• 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.

Barbour SV811-10 SE Amp

I am going through a "use it or sell it!" phase! I have the major components to build Barbour's SV811-10 monoblock amps, AudioNote PT's, Electra-Print E18B SE OPT's and Transcendar chokes. I have a pair of SV811-10's and a few 6EM7 and 6EA7's. So a parts bin build seems pretty doable!

I have the Vacuum Tube Valley article covering the later revisions, but would like to read the original Glass Audio articles. (Glass Audio Volume 8, Number 3 (1996) and Volume 9, Number 5 (1997)) Anyone have access to those articles that they could share? I would really like to read the foundational work.

There was a thread a couple of years ago about a build and another person starting a build, but no follow-ups noting completion. I had an audio buddy in the San Francisco Bay Area build out the amps with the OBT-2 OPT's and military PT's. Sadly, he has passed. We both had Electro Voice Senty IVA horn speakers. (I still do, with major reworks!) I recall that I was really impressed with the Barbour amps when I heard them. Not quite the mid range of a 300B, but much better bass and dynamics.

Cheers,
Geary
 
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The articles are most helpful! I was great to follow Barbour's thought process from genesis to final thoughts. I am excited that this will be, excepting specific resistors, entirely a parts bin build. That is a first!

If anyone else has built the amp I would appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Cheers,
Geary
 
I have built these amps ten years ago. I used schematic from VTV, Lundahl output transformer and Hammond power trans and chokes. I'm going to order SV-811's soon, now I use SV572's.

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I'm sorry to say that I was little disappointed of the sound first, especially because the amount of money invested. Upgrading Hammond OPT:s to the Lundahls helped little and soon I will try SV811's, I have read many reports that they are better in this circuit.

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