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Gang,
I'm looking for recommendations on an integrated tube amp to build with my high school son who will be leaving for college next summer. I want to take advantage of my last year with him at home. I've built amps for over 3 decades so I can build anything from a decent schematic. Here are my only few constraints:
1) No DHTs. Need more power like maybe 15+ watts so he can drive more speakers.
2) No exotic and complex circuits.
3) I'm only interested in schematics available to the diyer, not kits as I have a lots of tubes and parts in my stash.
4) Build something that might stir him on to build more!
TIA,
Jim D.
Follow Ups:
I have a build underway with my 13 y-o son right now. It uses Eico HF22 output transformers( 7k6 a-a, U-L ) and will run TV sweeps for finals. LTP of 6CL6, rigged E-Linear to the screen taps. Expected power is ~25W Class A. Fixed bias, damper diode rectifiers and a single L-C filter with huge capicatance( 2000 uF ) with a Chicago 8300 choke. B+ around 300V using a Tektronics 120-120 power trans. heavy monoblocks for sure, but he's learning the stuff like soldering and wire running...:)
cheers,
Douglas
Friend, I would not hurt thee for the world...but thou art standing where I am about to shoot.
Might I suggest a PSE pentode in UL/triode. being able to swap tubes, 6l6,kt66,kt88,6550,8417... might pique his interest in the genre. Add adjustable feedback too, to train him 2 personalize the sound quality.
You probably have more schematics in your head then the rest of us combined, Sooooooo, pick one. I recently built a SEP-UL (6l6,6550) for a friend under similar guidelines, it used a Paralleled 6sl7 gain/driver. It sounds really good and he's delighted with it.
Sorry I missed you at Walterfest.
Hi Jim, From experience, I can recommend a SE KT88 as a simple, great sounding amp with around 15 watts per channel. If you designed using the KT120, you could probably get a bit more wattage. I don't have a schematic handy but if you search they are out there. I still like SE over PP for sound quality.
my daughter dragged home a Pilot console from a thrift, so she went to college with a SA-232. PP EL84's are good sounding low power amp that's not too wimpy. Lots of decent schematics out there.
and yeah, since it didn't come with a cage, I put it in a box with a cage
And even with that gorgeous sounding Pilot, she still did most of her listening with headphones. A phone amp and quality phones may indeed be a better choice
4) Build something that might stir him on to build more! > >
Let him have a life first!!!
I suspect quite a few suggestions will be forthcoming. I'll "grind my own axe" and suggest an "El Cheapo Grande". It's comparatively simple, affordable, and will yield "15" WPC in triode mode and "30" WPC in UL mode.
I've provided a link to a thread where the concept was fleshed out in considerable detail.
Eli D.
With prompting, the fellow that started the DIY Audio thread drew up schematics. A deep link to them is provided below. Some of the parts values shown reflect what he has "easy" access to. However, things are pretty well correct.
Notice the resemblance to the original "El Cheapo". Nothing truly new here, as I followed in the steps of Fisher/Scott/Sherwood. Small signal circuitry that works with "12" W. tubes works with 7591s too.
Eli D.
You might consider the safety of a tube amp in a college environment.
He might enjoy a good pair of head phones more in an environment where other students need to study. Perhaps he could build a headphone amp.
ray
Very good advice Ray! I'll have to think about that. Even though it could be a waste with compressed music files.
Any amp would certainly need a solid bottom to keep out curious hands!
Jim
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