HiTech

Check out those tube dampers... a must! And what about those quality rubber feet? But the most important feature of this DIY amp are the two rack handles mounted atop the chassis. Without those this item would be rendered useless! This kit is available for $139 US.

__________________
Don't make me reach through this monitor to slap you a good one!

Andy1845c

It looks like somthing out of a mad scientist's laboratory in a cheesy movie.

What are those rack handles for anyway? It looks like the chassis is part of a kitchen appliance from a McDonalds.

Nigel Goodwin

Even worse are those cheap and nasty Chinese looking transformers!.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

House0Fwax

Cheap transformers, rack handles and shiney modern case... Where's the bakelite ?

HiTech

How about those microphonic dampers around the tubes themselves? Makes me think the tubes are part of a Stargate! And yes those Xformers are indcative of cheap, Chinese origins. The gentleman's website has other tube amps available.... all similar in cheeziness!

__________________
Don't make me reach through this monitor to slap you a good one!

picasm

The photo is actually on a web site of someone who has bought a kit and made his own case and accessories for it.

Ok, the transformers do look cheap, but so is the kit - if you look at the reviews, it appears that was only intended as an affordable, stereo valve amp with a good performance and nothing more.

I think the case would have looked far better if he had not tried to make it look more expensive than it was.

audioguru

No spec's for the old fashioned looking amp?
10W per channel from 100Hz to 10kHz?
3% distortion with new tubes, higher as they age?
No damping to tame speaker resonances?

__________________
Uncle $crooge

RDL2004

I have one of these amps, and I agree with most of the reviews of it in that it actually sounds very good for what it cost (about $150 including shipping). Obviously there was some cost cutting in the design (i.e. the output transformers).

The specs are not that bad for a little tube amp, I think it measured at something like 15-60kHZ -3db and 1% distortion at 1 watt. I have mine in the bedroom and listen to cds on it through a Sony Walkman and a pair of Athena AS-B1 speakers. It sounds very nice at moderate volume.

For those who commented on how this person decided to house their kit, perhaps you would like to post a pic of something you have built

I was lazy and just screwed mine onto a block of wood.

Attached Images

amp1.jpg (225.9 KB, 24 views)

audioguru

I found spec's for it.
A whopping 8 Whats per channel. At 50% distortion? Peak power? Music power?
Distortion is <1% at 1 W. My clock radio has 0.1% distortion at 1W.

Attached Images

Tube amp.JPG (32.8 KB, 19 views)

__________________
Uncle $crooge

kchriste

It sounds like you'll get a kick out of some of the experiments on this page then:
http://home.earthlink.net/~lenyr/index.html

__________________
--- The days of the digital watch are numbered. ---

HiTech

In my town people throw out old tube stereos weekly at the curb. Those big old wooden consoles that look pretty and all are stuffed with the junkiest of turntables, lousy tuners, poor quality speakers, and amplifiers that are on par with that kit. But the piece of furniture looks good in the dining rooms of the elderly.... versus those modular all-in-one stereos that are plastic and have extremely cheap sound through equally junky satellite speakers.

__________________
Don't make me reach through this monitor to slap you a good one!

audioguru

Are you also a Bose-basher? Their satellite speaker systems are expensive cheap junk. Maybe Dr. Bose is a veterinarian quack doctor.

__________________
Uncle $crooge

JimB

Wow, that is wierd science!

JimB

__________________
Experience is directly proportional to the value of the equipment ruined.

Andy1845c

I like the glowing borax rectifier..... It actually looks like fun to try. It also looks like a good way to get a nasty shock. I like his safety suggestions, such as "Never do these experiments with bare feet".

HiTech

Who me? The older Bose speakers like the 901 were excellent. Their latest crap is just that! Sonically they sound pretty good, but quality wise... well. Their wave radio is an overpriced pile of nothing. My boss bought one for $900 and the thing has the same CD chassis as a cheapo GPX combo unit has. And the radio doesn't sound any better than my old Panasonic multiband hi-fi monaural radio! $900 for something that doesn't come close to what that money could buy a decent stereo system for.

__________________
Don't make me reach through this monitor to slap you a good one!