[regal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parafeed /img/forum/go_quote.gif And these much better options are? What do you recommend as the driver tube for a 300B?

Here's a good thread to help you start to understand the limitations of the 6sn7+300b:

Tube DIY Asylum - Limitations of 6SN7 cascade driver for 300B, aka "flesh and blood" - rjm, January 16, 2002 at 11:12:29

 

[Parafeed]

[deleted]

 

[Parafeed]

[deleted]

 

[regal]

So you seriously don't think you could beat or match a BA for around a grand? Or are you trying to pick a fight? When you buy a commercial tube amp you are paying 3x as much for a design you don't get to chose. Thats fine for many, but its your money.

 

[Parafeed]

[deleted]

 

[regal]

No that's fair, I personally think that a 300B is a bit overkill for headphones and think it is chosen for marketing reasons more than anything else. As far as DHT I'm just getting started, I really believe the answer are high end hybrids. Headphones are a real challenge for tube amps and OPT's have limitations on their flexibility. My point is more before you throw $3500 on a BA, do a lot of research. There are tons of options out there. Look at the SSS here ecp.cc practically no caps in the signal path, does a BA sound better than this $700 amp? Maybe. How about the guy who turned his SOHAII into a high voltage high biased amp, think of it as a parafeed with an "SS" transformer without the drawbacks. There are so many options to explore, hence why I say DIY for high end tube amps is a fertile ground. Not so much for SS amps and DAC's. We are still learning how to build the ideal tube amp for 32-600 ohm phones, the BA is not the final answer.

 

[GWorlDofSPACE]

))))

 

[Parafeed]

[deleted]

 

[PJPro]

One issue with DIY is resale value. I suspect many one here will keep their creations but, if you buy sensibly, commercial products can often be sold for a healthy slice of what you originally paid, thereby contributing to the next upgrade. Unless the builder is well known, eg not me, the DIY amp will often struggle to achieve what you paid for it.

 

[linuxworks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJPro /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unless the builder is well known, eg not me, the DIY amp will often struggle to achieve what you paid for it.

with the FPE style panels, its pretty easy to get good looking gear; you simply throw money at it and have a guy with a high end CNC do the work and mail you the result to bolt on

lots of people buy on features and 'front panel' and so, you don't really have to do a great job inside. people will still buy - as long as it looks good and works. almost kind of funny, in a way.

the singlepower gear was a good example. once you look inside you realize you didn't really *want* to buy or even own this gear. yet the outsides looked great and I think many of them actually did work for a while

and bought at really high prices, initially, too!

to contrast, I took some very functional and somewhat novel gear that I designed and built to a local meet. it got lots of ignore ;( one lesson I learned was: if its DIY, it HAS to have a great looking professional panel or people will mostly ignore it.

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJPro /img/forum/go_quote.gif One issue with DIY is resale value. I suspect many one here will keep their creations but, if you buy sensibly, commercial products can often be sold for a healthy slice of what you originally paid, thereby contributing to the next upgrade. Unless the builder is well known, eg not me, the DIY amp will often struggle to achieve what you paid for it.

Word. People want to buy a name / brand / recognition. Same is said in custom anything (cars, guitars, etc).

Regarding the 300b, I have heard an outrageously over the top 300b DHT SET, with fancy mercury vapor rectifiers, and thought it looked FAR better than it sounded, wrt to being a headphone amp, and certainly compared to a 307a, which is quite possibly the best amp I have ever heard. Sadly, the 300b didn't turn a penny of profit when later sold.



I don't understand the hostility, and think maybe it is best saved for somewhere else.

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parafeed /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not saying it is and there wont ever be a "final answer". What I would say is that I don't think that the BA is overpriced. You are paying for design - design that you probably won't find on diyaudio.

Silliest thing ever posted on HF, or, simply the MOST ignorant. The designs of Pete Millett, Ti Kan, Alex Cavalli, Kevin Gilmore, Frank Cooter and others here are simply superior to 99% of anything offered commercially (where some of their designs ARE commercially available), and, in fact, I'd like to *specifically* know what commercial designs are better than what is offered for DIY?

 

[luvdunhill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd like to *specifically* know what commercial designs are better than what is offered for DIY?

Looks like Parafeed was pretty clear on what he thought qualified, the BA. I tend to agree.

 

[pabbi1]

I contend the 307a is right there with it, and has been made available DIY.

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJPro /img/forum/go_quote.gif One issue with DIY is resale value. I suspect many one here will keep their creations but, if you buy sensibly, commercial products can often be sold for a healthy slice of what you originally paid, thereby contributing to the next upgrade. Unless the builder is well known, eg not me, the DIY amp will often struggle to achieve what you paid for it.

I have sold four of my DIY creations for exactly what I paid for them in parts and shipping. No payment for time of course.

If it weren't for Head-Fi rules, and my own lack of need to not make a profit, I could have sold them for considerably more.