• 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.

Recommended Tube/Valve references?

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NYCOne

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Joined 2010
I've learned a bit on the SS side of amp building, and I've built a few Nelson Pass style amps.

I'm interested in learning about Tube/Valve amp design and building. Can someone recommend some references? When I Google, the responses are quite repetitive and not as specific as I'd hoped.

I'm curious about differences between tubes, general design, direct heating, power supply design, etc.
 
kevinkr

kevinkr

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Joined 2004
kta-hifi.net
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NYCOne said:
I've learned a bit on the SS side of amp building, and I've built a few Nelson Pass style amps.

I'm interested in learning about Tube/Valve amp design and building. Can someone recommend some references? When I Google, the responses are quite repetitive and not as specific as I'd hoped.

I'm curious about differences between tubes, general design, direct heating, power supply design, etc.
Click to expand...

Get Morgan Jones' "Valve Amplifiers 3rd Edition" and "Building Valve Amplifiers" - both are entertaining and chock full of relevant tube audio design information, comprehensible theory, and projects.
 
Miles Prower

Miles Prower

Member
Joined 2005
dolphin-hsl.com
NYCOne said:
I've learned a bit on the SS side of amp building, and I've built a few Nelson Pass style amps. I'm interested in learning about Tube/Valve amp design and building. Can someone recommend some references?
Click to expand...

Most of what you know transfers. As for references, Pete Millet's Site probably has what you're looking for. Read the synopsis for each to decide what's right for you.
 
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ChrisA

Member
Joined 2008
Miles Prower said:
Most of what you know transfers. As for references, Pete Millet's Site probably has what you're looking for. Read the synopsis for each to decide what's right for you.
Click to expand...

Yes, Pete Millet's site is good. One book he has there that is really "The Bible" is "Radiotron 4th ed.". The author tends to explain every subject first in simple terms, then goes back and covers more details and then makes a third pass. So you read as much as you like on each subject. (about 1,500 pages)
http://www.tubebooks.org/Books/RDH4.pdf
Read the first couple pages in each chapter and you will know more than most people.

A good web site that is at about the technical level of the Morgan Jones book is at the link below.
Merlin's style is also much like Morgan Jones. Both are easy to understand without being dumbed down.
It covers guitar amps but the basic theory is the same.
http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/
He has a PDF file that is a good introduction and covers triodes. This is the foundation of everything else.
http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard1/Common_Gain_Stage.pdf

I think the above PDF file is the best introduction to designing with values you'll find.
 
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