Basics of valve amplifiers

We all start somewhere
User avatar
rowuk
Old Hand
Posts: 453
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:50 pm
Location: Germany

#16 Re: Basics of valve amplifiers

Post by rowuk »

I have a question: have you listened to the amplifier at length? Are you "intimately" familiar with how it sounds? Is their anything about it that you really like or really dislike? Have you tried it with different speakers?

There are many paths to bliss. For some, it is changing something because they can. For others, it is changing something based on a process that starts with identifying issues and planning a strategy based on those issues to get to a different, desired result. Either path is fine.

My experience is that it takes a long time to figure stuff out to be sure that we are actually improving instead of just changing something. I like living with stuff for a couple of months to get acclimated. If at that time I have no issues AND no specific reason to use a particular solution, I just leave it as it is.

Recently (over the past year) I changed my tonearm, which lead to a new cartridge, then a new phono preamp and now a beefier power supply for my bass amplifiers. At each step, I was able to identify specific issues that very clearly called for the next step.

When pimping a valve amp, my first step is to check the capacitors in the power supply and signal path. That can clean a lot of sins up with a very moderate investment. The next step after that would be new valves. Then for sure an extended audition time. Getting knowledgable friend to help listen is a very useful thing at this stage.
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
bostod
User
Posts: 177
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:12 pm

#17 Re: Basics of valve amplifiers

Post by bostod »

IslandPink wrote: Sat Jul 04, 2020 5:42 pm I just bought a bunch of these for another project -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EF94-6AU6-SI ... Swu79demSf
They should be as good as anything , based on the quality of their other valves.
Great call. These sound fantastic. I had to turn the volume down until I got used to these because there is so much more detail
steve s
Shed dweller
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 6:19 pm
Location: east yorks

#18 Re: Basics of valve amplifiers

Post by steve s »

You cant beat the well made valves
The tube manual is quite like a telephone book. The number of it perfect. It is useful to make it possible to speak with a girl. But we can't see her beautiful face from the telephone number
Post Reply