Well, I still did not return the DIYEDEN TUBE AMP to my friend. I came to like it too much.
I still love the "purist" approach. No volume potentiometer, all in one box and OUT of the PC enclosure, tubes, good components for the money, and it sounds good.
I had not much listening to it this last week, but I got a strong hum in the output. Turning On and Off did not help. After letting it cool down it got back to normal....until 15 minutes later.
This week it runs again as a champ, however I took it to a friend's workshop specialised in repairing TUBE Guitar amps. He said it did look nicely finished, but that the heat on the printboard and the capacitors would kill the machine.
So hands on the job. I've drilled quite a few holes on the upper box (the one that covers the R transformer), plus a few just on the cover on the area that top's the aluminium pasive cooling element inside the thing. I'll try to post a few pics.
The result however keeps short. The "beast" still runs hot. My friend said I should put the Tube's higher. Dam, that is just what I did like so much of the design.....having the tubes half-way IN the case!
So I will have to make with some parts at
www.banzaieffects.com a "socket saver" for 8 pins. Getting the tubes entirely out of the case will probably solve the heat generation issue period. Actually I could have save myself the drilling cause it did help little.
Despite all, I don't think I did bad trying out this toy. It sounds nice and it has me engaged in upgrades. Isn't that the thing audiophiles love most
