Greater Toronto Area DIY meetup

I'm ambidextrous - SS and Tubes (and so is Anatech). Most of my stock of finished and half finished projects are SS but I'm a big fan of tubes and most of my next round of half finished projects will be tube based. If I attend I can bring a 6AS7 SET amplifier (somebody else will have to bring sensitive speakers). This was my first attempt at tubes and would love to chat with another tube fan. And the power transformer gets hot enough we can use it as a back-up BBQ. I'm working on another project, using SV811 triodes but I don't think it will be up and running until late summer.

Nice :) I've yet to build an SE amp. I did build a PP 6AS7 amp, but I didn't like it all that much. I mainly stick to triode connected sweep tubes these days, but I'll build line and phono amps, too. It'd be an interesting test to see if some of these designs will withstand a hot summer day with no A/C :) Inside the chassis is usually around 75c with a 23c room temp.
 
I run a pair of tube monoblocs all summer long. They each have 4 6C33C power tubes. Even my DAC has 4 tubes.

My listening room is in the basement and my wife usually has AC cranked so low that the room is like a meat locker. The dissipated heat keeps me from freezing to death.

I live in a 380 sqft apartment on the 24th floor and if I turn off everything in the summer and try without A/C, it will reach 50c in here LOL I have 17000 BTU just to keep it under 27c in here.
 
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Bigun - theres a pair of 100db/1watt/4ohm bastardized set of 4 way 1970’s JBL studio monitors which just about anything can drive. Chris’s tube amp last meet sounded pretty nice on them.

We might have the first public showing of Bob Cordell's new DH 200C rebuild of the Hafler DH 200 if testing goes well
 
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For our next meeting (June 22 BBQ?), I'd really like a tube versus SS shootout. Shouldn't be hard to get both amps quite precisely flat (which you have to do with A-B blind tests) and identical amp gain. And to drive speakers that don't care too much about damping factor.

And we'll keep score who can tell A from B (even without needing to know which is which or which is better) or if there's group ability to tell 'em apart or sound quality consensus.

Anybody able to wire a silent switch?

Ben
 
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Shoot out? Comparing what? Power outputs will be different, and levels would need a precision attenuation device, oscillator and meter setup. Then you also have chip amplifiers and class "D". The harmonics from the class "D" amp could cause reading errors. Not to mention differences between amplifiers of the same technology.

We already do an informal "shoot out" if you will.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts on the matter.


-Chris
 
Shoot out? Comparing what? Power outputs will be different, and levels would need a precision attenuation device, oscillator and meter setup. Then you also have chip amplifiers and class "D". The harmonics from the class "D" amp could cause reading errors. Not to mention differences between amplifiers of the same technology.

We already do an informal "shoot out" if you will.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts on the matter.


-Chris

Whatever did you have for dinner? Seems to have caused bad indigestion and a case of advanced brain fog.

B.
 
Hi Ben,

For our next meeting (June 22 BBQ?), I'd really like a tube versus SS shootout
Sounds like a fun thing to do, I have never really participated in a ABX type test for audio.
When I think about testing, it reminds me at the optician, testing for glasses, is more focused with "1 or "2" lens, it seems to me you have to switch back and forth a few times for your brain to register.
One time I was stoned for the eye test/glasses, we went round and round, she got pissed at me when I gave her a different answer from before :) "adult beverage and a shish kabob" might have the same effect, we can use Dave as the test subject, one drink, two drinks ...
I would think that the best would be to have two sets of identical speakers, so you are only switching the sources and not the speakers, but that would be a lab setting.
If you are testing using one set of speakers, best to be controlled by the person do the test, during the music being played at a constant volume, dpdt(2xspdt) power relay with remote switch is one idea. need to make a test jig. 4 sets of connectors, relay/ power supply etc.
 
Ben

Feel free to organize the test if your so inclined,
Me? I’ll be enjoying an adult beverage and a shish kabob. New Lightning Hopkins hi def download will have my attention. .

Sounds a lot more enjoyable to me than critical comparative listening:p
May be I'll bring some digital music files along. Dave, does your player handle DSD files (mostly 64)?

Regards,
 
tube vs ss

As interesting as it could be to experience the possible nuances of really good tube vs solid state, I don't think this is the venue.

You need a really quite room with good acoustics. And expect people to all be quiet and focused on and interested in that experience. Its not easy to have a meaningful test of the most subtle low level audio info IMHO.

I think we are here to chat, exchange ideas and comradery. And have a beverage, some food and listen to some tunes.