Wayne's BA 2018 linestage

6L6

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Need a few more good photos of the inside of the preamp, can't make out how much of anything is grounded, and only kinda-sorta the input connections.

Also you seem to have only 2 connections from the PSU to the BA2018 PCB, a bipolar supply needs positive/ground/negative...

Anyway, more photos will help a ton, we'll figure it out. :yes:

:D
 
to bonacciomj #5919

Hello bonacciomj,


I asssume you have connected the 'out right' of your tentlabs-volumecontrol

not correctly?
But I can't see clearly where the white cable is connected.


Cheers
Dirk ;)
 

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The BA2018 is already H2 dominate according to Wayne and your F5Tv2 uses P3 to adjust the H2 amount. Nelson warned about "to much of a good thing".

Try adjusting P3 on each channel first.
If it's not enough to your liking, build the H2v2 with unity gain and use interconnects between preamp and amp ( H2v2 is also adjustable for H2).
H2 will make the soundstage 3D, depth and width increase when adjusted to your room and listening preference. It's what makes the B1 Korg so interesting as a preamp.

You now that I know Andy wasn’t talking about a hydrogen generator 😜, I’m interested in possibly messing with P3 pot in the F5T to achieve more to see what that does before jumping to the BK1 or H2v2. I have about adjusting P3. As a newer builder, never doing this type of adjustment, will I need any special equipment to see my adjustment or is this something done by ear? I have both of the pots set to their mid position from the initial build.
 
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HP distortion analyzers are expensive when you can find them. REW software is free to load on a laptop, you will need a good external sound card along with:
1 - A high wattage 8 ohm resistor mounted on a heat sink
2 - A way to decrease the voltage out of the amp to protect the sound card. It can handle low voltage.

There is a thread for REW software use that has all the information you need to learn how. I started with preamps first, then went on to amplifiers. Burned up my first sound card thinking I would be careful enough without using a resistor box shown in the REW thread.
I need to learn how to attach thread links so you can just click on the link to find the REW thread.
 
Correct, one does not. B1K and H2gen inverts phase, that’s why swapping connections is mandatory iot keep the intended phase of harmonic distortion. OTOH, not swapping might be just as pleasing, so trying both is probably smart.

Think of it a bit like Kama Sutra. Choosing position of the day, is dependant - amongst other things - on mood and partnering equipment and accessories. Like with H2 level and phase :clown:
 
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Up and running

@cubicincher: Good eye! I feel very silly admitting this, but I wired up two "left" outputs from the TentLabs Volume control to the inputs of the BA18. Oops. I knew I wouldn't get this project done without making at least one stupid mistake. That solved it. Thanks, Dirk!

@elwood625: The RCA jacks next to the power jack are "tape out/pass-thru" jacks, labeled as such because they are taken before the volume control but after the source switching circuitry (from a "Vol In" on the TentLabs attenuator). Thus, they function the same way a tape out would, but I have no intention to use them with a tape recorder -- they'll go to the auxiliary input of my old Lafayette tube receiver. Just a way to let me have fun and select the source with the preamp unit, but not touch the attenuator before reaching the destination. The resistors are just 110R Takmans I had lying around to prevent weird noises and such. If you think this could cause problems, please let me know!

@6L6: The orange wire is Power+ and the black wire is Power-. The ground is shared between both channels and goes to the star ground point via a brown wire. The outputs of the preamp board are brown wires only because I ran out of white wire :D Hey, it works!

Listening right now and I have to say, it's sounding quite good! Thanks to you all for your help. Last question: it should be alright to leave it running, right? At only a few milliamps, leaving it on shouldn't be any problem I presume, but I want to ask before I let it go for an extended period.
 
sounds great but low volume

hi
I have a general question for the group I built this ba-2018 and it sounds great and very clear, but the volume will not go very loud, it fills the room but not near as loud as when I hook up the Dac direct to the amp, pass labs F6
is there a resistor I can change or something to fix
thanks
 

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