Any input with this kit?

[WildWest]

So all you guys that know your stuff (and you know who you are). Can you take a look at this kit and give me your two cents? I like the higher, 12 watt, output of this SET amp. Thanks!!

 

[MikE]

Where's the link?

I don't recall any SET "kits" that have that high an output, but show me the link and I'll comment. MikE

 

[WildWest]

Awwww shoot! I didn't post the link too. uhhh sorry, late night and all. I'll have to go find it now as I didn't save it. But anyway it is a SET amp at 12 watts which I thought was higher than typical. Price seemed right too. Anyway, let me go digging...

 

[Rob]

The term SET alone doesn't rule out multiple output triodes in parallel. That is a common way of getting more power with 'receiving' class tubes. The other approach is to go to the bigger class transmitter tubes. A popular trend today.

Rob

 

[WildWest]

Well I looked and I looked but to no avail. RATS! :cry: I just can't find it. Seemed like a excellent price too. Anyway, I think staying with my PP for now is likely the way to go. But I could snatch up a budget tube pre with a few line inputs from ASL for about 300.00 bucks. I hear ASL is a pretty good outfit. Take a look at this pre... Hmmm does that seem like a high signal to noise ratio to you?

http://www.divertech.com/aq2004dt.html

HA!! didn't forget this time! :

 

[WildWest]

Now here is a similar product from Bottlehead. S/N ratio down around 80. How much do I really care about that?

http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/foreplay/foreplay_line_stage_kit.htm

 

[MikE]

Foreplay

The Bottlehead pre has received more than it's share of praise from the DIY crowd, and not just against other kits. It looks like a winner, and the bottlehead forum (on AA) is an additional bonus that can't be overlooked or discounted.

MikE

 

[Wardsweb]

The Bottlehead Foreplay is the kit I have coming.
To bad you can't make this saturday's meeting of the Texas Bottleheads. Should be fun and informative. Guys bring their gear to show and listen to, talk DIY, tweaks, mods.... generally a lot of fun.

 

[WildWest]

Yea that would be fun to attend! I would shoot on over but this weekend we have a big landscape project going on so I am stuck. Oh well, another time... So I assume you are going right? Did you order the Foreplay with all the mods or just bone stock? What amp are you using with the Foreplay, solid scrape errrr state or tubes?

Anyway, I may order that Foreplay also. Do what you can to soak up any information at the Bottlehead party and fill us in okie dokie? Thanks!

 

[fredt300b]

This Weekend's Bottlehead Meeting in Houston

Since you mentioned the meeting here's a status report. We're expecting 16-20 people from Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. Some, but not all of the things we'll see and hear are: a diy single ended pentode 6550 amp, a diy transformer coupled preamp, a built-from-scratch tube rectified Foreplay, an almost stock Foreplay, Laurels, an Art Diabolo amp, Moondog 2A3's, an Assemblage 300B amp, slightly modded ASL Wave AV-8 amps, Bottlehead Straight 8's. Cornwalls, Adire Audio HE-10's, Omega TS1's, Amazes, full length diy Voigt Pipes, plus the usual snake pit of diy interconnects and speaker cables etc, etc. We'll also have a cheap mass market 500 watt solid state receiver for Wardsweb to listen to so he doesn't feel like he got off the elevator on the wrong floor. I'll take some pictures at the meeting and post them here.

 

[THOR]

I remember back when I was doing the great speaker search and I was intrigued by those Straight 8's. Whats everyone think of those? Back when I looked at them they were especially intriguing because they offered a kit that had all the MDF cut out for you too and the price was still real reasonable. As a guy who loves big speakers they are quite impressive looking.