Grannyring is right. I do the same on my amp. The point is to have the output wires from the output trannies directly in contact with your speaker wires. If you can get rid of the terminations on your speaker wires even better. Although if you do remove the termination on you your cables in some cases you can risk lowering the value for resale. -Jet |
Rebbi, I was on your blog this morning. YOu are getting close to the end. I cant wait for you to finish and fire up the amp for the first time. It will be an experience you will not forget. |
Hi Rebbi, We havent heard from you in a few days. How is the build coming? |
Very exciting. Looking forward to your report after that first power up! |
Fantastic! Congratulations. Please tell us what is was like the moment you first heard music coming out of the amp that you built with your own two hands. |
Rebbi, When I was building my system I faced some of the same issues. I didnt want to spend a ton of money and I listened to a wide variety of music. Rock, pop, Jazz Classical. You have an amp that you built that is capable of playing all of the music you love. I know it can because I had a Kit one in my home and it is a kick ass amp and persuaded me to build my own SET amp. You built it and have a deep connection with it. It is also a platform in which you can make upgrades. If you did sell it you would end up regretting it.
When I was searching for speakers I took my amp on audition after audition for several months until I finally heard the speakers that with my amp could play every type of music that I love. I can crank the volume without a preamp playing all types of music and am treated to involving room filling goodness.
If you live in the NYC area there are many avenues for audition including many guys on this forum who would open their homes to you including me. |
Grannyring,
Your right - Knowing the thrill of building audio equipment my comments are based on how Rebbi must feel about building that amp. I dont have knowledge of all the amp topologies available but if one can build an a amp that can drive the Decapos but also sound like a 300b SET amp I am all in! And I agree it is more difficult to shop for speakers than an amp.
Rebbi has to decide which route he wants to travel. Sub woofer, new amp, new speakers. But I doubt he is going to find an amp that sounds as good as the Kit1 for the amount he paid. I have read many DIY forums and the guys who built the AN EL34 or 84 amp and then eventually build an AN 300b SET prefer the 300b and not by a small margin. If I were Rebbi I would do some research. Borrow a subwoofer, hear his amp with different speakers, hear his speakers with different amps. From reading his blog, he already prefers the Kit1 to the Manley from a sheer musical stand point. He can be patient and not spend any money and come to the decision that works best for him. |
Just a reminder to all that when one builds their own gear - it is hugely important to measure each resistor, capacitor to make sure it is the correct value BEFORE installing it into the circuit. Two reasons for doing this are: Making sure the correct part is going into the correct position and the other - once a part is soldered into the circuit in many cases it will no longer measure its value correctly. So once a part is in the circuit especially capacitors, they will need to be removed from the circuit to make sure they are not defective. |
A super cool thing about DIY that I have found most enjoyable is the subtle and not so subtle changes in sound when I change out one part for another. If one wants a bit more "old school" warmth in their system, dont go out and buy a new speaker cable or interconnect, put in an oil cap and Allen Bradley resistor in cathode of your driver tube. One guy I know has a seriously upgraded AN DAC and he loaded the circuit with Allen Bradley resistors. He loves the sound and I got to hear it and yes it is way cool sounding. He took a point of view and went with it and can always undo it later on if the mood strikes. Look under the hood of a Ken Shindo amp or preamp...you will find all sorts of vintage parts. I got lots of ideas after googling Shindo and viewing the innards. To much warmth in your system? Try an Audio Note Tantalum or Vichay Nude Resistor in the driver cathode. I settled on AN Tants on my driver tube. They gave me all of the musicality of the Allen Bradley's with a bit less warmth. Some amps have electrolytic caps in their power supplies. Replace one or two of them with oils and listen to how smooth and liquid your amp will sound. I am currently experimenting with hi quality Wima caps in my power supply. Dont get me started on coupling caps :) Lots of fun to be had with them. Being able to change out parts in a SET amp yields very interesting changes in sound since they have so few parts to begin with and it is very empowering to have so much control and spending so little money. So much of this hobby is very expensive...cost come way down and satisfaction goes way up when one enters the DIY arena. |
I dont know about that Dan. You have taught us a thing or two while making us drool over your DIY Garrard 401 plinth and I will not forget your Class D amp I am storing that note away for future reference.
Grannyring-Thanks for the Clarity Cap tip. I did not know about them. I am contemplating building a 2nd amp and thinking about the power supply so your tip is timely.
Best to Rebbi-a crazy journey but well worth it. Once the problem is solved there will be some serious music making :) |
Grannyring, Looks like the Wima DC Link caps I am trying in my power supply and the ClarityCap TC600 you are using are both Metallized Polypropylene. Looks like we are on the same path. Regards-Jet |
Cool! Glad there is finally resolution! |
Sebrof, Would you happen to live in the New York New Jersey area? |
Raylinds, You are building quite a AN Kits system. The new Mentor preamp looks really great. I was hoping it might have a phono pre but I guess not. Your Kit 4 speakers have the Alnico drivers. Congrats! And congrats to Rebbi who will be hearing great music very soon. I've got some Audio Note output transformers coming soon. Were rockin! Jet |
Charles, Yes the Sophia Electric 91-05 is a beautiful sounding output transformer and my amp is tweeked out WE91a with Black Gates in the tube bypasses and Duelund couplers and I recently optimized the power supply with some help from one of the guys on the Audio Ayslum site so at this time I dont want to upset the apple cart of sonic goodness so the plan is to build a second amp with the AN output trannies. They are double C Core Ultra HiB. These are the version just below silver. Take a look at AN prices for their silver transfomers in pounds and then convert to dollars, you'll gasp in horror. But before I build the second amp I'll uninstall the Sophias and put these bad boys into service on my present amp. These AN transformers have a 2.7k primary impedance which is specifically designed to work with Audio Note speakers. I havent posted anything in my system thread for a while so I'll update it with more info about my 2nd amp.
Grannyring we need to compare notes on our polypropylene capacitors. |
Charles I'll most likely be using EMLs in the second amp but it really depends on how EML300bXLS sound with Audio Note Transformers. Love the EML's they are so well balanced that I can use AC heat on the filaments with no hum pots. (The elimination of hum pots was a sonic revelation). EML also makes versions of their tubes with a 5th pin that connects directly to the center of the filament creating a "cathode" which should also make the tube completely hum free and making the biasing circuit even more simple than it is now. This means even less parts in the circuit. |
Mikirob you guys will learn alot about how an amp works and as I mentioned to Rebbie you'll learn that you can tweak a part or two in the amp to taylor the sound to your liking. I have no idea how Audio Note speakers sound with Alnico drivers. It is the highest level AN speaker kit.
Mapman, well said. One's amp should be relaxed and as comfortable as possible and the music will sound that way too. Makes me wonder about why there are so many different operating points that manufacturer's run their 300b amps at. Some really hot like 80-90 mA and some around 60mA or less. Arguments on both side make my head spin |
Rebbi, I'm sure you're in for some good times after all of this long process, Enjoy! |
"Orchestral music is especially intoxicating"
I love that. Before I heard a SET amp I would have not believed how well it could play orchestral music. As a fellow orchestral music lover I am so happy for you Rebbi! |
Thanks Rebbi and Almarg for the Chesky recommendations. I didn't know about them. If anyone is a Dvorak fan I can also recommend the late 1950's "Stereorama" George Szell Cleveland recordings. Crystal clear.
Charles, I have CSO/Renier Bartok RCA Living Presence from the mid fifties. As you mention, layers of depth and clarity. Of course all of these recordings were done with tube gear and its no wonder they sound so good.
Its nice to be listening to a SET amp putting out 8-10watts and able to shake the walls with an orchestra crescendo and one second later be totally drawn into the spooky layers and room filling depth of a quite moment where the strings are shimmering and woodwinds are playing a quite melody. Or have Sarah Vaughan singing right before my eyes in my living room or Peter Gabriel or St Vincent or Pink Floyd rocking out and the the groove is so convincing that my whole body is moving in my listening seat. With Rock recordings a SET amp does some special things. Since there is so much ambient (reverb) used on many of these recordings a SET amp presents the ambient info as various layers that float into the listening room with richness depth and clarity but also as a musical whole. And they are easy to build- Magic! |
Sebrof - would love to hear your DIY speakers...Jet |
Bummer. I'm sure those Altecs with your 6C6/2A3 is immediate and very present. Would like to hear what they can do. I dont have have that kind of space for speakers like that in Brooklyn but I can always dream! -Jet |
