Hello all.
I am looking at building a phono/tape head preamp.
Normally I would just try out a few different schematics online and play around until I find something I am happy with. But these days I am just too busy to mess around.
My overall idea is to have some sort of 2 stage tube amp with a passive RIAA, NAB, and IEC2 network in between and use a switch to connect or disconnect different networks.
For the input tube I have looked at the 12ax7, ef86, and the WE417a. I have also looked at the EC8020, but I doubt I will ever find a good pair of those for less than a mortgage payment so it doesn't really seem worth it.
I have noticed that the russian 6S45P-E seems pretty similar. Does anyone have experience with those?
The 417a is also a really temperamental tube, so I am not totally convinced that is the best way to go either. However I do happen to have a few of them lying around, so thats something to keep in mind I guess.
Any thoughts on the input tube would be welcome.
The output tube is still kind of a mystery. A 6922 seems to be a common option for an output tube, but I have never really liked a 6922 tube. They always sound too clinical and boring. I am currently thinking about using a 5687 but I am not convinced that is the best choice either. So I am looking for any recommendations.
I am looking at building a phono/tape head preamp.
Normally I would just try out a few different schematics online and play around until I find something I am happy with. But these days I am just too busy to mess around.
My overall idea is to have some sort of 2 stage tube amp with a passive RIAA, NAB, and IEC2 network in between and use a switch to connect or disconnect different networks.
For the input tube I have looked at the 12ax7, ef86, and the WE417a. I have also looked at the EC8020, but I doubt I will ever find a good pair of those for less than a mortgage payment so it doesn't really seem worth it.
I have noticed that the russian 6S45P-E seems pretty similar. Does anyone have experience with those?
The 417a is also a really temperamental tube, so I am not totally convinced that is the best way to go either. However I do happen to have a few of them lying around, so thats something to keep in mind I guess.
Any thoughts on the input tube would be welcome.
The output tube is still kind of a mystery. A 6922 seems to be a common option for an output tube, but I have never really liked a 6922 tube. They always sound too clinical and boring. I am currently thinking about using a 5687 but I am not convinced that is the best choice either. So I am looking for any recommendations.
The 6S3P/6S4P are Russian high transconductance triodes that are also worth a look. Quite similar to the 417A/5842 which I haven't found to be temperamental at all.
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