by EWBrown » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:33 am
One comment (which I posted a while ago), if you use the C Chong cap board, and one of the Soundtastick chassis, there isn't enough clearance to use the supplied power switch. I don't know if the SDS cvap board allows enough switch clearance. (I went with the Chong Board and SS rectifiers)
For coupling caps, anything from Orange Drops to Solen Fast Caps, to the fancier ones like Auricap or Hovland Musicaps will all work nicely.
The Russian PIOs are also very nice sounding.
The original design calls for 12AX7 and 12AU7, but 5751 and 12BH7A cane be rolled in with no modifications, some folks prefer this combination, YMMV.
For output tubes, if you can use 6550s, then you can use KT88s as well, the Elektroharmonix are a great price / performance bargain, the Sovteks are from the same Russian manufacturer, they're just a slight bit lower on the quality scale (EHs are basically cherry picked, re-branded Sovteks).
The new "Mullards" and "Tung-Sols" are simply "rebranded" Russians, so don't get misled by the names.
I know, a lot of this is very "general", I built up a single amp, to experiment with, and eventually to use as the LF power amp in an HT system, someday. Right now, it's still a "lab rat" for tweaking and tuning purposes.
HTH
/ed B in NH
Real Radios Glow in the Dark