[TubeNirvana]

I am assuming I am in the right place here!  If not, please let me know, thanks.
My name is Holger and I build custom tube audio gear for the home audio enthusiast.
I will not go into a lot of details, but please visit www.tubenirvana.net, thank you!

[tull skull]

Hey looks like you have some great items! Love the look of your amps and pre amps and the price seems reasonable.

If you have not spent much time here, many manufacturers have really benefited from allowing one or more of their products to be sent around on a review tour. I am not sure if that is feasible to you at this time but I would encourage you to look into the possibility.

Wishing you all the best here at AC.

[TubeNirvana]

the problem with shipping tube amps around is that they don't like it. As you no doubt know, those suckers are heavy, and not everyone packs them well, so they're going to get knocked around pretty badly.
Dong it with a preamp is not as bad, and I may consider it, say with my model Janis, my premium phono only preamp.
How would I go about it, where would I post something like wishing to send a piece of gear for review, and who to?

[Brad]

Pretty reasonable prices too.

I like your mini headphone amp - neat layout.

[TubeNirvana]

Pretty reasonable prices too.

I like your mini headphone amp - neat layout.

Thanks. I cannot take credit for its design, I am selling this for a friend of mine in Germany, Mr Nixie. It is a great headphone amp, for its size, the sound is amazing!
Yes, I am trying to keep prices very affordable. It's one of my pet hates, when I see some of the ridiculous prices being asked for, for so called hi end tube audio gear! 
And don't even get me started on some cables, interconnects, tubes............    

[TubeNirvana]

Hey looks like you have some great items! Love the look of your amps and pre amps and the price seems reasonable.

If you have not spent much time here, many manufacturers have really benefited from allowing one or more of their products to be sent around on a review tour. I am not sure if that is feasible to you at this time but I would encourage you to look into the possibility.

Wishing you all the best here at AC.

thanks for the suggestion and kind wishes!

[TubeNirvana]

I just created an album show casing my current lineup of amps and preamp I can custom build. For more details, visit my web site! 

[Guy 13]

Hi Holger,
I just finish looking at your tube units offering.
Really nice looking and I am sure, also nice sounding.
If I did have everything I need now,
I would certainly give you the chance to make me a unit or two.
According to your website, does not look like you do point to point soldering in your units,
is that something you can-would-might do ?

Guy 13

[TubeNirvana]

hi Guy 13,

I did point to point in the early days, but found by going to pcb's I have been able to manage and control 'noise' much better. This is especially true with preamps, where I use large ground planes on the pcb's, but also with power amps, again using large ground planes.
I know there'll be people who will not agree with me, but thats fine, we all have our opinions, likes and dislikes.
At this stage I am not planning to go back to point to point.
Since switching to pcb's, I have had no issues what so ever, and in fact, as I've mentioned above, I have been able to lower hiss and hum quite substantially by going to pcb's.
I like the idea of marrying old technology, ie tubes, with modern technology, pcb's and the use of some solid state components such as MOSFET's in buffer stages and diodes in rectifiers, (note, still all analog, NO digitizing of the signal!) but still retain that 'tube sound' a lot us love, but making some important and worth while improvements in a tube circuit.
This has not in any way hurt my business. People, as you have, will see straight away how I build my amps and preamps, and if someone prefers point to point and tube rectifiers and not have any solid state components in their tube gear, there are custom amp builders out there who do just that. 

[mca]

Do you do any custom work? Do you build any SET amps?

[RPM123]

Nice looking gear! 

[TubeNirvana]

Do you do any custom work? Do you build any SET amps?

well...yes....my model Ray is a SE amp using a 6L6G in triode mode, driven by a single 6SL7, 4W per channel stereo, click on 'Ray' on my web site.
As to custom work, what is your understanding of custom work...there are many variations of custom 
I have built my models using components supplied by the client. One recent build was a model Ray SE, using clients supplied Sansui OPT's and coupling caps, I also used a larger capacity power transformer as this client wanted to use some different tubes which have a higher filament current draw, and it was built in a custom wooden chassis instead of the standard off the shelve chassis I use for Ray. So, yes, I can customize my builds, as long as that build does not deviate too much from the original circuit.
What I will not do though is to change one of my existing designs to suit some special component/s....might as well design a whole new amp then. 
BTW, model Ray has been VERY popular as of late! Seems like the flavor of the month is SE amps! 

[TubeNirvana]

Nice looking gear! 

thank you, appreciate your comment! 

[sfox7076]

Nice.  Your gear looks awesome.  My speakers won't do 4 watts.  I love 6L6 sound though.  I use 1625 tubes (6L6 based, but 7 pin with a top cap and a 12v heater) though as I bought 50 for the price of a pair of true 6L6s.  I am in the process of an LCR phono preamp.  I loved the sound of the LCR tubed pres I have heard, but the average cost is $10k.  I cannot do that.  DIY is much more manageable.  I would think that there is a nice niche market for that kind of phono preamp... 

[4Play]

Hi Holger,

Welcome to AC!! Love your site and gear. I'm especially interested in your phono preamp Billie. When will Billie be ready for production, when will we be able to see the specs and pictures? Reason I'm asking is I am looking for a phono preamp and I would love to know more about this one.

Any information you can share will be appreciated!

[TubeNirvana]

Hi Holger,

Welcome to AC!! Love your site and gear. I'm especially interested in your phono preamp Billie. When will Billie be ready for production, when will we be able to see the specs and pictures? Reason I'm asking is I am looking for a phono preamp and I would love to know more about this one.

Any information you can share will be appreciated!

Thanks for the positive comments, I really appreciate it!
Well the specs are pretty much as described on the web page. This is the same phono preamp I use on my model Aretha tone preamp.
I have ordered the first chassis, once that is here, it will not take me long to build the first unit. I am hoping in the next 3-4 weeks or so.
Attached is a photo of the pcb which will be used for Billie, it will also have a separate power supply pcb, fully regulated B+ and DC filament.
I will keep you posted.

[Bob2]

Hey Holger,
I'm interested in hearing more about "Billie" when you get started building them. Hopefully that will pair up nicely with the Aretha you just shipped me.
Is it going to be mounted to a wood chassis? Would be nice to match the rest of my gear...
Thanks, Bob.

[TubeNirvana]

Hey Holger,
I'm interested in hearing more about "Billie" when you get started building them. Hopefully that will pair up nicely with the Aretha you just shipped me.
Is it going to be mounted to a wood chassis? Would be nice to match the rest of my gear...
Thanks, Bob.

hey Bob,

your Aretha was just picked up by UPS! 
No, it will only be in a metal chassis to keep cost reasonable. BUT, if one is willing to pay more, then sure, I could build Billie in a wooden chassis.
It will pair up perfectly, as Billie uses the same phono preamp that ships with an Aretha that has the phono option built in.
On the other hand, I can build you a model Janis in a Padauk chassis, with or without LOMC option, and I'd give you good deal for the Janis too! 

[Bob2]

Holger,
good to see you have a presence here! AC is a great place with some good folks.

After I get the Aretha setup and running I'll know better which way I want to go.

I need to replace the phono pre I have but as you know I'm interested in some mono blocks too.
If I go with the Billie I will want a Padauk chassis..( I do like being pampered!) Hell yes!

Ups is telling me the Aretha will be here Tuesday.. Saving some of my best Scotch for the first test spin. Looking forward to it!!
Have a good one!
Bob

p.s. for those that are interested I will post some pictures and thoughts on the Aretha tone preamp. Give me a couple weeks with it to get the tubes "workin right".

[TubeNirvana]

Holger,
good to see you have a presence here! AC is a great place with some good folks.

After I get the Aretha setup and running I'll know better which way I want to go.

I need to replace the phono pre I have but as you know I'm interested in some mono blocks too.
If I go with the Billie I will want a Padauk chassis..( I do like being pampered!) Hell yes!

Ups is telling me the Aretha will be here Tuesday.. Saving some of my best Scotch for the first test spin. Looking forward to it!!
Have a good one!
Bob

p.s. for those that are interested I will post some pictures and thoughts on the Aretha tone preamp. Give me a couple weeks with it to get the tubes "workin right".

no probs!
As for mono's, unless you really need the 125W that the Big Boppers give, model Louis, EL34 PPP 60W mono is the way to go. The more I listen to the prototype I built, the more I love it!