I use a DIY Aikido pre (4x 6CG7). Sounds quite good. I also have a passive pre with Slagle autoformers and a passive pre with restistors and relays. The passives are more transparent and reveal subtle/delicate details, with both my F6 and M2 but lack gain even with my Altec A5s. I have a Korg B1 kit and will probably combine the Korg with either the Slagels or the relay passive.
There is DCG3, very nice, I use this combo a lot
Some TVC's can be wired for 6db gain and still be a good load for most sources. I personally have not tried this with F6, but as input to tube amps it worked very well for me
Some TVC's can be wired for 6db gain and still be a good load for most sources. I personally have not tried this with F6, but as input to tube amps it worked very well for me
Doesn’t matter, because the F6 has an input buffer.
The ACP+ has those 32R load resistors to keep the output stage of the ACP+ loaded in the magic 2nd Harmonic operating point that Nelson has been playing with for the last couple of years. That amp was made to run a watt into 32R headphones, and the 32R resistors just keep the output stage loading when used as a linestage. The ACP+ (Like anything that can actually run headphones) will have zero issue driving essentially any power amp, and it can do it nicely after 50-100’ of cable. 😀
In regards to your original list, a couple things, the Whammy doesn't need batteries, does have adjustable gain, and can swing the rails cleanly, so is perfect for the follower stages, F4 and MoFo. Also sounds absolutely wonderful.
Iron pre is in progress, but the transformer trick is really best done only once in the signal chain.
Starving Student II still strikes me as a really good match to the standard gain FirstWatt amps. Can drive an F4 pretty loud also.
BA-3 really isn’t 30x, it’s more like 15.
Wayne’s Burning Amp 2018 circuit is a great line stage.
Disclaimer - I agree 158% with you , even if personally I can't get enough
now seriously - when xformers are not of exquisite quality , then you have addition effect ........ but when xformer is of exquisite quality and implemented with brain , it is best amplifying/transforming device one can find ...... pretty darn close to invisibility (looking with ears , of course
) as anything can bebeing aware of simple fact that , in construction, everything is compromise
Also if I'm not mistaken, the boards for Wayne's BAF2018 preamp that will be available
at the diyaudio store can easily support balanced.
at the diyaudio store can easily support balanced.
yup , Wayne wrote somewhere that it'll be easy , I understood that option will be covered with pcb arrangement