DIY (tube) preamp vs 2nd hand (tube) preamp

[belgiansound]

Hi,

I am rebuilding a ss power amplifier, and really enjoying it! I use a marantz 1060 as a preamp but would like to upgrade. I have plenty of power on the power amp section, 4x600W 4 Ohm, have decent d'appollito TL speakers (Criterion T+A T160) and would like to get a good pre amp. The source I'm working on, bought a Lenco L75 which can be ugraded on the long term but for the moment prefer my sansui SR222.

Preferably with a remote, as some songs you want louder or quieter and it's just more comfortable to stay in your listening position to change the volume. Tube would be nice, but not necessary. A good SS design is also fine. I listen to a lot of styles, but like hip-hop, jazz, motown, ... I like a warm full sound but also like to hear detail. I need my hairs to stand upright when Adele goes to her higher notes and feel leonard cohen raspy low voice and deep bass notes in my chest. (I know, i'm not being difficult)

I have been looking around and quite like a 'forewat' preamp but the big downside of DIY is you only hear it when finished, and you are biased as you built it so it needs to sound 'great', which means i'm a bit skeptic about online reviews by guys who built those amps. Your own child is always the prettiest.

I have a linn majik Kontrol preamp which I can buy 2nd hand for 500 euro which looks like a really good pre amp, and a Vincent SA-1 (with remote) hybrid tube/ss preamp for 650 euro. I would like to spend around 5-600 euro on the preamp.

What are your recommendations? Buy an old preamp and upgrade it (don't know if adding a remote to an old amp is easy enough now, do they sell kits?), buy a more recent 2nd hand amp with remote etc. working (and no work) or start from scratch the build of a preamp.

 

[Alan0354]

I think the more important question is whether you have the interest to learn and get into electronics. If yes, do the DIY, if all you want is to have a preamp and only because of money, get the used preamp. DIY is for interest, learning, not for saving money. You will end up spending more money one way or the other. DIY is not going to be cheaper, just more rewarding after you build it.

If you worry about you are not being objective, have someone listen to it. I designed and build my own SS power amp. I spent a lot of money. I even bought a used Nakamichi Stasis PA-7 amp designed by Nelson Pass. That it is almost identical ( but better) than his famous Threshold S300 amp. I use that ONLY to serve as a reference to compare with my amplifier. So you always have a known standard reference to judge against your own DIY.

Yes, DIY is a hobby, not to save money. But when my amp beats the Nakamichi in terms of clarity, sound stage and separation between different instruments, that is rewarding and I still feel good every time I turn on my amp.

When you build your own amp, you don't even want to restore amps anymore.

 

[triode17]

Hi,

I am rebuilding a ss power amplifier, and really enjoying it! I use a marantz 1060 as a preamp but would like to upgrade. I have plenty of power on the power amp section, 4x600W 4 Ohm, have decent d'appollito TL speakers (Criterion T+A T160) and would like to get a good pre amp. The source I'm working on, bought a Lenco L75 which can be ugraded on the long term but for the moment prefer my sansui SR222.

Preferably with a remote, as some songs you want louder or quieter and it's just more comfortable to stay in your listening position to change the volume. Tube would be nice, but not necessary. A good SS design is also fine. I listen to a lot of styles, but like hip-hop, jazz, motown, ... I like a warm full sound but also like to hear detail. I need my hairs to stand upright when Adele goes to her higher notes and feel leonard cohen raspy low voice and deep bass notes in my chest. (I know, i'm not being difficult)

I have been looking around and quite like a 'forewat' preamp but the big downside of DIY is you only hear it when finished, and you are biased as you built it so it needs to sound 'great', which means i'm a bit skeptic about online reviews by guys who built those amps. Your own child is always the prettiest.

I have a linn majik Kontrol preamp which I can buy 2nd hand for 500 euro which looks like a really good pre amp, and a Vincent SA-1 (with remote) hybrid tube/ss preamp for 650 euro. I would like to spend around 5-600 euro on the preamp.

What are your recommendations? Buy an old preamp and upgrade it (don't know if adding a remote to an old amp is easy enough now, do they sell kits?), buy a more recent 2nd hand amp with remote etc. working (and no work) or start from scratch the build of a preamp.

There is a caveat to using a tube pre amp with a SS amp, the impedance shift. generally, you can not drive a SS amp using a tube preamp without an impedance converter (i.e. buffer, cathode follower) to change the hi Z tube out to a Low Z SS input. Otherwise, you will lose Bass.

 

[Alan0354]

Most SS amp has about 20K input impedance as usually just resistor load. It's not hard to drive. The tube amps better be able to drive that, or else they will have problem driving the capacitance of the coax already. Few circuit I've seen use cathode follower which should not have problem driving 20K.

 

[belgiansound]

ok, thanks! confusing information...

First off, i'm married, so I'm on a budget! If I were to build something, it would not be an all out build using gold wire and silver components but most great sound per buck. I have a budget of about 500 euro (600 dollars at the rate Trump is killing the dollar). I have an eye on a Linn Majik Kontrol which gets good reviews, has a remote, and costs about 500 2nd hand but I really don't like the looks. I know it should not be important but the look of those bulbs glowing when the music is playing is just very very nice...

 

[Lavane]

Has the 1060 been recaped along with those nasty '458 transistors replaced? ive rebuilt two 1060's so far and I love them as a preamp pushing tubes or SS amps. They have a nice phono stage too that for literally a couple bucks can be made to sound even better.

 

[Alan0354]

You want to save money, buy used on ebay. You get a lot of preamp for the dollar....or euro........And don't blame Trump!!!!