nap - it will be a single ended pentode+feedback amp :yes: Chokes are moderate DCR (LCLC with swinging input, 90R and 25R), but supply impedance will be sufficiently low with xenon rectifiers, and likely enough voltage to series-regulate. :thmbsp:

[JimJ[VT]]

The ElectronLuv stuff is sweet :)

[jaymanaa]

I've got a 5kv center tapped power TX with cast iron end bells that weighs ~100 pounds. My dream project would use that as the heart, I just haven't found the "soul" (OPTs) yet.:rolleyes:

[SET12]

my dream system, owning a pair of audio amps that use 807's. its not too far fetched but i dont feel confident enough to build amps yet.


it always baffles me how many people build amps that require hard to get and expensive tubes when theres soo many affordable decent tubes out there. i have enough 6v6's and 807's to build myself an igloo out of them so i try to keep my tube amp purchases only to those which use cheap and common tubes. you wont see me owning anything with a 300b or a set of 7591's in it!

You have to start somewhere! Knowing ohms law is the first step next knowing some AC theory is the next step.

Nineteen yrs ago. The first working scratch designed tube piece I built was a Passive (Tube Buffered) volume control from an old console chassis and its power supply. After reading the RCA tube manual theory and design section.

It worked and that shook me up enough to have to go to a bar and get a drink!

The next project was a phono stage I tried using the Dyna PAS 3X phono circuit with 6SL7's it didn't work so I brought it along with me to a Chicago Audio Society Meeting that Dennis Had was speaking at! He looked at it twirled it in his hands and said "Feedback after the fact" and that the circuit did not have enough gain. Well that made me dive into AC theory and I learned enough to design and scratch build a split passive phono stage. And then on to a massive 50lb phono stage.

Heres an 807 schematic of a nice simple PP Amp using what is called a Para phase inverter one adjusts the pot for AC balance to be equal for each 807's input. I love the sound of the GZ37 but they are pricey I would substitute the Svetlana 6D22S's as a very inexpensive altrenative and they are slow turn on to boot!

127241

Simple: Build from scratch a pair of 300B/2A3/45 mono block SET's:yes:

Not so simple: Having the space in my cramped home to do it...:no:

It depends on how much one is motivated I guess!

I made room and I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment!

I designed a parallel EL84 amp from scratch in my apartment along with a phono stage using simple hand tools and I had a wife and kid!

As it turns out, I meant to write 813, but was still waking up from a nap - it will be a single ended pentode+feedback amp :yes: Chokes are moderate DCR (LCLC with swinging input, 90R and 25R), but supply impedance will be sufficiently low with xenon rectifiers, and likely enough voltage to series-regulate. :thmbsp:

813 is one king SET for sure!

I would use the 25R for the output stage providing it allows for the current capacity. And the 90R for the driver stage. And IMO DCR of chokes is just as much as a contributor to the sounds dynamics as a rectifier IMO.

SET12

[javelin79]

My dream would be to build the KT88 amps that Bob Carver sells on ebay. 180wpc tube power amps. Best part he will fix them for free as long as he is alive.

[Fran604g]

It depends on how much one is motivated I guess!

I made room and I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment!

I designed a parallel EL84 amp from scratch in my apartment along with a phono stage using simple hand tools and I had a wife and kid!

SET12

Point well taken! I bought my son an S-5 kit for him to learn with, so maybe I can enlist his help with the SET's :D

[SET12]

My dream would be to build the KT88 amps that Bob Carver sells on ebay. 180wpc tube power amps. Best part he will fix them for free as long as he is alive.

Love KT88's

I found this and thought it was interesting!

RE: Bob Carver on Stu Hegeman, ultralinear and 6550 vs. KT88

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tubes/messages/20/209646.html

Whats even more interesting is how Stu Hegeman later felt about about Ultra Linear Designs after designing the Citation I, II, probably the III.

[SET12]

Point well taken! I bought my son an S-5 kit for him to learn with, so maybe I can enlist his help with the SET's :D

The cool thing about SET's they are very easy to design. And to have your kid involved is way cool to:thmbsp:

SET12

[jon_s]

813 is one king SET for sure!

I would use the 25R for the output stage providing it allows for the current capacity. And the 90R for the driver stage. And IMO DCR of chokes is just as much as a contributor to the sounds dynamics as a rectifier IMO.

SET12

Oh, both are big enough for the output stage, it's going to be an LCLC filter. If I can get a second one of the smaller chokes, I can separate it into a partial dual mono. No choice for order, however - the 90R is a swinging choke, for input only - the 25R is a filter. The swinging choke will be much kinder to the gas rectifiers. It also weighs 21 lbs and is more than twice the size of the other. If I can get a big enough power transformer (~2.5kV center-tapped) to allow a regulator, the DCR won't make a whiff of difference :smoke:

The sad part is, I've been looking for the appropriate PT for more than 18 months now... mebbe some day :sigh:

[SET12]

Oh, both are big enough for the output stage, it's going to be an LCLC filter. If I can get a second one of the smaller chokes, I can separate it into a partial dual mono. No choice for order, however - the 90R is a swinging choke, for input only - the 25R is a filter. The swinging choke will be much kinder to the gas rectifiers. It also weighs 21 lbs and is more than twice the size of the other. If I can get a big enough power transformer (~2.5kV center-tapped) to allow a regulator, the DCR won't make a whiff of difference :smoke:

The sad part is, I've been looking for the appropriate PT for more than 18 months now... mebbe some day :sigh:

Well I wish I could agree, And I wish I could say a Regulator was an answer but its not for me and other high profile designers such as J.C. Morrison. Regulators are basically Feedback devices and as such are very audible in the supply path. Even in my CDP the low voltage discrete regulators for the digital filter Op Amps and Buffers were very audible when the ACR was reduced via a capacitor bypass I eventually eliminated the feedback entirely. The resultant sound was much fuller and as J.C. Morrison has said regulators have a habit of making the sound barren.

I wish you luck in your journey!

I found this 813 SE Amp http://www.pmillett.com/813_se_triode_amps.htm


http://www.hammondmfg.com/700.htm

I don't know just how much B+ you want to make but certainly it will be hard to find an output transformer with a Hi Pot rating much higher than 5000 volts as Audio Note builds theirs to a 5000 volt rating they recommend using a transformer with a Hi Pot rating at least 4X of the B+ that your using anything less maybe asking for trouble over time I'm told.

I had Acoustat Monitor X's for a few yrs that made 5000 volts DC that their Direct Coupled Amplifiers ran on as well as the 5000 VDC the panels were charged with. I had a power transformer start to short out. I got my HV cattle probe as I call it. And a friend over just in case and measured 4000 VDC needless to say it was very dangerous with the transformer likely arcing internally and to the chassis. which is why I like working with Class A2 which allows me to use transmitting tubes with the lower voltages.

I have seen voltage doubler's with tubes which I feel are a little safer at least with the AC involved the Acoustats were using 1750 AC in a voltage doubler configuration.

Cheers

SET12

[jaymanaa]

Well I wish I could agree, And I wish I could say a Regulator was an answer but its not for me and other high profile designers such as J.C. Morrison. Regulators are basically Feedback devices and as such are very audible in the supply path. Even in my CDP the low voltage discrete regulators for the digital filter Op Amps and Buffers were very audible when the ACR was reduced via a capacitor bypass I eventually eliminated the feedback entirely. The resultant sound was much fuller and as J.C. Morrison has said regulators have a habit of making the sound barren.

I wish you luck in your journey!

I found this 813 SE Amp http://www.pmillett.com/813_se_triode_amps.htm


http://www.hammondmfg.com/700.htm

I don't know just how much B+ you want to make but certainly it will be hard to find an output transformer with a Hi Pot rating much higher than 5000 volts as Audio Note builds theirs to a 5000 volt rating they recommend using a transformer with a Hi Pot rating at least 4X of the B+ that your using anything less maybe asking for trouble over time I'm told.

I had Acoustat Monitor X's for a few yrs that made 5000 volts DC that their Direct Coupled Amplifiers ran on as well as the 5000 VDC the panels were charged with. I had a power transformer start to short out. I got my HV cattle probe as I call it. And a friend over just in case and measured 4000 VDC needless to say it was very dangerous with the transformer likely arcing internally and to the chassis. which is why I like working with Class A2 which allows me to use transmitting tubes with the lower voltages.

I have seen voltage doubler's with tubes which I feel are a little safer at least with the AC involved the Acoustats were using 1750 AC in a voltage doubler configuration.

Cheers

SET12


What circuit would you recommend for my 5KV TX? It's absolutely huge, with big porcelain insulators on the hot side.:yes:

[SET12]

What circuit would you recommend for my 5KV TX? It's absolutely huge, with big porcelain insulators on the hot side.:yes:

Jay, What can I say :scratch2: its a lot of voltage with current capacity for sure.

A number of options come to mind. With that kind of voltage it would run my Acoustats for sure and their amplifiers which were using sweep tubes in a PP SRPP configuration that were capacitor coupled to the stats. I guess one could capacitor couple the same type of amp to an output transformer as well.

Another idea is to capacitor couple an SE amp either choke load a transmitting tube or SRPP a pair and capacitor couple it.

The nice thing about capacitor coupling is you could use a PP transformer in the output stage in SE mode because of no DC to worry about and that would make a project more affordable not to mention safer.

I doubt you could come up with an output to safely run that kind of B+ with without it costing a fortune if it could be made and let alone sound good.

Another thing about the SRPP output stage is the output impedance is low so it would open the door to using some inexpensive Pentode transmitting tubes. Cool would be a pair of 833's in SRPP SE mode capacitor coupled.

If I remember right I have a Glass Audio back issue that used a Cary output that was a PP output transformer good for 300 watts. That issue featured a quad of 4-250A's I believe for a stereo PP amp 200 plus watts 270 seems to ring a bell for some reason. But I don't think his B+ was anywhere near 5KV

Yeah they still have it! Cool! At their side company "Audio Electronic Supply"

Handles 650ma of standing current 8k primary with 4 and 8 ohm secondaries with a response 12-40K.

I wonder what its hi pot rating is good for? But I wouldn't count on running 5KV with it. But Like I said their are ways around it! I would call I know I would certainly want to know that spec on any project using a 4-5KV supply.

http://www.audioelectronicsupply.com/cgi-bin/audioelectronicsupply.com/view_services.cgi?request=detail&dept_id=21&aisle_id=212&prod_num=TFR_CT211_OP

Guess I came up with more ideas than I though I could!

What do you think? And what where your thoughts originally?

SET12 :smoke: