• 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.

Tube Amp for MP3 Player

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Trex2009

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Joined 2009
#1
Hi all!

I'm looking to build a small, simple tube amp for my kid's iPod. I'd like something simple, great sounding.

Not looking for a kit, just a layout or something like that, the simpler the better. I'm familiar with guitar amps, and it'd be great if I could plug into a champ, for example, but I tried and it sounds awful! lol

It's going to be a present so I'd like to get started as soon as possible... Thanks to all for any info on this subject...
 
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#4
I've built a couple guitar amps, I wish I could plug into one with the iPod (I tried, sounded real bad! lol)...

I'm looking for a layout diagram, or an easy to read schematic.

Maybe something like the iTube without the dock, a line in is enough. The simpler the better. I really don't want a kit, I'd like to make something with a personal touch.

I was hoping to get some layout for a simple amp, nothing fancy.

I really appreciate all the responses here, specially given the fact I'm the new guy and all...
 
#5
Trex2009 said:
Hi all!

I'm looking to build a small, simple tube amp for my kid's iPod. I'd like something simple, great sounding.

Not looking for a kit, just a layout or something like that, the simpler the better. I'm familiar with guitar amps, and it'd be great if I could plug into a champ, for example, but I tried and it sounds awful! lol

It's going to be a present so I'd like to get started as soon as possible... Thanks to all for any info on this subject...
Click to expand...

Pick the speakers fist. How big can you make them. The bigger the better. Large highly sensitive speakers mean you can use less power.

The Champ sounded bad because a guitar amp shapes the sound mostly by boosting the mid range and killing the lows and highs.

I'd think something like a HiFi version of the Champ would be perfect. The Champ is a 6V6 powered single ended amp. A "hifi champ" would have two channels so it would be like two champs sharing one larger power supply. But it would have much lower gain and it would loose the tone stack have a bigger/better output transformer and play through a different speaker, maybe a pair of 5" full range speakers. But the basic "champ" plan is ideal for this.

With hifi the physical design of the speaker cabinet matters a LOT more than with a guitar amp. You need to actually design the cabinet based some calculations. It's a bit of an art and has a major and dramatic effect of the sound. The Fender Champ is just open back ("open baffle" in hifi-speak). Your "hifi champ" would more likely be a bass reflex design cabinet. so as to get decent bass in a smaller package.
 
#6
ChrisA said:
Pick the speakers fist. How big can you make them. The bigger the better. Large highly sensitive speakers mean you can use less power.

The Champ sounded bad because a guitar amp shapes the sound mostly by boosting the mid range and killing the lows and highs.

I'd think something like a HiFi version of the Champ would be perfect. The Champ is a 6V6 powered single ended amp. A "hifi champ" would have two channels so it would be like two champs sharing one larger power supply. But it would have much lower gain and it would loose the tone stack have a bigger/better output transformer and play through a different speaker, maybe a pair of 5" full range speakers. But the basic "champ" plan is ideal for this.

With hifi the physical design of the speaker cabinet matters a LOT more than with a guitar amp. You need to actually design the cabinet based some calculations. It's a bit of an art and has a major and dramatic effect of the sound. The Fender Champ is just open back ("open baffle" in hifi-speak). Your "hifi champ" would more likely be a bass reflex design cabinet. so as to get decent bass in a smaller package.
Click to expand...

Alright, this is getting somewhere! :spin:

I built a champ in the past, from scratch, and I just finished an EVJ, gutted, everything new and handwired.

What mods do I need to implement here? I can turn the champ into a "head", and get a nice hi-fi cabinet for the speakers, or buy the speakers at the store, in a set.

So, any place where I can get info on the mods needed to turn the champ into a hi-fi amp?
 
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