Sunday, March 10, 2024
“Aspire” - Psvane 6SN7 globe preamp
Monday, February 12, 2024
"Clarity II" - LJM Class AB power amp
Monday, January 29, 2024
German made EL3N - “Puissance” - triode strapped amp
This time with a German made EL3N NOS NIB, new Svetlana 6N1P and Sylvania 5U4GB NOS NIB.
Interstage caps are Mundorf Supremes which I have used in a number of amps. Big and expensive but sound good. Hammond power tranni and Asian OPTs. The OPTs were meant to have the UL tap but didn’t. This amp then is triode strapped. Base is heavy and of blonde fine grain timber. Top plate is 2mm Al.
The EL3N sockets are made in Japan and are CNCed from a block of teflon with phosphor bronze contacts. Again expensive. PS is double Pi with 247uf of caps and a 5H choke. Total current drain is low and just over 20mA. The sound is big and warm with lots of drive. Though triode strapped it sounds very similar to my French tube SE UL version
Thursday, January 4, 2024
6N3 + TDA7294 integrated amp.
A completed tube and chip integrated. Fast and crisp. Absolutely dead, dead quiet thanks to CMRR. 80Wpc, 300VA power tranni, choked power cord, rodium RCAs, RFI/EMI power filter, heavy duty speaker binding posts and 2U 19” rack mount. At the members request a low filter switchable cut of 6db at 150hZ. Also a 24 step step attenuator.
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
“Piccolo Pro” - 6J1/5654W small tube preamp
A new 6J1/5654W tube preamp nestled into my system. Sounds as good as the last one which sold. Upgraded this build here with wood cheek chassis, three inputs and remote control. Colour is Ocean Blue hammer tone. All silver plated copper wire for hookup. Called this one “Piccolo Pro” due to the upgrading from the original Piccolo.
Perfect at first switch on. I have both 6J1 and the higher performing JAN GE 5654W tubes. Much better with the JAN GE 5654W tubes. Works with a 12VAC 1A wall wart.
Friday, September 22, 2023
“La Technique” - French made 1957 EL3N power amp
Monday, September 4, 2023
“Piccolo” - 5654W compact tube preamplifier
This smart looking and compact tube preamp uses (matched) JAN GE 5654W tubes. The kit is sold with lesser performing 6J2 but here they have been upgraded. The enclosure is Hammond extruded anodised Al smart looking enclosure. Three inputs are selected by two front switches. The black knob is a large anodised Al type with a good feel. All internal components are of very good quality.
Power is via a 12VAC 1A plug pack and connects to the preamp via a two pin locking connection. Internally HT is generated to produce a dead quiet preamp. Under test up to 90% max volume there is 0.0mV of noise. At 100% volume, 0.4mV of noise. Input impedance is 100K. The blue colour when on is a pleasant glow and the filaments fire is also easily seen. Tube rolling is possible.
From such small tubes I didn’t expect how good sounding this preamp could be.