2. amps-preamps
  3. 192696-139155

Your journey with lower-watt tube amps -- Can a kit be good enough?

Looking for stories about your low-watt amp journeys.

Here's the situation: I have new speakers, 97 db. Trying them with lower watt tube amps (45/211, 300b, etc) seems generally wise. I am attempting to borrow some from audiophiles in the area. 

The horizon beyond trying these things involves actually buying some. I'm looking at a budget limit of about $5k.

Curious as to folks' experience with lower-watt amp kits vs. those of good makers (e.g. Dennis Had, etc.).

If you have any thoughts about the following, I'd be interested:

Did you start out with a kit and then get dissatisfied? Why?

Did you compare kits vs. pre-made and find big differences?

Did you find you could get the equivalent level of quality in a kit for much less than the same pre-made version? How about kit vs. used?

Also: did you find there was a difference between "point to point wiring" vs. "PCB" in these various permutations?

I realize that there are good kits and bad ones, good pre-made amps and bad ones. I'm hoping you'll be comparing units which seem at comparable levels of quality and price-points.

Thanks.

hilde45

Showing 3 responses by devinplombier

devinplombier
468 posts
 

I’m not a tube guy, but I am enjoying this thread a lot. Thanks @hilde45 for starting it, and thanks @atmasphere for your well thought out comments which, despite being nominally tube-oriented, hold a universal appeal especially regarding what we listen to, how we listen to it and what we seek to get from it.

My entire history with tube gear consists of a vague yearning for big-iron VTL monoblocks... someday... so I don’t have much to contribute to the subject other than, if you’re still considering the DIY route, this:

Unlike another poster earlier, I find PCB work easy. Insert component in its assigned spot, solder, done. Point to point on the other hand gives you a lot more latitude in how you structure your circuits in 3D space. Personally I find point to point more rewarding, but harder to keep my OCD impulses in check 😃

For what it’s worth, I would recommend going the DIY route, if only because the satisfaction of building something with your own hands is without peer.

 

devinplombier
468 posts
 

@retiredaudioguy 

Great post, thank you! 

Another necessity for this type of work is flux, no-clean variety.

 

devinplombier
468 posts
 

@bruce19 

If you already own the 2x4, there's no harm experimenting with an active crossover setup like you described, which sounds like it would work fine. If you're pleased with the proof of concept, then you can consider the DAC question. Just my 2¢! 🙂

More to discover