Why no portable/transportable tube amps??
Nov 23, 2006 at 9:05 PM Post #61 of 71
On another note, in order to make tubes tiny enough to be internal and usable on a portable amp, I wonder if the signature that tubes have over SS would be worth it.

Absolutely .... the better subminatures sound excellent. There is a multi-award preamp sold in Germany that uses all subminatures. I remember seeing the product and website but I cant read the language so I dont have any details.


People have said in this thread that cetain configurations would yield a battery life of 4-5 hours, but other portable amps (Hearoom MicroAmp with Desktop Module and the Stax SM-001 MkII for example, and even an IPOD after 200 charges)) also offer a life of only 4-5 hours. So for people who accept that, I guess it wouldn't be a showstopper.

You can definitely get more play time than 4-5 hours if you use a few tricks.
 
Nov 23, 2006 at 9:14 PM Post #62 of 71
Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif

What would be really cool, is if a couple of our master DIY-ers were able to get together and create a tubed portable using a Head-Fi branded name and sell it for a 100% profit (including parts, labor, and R&D) and donate 25% of the profit to Head-Fi. That would probably be a benefit to all involved (buiders, buyers and Head-Fi). Hmmmm...


I would just do this with a solid state model first. In this day and age there are far more people who have knowledge of solid state technology. A solid state portable is going to be cheaper and easier to implement too. If you could get this accomplished with a solid state model .... then I would tackle the more challenging tube portable project.
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Nov 24, 2006 at 12:30 AM Post #63 of 71
A portable tube amp would not be that difficult to build. Many times a tube amp circuit is much less complicated than a solid-state one. I think I could do one is something like an altoid tin but the battery pack would be about the same size, maybe just a little larger. I have been working on it in my head, scary place to be. :^)

I would really like a tube output but I am afraid there would be too much current draw to have 2 tubes. One driver 6111, which has the same gain as a 6SN7 or 12AU7 and a buffer output (this is the part I don't like). But the flavor would be from the tube. Ahh that warm glow. Not too hot for the pocket. It looks like I will be busy with international work for the foreseeable future but I would love to work on this project. I don't see it as difficult and as Earl has stated, the tubes have a very good reputation. I think, due to their design, that microphonics would be the least of most any tube made. They were designed for hard and difficult situations and to be the last gasp against the solid state junk that ousted tubes.
 
Nov 24, 2006 at 12:38 AM Post #65 of 71
Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I would just do this with a solid state model first. In this day and age there are far more people who have knowledge of solid state technology. A solid state portable is going to be cheaper and easier to implement too. If you could get this accomplished with a solid state model .... then I would tackle the more challenging tube portable project.
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Earl, I do not agree. An excellent tube amp is easier to make and manufacture than a solid-state unit that will be of near equal sound quality. You can buy a Cary amp or other tube amp for much less than what it will cost to get a solid-state amp that will afford equal sound quality and many more components will be used in the manufacture of the solid-state unit. I used to know all the names that I could compare one to the other and the cost of each but since my emphasis is different now with my work this brain stored information is fading fast.

Anyway, from my experience in building and having friends in the industry, good tube equipment to get excellent sound, requires less parts and is more of an art of using the right bias, voltage and tube more than just the pure outlay of cash for multiple parts.
 
Nov 24, 2006 at 12:39 AM Post #66 of 71
Quote:

Originally Posted by photobob /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I have heard from one of the people in the auto tube amp industry that battery storage is an issue with tubes. They draw a lot of current heating up, which kills the batteries pretty quickly.


With atleast some of the subminature tubes .... this is not going to be an issue.
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Nov 24, 2006 at 12:42 AM Post #67 of 71
Quote:

Originally Posted by photobob /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I have heard from one of the people in the auto tube amp industry that battery storage is an issue with tubes. They draw a lot of current heating up, which kills the batteries pretty quickly.


Of course but we are talking about using one pencil tube with a filament draw of 300 mA. this is very possible. A tube amp with 2 to 4 tubes would be much more difficult and with this I agree both with the heat produced and current draw. One nice dual triode and an output of a buffered type to lower impedence and to handle the current out demand. Ahh tubes I mean tube. . .
 
Nov 24, 2006 at 4:18 AM Post #69 of 71
A 6N30P was mentioned but it draws way too much filament current At just over 800mA, which is almost 3 times that of a 6111 or 6112, there doesn't seem to be a fit. The 6111 and 6112 offer nice contrast in gain and both seem to be fairly reasonable in current draw. I have read more on sound and these tubes can compete with the best out there. What a portable would sound like might better most any home unit.
 
May 1, 2007 at 4:02 AM Post #71 of 71
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