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I'm looking at getting one of these kits because there's no way I can afford the 5 figures (or more) I usually see for very powerful tube amps. I restore lots of speakers and I want to have tube amp that can handle things like big electrostatics and things like that.
I've only ever owned SET amps (Bottlehead Paramours) and as sweet as they sound, I want to try something with more power to have more speaker choices.
At under 2k for the kit, it won't break the bank.. I hear the supplied tubes are crappy sounding, but I heard the 2A3 Chinese tubes that came with the Bottlehead kit all those years ago were also crappy...and they were not.
But is that the top of the heap power wise? I've never heard more than 1.5 or three watts from a tube amp, so I want to go big! I figure with good build skills, if I don't like it, I can always sell it for all the money or most back...
Follow Ups:
You may like the sound of a PP pentode/tetrode amp; but then again, you may not. The power is nice and the feedback will control the woofer, but they tend to have a hard midrange. You may want to try a used Dynaco or Heathkit to listen to.
Another thing to consider is a PP 300b amp. You can get 15-30W with triode sound. No kits that I know of, but you can modify a VTA amp to work with triodes. I use the VTA ST70 board with PP 6B4s as such and am generally pleased with the sound. I get 15W/ch, with ~3db of NFB that adds a bit of speaker damping.
I have to strongly disagree with the replies from the dealers on this blog.
I bought the Velleman K4040 about 2 month ago (assembled it myself), replacing a very expensive Parasound Halo Power amp and I love it. The K4040 is very powerful and certainly sufficient for a regular room (and I have KEF Reference speakers, which need a lot of juice). This Velleman power Amp puts away the Parasound Amp EASILY, the sound is PHENOMENAL and much better then the one from the non-tube Parasound. I am completely satisfied with the sound (from the get-go) with the provided Russian Tubes that came with it.
In contrast, I just bought (secondhand) a McIntosh C2200 tube pre-amp and I was very disappointed with the sound (tinny, hollow, way too much high). I had to and I did replace the Tubes (from the provided McIntosh Chinese one's to Telefunken Tubes), and the sound is GREAT now with this Mc Pre-Amp and the Velleman power Amp. Not always is the most expensive stuff also the best!
This is why I never miss a donation to AA. You guys are the best.
I will get one of those for my birthday in March unless I can find that monster playing the fugue on youtube that has 1000 wpc before then. Who are we kidding... anyone finds that thing and it's going home with them no matter what they just bought!
OR some model number like that. The one with 4 6550 power tubes. Sometimes you can get one for just over a thousand bucks. Audio Research has several models with 4 6550 tubes per channel but not sure what the model numbers are. There is also the MFA 120 which is much rarer and probably better sounding since it is hard wired. Quicksilver has the M90, again not positive of the model number, with 4 EL34 per channel. And there is also that Canadian Company, Sonic Frontiers, with a 4 x 6550 amp with the stainless steel chassis. If you are patient, you might get something like those models for a good price. regards, Dak
There are a lot of nice used amps out there and I was going to suggest a Citation 2 or a Citation 5 but I wasn't sure how well versed or comfortable he was with the more complicated amps. The Latino amp will allow him to develop or perfect his skills and he can tailor the amp's sonic behavior in different ways.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
They are junk and you never hear me talk this way about any amp as a rule but this one deserves my unworthy praise due to its the design..It has these cheap torroid output trafos and the whole amp is built on a cheap circuit board.
If you want a kit amp,get the best ones made for the money and that is UNQUESTIONABLY the Bob Latino amps.They are 95% American from the chassis to the chokes to the transformers.The only parts that are foreign are the Russian pios and a few resistors but other than that,these amps are a real tube amp.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
Edits: 09/24/16
While fully agreeing with Mr Samra as regards to the Velleman K4000 and K4040 - these are horrible, and not in any way thought out by anyone with the slightest knowledge in tube amplification.
I still do wonder, Mr Samra, are all toroidal output transformers considered bad?
Plitron is one well regarded manufacturer of tube OPT.
And my next OPT will very likely come from Toroidy in Bialystok.
But, maybe there are some inherent fault using toroidal's as OPT in tube amplifiers?
I really agree with Michael on this one. I have a factory built M4040 and all it did was eat tubes and burn cathode resisters. It melted down a EH6CA7. I picked up a used VTA-120 and it works and sounds great.
I agree with Mr samra: get a vta70 ( or 120 ) from tubes4hifi.com
I have built one myself and the support is outstanding, spareparts will
be available for decades ( hey this is a dynaco clone),and schematics
will be supplied with the kit.
Wow! Thanks! I had no idea! Those look great and should be enough for 90% of the speakers I want to try out.
Built a VTA ST-70 and it is a fantastic amp. Far better than the original version.
One thing. If you build it get that cap upgrade. Also try to get the GE 12AU7s from Bob. But use the Gold Lion KT66 outputs. Wow!!!!
If you don't get the GEs from Bob than the new TungSols are just as good.
Bob Latino is a wonderful patient guy. And the kit was fun to build. The instructions were VERYYYYYYY clear!!!!! I enjoyed the entire project.
Manny,
Listen to the guys. Stay away from a Velleman POS.
If you want to mess around with several different speaker variants, acquire and refurb, ala McShane, a H/K Cit. 2. You can't get a Cadillac at a Chevrolet price. About the only speakers you should stay away from with a "Deuce" are big Thiels, with their ghastly drop down to 1 ohm. ARs, B&Ws, 'stats, etc. will be fine.
Eli D.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Cimarron#Reception_and_legacy
;-) Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Edits: 09/22/16 09/22/16
If you're careless, you can pay for a Cadillac and get a Yugo, never mind a Chevy. :> (( The point is that TANSTAAFL always applies. Also, a fool and his money ...
If you don't do the necessary "homework", pain (both auditory and financial) will plague you.
Eli D.
Eli,
You have never steered me wrong (since the Bottlehead phase those many years ago) and I will listen to your sage wisdom.
Besides us Queens guys have to stick together even if I'm in Miami Beach now. Don't let anyone fool you, it's Forest Hills with palm trees.
near the Queens line.
We have a place in Hallandale Beach right on S Ocean drive.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
Well then! You should let me know when you are coming down and we can get together to have a few cold ones in the heat and humidity.
Well I don't drink but we can surely share lunch..You can have a few tho.I get stuffed up when I drink alcohol and can't breathe.I must be allergic to it..LOL
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
I meant 7Up! I'm highly offended! 😁. Lol. No. I meant beer. Do you live down here full time or just snowbird?
Snowbird.My sister has a Penthouse on S Ocean drive and my daughter lives up toward Canaveral.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
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