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Cheap Tube Amplifier

post #1 of 17
1/13/10 at 1:14pm
Thread Starter 
Well I am new to DIY projects as well as this forum, but I have been reading several posts. Basically, I was wonder if there was a cheap build for a tube amplifier. Ive made some basic amplifiers the the Chu Moy, and I want to experience a tube amplifier. So, does anyone know some cheap tube amplifier builds, and can you post them please?
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post #2 of 17
1/13/10 at 1:29pm
I don't know about any other amps but I highly recommend the SSMH, Starving Student Millet Hybrid by pmillet. There are even whole kits sold, so they allow you to build it with limited knowledge, as I did .
I've never built another one as I can't think of seeing another easy tube amp with not extremely complex scheme, I'm sure there are some floating around, but the SSMH is the most popular.
Currently they are out of stock I think, but there should be a very last run of 35 kits soon.
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post #3 of 17
1/13/10 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Llama16 View Post
I don't know about any other amps but I highly recommend the SSMH, Starving Student Millet Hybrid by pmillet. There are even whole kits sold, so they allow you to build it with limited knowledge, as I did .
I've never built another one as I can't think of seeing another easy tube amp with not extremely complex scheme, I'm sure there are some floating around, but the SSMH is the most popular.
Currently they are out of stock I think, but there should be a very last run of 35 kits soon.
Does it work well? Do you know how much it costs because I saw pmillet's site say around $110 but somewhere else I saw it can cost around $50-60.
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post #4 of 17
1/13/10 at 5:54pm
Go to HeadWize and take a look at the Kurt Strain OTL. If you choose your parts carefully, you can build it for very little money. I would pick one of these over a hybrid - you will get the full tube experience.
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post #5 of 17
1/13/10 at 6:45pm
The cheapest tube headamp (not all tube though) that I can think of is the "YAHA". It's a pretty flexible design that allows for a lot of modification and there's even a PCB out for it (if you don't want to P2P).
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post #6 of 17
1/13/10 at 6:49pm
I can recommend from HeadWize Morgan Jones amp:
HeadWize - Project: The Morgan Jones Mini Tube Headphone Amplifier by Chu Moy

In tube amps most expensive is transformer and enclosure, other parts, including tubes are cheap, if you use standard parts for the beginning. Some rare tubes are expensive too.
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post #7 of 17
1/13/10 at 7:30pm
I just paid $39 shipped for a complete Oatley K272 kit...
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post #8 of 17
1/13/10 at 10:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jageur272 View Post
The cheapest tube headamp (not all tube though) that I can think of is the "YAHA". It's a pretty flexible design that allows for a lot of modification and there's even a PCB out for it (if you don't want to P2P).
You say it is not all tube because of the opamp? As in the sound is processed twice? How is the sound and amplification?
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post #9 of 17
1/13/10 at 10:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
Go to HeadWize and take a look at the Kurt Strain OTL. If you choose your parts carefully, you can build it for very little money. I would pick one of these over a hybrid - you will get the full tube experience.
Do you by any chance have a comprehensive parts list (I am bad at reading the HeadWiz site)? Also, what do you mean choose them carefully?
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post #10 of 17
1/15/10 at 7:50pm
Thread Starter 
Bump
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post #11 of 17
1/15/10 at 8:34pm
Please, all of those sites are very in depth and it just takes a little bit of time on your part. If you want to build something yourself, you'll need some sense of independence. You'll never get better if people are holding your hands the whole way through.

That being said, all of the parts are listed underneath the schematics (you'll have to get parts for both channels, the parts listed are for just 1) of the amplifying circuit and power supply.

Also, with the YAHA, yes, the opamp is a semiconductor directly in the path of the signal. That is why it isn't all tube.
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post #12 of 17
1/15/10 at 8:40pm
Whoa, double post
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post #13 of 17
1/15/10 at 8:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rorouni View Post
Does it work well? Do you know how much it costs because I saw pmillet's site say around $110 but somewhere else I saw it can cost around $50-60.
No offense, but this really frustrates me.

Put the Starving Student in a mint tin or a wallet tin (as Pete did), remove the bypass caps , terminal blocks, assume the tubes are still $2 each, etc. - then yeah, it might cost $50-$60.

However, include a paint-by-numbers quality PCB, a custom-design, pre-drilled and machined metal case and then you can add at least $40 to that total. Count adding bypass caps, other hardware for convenience, higher-price-tubes-due-to-unobtanium-supplies, and yeah - it'll cost $110-$115.

Please compare your apples to apples instead of oranges.
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post #14 of 17
1/15/10 at 9:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rorouni View Post
Do you by any chance have a comprehensive parts list (I am bad at reading the HeadWiz site)? Also, what do you mean choose them carefully?
The Kurt Strain article is not understandable? Are you sure you want to build a tube amp?
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post #15 of 17
1/15/10 at 11:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by macm75 View Post
The Kurt Strain article is not understandable? Are you sure you want to build a tube amp?
Sorry, not helpful. Everyone has to start somewhere. Build a kit, gain some confidence and understanding, then go to HeadWize. Good Luck.
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