"An elegant full function tube preamp mated to 1st rate SS power amp"

[thoglette]

Marantz and Dynaco clone kits

the OP wants a full function preamp and finding a complete kit for that is not easy.

There are, from time to time, people selling Dynaco PAS-3 and Marantz Model 7 clones or "follow ons" eg. Zpre

Good, bad or indifferent, I don't know. A search of the forums turns up the odd thread.

 

[jhm007]

Hi, and thanks, I am very capable w/solder iron, and I can read a schematic fairly well...designing my own is above my skill level. Thanks.

 

[jhm007]

Simon, Rozenblit's chassis is decent and the circuitry is OK. However, the OP wants a full function preamp and finding a complete kit for that is not easy.

James, please give us a feel for your skill level. Design is not an issue, as the members can point you at all sorts of reasonable options. Can you do a bit more than "follow the dots"?

Hi, and thanks, I am very capable w/solder iron, and I can read a schematic fairly well...designing my own is above my skill level. Thanks.

 

[jhm007]

If you truly want Full Function, then you could start with the Bent Audio TAP OEM parts. You get autoformer VCs which can double as outputs if you parafeed, remote control with balance, mute, tape loop and input select (6 inputs), and LCD displays. You then build your preamp around it, as I did with my 26 pre.

It sounds astounding. If you're in NJ let me know and you can stop by and hear it.

PS: It's mated to a 1st rate SS power amp now...at least until the 833C monos are done.

Sounds very interesting! I will look into the Bent Audio, and thanks for the offer of a listen, unfortunately I am on the other coast, (California).
.

 

[ChrisA]

Hi, and thanks, I am very capable w/solder iron, and I can read a schematic fairly well...designing my own is above my skill level. Thanks.

When people say "design a tube preamp" it is really a meter of copying some other design. THese things have bee around so long there are many proven designs. So you find one you like, then you maybe find it lacks enough inputs or needs some other change. THere is no need to design from a bllank sheet

What you do is find the parts of other designs and assemble them to meet your needs. Post the schematic and people will have suggestions to improveit or find mistakes

Also now that we have computers, we can run simulations. Even if you find the "perfect" schematic I'd suggest simulation first so that you can see what the signals are doing inside. It will be a great debugging tool if you have to fix it.

 

[jhm007]

Thank you all for all your suggestions, advice, and help, I guess I was looking for something that really doesn't exist; the definitive tube preamp to mate with my SS amp. - it is a lot more subjective than I realized. I have been scouring the web for a while now, come across may nice looking kits and designs with prices ranging from cheap to extreme!

As I don't have the resources to make multiple kits and compare them, I will take all your advice into consideration when making my decision. Thanks!

 

[ChrisA]

As I don't have the resources to make multiple kits and compare them, I will take all your advice into consideration when making my decision. Thanks!

Keep in mind that price is not indicative of performance. A good preamp should not cost much. Preamp tubes cost about $12 each for good brand new tubes and a nicer power transformer about $40. Add $20 for a chassis and you have all the major parts with only passives, sockets and jacks to go. You could build one for $150 easy, less if you work at it.