• 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.

DIY Vacuum tube amp

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
I'm looking to build a stereo vacuum tube amp that would support a diy loudspeaker. (Currently they are 2 way bookshelves but I may make a 3 way floorstanding with 2 woofer, 2 midranges, and 1 tweeter)

Where would be a good place to start? I'm more interested in starting from scratch and learning, rather than buying a kit. But if there are some kits you would like to point out, please do so.

I haven't worked out a budget yet so could some give me a ballpark figure of how much I'll need to spend?
 
Hi

It depends on your speaker sensitivity.Many people get by with 5W or less because they have quite efficient speakers (91dB plus) you can use Single ended triode amplifiers that have a cult like following.

What you probably want is a Push-Pull amplifier. An EL34 push pull amp is good for about 30W, easily enough volume even for inefficient speakers. Less powerful but cheaper would be an EL84 PP, more powerfull would be a KT88 PP. A well designed one will sound magical.

There are lots of options, I suggest reading up about it on the net. And the best way to start is get yourself a dusty 1960s stereo amp from a yard sale (or eBay!) Most of the time these can be brought back to life quite easily, and they have nice iron in them...
 
I have recently tried my hand at building a couple of tube amplifiers for the first time.... The best one that I tried was a single-ended triode design that was very simple and inexpensive. I used the circuit at www.the-planet.org/6s4.html and it only cost me around one hundred to build! It gets a couple watts out of a 6S4A single triode. These tubes are VERY cheap. The input uses a dual triode 6N1P in an SRPP circuit. Both tubes mount in a common 9-pin socket. I added another 6S4A in parallel to double the power. I kept most of the cost down by using the cheap Hammond transformers. This amp will drive a homemade 93 dB, 8" 2-way loud enough for most of my purposes. It will drive an 88dB, 5" 2-way at moderate levels using mostly acoustical music. It made a believer out of me.... much more musical than a chip amp!
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.