It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:58:56 -0600, Tim Wescott
wrote:

It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

All of my tube amplifiers, starting when I was only 14 years old, were
all open-chassis style. Only the preamplifier (Dynaco PAT-1, IIRC)
and the tuner, Dynaco FM-3, had cases.

I quit tubes in 1962 and built my first 30W+30W solid state power
amplifier using Motorola RF power transistors.

Having played clarinet in high school orchestra, marching band and
various Dixieland and dance bands, I was never fond of the toooob
"warmth"... and the intermodulation distortion... a good Mozart
wood-wind ensemble that includes a French horn will illustrate
distortion better than any test instrument.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:58:56 -0600, Tim Wescott
wrote:

It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Just for fun, you might do a single stage class-A stage using a 2A3. I
did one when I was a kid, but with 5 in parallel ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

In sci.electronics.design Tim Wescott wrote:
Are there, by any chance, kits out there?

Google says there is a "headphone preamp" kit for $60 to $70 that uses
2x 6N3 for stereo. (Google "Sainsmart 6N3" or "Riorand 6N3"). I can't
find an output power spec, though. There is also an "Indeed/Bravo"
stereo headphone amp talked about on forums, which apparently has 12AU7
and 6922 versions. Not sure on the output power or where to buy. After
that, prices seem to start at $150 for one channel and head skyward
from there.

Suggestions welcome.

Use toobs that need 5 V, 500 mA or less at the filaments and you can
power each filament off of a USB port! Or, ask Antec if they have a
PC power supply with DC outputs at +200, +12, +5, +3.3, -5, and -12 V,
and an AC output of 6.3 or 12.6 V - Chinese engineers need to laugh too!

Buy a couple of old toob radios at the thrift store and use the best
power transformer (get ones that have one), both output toobs, and the
chassis to roll your own? Schematics for old radios are pretty easy to
find on the interweb.

Matt Roberds

On 12/2/2013 1:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA


This kit has been around forever and seems to get good reviews:

http://store.tubedepot.com/diy-k12g....FWLNOgoduWkAIA

There's also this little kit from a Chinese seller on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hifi-stereo-...p2054897.l4275

which has the output transformers on board - you'd need to supply a
power transformer.

You'd have to put them in a chassis if you wanted it, but since they're
both mounted on PCBs it shouldn't be too hard: buy an aluminum chassis
and punch holes for the tubes, mount the board underneath so the tubes
poke through and then mount the transformers underneath or on top as
your preference.

On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John

On 12/2/2013 3:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


Well, somehow my brain elided the fact that you don't want to scratch
build. So, my offer is probably worth nothing. Sorry.

Jim Thompson wrote:
On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:58:56 -0600, Tim Wescott
wrote:

It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Just for fun, you might do a single stage class-A stage using a 2A3. I
did one when I was a kid, but with 5 in parallel ;-)

...Jim Thompson
Better yet, a push-pull transformerless design!

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

Yup. Tubes that are popular with musicians (for guitar amplifiers,
etc.) are still in production in a few factories (China and Russia,
mostly), and there's still an active trade in "new old stock" and
"used and tested" tubes of these types. The 12AX7/12AU7 family are
heavily used in guitar amps, and so remain available.

I recently lucked into finding a big batch of tubes of various sorts
at a garage/moving sale... got three boxes of used tubes, two
emission-type tube testers, and some manuals and tube-data guides, for
the "please take this away, I don't want to take it all to Arizona"
price of $4. A friend of mine glanced at them, and identified several
Telefunken 12AX7 tubes ("These are gold!"). I ended up selling a
batch of seven of them (tested good on his fancy tester) on eBay for
$145!

Sorta hated to let them go, but none of my audio gear is
glassFET-based and I figured that other people could make better use
of them than I.

On 12/2/2013 4:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

Yes, there are lots of tube types still in current manufacture, and many
types are still available new old-stock.

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


You want to have the Receiving Manual too, so you can check out the full
data and curves: http://www.tubebooks.org/tubedata/RC30.pdf