Quote:
Originally Posted by oicdn /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Just outta curiousity. I've see alot of people with DIY solid states, but I don't really see any tube ones. Or maybe I'm just not paying much attention.
I'm looking to eventually start building my home set-up, and was wondering which members on here I sould contact in order to get a home oriented amp made possibly with a headphone jack. A dece bang-for-the-buck model. Like that will either be in a rack, or something with feet.
Or is it actually more cost effective to buy a commercial tube amp?
|
No offense, but maybe you're not paying much attention.
The Millett Hybrid is one of the most common DIY headphone amps, period. It's often a tossup which one people build after their first CMoy - a PIMETA or a Millett Hybrid. The Millett not only has its own support website, but its own forum as well:
DIYForums.org
As others have mentioned, it's based on the same power supply used by a TREAD or STEPS - 24-27VDC.
The SOHA is a very popular addition to the low voltage tube headphone amp arena. That one uses a 12AU7 tube, perhaps one of the most popular tubes in existence, and one manufactured NEW by several companies today. It's B+ voltage goes a little higher - to 50V, but the rest of the amp is based on a regulated 12VDC. While the P2P version is on the Headwize Library Projects list:
A Simple tube/Opamp Hybrid Amplifier,
Digi has just completed the second Group Buy for his implementation of PCB's for the design - a couple of hundred sold each time. That's definitely a measure of popularity.
The Millett Hybrid Max is an updated version by Cetoole that includes an integrated TREAD/STEPS power supply, integrated Diamond or MOSFET buffers, and an E12 power delay to protect your headphones against turn-on, turn-off DC offset, a standard consequence of tube amps. Right now, there are parallel active threads on Headwize and DIYForums.org:
New Millett Hybrid Layout
New Boards for Millett Hybrid - Review Requested,
with the thread at DIYForums.org being most current. I developed an extensive BOM spreadsheet that can be found in the threads at both places. This design has a huge amount of interest already. Many of us were ready to begin ordering parts, in preparation for a limited prototype buy.
Unfortunately, Cetoole recently had a car accident. So, we are in suspense until he gets this resolved prior to the prototype board order.
There is also the board design that Dsavitsk has floated, and you may want to watch that. There have been some recent posts about altering the buffers, and he is probably going direct to a prototype board buy rather than trying it out on a breadboard, first. The MH Max's components have all been individually vetted for years, so it's a little less risky going the same route with that one. I only mention that because as a DIY beginner you should be aware of that risk with an untried design. That's only if you choose to participate right now. No doubt, if it goes forward there will be NO risk. That said, I am on the list to purchase a prototype, so I am definitely supporting the design. The most current discussion on his design is also at DIYForums.org:
Millett 2 - 6GM8 Layout
To really get to the point of your question - we can't have too many DIY Tube Headphone Amp designs, IMHO.