Tube preamp kit from ebay - worth my time?
 

Hey guys

After building my own speakers and learning some electronics in the procces i feel that a tube preamp should be my next step. right now, the preamp in my system is its weak spot as it is...

Given this will be my first tube project, im looking for something simple stupid, more of an assembly project then actuall board building. I gave this kit a look on ebay:
6N1 J Tube preamp board with Volume / bass / high/ balance adjustable | eBay

it seems like it will answer all my needs, just add a trasformer, phono stage and im all set! question is - anyone tried this kit before? does it sound nice? i know its super cheap but if it sound like @#&$# i dont want to waste my time and money (as little as it may be).

Schematic available?

The idea of mounting hot tubes with a high voltage supply on little daughterboards like that doesn't sit well with me.

Do you really need tone controls, or even a balance control?

Come to think of it, you might want to ask in the Tubes section. There are a lot of tube line amp design threads there.

should be.. i contacted the seller asking for the schematics.

If it's like most Chinese circuits it will be an SRPP with far too much gain. I note the ad gives no figures for anything: gain, noise, distortion, frequency response, required load impedance.

no schematics.. only after purchase (according to the seller).

Avoid!

Hi,

I doubt your preamp is a weak spot unless its utter rubbish.

rgds, sreten.

right now im running my Tannoy 15' dual concentrics with a SAE 2200 amp and a Technics SU C01 preamp.. it sounds suprisingly well, but still not the strongest of performares, or what im looking for in a preamp.

Unless faulty or seriously poorly designed it is likely that the preamp has the weakest effect of all stages on the total sound of a system. At line level noise is not usually a problem. At line level distortion is not usually a problem. It doesn't have to generate power like a power amp. It doesn't have to amplify and equalise small signals like a phono preamp. In many systems it doesn't really have to do anything, apart perhaps from providing a place to put the volume control.

well, a passive pre was on my mind..

lets try to attack this from another angle!

given my situation and strong desire to try a tube project (preferbly a preamp) - what do you guys think will be the correct path? is there a more well known kit out there i should be looking at? im fine with full on DIY project as well and not a kit providing its not to complex (my skills are still basic..).