Tube Amp Kit for newbie

[starro]

Hello-- I hope this is the right forum area. I am fairly new to electronics, but I am getting pretty good at building kits and soldering, etc. I would like to find a decent, fairly inexpensive stereo tube amp kit that I would be proud to actually listen to music on. (I listen to a lot of pop, underground, and experimental music, so I would like something that can handle all kind of music well. I tried to do an internet search, but there is just too much out there to know where to begin.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Best,
Peter

[astrodog]

I'm in exactly the same position as you, I just built a chip amp and quite like it, but am curious to see what the tube guys are raving about.....

this thread has lots of ideas in it.....

cheers

Lee

[Jeb-D.]

what's your budget? Also try the search engine on this site. Type "Kit", be sure to limit the search to the tube forum and search titles only at first.

The K-12 or k-502 is about as cheap as they come. It does not include an enclosure, but there are plenty of enclosure options available. One of my amps is the K-502 and it sounds good when paired with the right speakers.

[mikje]

Check this site.
http://www.s5electronics.com/thome.html

[chrish]

I have built half a dozen valve amps and a handful of solid state chip amps. I think that the best amp I have is the first valve amp I built, the Simple SE by Tubelab http://www.tubelab.com/SimpleSE.htm .

[tinitus]

Originally posted by chrish
I have built half a dozen valve amps
I think that the best amp I have is the first valve amp I built, the Simple SE by Tubelab http://www.tubelab.com/SimpleSE.htm .

Man, you have been very busy

Decware have a new kit, but low on wattage

[Eli Duttman]

Originally posted by starro
Hello-- I hope this is the right forum area. I am fairly new to electronics, but I am getting pretty good at building kits and soldering, etc. I would like to find a decent, fairly inexpensive stereo tube amp kit that I would be proud to actually listen to music on. (I listen to a lot of pop, underground, and experimental music, so I would like something that can handle all kind of music well. I tried to do an internet search, but there is just too much out there to know where to begin.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Best,
Peter

Peter,

The speakers you use strongly affect the decision you make. Paul Joppa has provided us with a VERY useful rule of thumb. Joppa's Rule states that for a "typical" listening space, an amp speaker combo should be capable of 102 dB. SPL peaks at a 1 M. distance. Not only is efficiency as issue, the impedance curve of speakers is also important. Tube power amps don't have the gargantuan damping factors SS units have. Speakers that mate well with tube amps have "flat" impedance curves.

I suggest you look for speakers that have efficiencies in the 92 - 95 dB. range. 8 - 12 WPC work with those speakers and affordable, good performing, amps can be executed in that power range.

[starro]

From the other thread, the K-12 looks like a great option, but TubeDepot and S-5 Electronics don't seem to sell the kits anymore. Any suggestions as to where to get one?

Thanks for all your help.

Peter

[starro]

Can't seem to find any K-502 kits either... hmmmm.

[mikje]

This is the site with the ordering info. Did you try this and get a reply that they weren't selling any longer?


https://id266.securedata.net/s5elect...tubeorder.html