The Clearest Line Stage of All

[korneluk]

Folks,
Looking for a copy of the schematic to accompany the article "The Clearest Line Stage of All" by Eric Barbour published in the old Meta Gizmo site.
TYVM,

 

[Koifarm]

Not the schematic from the article but the clearest tube linestage as stated by a lot of builders.

Call it a wire with gain.

6N16 12x preamp srpp/cathode follower with printed circuit board design.

 

[prairieboy]

Folks,
Looking for a copy of the schematic to accompany the article "The Clearest Line Stage of All" by Eric Barbour published in the old Meta Gizmo site.
TYVM,

Was it anything like his 'Brute Force' line stage from Glass Audio?

 

[lcsaszar]

Not the schematic from the article but the clearest tube linestage as stated by a lot of builders.

Call it a wire with gain.

6N16 12x preamp srpp/cathode follower with printed circuit board design.

Very nice, it must sound very good. But how can a 9V/230V transformer create 140V DC?

 

[Koifarm]

It is a solution for low budget or where tranformer with 110/115v and 6v secundary are not available. With 6v sec. of the maintransformer connected to the 9v sec. the primary of the second transformer generate 110/115v. This solution cost for the 2 transformers about €22. The schematic can handle between 130 and 170v anode voltage.

 

[korneluk]

Was it anything like his 'Brute Force' line stage from Glass Audio?

Unfortunately not. Here's the article, fairly detailed description, but I have not been able to find the schematic.

THE CLEAREST LINE STAGE OF ALL

 

[prairieboy]

Unfortunately not. Here's the article, fairly detailed description, but I have not been able to find the schematic.

THE CLEAREST LINE STAGE OF ALL

I think I have all the Vacuum Tube Valley magazines, and I can't recall that line stage being mentioned. However, I certainly don't have a photographic memory - though I did go through all of the issues in the last couple of months.

 

[democles]

I have made several preamps like Koifarm did.

One of the best pre,s i have

 

[korneluk]

I think I have all the Vacuum Tube Valley magazines, and I can't recall that line stage being mentioned. However, I certainly don't have a photographic memory - though I did go through all of the issues in the last couple of months.

PSA: All 20 VTV issues are available for download in PDF format here:
Index of /roehren/VTV

 

[Magz]

Never heard anything clearer than a DHT linestage. I'd recommend 26 or 01A tubes.

 

[Tubelab_com]

The aforementioned "Clearest" design uses a DHT, a really big 150 watt DHT.

I have heard of overkill, but then I'm powering a set of headphones with 2A3's.

 

[pboser]

Have you tried to ask Eric Barbour? You could start here: Contact

 

[mondogenerator]

Thanks for sharing!

I have a few dozen 6n16 and 6s6b that I need to use for something new!

 

[korneluk]

Have you tried to ask Eric Barbour? You could start here: Contact

TYVM for the tip. Eric Barbour responded and pointed me to Valve magazine.

Valve magazine, 1998, volume 5, number 4
https://web.archive.org/web/20130717083221/http://www.bottlehead.com/VALVEarchive/1998/va041998.pdf

 

[El Sid]

Not the schematic from the article but the clearest tube linestage as stated by a lot of builders.

Call it a wire with gain.

6N16 12x preamp srpp/cathode follower with printed circuit board design.

This is very interesting - I've been looking for a buffer for a DAC and this is exactly what I'm after. I assume it's the topology rather than the valves themselves that make it so clear? I ask because exotic valves aren't easy or cheap to come by in South Africa, but the more common ones are. I have an E88CC in mind....

 

[Koifarm]

I have made several preamps like Koifarm did.

One of the best pre,s i have

Hello Democles,

nice to read a post from you on this forum.
This is a great forum with a lot of helpfull members.

 

[Koifarm]

This is very interesting - I've been looking for a buffer for a DAC and this is exactly what I'm after. I assume it's the topology rather than the valves themselves that make it so clear? I ask because exotic valves aren't easy or cheap to come by in South Africa, but the more common ones are. I have an E88CC in mind....

Do you not have ebay in South Africa? The 6n16b-v tubes cost about $1.50 a piece from Russia or Bulgarien.

 

[El Sid]

Do you not have ebay in South Africa? The 6n16b-v tubes cost about $1.50 a piece from Russia or Bulgarien.

The problem isn’t ordering and buying - our postal services are in a shocking state and it can take 3 months for something to get into your hands, and sometimes it never arrives. The solution is expensive courier services which ends up costing a lot. I can get the ECC family in a day or two quite reasonably

 

[democles]

ECC 88 etc do not work well in SRPP stages.


6N16 is more crisp.
You will like it,i do.


Koifarm,nice to see your still around


Back to topic.


The Clearest Line Stage of All


Yep, it was a 4P1L, DHT
But a hell to make,lots of howling tubes to silence.


Now working on a 6V6 preamp with fixed bias ,it is close to DHT and much easier to make.(the last picture)
YouTube

 

[Tubelab_com]

Yep, it was a 4P1L, DHT

In both of the articles I have read the tube Barbour used was an SV572-10, a large 150 watt DHT. It hasn't been made for quite some time, so might be hard to get today.