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 @#&$# i dont want to waste my time and money (as little as it may be).
After building my own speakers and learning some electronics in the procces i feel that a tube preamp should be my next step. right now, the preamp in my system is its weak spot as it is...
Given this will be my first tube project, im looking for something simple stupid, more of an assembly project then actuall board building. I gave this kit a look on ebay:
6N1 J Tube preamp board with Volume / bass / high/ balance adjustable | eBay
it seems like it will answer all my needs, just add a trasformer, phono stage and im all set! question is - anyone tried this kit before? does it sound nice? i know its super cheap but if it sound like @#&$# 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.
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.
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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..).
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..).
Start with the question: what do you need the preamp to do? Do you actually need gain? If so, how much? What's the impedance of the load? DF96 is right, for MOST modern sources and reasonable length interconnects, a preamp is not needed- nothing is better than... nothing.
I would avoid Chinese eBay tube kits in general- there may be some good ones out there, but they've never shown up in any of the hundreds of postings about them that I've seen here. Most are poorly engineered and use lousy parts with bad thermal management.
edit: crossposted with DF96- GMTA
I would avoid Chinese eBay tube kits in general- there may be some good ones out there, but they've never shown up in any of the hundreds of postings about them that I've seen here. Most are poorly engineered and use lousy parts with bad thermal management.
edit: crossposted with DF96- GMTA
to be honets, im not sure how much gain i need.. heck.. i didnt even know different preamp provide different gain range as you guys can see, this is all very new to me.. i am a novice as it gets.
The reason im looking into a tube preamp in the first place is beacuse my speakers and amp, while being very very good, do tend to be a bit too "analytic" at times and a level of wormth is something my system is lacking.. i tried a couple of tube preamps i brought over from friends and the result was pure magic - exactly what my system needed.
as you guys can see, this is all very new to me.. i am a novice as it gets.The reason im looking into a tube preamp in the first place is beacuse my speakers and amp, while being very very good, do tend to be a bit too "analytic" at times and a level of wormth is something my system is lacking.. i tried a couple of tube preamps i brought over from friends and the result was pure magic - exactly what my system needed.
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here they are in all their glory:
and here i am stuck inside trying to install my new crossovers:
and here i am stuck inside trying to install my new crossovers:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I was in your same spot last year.
I was looking for a tube preamp for my LM4780.
I looked all over on E-Bay and was a bout to pull the trigger on this E-Bay preamp kit.
Then I was pointed over to the Aikido preamp from Glassware and I am really thankful that I found it.
Long story short I love it and wouldn't look back for a second.
I was looking for a tube preamp for my LM4780.
I looked all over on E-Bay and was a bout to pull the trigger on this E-Bay preamp kit.
Then I was pointed over to the Aikido preamp from Glassware and I am really thankful that I found it.
Long story short I love it and wouldn't look back for a second.
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the Glassware website is indeed very impressive, and as far as price goes, well, its just about the same price range. problem is - they have such a huge variaty! i dont know which kit would work best.. i want to have the option to choose from a few different sources and even add a phono stage later on.. also, i wanna keep it with as little tubes as possible cause they are some what hard to come by here in israel.
I'd agree about finding tubes can be difficult.
There are no places here in Montana that I can get tubes.
So....I'm always getting them from the internet.
Global Commerce baby!
There is a lot of support here on the Glassware products.
Multiple inputs can be done pretty simply by just adding a multiple position switch on the front.
A phono stage can be added pretty simply by using 12 series tubes and getting the Tetra phono stage without P/S.
The Aikido preamp was designed to be able to run a phono stage off of its P/S.
There are no places here in Montana that I can get tubes.
So....I'm always getting them from the internet.
Global Commerce baby!
There is a lot of support here on the Glassware products.
Multiple inputs can be done pretty simply by just adding a multiple position switch on the front.
A phono stage can be added pretty simply by using 12 series tubes and getting the Tetra phono stage without P/S.
The Aikido preamp was designed to be able to run a phono stage off of its P/S.
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