zzz
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2002
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This is a side-project amp, made because it was simple, designed for the Staxes, and transformers wouldn't be able to handle Weebl. 2x 12AT7 + 6SN7 per channel, fake resistor current sources driven a few octaves beyond their power rating to bias the tubes (will possibly put some hv pnp goodness there), and a few optimistically rated auricaps in the signal path.
Some pictures:
The workspace.
Amp running, something playing, phones on my head. KGSS acts as a high-voltage ac donor, transformers on the left power the filaments. Black things hanging in the air are holcos pretending to be a volume control. Dig the wicked wiring, eh. If tubes were mounted on the opposite side of the board, it all wouldn't have looked like that (blimey, a major pin-matching screw-up). Lancome container carries the flux supply.
Closer look at the boards.
The valves themselves. 12AT7 are new production taken from different batches/manufacturers. 6SN7 were apparently all purchased at Sears (really) about 40-50 years ago. I have about 20 of those.
Amp turned-off, safe to handle mode. Power supply is one of them not blowing up kind.
Not much of the listening impressions as I only had about half an hour of time with this amp in subpar listening conditions, and it barely started getting good when I decided that family matters were more important than messing around deadly explosive electronics. And tube collectors will snicker at my valve picks, but hey, whatever, I can still say something about what I think of it:
1) Bass is not the amp's strongest point in terms of oomph, but what is there is very nicely textured. KGSS goes deeper but there's more blending going on below a certain frequency. Upper bass/lower midrange seems a little sucked in with this amp but I blame it for the most part on the source and to some degree on the cabling. Every damn setup where I used the Outlaws (yeah, my only cables...) exhibits this problem to a certain extent.
2) There's a certain subrange in Hope Sandoval's voice that this little amp recreates so well that I would dare to say that it wipes the floor with KGSS/Cary combo. In that subrange.
Someday when I have the time for that, the board will get a facelift, a decent *single* transformer (5 were used now), a volume control, and an enclosure. Possibly with an external psu, Stax EMP of sorts. I decided to call it Bob. KG's new creation truly deserves a Weebl in my book.
Want to get real broke real fast? Try DIY.
Some pictures:
The workspace.
Amp running, something playing, phones on my head. KGSS acts as a high-voltage ac donor, transformers on the left power the filaments. Black things hanging in the air are holcos pretending to be a volume control. Dig the wicked wiring, eh. If tubes were mounted on the opposite side of the board, it all wouldn't have looked like that (blimey, a major pin-matching screw-up). Lancome container carries the flux supply.
Closer look at the boards.
The valves themselves. 12AT7 are new production taken from different batches/manufacturers. 6SN7 were apparently all purchased at Sears (really) about 40-50 years ago. I have about 20 of those.
Amp turned-off, safe to handle mode. Power supply is one of them not blowing up kind.
Not much of the listening impressions as I only had about half an hour of time with this amp in subpar listening conditions, and it barely started getting good when I decided that family matters were more important than messing around deadly explosive electronics. And tube collectors will snicker at my valve picks, but hey, whatever, I can still say something about what I think of it:
1) Bass is not the amp's strongest point in terms of oomph, but what is there is very nicely textured. KGSS goes deeper but there's more blending going on below a certain frequency. Upper bass/lower midrange seems a little sucked in with this amp but I blame it for the most part on the source and to some degree on the cabling. Every damn setup where I used the Outlaws (yeah, my only cables...) exhibits this problem to a certain extent.
2) There's a certain subrange in Hope Sandoval's voice that this little amp recreates so well that I would dare to say that it wipes the floor with KGSS/Cary combo. In that subrange.
Someday when I have the time for that, the board will get a facelift, a decent *single* transformer (5 were used now), a volume control, and an enclosure. Possibly with an external psu, Stax EMP of sorts. I decided to call it Bob. KG's new creation truly deserves a Weebl in my book.
Want to get real broke real fast? Try DIY.
