[Dimu]

Those radiators won't hurt but also likely won't make too much of a difference as you already have good airflow over the board. There are built in radiators with thermal vias in the board so having airflow should be sufficient to keep things in check.
 
I've got a configuration without hum using the power of heat shrink. I used just small pieces of heat shrink in the original cable and it obviously was not enough heat shrink so I wrapped the whole thing
 
Notice the wire is much longer than the old version and still no hum. I think drilling couple more holes at the rear wall and moving all four mosfets off the board is the next step for me. This should let the amp run comfortably without any airflow (that is after I figure out the mechanical work of fitting my power transformer in a way that will let the case close).
 

 

[vinylvalet]

I was wondering:
 
1) The cathode bypass cap upgrade to 180uf conductive polymer caps is just for the 12AU7 triodes? Why not do the same for the output tubes? Why the decrease from 220uf to 180uf? The upgrade caps are also available in 220u, 16V.
 
2) It seems like changing the B+ bridge rectifier to a Cree high V Schottky bridge (or something similar like Stealth II or HiPerFRED) would be beneficial. Has anyone tried this or can anyone think of any reason not to other than the challenge of fitting all that in?
 
Thank you.

 

[vkung]

1) The cathode bypass cap upgrade to 180uf conductive polymer caps is just for the 12AU7 triodes? Why not do the same for the output tubes? Why the decrease from 220uf to 180uf? The upgrade caps are also available in 220u, 16V.
   
 
please refer to page 17 ..C1,C2,C5, C6 .. the rage is between 150-220uf.  We find that  180uf  OS-CON  is the best.

 

[vinylvalet]

Thank you for the quick response. Yes, I saw the discussion on page 17 of the manual.
 
Why not upgrade the 220u/16V cathode bypass caps on the output tubes as well?

 

[Andrew Rieger]

So is the consensus around here that Triode mode is the way to go? I mainly listen to classic rock, EDM, 80's pop and some jazz. Based on my reading it sounds like Ultra Linear is more dynamic and punchy but less detailed compared to triode. 

 

[Hifi Boy]

Hi Andrew, from what I've experienced, Triode mode is indeed better for my tastes.

There is just more presence to the sound and its just smoother and more enjoyable. Haven't tried the Pentode mode yet, but I'm completely satisfied with what I got with Triode mode. UL was too punchy for me. Didn't enjoy the bass at all. It was completely out of place if you ask me. Yes, there is such a thing as too much bass.

Just give them all a try and decide for yourself.

 

[Effusion]

I also have used the Triode mode the most, but UL has also been nice at times.  I believe many here prefer the EL34 tubes in the UL mode instead of Triode as an example.  Best just to experiment and see what caters to you the best in the end though.  Just make sure you unplug the unit and let it sit for about 10 minutes or so before you switch the connectors.  A few owners have also created really cool ways of switching the modes outside the case in various ways, however you will damage the amp if the switch is accidentally tripped while the unit is running, so this is not advised by Elekit.
 
As a side note to those that might be interested, yesterday at a local gathering we tried the Focal Utopias on the 8200 and everyone, even the owner of them, thought they sounded just great out of it.  I was off auditioning between two very high end DACs at the time, so I wasn't able to take a listen at that moment, but they thought that out of the Elekit they sounded better than out of most amps they've tried.  This was largely due to the types of tubes I was running at the time in the unit, which was really interesting in the end.  At this time I was running my ATS-25 ceramic base round plate Cossors paired with a very nice pair of Amperex 7316s.
 
After briefly talking to the owner about his Utopia experiences with other amps (no slouches), I determined that they probably sounded so good because of the tube choices in the 8200 and tested this by swapping in my smoked glass GEC KT-66s.  Sure enough, the Utopias were a bit out of whack and too bright overall, not a good match for them at all.  I don't know much about the experiences with the Utopias, but they seem to be a bit finicky with their amplification.  What was really interesting as well, was that this combo really made my modded HD650s shine and was better than the ATS-25s overall.
 
Goes to show ya that the types of tubes used with the 8200 really can make a big difference and that the easy tweakability of this amp can really allow one to tailor the sound to their cans as well as their tastes.

 

[Hifi Boy]

TU-8200 could then be characterized as "wire with gain", since the tubes have so much influence on how it sounds. It must have a really clean signal to have it's sound change so much by simply changing tubes.
 
Anyway, this could probably be the best bang for the buck amp you can get today. Don't quote me on that, it's just a thought. But still, I believe it can be improved. For the next version, I would certainly like to have a fully balanced 4pin headphone output and balanced XLR inputs. Even if that would double the cost, I'd still buy it.
 
What I also believe, is that Elekit should sell this amp with optional parts like Mundorf caps etc. just like Victor does.
I know that this doesn't bother you guys that much since you are buying it from Victor anyway and are skilled at DIY but for those who order directly from Elekit and just want to buy the finished product and enjoy the music, it would be a very good approach.
 
Had this amp been marketed differently, not as a DIY product but rather as a "real" amp, it would be a lot more popular and widespread, I'm pretty sure of that. The 6moons review of it also mentions it competes with amps which are quite a lot more expensive than it, so guys we have a real champ on our hands! 

 

[Andrew Rieger]

Does VK Music's $775 price include either of the option packages from this page? : http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/elekit/messages/461.html
 
Edit: NVM ... Victor is crazy fast with email responses. I'm excited to start my build soon. This will be my first DIY build and my first tube amp. I'm not making things easy for myself but the price to performance ratio is so good that I think I would regret not getting my feet wet in the DIY pool. 

 

[Hifi Boy]

And please, change the stock tubes immediately. Preferably go with Genalex Gold Lion KT66. It's a Russian reissue, and as Dimu will be quick to point out, are fake.

But you will be amazed by what they do to your Elekit compared to the stock ones. Oh, and they're really cheap. Either that or select the Psvane KT88 when you're buying from Victor. Not that cheap but I'm assuming they're even better than the KT66.

 

[zilkhaw]

Hello guys, I am actually trying to find help here.
 
So I bought my TU-8200 for my HD800 around December 2016 and everything was fine the sound is so nice and I love it so much.
 
But recently, I start to hear some noise only on my Left channel. The sound persist even when I turn the volume to minimum.
I tried to interchange the Left and Right tubes and the noise is still available on the Left channel.
 
I was thinking if HD800 is too sensitive to those noise, so I tried to plug in a cheap earphone and the noise is still very audible.
 
I have tried to disconnect the input as well, but it did not help
 
Any pro on this can give me any advice on which part should I look at? 
 
The problem is not always, sometimes the noise is not there, but most of the time the noise is there. 

 

[vkung]

Did you do tube rolling?
if yes, i guess one of the FETs need to replace

 

[zilkhaw]

Did you do tube rolling?
if yes, i guess one of the FETs need to replace

Yes I have tried tube rolling.
 
Thanks for the info, I will try to replace the FET. Is there any major reason on why the FET got malfunction?
I mean when dealing with the amp, is there any precaution to prevent FET from malfunctioning?
 
Since this unit is still considered new <6 months and if it is like what you have mentioned, then perhaps there was something that I have done wrong and I should try to be more careful while dealing with them next time.
 
TU-8200 is my first tube amp, so there are still a lot for me to learn.

 

[vkung]

send me an email
i will send you the parts
a lot of bad tubes in the market

 

[Hifi Boy]

Hey Victor.
 
I was just wondering, are there any upgrades which could be ordered for TU-8500?
I'm actually thinking of buying it, but I'm not sure whether I can upgrade it in any way.
 
Also, if anyone has any experience with this preamp and what you get compared to just having TU-8200, please let me know.