• 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.

Most responsive tweaker SE9 or 102B

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Hi, my first post...please be gentle I believe building a tube amp is not the way for me to go yet. I'd rather buy a complete amp and tweak the life out of it - or rather into it!

What is the opinion of the gathered masses regarding the Jolida 102B and the Norh SE9 - as far as improving them out of all recognition goes? Is one better than the other bog standard with a view to replacing valves, resistors etc?

My gambit is by doing this I'll gain some practice in , well, finding my way about them with a view to building a complete one in the future?

I notice the SE9 is autobiasing. This'll save me from blowing it (or me) up, non? I can't audition them; perhaps one is more musical than the other.

Nice touch in the members' section giving me a St Andrew's saltire BTW, I thought I'd get lumbered with a Union Jack ...not that I'd have minded:eek:

Cheers and awrabest!:D
 
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Welcome. If you want to learn, you might do better buying something cheaper and playing with it. A Mullard 5-10 clone might be good (although the Leak variants are expensive), or a Rogers Cadet (ECL86) would be cheaper. Or do you know that you want to go in a particular direction?
 
Rogers Cadet

EC8010 said:
Welcome. If you want to learn, you might do better buying something cheaper and playing with it. A Mullard 5-10 clone might be good (although the Leak variants are expensive), or a Rogers Cadet (ECL86) would be cheaper. Or do you know that you want to go in a particular direction?

Don't those things use the unobtainable ECC807 like the Rogers HG88 ? I usually find old Rogers amps need a complete rebuild down to the last electrolytic and cracked carbon resistor , even more so than Leak Stereo 20 . Vintage amps can be a pain , recommend buying a kit from Hifi World . I would have thought those Jolida and Norh amps would have commanded a high price in the UK due to import tax and shipping costs , doubtful if you will get any form of value for money

316a
 
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Joined 2003
Re: Rogers Cadet

316a said:
Don't those things use the unobtainable ECC807 like the Rogers HG88 ? I usually find old Rogers amps need a complete rebuild down to the last electrolytic and cracked carbon resistor, even more so than Leak Stereo 20 . Vintage amps can be a pain.

All comments absolutely true if you're looking for the last ounce of their performance.

If you know what you want, a new amplifier with all-new parts is cheaper and better.
 
Hi Guys,

I can certainly add a good 25% to the purchase price if buying new. The gist of my remit is to get something fairly cheap (both are relatively speaking) and over time make improvements, fitting better caps, tube rolling etc. Ultimately though it's not an exercise for its own sake and I want the best hi-fi sound I can get. The Norh @ 2 X9 I'm a little sceptical about and the 102B more expensive. Really, I just wondered which if any of these respective designs afforded the best opportunity to improve (beyond all recognition) or does the sows ear principle apply.

I know their are WAD EL34s at affordable prices but know nothing about them either:confused:
 
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