[MN Ham Phones]

Hello.
I'm a long time, casual lurker, infreqquent poster. Got sidetracked with antique radio for the past year....

I want to build a tube based headphone amp.
Been watching the price of the MAD amps climb for the past year.
I *really* want one of the EarPlus purist amps, but at $500 its uncomfortable.
I know from the reviews they are worth every penny, but still, too spendy at this time. If I could still get a kit at $400, I'd order tomorrow.

I'm using a Grado 125, Etymotics ER-4P, with a Rotel RCD-1072 and an iPod. Current amp is a PPA I build over a year ago.

I've done some simple scratchbuilding on and off for 20 years. Also got some experience with tubes and high voltage supplies.

Any suggesions for DIY tube design from the various published cirucuits out there?
Has anyone tried a clone of the MAD amps by sourcing their own parts?

 

[tomb]

The best killer tube amp out there right now may be the Bijou, otherwise known as the Cavalli-Lovell-Futterman. Runeight (Alex Cavalli) is taking an interest check for boards over on Headwize right now.

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I don't know much about tube amps, just that another popular one is the SOHA. There's a big thread on that at Headwize too

edit: i think theres a good number of DIY Millets that have been done too

 

[MN Ham Phones]

Thank you. I put my name on the list too.

 

[AndrewFischer]

I'm slowly working towards building an Aikido.

There is a lot to read and it is spread across many blog entries at www.tubecad.com. Brooksie sells blank boards at a reasonable price. A complete Aikido headphone amp shouldn't be too expensive but I do expect it to cost more than a PPA.

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif The best killer tube amp out there right now may be the Bijou, otherwise known as the Cavalli-Futterman. Runeight (Alex Cavalli) is taking an interest check for boards over on Headwize right now.

if i'm not mistaken (which I very well could be, as I'm clearly a newb) the CK2II isn't a tube amp...or at least I didn't see a tube in any of the pictures or schematics

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkfloyd4ever /img/forum/go_quote.gif if i'm not mistaken (which I very well could be, as I'm clearly a newb) the CK2II isn't a tube amp...or at least I didn't see a tube in any of the pictures or schematics

I agree. Cavalli-Kan-Kumisa III (CKKIII) is not the Bijou/Cavalli-Lovell-Futterman. Acronyms are confusing sometimes, but the letters really do stand for something.

To reiterate, the Bijou is a full-throated 5-tube amp, compared with the best. Depending on parts selection, perhaps $400-$500 is the potential cost, but this might be mitigated to a lower value with careful parts selection and an economical case.

The Millett and SOHA are both hybrids. I have several copies of each and love both designs, but they are not nearly at this level.

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

AHHHHHH cool, well thanks for clearing that up, I was so confused

so something like this? http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...9&postcount=46

 

[tomb]

More like this:

 

[mrarroyo]

At $389 for the kit how about:

http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/S.E.X./SEX.htm