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Upgrading specific components in a tube amplifier

Hello everyone,

First of all, thank you for the warm welcome to these forums. It has already been an incredibly helpful place, and I’m learning more each day.

I’ve really enjoyed reading about different people’s journeys in HiFi, and I find the reflections along the way both insightful and inspiring.

Recently, I came across an article where someone, while introducing their system, described making minor upgrades to their amplifier—such as changing output capacitors, tube sockets, and resistors. I’m starting to understand the role of each component in an amplifier, but I’d love to hear from those with firsthand experience in upgrading these parts.

In your experience, do such modifications lead to noticeable improvements in sound quality, or do they risk altering the original design in ways that might not be beneficial?

Looking forward to your insights!

apollinaire

Showing 2 responses by carlsbad2

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
2,023 posts
 

capacitors and resistors are generally easy.  focus on the signal path.  save the old components in case you don't like the new sound.  

tube sockets are a lot more work and probably get upgraded only when they become worn out.  Tube rolling, especially with old tubes with oxidized contacts, can degrade them.

Power supply upgrades generally require a better understanding of how it is designed so study and make sure you have an understanding of what you want to accoplish.

 

Jerry

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
2,023 posts
 

Different resistors and capacitors are popular for different applications.  Figure out which resistors and caps you're looking to upgrade, post the values and where they are in the circuit, and current brand, and you'll get some good recommendations.

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