As some of you may have seen, Im in the market for a new computer. Another thing that Im looking to upgrade is the speaker set up that Im currently using at my desk at home. Ive been looking to get 2 bookshelf speakers and power them with a 2 channel amp. I mostly listen to music while Im sitting at my desk, nothing to crazy though; A lot of OAR, DMB, Passion Pit, Postal Service, etc. In my quest for better sound, Ive been looking at DIY tube amp kits. I love the look of tube amps, theres something sophisticated about their appearance and they are instant conversation starters.
My research has led me to this site: http://diyaudioprojects.com/Tubes/tubes.htm which has a lot of cool projects but most of the tech. explanations are over my head at the moment.
My question(s) is this:
How do I know how to pair up an amp with speakers when it comes to this Hi-Fi stuff? Do the power ratings from the amp really mean that much when pairing with speakers? TEACH ME!
I want to start with a DIY tube headphone amp to understand the basics of the whole process with minimal cost. Later, what Im probably going to do is build my own speakers and amp setup, based upon someone else’s setup from the above website. I just want to understand what Im reading while Im doing my research.
When it comes to DIY anything, its real hit and miss. It mostly depends on the initial design, and exactly what parts you decide to use that is going to influence the final sound. Power output of the tube amp is important, but I know some crazy people who run only a few watts into huge speakers and claim its amazing. Tubes don’t clip harsh like a solid state amp, so you usually can get away with a tiny amp. More power is never really a bad thing, however.
What it comes down to, is you probably should have a decent understanding of how the amp works before you build it. Then you can tweak the thing to sound how you want it, and learn about how different components can influence the sound in the process.
Or, you could just follow everything word for word and use the same parts the guy who designed it used. It probably will be better than a really cheap solid state amp, but you never know with some of this stuff.
Like one of these tube amps?
Some of the kit type amps sounds pretty good actually. With my 6bq5/el84 amps push pull stereo (thats 2x6bq5 output tubes per side) i get about 12.5w per side. No, thats not alot, but its def fine if you get some sensitive speakers, you can actually get decent loudness. Most tube amps sound as loud as a much larger transistor amp (mine would be roughly sounding like a 25-35w solid state amp) watt for watt. Plus, there are tons of tubes currently being made, so even if you dont go out and buy some high dollar vintage tubes you can still get awesome sound with some cheap chinese or russian current production, and they are relatively inexpensive as well. You can also get older vintage tube amps and refurbish them but you should beware, as more often than not, MANY components need to be replaced, not just a few obvious ones. In the set of 1950s HK amps im working on now, ive had to replace ALL the capacitors (even the small ones) and most of the resistors as well. Also, most of the expense and sound quality relies on the output transformers, garbage output transformers=garbage sound, especially when single ended designs are used. Quality iron is expensive but well worth the money. If you have decent speakers, tubes can sound alot more lively and detailed than if your used to listening to so so quality solid state amp. Oh yes, and tube rectified ALWAYS sounds better than solid state rectified amps.
Edit: also current production cheap chinese amps sound good for the money, but, quality varies, and used tube amps such as Jolida’s can be good for the money too. Do your research before buying though