#26 pre amp

[coolzero]

Originally Posted by bequerel

Coolzero,
No need to apologize, would have done the schematic drawing much worse mylself!

Btw. what do you use as volume control in this linestage? An ALPs? A TDK?

Beq. I didn't buy anything special for my pre. Used all the things I had already. It is BTW a normal 100K volume pot (a German brand called Phier). Nothing fancy.

[Curly Woods]

Originally Posted by martyh

Thanks, I’m starting with vitamin Q’s for the inputs. Some people don’t like them but I do. I don’t have nearly the experience substituting parts as the rest of you do but I’ve built whole projects with metal film resistors and modern foil caps and others with carbon resistors and vintage oil caps and the latter gets me much closer to the sound I like. That’s the approach I’m taking this time but since there are only the two input caps it should be pretty easy to experiment. I am hoping though that it sounds so damn good out of the chute I just move on to the next project

Try some carbon film resistors in place of the carbon resistors. It will land you a little closer to a metal film sound, but still give you some of the weight of the sound that the carbons do. I think that we have similar tastes in how music sounds

[Magura]

Originally Posted by Curly Woods

Try some carbon film resistors in place of the carbon resistors. It will land you a little closer to a metal film sound, but still give you some of the weight of the sound that the carbons do.

How did you come to this conclusion?


Magura

[bequerel]

Originally Posted by coolzero

This how exactly I connected components on my current 26 pre.

Thanks, Coolzero!
Great reference to have.
Hope I will have the guts to have a go on a DHT linestage in the not to far future.

[Sheldon]

Originally Posted by coolzero

This how exactly I connected components on my current 26 pre.

I'm sure you intended the -9V reading to be at pin 3, not pin 4.

Sheldon

[coolzero]

Originally Posted by bequerel

Thanks, Coolzero!
Great reference to have.
Hope I will have the guts to have a go on a DHT linestage in the not to far future.

Go for DHT linestage. You won't regret the effort. I built few IDHT line stages before and last this 26 DHT pre. This will be my permanent DIY line stage for my music system for sure.

[coolzero]

Originally Posted by Sheldon

I'm sure you intended the -9V reading to be at pin 3, not pin 4.

Sheldon

Thanks Sheldon for the correction. This is the updated diagram.

Anyone who is building this; make sure to use proper, shielded input to grid connections/wiring. Otherwise hum will pick up easily from these points.

[Curly Woods]

Originally Posted by Magura

How did you come to this conclusion?


Magura

Well if you listen to them in the circuit, it would be obvious. Like coolzero said, he prefers carbons to metal films and I can understand why in most cases. I prefer carbon film resistors for a great many applications in a tube amp, as they have a bit more warmth to their tonal balance, with out the heavy warmth of a carbon resistor. Metal films can be a bit lean in their sound, depending upon where they are used in the circuit. I have no idea how the different resistors would sound in a solid state amplifier/preamplifier. I only experiment with tubed circuits. These are not frequency related issues, but are related to the tonal balance.

[Magura]

Originally Posted by Curly Woods

I prefer carbon film resistors for a great many applications in a tube amp,

In which applications do carbon film resistors make a difference in this circuit?


Magura

[Curly Woods]

Originally Posted by Magura

In which applications do carbon film resistors make a difference in this circuit?


Magura

I like them as grid stoppers and cathode resistors(non-inductive types are better for the cathodes) primarily, but bias supplies are also a good place to try them. I normally use Mills wirewounds on the plates, input and in the PS too.