• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

A Uk supplier of valve amp kits

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#4
hi David,

i've begun building my first electronics project, a tube preamp. I found the simplest design I could after researching this site and then tried to find a transformer for the job. I ended up going to Bluebell audio and spoke to a guy called phil. Since then phil has spoken to me in length about my project, been very supportive and supplied the parts at a fraction of the price of a kit....
maybe this helps...

stuart
 
#6
Any other recommendations for tube kits?

Im looking to power some Mark Audio Alpair 7.3's Fast, using MiniDSP 2x8 as the digital pre-amp and crossover.

Budget as yet unknown, no more than £500 super duper tops. Ideally PCB as I am a furniture maker I wish to make a pretty dovetailed chassis, and having everything in a neat package would be useful.

So Far Edison 60 at £500

from eBay;
This monoblock design @ £160

This Elekit @ £220

This one at £170



Thanks
 
#7
howdy Studio AU,

I just finished my second valve piece of kit, I built a 12b4 pre amp, and I've just finished a ecl86 power amp. Both sound amazing to me! Neither were kits!

Wish I knew dovetails, I ended up buying an old 3 bottle wine box and modded it, varnished etc to house the power amp.

The circuits are so simple that you don't need kits, I would maybe just get a metal plate cutout by someone like Phil at bluebottle, he could also supply you with the transfomers and you would just have to join the dots after that, I can highly recommend the baby huey design found on this site,

Stuart
 
#8
Hi Surfstu,

Is point to point soldering relatively easy, I can imagine getting lost in a world of spaghetti? Does it not double/triple the work vs a PCB.

Can you estimate the cost of yours? I've emailed Phil and am waiting to have a coversation with him on the phone.

There are lots of metal fabricators near me, I did fall in love with these from OMA

My only real other requirement from an aesthetic point of view is that the tubes are forward of the transformers. Im a sucker for symmetry. With point to point I can essentially put things where i want? Like this...

http://www.japantrendshop.com/pictures/_Elekit-TU-879S-amp-1.jpg
 
#9
Studio Au said:
Any other recommendations for tube kits?

Im looking to power some Mark Audio Alpair 7.3's Fast, using MiniDSP 2x8 as the digital pre-amp and crossover.

Budget as yet unknown, no more than £500 super duper tops. Ideally PCB as I am a furniture maker I wish to make a pretty dovetailed chassis, and having everything in a neat package would be useful.

So Far Edison 60 at £500

from eBay;
This monoblock design @ £160

This Elekit @ £220

This one at £170

Thanks
Click to expand...
Don't forget that buying from China or Canada will incur import duties and VAT @ 20%. The VAT is charged on everything including the shipping costs etc. You will also have to pay a fee to Royal Mail for collecting the VAT and duties which will be about £15.

Of the three I love the quirky looks of the third one.

Ian.
 
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