• 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.

6AS7G SE or P-P?

I built one of @Suncalc designs or at least an early draft at cascadeaudio.com. Look for purpleheart 12au7/6as7 set. I have a variation of his design of the silver dragon 300b set the thread of which is on diyaudioprojects.com both very nice listening. I play the 6as7 set most of the time due to a preference for it sound despite its lower power output.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Attachments

  • 6AS7G_6J38P_SE.JPG
    6AS7G_6J38P_SE.JPG
    128.4 KB · Views: 164
  • 6AS7 SE.pdf
    24.9 KB · Views: 104
  • IMG_20200922_164330.jpg
    IMG_20200922_164330.jpg
    291.7 KB · Views: 154
Yes and thank you. Looking very promising and a simple enough circuit. My main concern is the pentode up front. Was hoping to be able to utilize all octal tubes if possible. Preferably with the same nice coke bottle appearance as the 6AS7G.
And did you test the two different output transformers in your schematic? Want to keep the cost as low as possible with still a decent sound since my better half is complaining a bit about spendings on different electronic components 🙂. Have a hard time to get rid of something I built and designed so have way to many guitar amps…
The PT must really be chunky to support two of those tubes in parallel SE stereo. About 600mA😬
 
Was hoping to be able to utilize all octal tubes if possible.
6AC7 is high gain pentode with octal base. ( http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aaa0053.htm)
And did you test the two different output transformers in your schematic?
Yes, but I prefer this: (https://sklep.toroidy.pl/en_US/p/TTG-EL34PSE-Tube-output-UL-transformer-1,65kOhm-EL34-6L6-PSE/577)
The PT must really be chunky to support two of those tubes in parallel SE stereo. About 600mA
Not that much. The plate current of a 6AS7G is only 50 mA/triode halve, 200 mA for whole output stage.
 
More than 20 yrs ago I got interested in solving the 6080 drive problem in audio amplifiers.
It looked to me the easy way out was already in full view in Electrovoice & McIntosh amps,
Simply bootstrapping the driver stage would do that. Why didn't anybody try that, so I did,
All of the experimental builds & EWB simulations were for 'Proof of Concept' purposes. Hardware was built in some cases.
So I've got a PP 6080 on the shelf, to run it I use a lab power supply. Something else is on the PP 5998 chassis now.
Much of the resulting information for the PP 6080 version was published in Glass Audio & Electronics World.
One of the simulations shows 6BQ7s in the front end differential amp. I've done this to let others know I'd had very good results
in a different build when these were stuffed into the 6SL7 & 6SN7 sockets with adapters. Something to think about.
Many people express concern about the use of positive FB in the driver stage. But ask anyone, how much +ve FB. And how did you get that number?
Nine out of 10 don't know or how to measure or calculate that number, Here is my calcs. I measured it as well, from 1.5 to 2 db is the range.(y)
 

Attachments

  • 5998A.pdf
    63.8 KB · Views: 43
  • diyaudio Jan 3 13 B.pdf
    60.3 KB · Views: 60
  • Determination of Maximum Positive Feedback in Bootstrapped Driver.pdf
    57.3 KB · Views: 52
  • Boot Strapped 5998 6SL7 Amplifier at 4.8 Watts.JPG
    Boot Strapped 5998 6SL7 Amplifier at 4.8 Watts.JPG
    72.5 KB · Views: 85
  • 6BQ7 Family Adaptors.jpg
    6BQ7 Family Adaptors.jpg
    41 KB · Views: 99
  • Bootstrapped 6AS7 6080 Amplifier Schematic wo UL OPT.jpg
    Bootstrapped 6AS7 6080 Amplifier Schematic wo UL OPT.jpg
    138.9 KB · Views: 94
  • A Different Kind of Triode Audio Amplifier.jpg
    A Different Kind of Triode Audio Amplifier.jpg
    114.5 KB · Views: 90
  • 6080 PPP Bootstrapped Amplifier.jpg
    6080 PPP Bootstrapped Amplifier.jpg
    362.2 KB · Views: 80
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Update. Got a hold of an hifi guy who also sold OT’s. He strongly discouraged me to go ahead with the 6AS7 project. Mainly since, with his experience time after time tried it, simply showed that the ratio good sound + cost of transformers was better with another tube. Like a triode strapped EL34 in a SE configuration has about half the price in parts and better sound. His subjective input 🤔
 
Voltage regulator tubes have their own particular quality when used for audio, possibly due to their ability to deliver current. I would not take too seriously the advice from a vendor. If he is unable to get get good results, then it is his skill which is lacking. You have the valves, why not just build Artosalo’s PP amp. It is bound to sound excellent. Actually 6AS7 is suitable to use with a cheap mains Toroid as OPT if you can accurately balance the currents on each side.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user