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Your journey with lower-watt tube amps -- Can a kit be good enough?

Looking for stories about your low-watt amp journeys.

Here's the situation: I have new speakers, 97 db. Trying them with lower watt tube amps (45/211, 300b, etc) seems generally wise. I am attempting to borrow some from audiophiles in the area. 

The horizon beyond trying these things involves actually buying some. I'm looking at a budget limit of about $5k.

Curious as to folks' experience with lower-watt amp kits vs. those of good makers (e.g. Dennis Had, etc.).

If you have any thoughts about the following, I'd be interested:

Did you start out with a kit and then get dissatisfied? Why?

Did you compare kits vs. pre-made and find big differences?

Did you find you could get the equivalent level of quality in a kit for much less than the same pre-made version? How about kit vs. used?

Also: did you find there was a difference between "point to point wiring" vs. "PCB" in these various permutations?

I realize that there are good kits and bad ones, good pre-made amps and bad ones. I'm hoping you'll be comparing units which seem at comparable levels of quality and price-points.

Thanks.

128x128hilde45
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,979 posts
 

Just my two cents, but having owned multiple ST70s and ST35s, I like the ST35 much better.

@hilde45 This is a comment worth exploring! The ST35 uses a triode Voltage amplifier while the ST70 uses a pentode. In addition, the smaller output transformers of the ST35 have wider bandwidth.

The input of the ST35 uses a 7247 tube, which is a 12AX7 section and a 12AU7 section in one envelope and is in current production. The 12AX7 section is the Voltage amplifier and the 12AU7 the driver. Since the 12AX7 is far more linear than a pentode (and has the most gain of any miniature triode) when feedback is applied, the tube distorts the feedback less (than a pentode) so the feedback is more able to do its job properly. This results in less higher ordered harmonic generation, so this is a much more interesting and relaxed amplifier to listen to and will fulfill your lower powered amplifier interest.

If one of these is properly built/refurbished it will give any SET a run for the money! It will play bass better, be more revealing (less distortion) and more neutral (less distortion).

And there’s a kit! Or there was. Their website says out of stock.

Go with the metal film option. Carbon resistors are really terrible.

jetter
3,057 posts
 

Another source for pre-built all things Dynaco is: GetDynaco GETDYNACO.  My understanding is that Kenny Russell is the builder.  I have no connection to his products, but learned about them from the You Tube channel drD E Audio who uses a Kenny Russell ST-70 and Pas-3 preamp.  The combination sounds stunning with his Klipsch speakers.

hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
5,143 posts
 

Wow! Thank you @jetter and @atmasphere for the additional comments. The thread is really becoming a resource for others, as well as for me.

theflattire
221 posts
 

I built the Analog Ethos 2A3 Legendarium kit.

Perry is very helpful and the instructions are easy to follow.

Along with the instructions is a section explaining how it works.

Good parts, I didn’t feel the need to upgrade anything but the coupling caps.

You can download the instructions on his site.

I have to say though, a James Burgess 2A3 amp sounded a bit better for just a bit more money.

audition__audio
1,553 posts
 

Have built several Audio Note Kits and thought they were very good for the money. Customers were very happy.

 

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