[arcorob]

Way too many posts to respond to so I'll summarize...
 
I too am on AK, AS and would not touch AA with a ten foot poll. Reviews there are just as mixed and 70% of the people who talk about things have never tried them. That's another thread though.
 
I know Brent Jesse very well...its where I bought my 1961 GE 6L6GC's. And his reviews are great ...just one perspective though (I do love the guys stuff though)
 
It is NOT absurd to but a tube that cost more than the $50 bravo. It really is the heart of tailoring the sound. I bought my $2000 Velleman amp used for $500. I have spent well over $1200 on the tubes that are currently in it.
 
Anyway, I don't want to get in a PISSING contest with someone..so lets just leave it at "Try tubes, see what you like and the brand will only be relevant to you"...
 
Know what would be really helpful ? An upgrade DIY post on how to safely CUT OUT the EQ section of the V3...I think (and please, my opinion only) the V2 was the best they made...then scewed it up...I sort of know why...they though they were helping folks who felt limited by the direct sound input (from portable items like IPhones, etc) so why not add an eq...But they missed the boat
 
Peace to all...lets have fun

 

[arcorob]

  I just need to pace myself, I can probably survive for now on the stock tube, as I haven't heard anything better. 

Razor...if you weren't so damn far away, I would send you two !!! In the states I could get two off to you for a flat rate $5.00 ...To the UK ...its $23.50 international flat rate...I am a believer in pay it forward and karma....But $23.?..LOL

 

[razor5cl]

That's the main barrier to me getting some cheap tubes.The cheapest ones I found with an initial search on eBay were like £10($15). Maybe if I can get hold of some money to get some, or snipe a 99p starting auction, I might get lucky, otherwise I'll wait.

 

[money4me247]

 
RAZOR...I feel your pain,,,,LOL
 
My 12AU7/12AX7 and 6L6GC journey was like that as well as EL84's...
 
NOW...I just recently went overboard with the 6922/6DJ8/6GM8/6AQ8/7308 's for my AUNE T1 tube DAC. I have 3 I settled on...and 14 I don't need !!! LOL
 
My very particular Velleman amp...Takes 1 - 12AU7  2 - 12AX7's and 8 (yes eight) 6L6GC's
 
And this is an amp I built for my office...The preamp (solid state) was a kit, VU meters from China and the power amp portions is an EL84 power am I restored. The box was scrap wood...
 
A Baldwin tube amp - was an organ pull customized ( I cant take credit for the build...just the improvements) - output trannies underneath
 

how much did it cost you to build these amps?
 
justcuriousss

 

[razor5cl]

Yeah how much pray tell?

 

[arcorob]

How much ?
 
The Velleman is a 90wpc kit. Costs $2000 for the kit but I bought it for $500 used already put together. No free lunch. It had a buzz in one channel, hum in the other. Two months on and off work and cleaned it all up. Then $1100 in tubes. About $800 for the 6L6GC's from Brent Jesse (8 of them) and well worth it. $250 for the rare Sylvania 12AX7 5751's. About $50 for the 12AU7 long plate mallard.
https://www.tubedepot.com/products/velleman-k4040-stereo-vacuum-tube-amplifier-kit
 
Its one of the sweetest, quietest, detail sounding amp you can imagine..and 90wpc tube is HUGE
 
 
 
Now the real steal ? The self built.
I started with a Motorola console amp - $125 - with tubes ! About 12wpc. I moved the speaker connectors to the back instead of two sides. Now what to run it ? For $22 I bought a pre-amp kit with tone control...very cool. EASY to put together and great learning experience. For power to it I had a Ac to 12VDC wall wart. Then I built a box to store it in. The box looked too plain so I bought a Chinese VU meter kit. about $60...easy to hook in. Then some cool GE EL84 tubes and then 2 12AX7 Mullard Fisher branded tube. If you have 90db or better speakers, it will drive them EASY
 
The organ amp I bought already built (about $300) and its 32wpc. I just upped the tubes a bit from EL34's to 6L6GC (cathode bias so I did not have to rebias)
 
That help ? LOL

 

[razor5cl]

Is it me or is the volume pot on the V2 weird? It goes clockwise from 5 o'clock to 4 o'clock.

 

[DefQon]

What so you mean? All pots go clockwise.

 

[UmustBKidn]

...  
Know what would be really helpful ? An upgrade DIY post on how to safely CUT OUT the EQ section of the V3...I think (and please, my opinion only) the V2 was the best they made...then scewed it up...I sort of know why...they though they were helping folks who felt limited by the direct sound input (from portable items like IPhones, etc) so why not add an eq...But they missed the boat
 
Peace to all...lets have fun

 
Agreed. I read enough of the Bravo thread some 9-odd months ago, to determine 2 things:
 
1) The tube used in the V1 was gawdawfulexpensive to replace (stuff on ebay at the time was insanely priced); and
2) There were numerous people critical of the whole EQ idea (whether it was in the V3 or not)... and the V3 also used the insanely expensive to replace tube.
 
So V2 was an easy decision. 12AU7's were and continue to be a cheap tube to replace (and you can go expensive, if you want).
 
I suppose it could just be my ears, my brain, wishful thinking, expectation bias, or some other unknown, but when I plug in one of those old d-getter mullards, I could swear I hear a whole new level of detail. And thats with the stock amp. Really curious to hear what it sounds like on a modded amp.

 

[DefQon]

More highs and less restraint to the overall signature. 

 

[UmustBKidn]

Is it me or is the volume pot on the V2 weird? It goes clockwise from 5 o'clock to 4 o'clock.

 
I'm looking at one of them as I write this, and the range of adjustment is 7 o'clock to 5 o'clock. Seems normal to me. Your knob may have been screwed on a bit wonky. Probably a simple matter to pull it off, turn it clockwise a bit, and push it back on.

 

[1337rice]

I just bought the Bravo V2 on ebay just because I'm curious of how these will sound. I'll be plugging this to my computer's Auzentech X-Meridian 7.1 2g since I don't have USB DACs like most people do here. I don't have any high impedance headphones either (Sony MDR-V6, Audio Technica ATH-M50s/LE), but curiosity doesn't hurt right? I even got a Matsu****a 12AU7, just waiting for both the tube and amp to arrive now.
 
I'm just not sure what to expect and just by going through a dozen pages here with so many different opinions based on what kind of setup that they have. 

 

[DefQon]

Just buy the cheapest 12AU7 or equivalent tubes from ebay and call it a day.

 

[HOWIE13]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the V1 is the V3 minus the equaliser.

 

[HOWIE13]

  Way too many posts to respond to so I'll summarize...
 
I too am on AK, AS and would not touch AA with a ten foot poll. Reviews there are just as mixed and 70% of the people who talk about things have never tried them. That's another thread though.
 
I know Brent Jesse very well...its where I bought my 1961 GE 6L6GC's. And his reviews are great ...just one perspective though (I do love the guys stuff though)
 
It is NOT absurd to but a tube that cost more than the $50 bravo. It really is the heart of tailoring the sound. I bought my $2000 Velleman amp used for $500. I have spent well over $1200 on the tubes that are currently in it.
 
Anyway, I don't want to get in a PISSING contest with someone..so lets just leave it at "Try tubes, see what you like and the brand will only be relevant to you"...
 
Know what would be really helpful ? An upgrade DIY post on how to safely CUT OUT the EQ section of the V3...I think (and please, my opinion only) the V2 was the best they made...then scewed it up...I sort of know why...they though they were helping folks who felt limited by the direct sound input (from portable items like IPhones, etc) so why not add an eq...But they missed the boat
 
Peace to all...lets have fun

I am sure I read somewhere that the V1 is the V3 minus the equaliser.