Kit amp opinions

[strider]

Interested in a tube amp kit, I'm curious about this one (http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1210768623). To me it looks like a good number of improvements to a classic amp, but what do I know? I've liked the sound of the couple of tube pieces I've heard and want to get my feet wet. Recently built a phono stage kit and had fun; this kit with the KT88's would be about at the top of my budget. I'd be pairing it with SDA 2B's.

[nspindel]

Have you seen this thread:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65877

[engtaz]

Strider what tube phono stage kit did you get?

engtaz

[strider]

The phono stage I built is solid state, it's a Hagerman Tech Bugle. An easy kit and cheap to build. It's battery powered, as it comes in the kit it's set up for regular 9V batteries but I have it running off of 12V sealed lead acid ones now. I think it sounds phenomenal.

[strider]

Have you seen this thread:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65877

Yes, I had seen it but hadn't checked it since the pictures got added. I read a bit about those kits a while back, real nice to see one built by a forum member. How would that amp do with my 2B's? I'm still fighting that inate belief that you need a bunch of wattage for good sound. The Dynaco kit is rated at 40 watts per channel, which is about where I thought I would want to be.

[nspindel]

Zingo's saying on his thread that he's using that amp with 4.1TL's and he's quite happy with it. Not familiar with that speaker and whether it'd be more or less power hungry than the 2B's.

[engtaz]

4.1TL is a crossover upgrade done to some SDA's crossovers.

engtaz

[nspindel]

Ah, I didn't realize that just referred to the XO. So Strider, perhaps you might want to jump onto Zingo's thread and gather up some info...

[mhardy6647]

FWIW, this would be my recommended starter kit.
http://www.dynakitparts.com/store/product.aspx?id=1

http://www.dynakitparts.com/store/images/productimages/zoom/51C.gif

[GV#27]

That ST70 kit looks like a very nice update on the original with better quality parts and improved driver circuit etc.If your after the classic tube sound then it should deliver.

[nspindel]

I'm noticing that the dynakit link in post #9 also offers an ST70 kit. You may want to have a look at that rather than the one you've found on Audiogon. It's a few bucks cheaper from dynakit, and this way you're buying from a company rather than some guy bob01605 from Audiogon...

[mhardy6647]

I think that www.dynakitparts.com has pretty exact recreations of the original designs. That's fine for the ST-35, but the ST-70 leaves quite a bit to be desired, and many 'improvements' have been sold and espoused over the years.

If you really prefer an ST-70, something 'improved' like the OPs link might be a better choice.

YMMV

[GV#27]

.. many 'improvements' have been sold and espoused over the years. At last count something like ,oh maybe about 25,000 ish.:D

[mhardy6647]

On the original subject (sort of)... one of the previous posts mentioned the new kits from S-5 Electronics. I have no experience with their new kits, but we have one of their original stereo "K-12" amp kits (with their enclosure), and it is an astonishingly satisfying little amp to listen to given its very modest cost, low parts count, and modest parts quality.

S-5's niche is to design no-frills, low-cost amp kits around cheap, plentiful "plinker" tubes. The stereo K-12 kit used four 11BM8 dual section triode/pentodes. The tubes have absolutely no hi-fi cachet, but that doesn't mean that they cannot make pleasant sounds!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/mhardy6647/K-124.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/mhardy6647/K-121.jpg

.a couple of topless shots of the K-12 amp.

[zingo]

Strider, if you have any questions, just toss me a PM and I'd be glad to shoot the breeze. My 4.1TLs are a mod done the CRS+ to incorporate the RDO198; they are the same x-over as the 2Bs. The amp runs great on them as it is 15wpc.

[strider]

I think that www.dynakitparts.com has pretty exact recreations of the original designs. That's fine for the ST-35, but the ST-70 leaves quite a bit to be desired, and many 'improvements' have been sold and espoused over the years.

If you really prefer an ST-70, something 'improved' like the OPs link might be a better choice.

YMMV

I became interested in the Dynaco kits after you linked to the Dynakit site in Zingo's post a bit back regarding tube amp kits. I've not heard any of them, to be honest. Heck, I don't even know what "sound" I'm after, just looking for a new direction. So far my tube experience has been limited to a tube cdp, a Rogue tube pre, and about 3/4 of a song on Jesse's MCM amp.

Definitely would be open to other models, especially if the ST-70 is not a good starting point to begin with. As an old salt of the earth friend used to tell me, no matter how hard you try, you just can't polish a turd.

[strider]

Strider, if you have any questions, just toss me a PM and I'd be glad to shoot the breeze. My 4.1TLs are a mod done the CRS+ to incorporate the RDO198; they are the same x-over as the 2Bs. The amp runs great on them as it is 15wpc.

Cool, thanks! I just looked through your thread again and noticed the price. Much more suitable to my budget. I'm still having problems getting over the ratings. I've heard with my own ears that a lower powered amp can sound much better, having just gone from a 251 wpc Carver to a 120 wpc Rotel. Still, the jump from 251 to 120 to 15 (gasp) scares me.

[Face]

What kind of speakers will you be using, size of room, listening level, etc...?

[mhardy6647]

The ST-70 is not fecal! If nothing else, it has fine iron, but the 'front end' is pretty primitive.

The ST-35's probably even more primitive, but it's just so hard to go wrong with an EL84-based amp. The originals, while quite uncommon, are 'sleepers' and once used to be terrific values on the vintage market -- a very nice sounding amp at about 14 wpc (Dyna claimed "17.5 wpc", thus the "ST-35" moniker).

[strider]

What kind of speakers will you be using, size of room, listening level, etc...?

SDA-2B, at some point I'll upgrade the crossovers/tweeters to the 4.1TL. The room's half of my semi-finished basement, a tapestry blocks the room across the middle at about 12 feet in depth; 16 feet wide and about 7 1/2 feet tall. No idea of a dB level in the room, but I'm all over the place with music. Bluegrass and female country vocalists to live 'Dead and reggae, mostly at levels that annoy my wife but don't scare the dog.

[Face]

You should be able to play them at a acceptable level, but you won't be able to rock the house.
The tubes will also help tame the SL2000.

[zingo]

I have been able to get as loud as I want with the amp, and I like to listen at "live" volume. I haven't even blown a fuse or anything. I don't know if it could do ear-bleeding loud, but then it also may not be the right amp for that kind of listening.