[dewar]

I'm wanting to try a tubed pre for my Signature 30 and would like if possible to build one from kit, mainly for the learning experience but also because I wont have the funds for Isabella or most other options for some time to come.

If anyone has any recommendations I'd be most grateful.

Cheers

B.

[Dmason]

I would look closely at..

Bottlehead Pre amp, and also SEX amp. The SEX amp makes a very high quality 6SL7 style pre amp, mine work very well with my Signature 30. Outstanding in fact.

Mapletree Audio Line 2, Octal 5, these use nice dual triode octal tubes, for TONE. 12SN7 in some cases. Also well proven. Read Richard Waxberg's remarks in his Siganture 70 report.

All of these are VERY cost effective options. The SEX amp gives you a headphone amp, a 2 watt SET amp, and an outstanding tube pre amplifier. It is also the least costly option. Its single 6DN7 tube is a dual triode, whose driver side is identical to 6SL7, but more gain, lower S/N. The output side is identical to a 2A3 except for non direct heating of the plates. The 4 Ohm tap on the parafeed outputs will give 4V P-P

Dr Peppard's stuff is unimpeachable. Fantastic, modern interpretations of vintage circuits.

The combination of big triode- big gain, tube pre amp and Vinnie's amps is amazing, and becoming well documented.

[dewar]

Thanks very much for that Dan, just what I was hoping for.

B.

[dewar]

Quick question if I may Dan,

Are you using the SEX headphone output or have you modded it to take rca's?

Wonder how the Foreplay would compare to the SEX.

cheers

B

[Brad]

I'd throw the Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid onto that list

The Mapletree stuff is terrific - hard to go wrong with Dr. Lloyd

I heard the Bottlehead Foreplay and 2a3 amps on my speakers a couple of weeks ago - VERY nice on some Art Pepper.
The owner had also built a S.e.x. amp

[sbrtoy]

Though it is not a complete soup to nuts "kit", the Aikido preamp from tubecad.com has been very popular.  Also Diyhifisupply makes some really nice kits that have high-end components and nice aluminum chassis.

[kyrill]

Here is another nice and very very reasonable priced tube preamp kit
i have bought there TABOO poweramp of 6-8 watts in 8 ohm and their sound is very airy and clean

the preamp is also very friendly to modders

http://www.decware.com/zplates/zplatesp1info.htm

[Dmason]

Dewar

You can use the SEX amp both ways, either the output taps, or the headphone out. I prefered the 4Ohm taps for high gain, REALLY punchy, sweet, noise free sound, and the SIggy rocked that way. Turned it into a monster. I view the SEX amp as a true sleeper, though fairly well known, it flies under the radar. Fact is it is a thoroughly modern, well understood circuit, with evolution and tweaking provided by the knowledgeable Bottlehead community. There are few circuits out there that have had more going over than that one.

Some of the NOS dissimilar triodes seem to double the apparent power of the amp.

[dewar]

Thanks Dan, and everyone else for the input.

To use the 4 ohm tap would one have to add any resistors or just simply chop off the ends of a pair of RCA interconnects and hook it up?

Cheers

Bevan

[zacster]

I've done the Foreplay II and the Aikido and I like the Aikido better.  The latest Foreplay III is a somewhat different design however and gets raves from its owners. 

I believe the DIY Hifi kit is an Aikido based preamp with all of the parts needed to make it complete.  John Broskie also sells an Aikido kit now, but I don't think it is everything.  (Broskie designed the Aikido.)  If you can understand Broskie's musings there's tons of info on his tubecad.com website, and it is all free to use.  He just thinks on a different level than I understand.  He's one of the good guys in this industry, or not in this industry.  He has a day job.