B1 question

[xecluded]

My single ended tube amp has it's own volume control and i am just wondering which is the "recommended" way to use my tube amp with the B1:

1. Turn the volume pot on the amp all the way up and adjust volume on the B1 to suit my listening comfort level

2. Turn volume pot on the B1 all the way up and adjust volume on the tube amp to suit my listening level

Thanks.

[AndrewT]

The B1 is a buffer.
You can add a volume control in front of it if you need that attenuation facility.

If you already have a volume control then an extra one is not required.
You just buffer the output of the existing volume control.

[xecluded]

Originally Posted by AndrewT

The B1 is a buffer.

You just buffer the output of the existing volume control.

Great. Now the question is how do i do that
Please let me know in layman term as i am not much of a tech and need instructions step by step. Thanks.

[AndrewT]

delete r101,201, delete IN2r, IN2l, delete P100,P200.

Connect INr to R102 and INl to R202
Connect INr&L to the tube outputs.

You have now added a buffer to the output of the tube pre-amp.

If there is room inside and somewhere cool enough, you can connect R102, R202 direct to the tube pre-outs and then connect OUTr & OUTl to the back of the output sockets.

This may improve the connection to your power amp if the Tube pre cannot deliver sufficient current to drive the capacitance of the interconnect cables and the RF filter in the power amp.

[WithTarragon]

I think you should outline your reasons for wanting to use the B1 in addition to your pre-amp?.
It may not be fixing whatever problem you think that you have.

[xecluded]

Originally Posted by AndrewT

delete r101,201, delete IN2r, IN2l, delete P100,P200.

Connect INr to R102 and INl to R202
Connect INr&L to the tube outputs.

You have now added a buffer to the output of the tube pre-amp.

If there is room inside and somewhere cool enough, you can connect R102, R202 direct to the tube pre-outs and then connect OUTr & OUTl to the back of the output sockets.

This may improve the connection to your power amp if the Tube pre cannot deliver sufficient current to drive the capacitance of the interconnect cables and the RF filter in the power amp.

Before I do this, i want clarify that I do not have a tube preamp. My tube amp will connect directly to this Buffer B1. I am not sure where the tube pre-amp came from. Thanks

[xecluded]

Originally Posted by WithTarragon

I think you should outline your reasons for wanting to use the B1 in addition to your pre-amp?.
It may not be fixing whatever problem you think that you have.

I don't have a tube preamp. I will use my single ended 45 tube amp with volume control and connect directly to the B1 hence want to eliminate to volume control on the B1.

[wintermute]

Hi xecluded, the B1 is a line level buffer. If your amp is driving speakers then you would need to put the B1 Before the amp. If you keep the volume control on the amp, then I don't see any benefit in putting a B1 before it, except to give your source a fixed impedance to drive. I think that Andrew and WithTarragon made the (reasonable) assumption that the amp was a preamp and that you wanted to buffer it's output.

If you want to add a buffer before the amp, then I would instead remove the volume control from the amp, and use the volume control in the B1. But as WithTarragon said what is the reason for wanting to add the B1?

Tony.

[xecluded]

The tube amp was built that way with volume control. Using it without a preamp, i felt that it is missing some dynamics to the sound and that's why I am using the B1.

[AndrewT]

what is the input impedance of the tube power amp?
What is the RC time constant of the RF filter fitted to the input of the power amp?
What is the output impedance of the source feeding your power amp?