Amp kit recommendations

[DaveCan]

Hello everyone, I was going to save up for a tube amp from a choice between two company's that I'm interested in, then someone told me I should try to build my own. I'm very new to tube amps but all of them I've heard so far ( total of four ) sounded very nice to me. I've never built anything electronic before or even soldered very much so my skill level is pre-school.
The system I want to put together would be: cd source into tube amplification out to single driver x-overless horns using fe108ez's. I looked at the Bottlehead site and was wondering if there are any kits like that for the beginner that you all would recommend that offer top notch sound quality? is the Bottlehead stuff the way to go or? Thanks Dave

[Geek]

So, if you have horns based on the fe108ez, you don't need a lot of power.

What power you looking for... 2, 5, 10 watts?

[DaveCan]

Power wise I guess a few watts would be ok but if I could have abit more that would be good too. I don't listen really loud but it's always nice to know there's still some clean volume left if needed. I'm hoping that someone like me could be able to build a really nice sounding reliable amp between about $? and $600 that would hold its own to some of the better manufactured one's out there. Dave

[Geek]

Email sent

[Eli Duttman]

Dave,

You are in LUCK. Your neighbors, planet10 and chrisby, can help you with your build. An "El Cheapo" fits your needs down to the ground. It's low cost, good sounding, needs no preamp, and has all the power you could ever want.

"El Cheapo" project here.

[DaveCan]

Thanks Greg and Eli, I will look into them. So far I've only really looked at the Bottlehead site, they have a 2a3 mono block kit that looks interesting but I'm not sure as I'm very new to all this, they say a beginner can build it. I've met both Dave and Chris and had a listening session with them a week ago or so, great guys, not sure I would want to bother them to help me build a amp, thats why I kinda wondered if a kit exists that a newbie could build safely that sounds really nice? Dave

[Bare]

The Bottlehead kit IS easy enough for a child to build all that is required is Direction reading/following.
BUT inexpensive it ain't.. once shipping, taxes, fees etc... get added in

[DaveCan]

Thats true Bare the Bottlehead kits are fairly pricey. There are two company's that I've been looking between for awile now that sell completed amps, one's around $900.00 and the other about $1350.00 plus shipping etc. I was going to try and save up from some extra jobs this summer to purchase one of them. But I was thinking if a person could do a kit for alot less that would compete sq wise then that could be a good option. Dave

[scott_m]

Hi Dave,

I've built a couple of bottlehead kits. They are straightforward and easy to put together. They key is having enough patience to assemble everything in small, managable, bites. The S.E.X. amp., which I built, has the added advantage of being a headphone amplifier - but works great on my visaton b200 speakers as well. I would highly recommend a kit such as bottlehead as it virtually assures you'll have a working, aesthetically appealing, and safe amplifier your first go around. Plus you'll learn a bit as well.

I'm also about half way through construcing Eli's 'el cheapo' push-pull amplifier. Having to drill the chassis and figure out a workable layout took me a LOT of time. However, things are currently moving along at a slow - but forward marching - clip.

Scott.

[SCD]

Hello Scott:
How about a layout photo or two. I am interested in following the development of this amp.