Building A Tube Stereo Amp (Kit Advice)

Hello Guys,

First post, and I'm hoping to get advice from the experts. I've always been horrified at the cost of audiophile tube receivers, and was wondering if it is worth it to build one from a kit. (I've built a tube guitar amplifier already, and had a great time).

A few questions:

1) Are there any quality amp kits that you recommend?
2) I notice that the frequency response of most tube kits is very low. Is this something inherent to tube amps, or just cheap kits?
3) Is this a worthy venture, or should I just splurge for a good solid-state receiver?

most effective corner treatment for $0

I needed to control hi-freq noise from the ceiling corners. I affixed 1 ft. square cardboard type egg trays with pushpins - two trays per front corner on the walls and one in each rear corner (rear wall). I only had six trays and I have a drop ceiling with a somewhat textured surface, so I felt I could forego placing them on the ceiling. The effect was well beyond my expectations. Photo is posted in DIY Projects gallery.

Maude Maggart

Maude Maggart

Maude Maggart finishes out a six-week stay at the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room near Times Square this Saturday. She’s an appealing throwback, including in her repertoire; her best album, I think, is a collection of old Irving Berlin tunes. Her voice is sultry yet sweet, laced with vibrato, pure in tone, mischievous in intonation. Her current show, called “Speaking of Dreams,” which I saw last night, is ripe with naturally passionate slow ballads. Her few shifts uptempo (Sondheim’s “On the Steps of the Castle” and a Jobim tune with acid-trip Marshall Barer lyrics called “Lost in Wonderland”) made me wish she’d do more, but I’m not complaining. Her swoon through “Isn’t It Romantic” was bewitching. Even the show’s one cabaret clich—a medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Look to the Rainbow,” and “The Rainbow Connection”—came off as anything but; it was even stirring. Ms. Maggart looks five or so years younger than her 32 years, and she’s been singing in public for more than half of them. Cabaret clubs are not usually my scene, but I’ll go see her again happily.

A question of hygiene

Hello everybody,

I'm now a happy owner of a Rega Apollo.

Lately I could notice some dust deposited around the mechanism and around the lenses.

Despite my nickname, I try to keep the area around the gear as clean as possible!

I have no probs at the moment: the micro-fluff is very little, but it still makes me sort of uncomfortable.

I checked the manual and no maintenance is normally needed. If necessary Rega recommends to bring the CD player to an official dealer.

Not quite room tuning, but is related

My Ducati requires an expensive laser device too tension its' cam belt by measuring the belts resonant frequency when the belt is plucked. The spec is 110Hz +/-5Hz.
So why not break out my laptop running TrueaudioRTA (spectrum analyzer) and a microphone? Didn't know if the S/N would be good enough, or if the peak would be narrow enough to provide the resolution required.
It worked fantastic, nice big amplitude with a narrow bandwidth, and it was repeatable.
I'm still amazed when theory and practice agree.

Need Help Setting Up Project Dubut III Turntable

I thought that I had set up the turntable properly, but I clearly have not. When I try to play a record and position the needle over the record, the needle slides to the right, off of the record. How do I fix this? The counterweight or something needs to be adjusted, but if I have it float level with the record, it slides off, if I have it set up so that it rests as low as it can go, it is too low. The manual is of no use to me. Thanks in advance.

Nubie Needs Help!

I have just been gifted a pair of Revel Ultima Studio floor standing speakers which after a little research appear to be worth more than my automobiles. I am a long time music lover but new to the high end Hi-Fi realm. I've been told I will need power purification, pre-amps and power amps. The local sound guy recommends I sell them telling me "If you have a Ferrari and can't afford the tune-up don't drive the car." Hoping to get some thoughts or recommendations on aquiring the needed equipment at reasonable costs. I don't really know where to begin so any advice will be helpful!

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