• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Building parafeed EL84 DC 2A3 amp

Also a shoutout to Bottlehead. Because of their pictures. I found out I could put my output transformer under my plate choke with the laminates in line. I would never have done that without seeing it. I would have tought it would induce something unwanted. But like I said...quietest amp ever.

stereomouriitop.JPG
StereomourIIunder.jpg
 
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Nice Bas! I am a bit surprised that the plate still looks relatively flat, it has a lot of weight on it. How thick is it? Did you check how hot after a couple of hours playing?
Yes, this amp has a lot going for it: DHT, very good PS throughout (VCCS for cathodes, choke input), DC coupling with low source resistance. Nice indeed!

Most of the iron I still have at my disposal I collected back in NL, before 2012. Throughout the last years I have been slowly putting them to use, and even though it may not always be the best quality I feel very happy to finally see them in action!

And you are already working at the next one while the boys are listening their tunes? :)
 
What a good looking and successful project!

When I design and build, I often measure just a few things:
DC voltages and currents of the tubes; then put a scope probe on it and look for oscillation.
Then I connect a speaker, look again for oscillation.

After that, I am far too excited to do full measurements, I can't wait to just listen, listen, listen.

Only then do I test the harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, power output, clipping, square wave response to 1kHz and 10kHz, frequency response, damping factor, weight, power draw, power factor, etc.
 
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Bas Horneman,
I was never in the Netherlands, if I had been, I would have taught you to operate that scope, and a few lesser known scope tricks.

There is an old statement: "Seeing is Believing".
Then Eroll Garner, the blind jazz pianist wrote a tune: "Feeling is Believing".
If you can find a copy of that song, you will probably find that: "Hearing is Believing".
Nice amplifier!
 
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Bas,

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/attachments/pxl_20240215_113334892-mp-edit-jpg.1274470/

Put 10k resistors further away from the Audyn capacitor.
Each resistor dissipates 4W (total 12W), so acts like a heater.
The 25k "pack" also dissipates 9W.

I know, that there is not enough space between 38uF Kemet and (very fat) 82uF Audyn, but if you raise resistors "higher" (closer to the bottom) and try to make its horizontal, the heat distribution will be better.