DIY tube amps


I'm wondering about other members experience with some of the "build it yourself" tube amp kits out on the market. I'm using SS mono blocs at the moment, and am quite interested in going the tube route, but am also liking the idea of trying my hand at building them myself. As a bike builder, I am quite handy, so to speak, but I am not an electronics guy. Recommendations? Oh, and bye the way, I have some fairly hungry speakers (Wilson Audio), so low powered amps won't do.
128x128crazyeddy
@roxy54  Just got off the phone with Brian at ANK. We had a nice chat. The bonus is that we are both in Canada(and in the same Province to boot!!), and the whole import/currency exchange costs will be negated if I do decide to go this route. He has a client right here in my city that has just recently completed the EL34-70 monos that I am curious about, and is going to see about hooking us up. This will be an  excellent opportunity to hear and see the amps. I'm still unclear as to the lineage between ANK/ Audio Note UK/ Audio Note Japan. Brian was pressed for time, as am I, but I did address this with him, and he and I will discuss it later this week. I'll keep you posted.
If you are not an electronics guy, you might consider not messing around with tube circuits as they can be lethal.

 That's how I started, with kits. It is easier if you have high efficiency speakers as you can build the SET kits and they're fairly simple.  Although there are other kits with higher power that you can build as well. I've built a Bottlehead preamp and it is one of the  Best I've ever heard after a few mods.  It is the 300 b based with the attenuator upgrade.  You could do that one and run it with your solid-state amps to start.  Or you may want to get a cheaper pair of higher efficiency speakers and build amps for those as a second system.  I would recommend going with a pair of altec 604's. They are efficient enough that you can even use three watt  2A3 Amps with them.  I found a pair of 604e's for 1200 bucks.  Then you need a good solid pair of boxes. Add a pair of subs and you may prefer this to your current system. 
 I myself wouldn't go with audio note as I find them to be not the best bang for your buck. 
 But ultimately just go ahead and do it, don't let the naysayers dissuade you. It's quite easy and very very rewarding!   Then as a bonus you learn more about how this stuff works and you start to realize how silly a lot of these audio file tweaks are. 
 Added bonus is with Bottlehead the support is second to none. Also the instructions are very very thorough and step-by-step. And if you still can't get it working you can send it to them and they will find the problem for you and send it back very cheaply. 

crazyeddy,

I'm glad that you were able to speak to Brian. He's a good guy, and I have nothing but good things to say about their products. I use one of their 300b amps and their 2.1 DAC.

I think the kit division began when Peter Qvortrup began offering a DIY version of a 300b amplifier through a Brit audio magazine, and it became a hit. That is the amp that I have, several generations later with many upgrades. I believe that Brian offered to come on board full time and help with offering other products and upgraded instruction manuals, and now it is really quite a catalog of great products. The Mentor preamp makes me drool. It's great that you can purchase at different levels according to your budget.

Keep me posted!

John