[adamus]

amen, the wima's are very good value for money. Obbligato's are very nice too.

Spend on the following - amperex BB, or amperex 8416 pq.

 

[keyid]

x2

Go with wimas for reference and upgrade later.
Amperex BB or 8416 will sound great.

For Senns I recommend Tesla ECC802S

 

[wiatrob]

x3 on the 8416. Getting tough to find...

Enjoying Tungsram ECC82 right now...

 

[sachu]

An RCA cleartop 6CG7..the only tube you'll need for the CTH.

 

[suicidal_orange]

I've just placed an order for a kit, including the Russian PIO's as they will actually fit in the case. I read that this amp is small, but hadn't actually measured it out - it's tiny! No wonder it can't heat a room. Has anyone used it as a portable with a battery?

I'llave to wait for Christmas before starting my build, so plenty of time to look for tubes. Are there any good places to look in the UK apart from ebay? All the recommendations are £15+ (~$25) but in the tweaks thread people were using $10 ones. Considering they are made in Europe this seems somehow backwards

 

[cfcubed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by suicidal_orange /img/forum/go_quote.gif I read that this amp is small, but hadn't actually measured it out - it's tiny! No wonder it can't heat a room.

Yes it is.
It has more features than many full-sized desktop headamps in a space less than a 3" X 5" index card. And uses no SMD. It's quite an achievement & you get to feel that sense of achievement once you complete it

Think there is a scale PDF somewhere on the official site you could print.
Quote:

Originally Posted by suicidal_orange /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone used it as a portable with a battery?

Nope.

 

[keyid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiatrob /img/forum/go_quote.gif x3 on the 8416. Getting tough to find... Enjoying Tungsram ECC82 right now...

yea they are getting hard to find, I managed to borrow one but was noisy on the CTH

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif An RCA cleartop 6CG7..the only tube you'll need for the CTH.

love this tube with hf2, the raytheon 6cg7 black plates is also very nice.

 

[Billyk]

It is with much happiness that I happened upon a pair of Bugle Boys in a box in my basement while I was searching for something. What a nice find, they sound very nice indeed!

 

[helzerr]

Just wanted to chime in with my success story: My first CTH build passed all the initial tests with flying colors!

I'm waiting on audio jacks which were back-ordered at Mouser so I can case it up and have a listen.

Initial impressions are:

1. The build process was smooth and trouble free with the exception of making room for the updated C3H. The C4L & C4R Wima upgrade caps are also a tight fit.

2. The (12BH7A) tube doesn't light as brightly as anticipated. I have verified 12.6 V DC across pins 4 & 5.

3. The CTH doesn't generate as much heat as I'd been lead to believe from reading the forum.

Thanks to everyone who made this project possible, I can't wait to listen!

 

[Billyk]

Glad you like it, It's my current favorite, I use it every night. I am using the BB I mentioned above. I will say regarding the heat that some of the tubes will generate a good bit of heat. The 6DJ's run the amp very cool and sound great, the 6cgs sounded good but ran it very hot. The heater currents sure have an impact.

 

[wiatrob]

Just to let everyone know, Spruce Canyon Labs CTH kits are sold out, and will not likely be restocked in the future. As previously stated, Cavalli Audio will now supply PC boards.

The web site will be updated soon to reflect this. Seems I can't get in to make updates. ooops.

I may offer a GB on the last of the custom end panels, depending on how many are left.

Thanks to everyone who bought a kit!

 

[dpmiller]

Thank you, wiatrob, and runeight, for this nice amp. I really like it, and the kit was a great option for me at the time.

 

[BoxOPwn]

Can PCB's still be purchased from Spruce Canyon Labs?

 

[Billyk]

Thank you, Bill, for making this awesome amp so easily available. You made it easy for me to own such a treasure. Thanks to Alex for such a neat design.
I love mine and use it everyday!

Edit: I wopuld be interested in the end panels!!

 

[keyid]

whats next bill? stacker II kits! I hear theres a new prototype