The basic parts kit weighs 10 lbs. Dimensions 20" X 12" X 5".
USPS Priority Mail International, 6-10 business days to Germany, $60.00 USD including insurance for $300. The best I can tell there is no import duty on electronic parts that are not an operational device, although you might want to verify that.
The transformers weigh 30 lbs.
I calculated shipping in one box or splitting it up into two Priority Mail International flat-rate boxes. The price is very close to being the same. So the easiest way would be to ship the transformers in two flat-rate boxes at $60.00 USD each, including insurance.
I checked into DHL. Shipping for the transformers alone is $261.07 so that's pretty much out of the question.
Anyone else that wants to calculate shipping it looks like USPS is the best value for international or domestic. Here is a link:
USPS - Calculate Postage
Anybody that has built a high quality tube amp with quality components knows how quickly the parts add up.
Consider this, if you source the parts yourself, you will pay several shipping payments since you can't get all the parts at the same place.
Those quickly add up as well, especially on heavier or bulky items.
When you send your money to China, you are supporting what amounts to slave labor by our standards.
I could be wrong because I don't know what they pay their workers to assemble amplifiers but there is a reason
why all the small businesses and mom and pop stores are fading away, run over by the Walmarts of the world
stocked to the ceiling with made in China products.
We are all to blame, we all want cheaply priced products.
Consider this, if you source the parts yourself, you will pay several shipping payments since you can't get all the parts at the same place.
Those quickly add up as well, especially on heavier or bulky items.
When you send your money to China, you are supporting what amounts to slave labor by our standards.
I could be wrong because I don't know what they pay their workers to assemble amplifiers but there is a reason
why all the small businesses and mom and pop stores are fading away, run over by the Walmarts of the world
stocked to the ceiling with made in China products.
We are all to blame, we all want cheaply priced products.
If you read the forms you will see many people end up rebuilding the Chinese amps for the diffenence in price mentioned and they still don't get the Sonics as the output transformers are usually done to lower specs and poor circuit design etc. to save $. Power transformers can be pretty light too. They also usually need to be gutted if low in price to fix right. His kit certainly is very high quality by the items spec'd in it. You usually pay for what you get nowdays even if it comes from China. Their best rated amps cost a lot too and still need uprades in Cap's etc. to be to this quality. You don't have to buy the high quality transformers right away and can sub inexpensive Edcor's etc and make your own chassis. P2P chassis can be an advantage over PCB for mod's or uprades too.
That's why NA is getting in trouble as we have let most manufacturing go overseas.
Way to go 17, give them some competition!
Randy
That's why NA is getting in trouble as we have let most manufacturing go overseas.
Way to go 17, give them some competition!
Randy
Chassis Layout
I have attached the chassis layout and the working schematic that will be included with the manual. Bear in mind the xfmr cutouts are for the custom units only. Standard off the shelf stand-up units can be used, but adjustments may need to be made to the placement of the two 50uF and one 30uF power supply caps. I think I posted a photo of the test unit using Edcors. With the Edcor choke and power xmfr I had to move the 30uF cap a bit. I'm getting closer with completing the manual. In a short time I will be moving to the Vendor's Bazaar area of the forum. I will have 10 Basic parts kits ready for sale shortly while waiting on delivery of the chassis and transformers.
Best regards for a Happy Holiday Season,
Scott
I have attached the chassis layout and the working schematic that will be included with the manual. Bear in mind the xfmr cutouts are for the custom units only. Standard off the shelf stand-up units can be used, but adjustments may need to be made to the placement of the two 50uF and one 30uF power supply caps. I think I posted a photo of the test unit using Edcors. With the Edcor choke and power xmfr I had to move the 30uF cap a bit. I'm getting closer with completing the manual. In a short time I will be moving to the Vendor's Bazaar area of the forum. I will have 10 Basic parts kits ready for sale shortly while waiting on delivery of the chassis and transformers.
Best regards for a Happy Holiday Season,
Scott
I may be a "stickler" for the details but your comment should be studied carefully because you are right.
I don't actually have a "store" but if you are near JFK airport send me a PM and you would be more than welcome to drop by my office where I have my workshop.
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What are you talking about? My Tubelab SSE only cost me $35!
LOL, Russ!
I think my Tubelab SSE ended up costing me about $35 x 20
Moral of the story: DIY audio is seldom cheap IF you want good sound.
the price sounds reasonable for what has been described. I built my SSE for what is now about $1000 sourcing all the parts myself and fabricating everything myself.
I dont envy scitizen17 because this is an admirable task to compile all the parts for a nice SE amp but the total is NEVER a nice number.
Tubes are $200
Iron is $300
All the other ancillary items plus what you forget plus the multiple shippings add up.
To put it another way - would I pay $850 for a really nice SE amp all at once? NO Would I spend $1000 on a really nice SE amp over time? I already have
So, my wisdom tells me that scitizen17 has put together a really nice SE amp that is not cheap and that has a lot of the trial and error already behind it. Obviously he is not getting rich off this cost as it probably barely covers all the costs.
What I have seen will kick the crap out of any chinese amp that can be had for less cost that you would end up spending hundreds of dollars modding.
I dont envy scitizen17 because this is an admirable task to compile all the parts for a nice SE amp but the total is NEVER a nice number.
Tubes are $200
Iron is $300
All the other ancillary items plus what you forget plus the multiple shippings add up.
To put it another way - would I pay $850 for a really nice SE amp all at once? NO Would I spend $1000 on a really nice SE amp over time? I already have
So, my wisdom tells me that scitizen17 has put together a really nice SE amp that is not cheap and that has a lot of the trial and error already behind it. Obviously he is not getting rich off this cost as it probably barely covers all the costs.
What I have seen will kick the crap out of any chinese amp that can be had for less cost that you would end up spending hundreds of dollars modding.
The "noticeable" changes or betterment is barely noticeable or that much of an improvement for-your-hard-earned-recession-economy-dollar of DIY $1000 amps to the common consumer, vs the Chinese invasion integrated amps in the past couple years. I must of read 18 articles in the last two years alone on this very subject. The idea is not to alienate younger generations on tube amps and designs based on cost, but to involve the next and newer generations in the tube benefits vs SS. You shouldn't have to be retired and 50+ with free money burning holes in your free time pockets to enjoy and get into tube amps. Guess that's why class D and T's are making DIY tubes a dinosaur for the 15-30 demographic. Heck, my father was a full time Music Therapist with a Doctorate's degree in the 60' and even he could never afford a full blown tube amp. (Had fun and tons of vibes recapping his old Phillips SS solid wood console...). So, even as "good" as a design and kit like this is, it has to be affordable for the masses and the economic times. Sorry most of you fellas have blown your money over the years for parts and designs that yield very little noticeable benefit.
I think this is looking like a great kit. However, I didn't expect this kit to be more expensive than an ST-70 kit. Whether or not it is a better amp, it does have more parts than a single-ended amp does. I have a feeling the iron used in the SE kit is probably nicer than the Dynaco stuff, but heck; the A-470s are $100 a piece. Who knows...
I am a teenager who built an ST-70 on a budget. I bought a new chassis and output transformers, salvaged an original power transformer for free, and got most of the other parts for free. I bought some new electrolytic caps for the power supply. Anyways, for about $500, I've been quite happy with it.
Kyle
I am a teenager who built an ST-70 on a budget. I bought a new chassis and output transformers, salvaged an original power transformer for free, and got most of the other parts for free. I bought some new electrolytic caps for the power supply. Anyways, for about $500, I've been quite happy with it.
Kyle
Kyle, I applaud you for your resourcefulness. You are a true DIY'er. Hopefully some of your apparent knowledge will find it's way to others of your generation. Great job sir!
Hi Scott - a great project and wonderful job by you for putting this all together. Too few people have jumped through the hoops necssary to put together a group buy, and to do that as well as design your version of the amp and put together a "how-to" CD is simply HUGE. You have my congratulations and a heat felt "well done"!!! 
Short OT question about your avitar - is that the AN/FPS-35 over at Montauk Point State Park? I'm just an old radar tech that worked onna bunch of that stuff back in the day. The rumors about Montauk are interesting - but that's all I'm gonna say about it.
Short OT question about your avitar - is that the AN/FPS-35 over at Montauk Point State Park? I'm just an old radar tech that worked onna bunch of that stuff back in the day. The rumors about Montauk are interesting - but that's all I'm gonna say about it.
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I think there is potential for this complete kit at $850. That is, if it is going to look like one in post #82 (blue coloured transformer are not really required – just high quality transformers / choke will do nicely here….). Hopefully, the price for full kit includes better transformers (not Edcors)… If the answer to the above 2 questions is YES, then I wouldn’t mind to get the full kit and see what it can deliver in its original configuration / with original parts’ quality… The cost with shipping ($100?... or more?) and assembly ($100-$300... or more, depending on how much you value your skill-set AND your time) could probably reach levels where some will start comparing the total cost to those Chinese class A valve AND solid state amplifiers that can be obtained directly from Chinese manufecturer (I know what most of you guys think about products from China…., but some are quite good, well engineered, same parts quality like the kit we are taking about in this thread, and they sound AND look (!) pretty good indeed in their original form…) I suppose I wouldn’t go above $850 for the full kit…. At least until it proves to be good sounding and good looking kit that sells well.
Apart from all I mentioned above, kudos to Scott for putting the whole kit together! This is entirely different subject from my marketing reasoning… so congratulations for dedication and attention to detail.
Boky
Apart from all I mentioned above, kudos to Scott for putting the whole kit together! This is entirely different subject from my marketing reasoning… so congratulations for dedication and attention to detail.
Boky
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