tube amp/pre-amps

gbond
gbond Posts: 3
edited September 2004 in 2 Channel Audio
I purchased a pair of Polk RT-12's. Wow! Big improvement over what I had. Now looking to upgrade my amp and am thinking of going tubes? Can't afford $20K for a high end unit, but would like some links to kits or plans for homemade kits. Any links or suggestions?
Post edited by gbond on
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Comments

  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2004
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited September 2004
    Congrats on the new speakers. The Foreplay kit is suppose to be very good with upgrades available from the company. I'd suggest a tube pre and ss amp for your set up. Those RTi12's are too power hungry for tube amps. You can find tube amps that will power them but it's going to cost you an arm and a leg.

    Maurice
  • har_navalta
    har_navalta Posts: 957
    edited September 2004
    Here's a pic of tube amps and preamp that costs less.
  • har_navalta
    har_navalta Posts: 957
    edited September 2004
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2004
    Go back under your rock Har, no one cares.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2004
    He can't resist Polk, it's only natural....it's unfortunate that he's a loser. When you apologize is when you can come back into the fold, it was always that simple.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • gbond
    gbond Posts: 3
    edited September 2004
    Thanks for the info. Looks like a serious setup you've got.:cool:
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited September 2004
    Yeah, nice gear.

    Too bad it's wasted on a complete scumbag.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2004
    Yeah, and I bet the SDA's sound great 10 inches from the side wall. Nothing special, an over-priced ASL preamp (which doesn't fit the original post whatsoever), and GT SE-40's bridged mono - only 80wpc.

    Nice amps (I've had a couple), but not SDA material. Good news is, without specific mods, they have a tendancy to be 'flammable', lets hope for the worst for our resident douchebag.

    Looks nice, but that's about it - and nothing to offer on the post either - just the typical 'look at me' BS we've come to expect.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • har_navalta
    har_navalta Posts: 957
    edited September 2004
    Ok here we go again, this is for Doro ONLY and has nothing to do with anybody else.

    Mark,
    You know, you should be ashamed of yourself. I made you SDA amplifier Interface free of charge, I wasted my time going back and forth to the electronic shop in making that cable and also I took my son’s electronic toy transformer housing for you to have your SDA amplifier transformer housing covered. After all the good things that I have done for you, you want to give 3 of your 4 bad drivers from your SDA 1C’s (MW6503’s) to me. Switching the good ones to your bad ones? And because I did not agree with your idea. Eventually you have to many of those woofers you sold them here for $25 to $30, each which originally costs $20 each, 4 for $80.

    Now you want me to apologize to you or say sorry; you should be ashamed of yourself…

    To TroyD, watch your mouth I did not do anything to you, so stop it! Don’t ever; ever say that, to me.

    To Russman, you are not part of this problem, this does not, concern you…

    To other Club Polk members I did not scam anybody in this forum. I am willing to take this problem in the court. I have all the evidence in the forum threads save to my pc..
  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited September 2004
    i dont think it matters brutha.
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
  • har_navalta
    har_navalta Posts: 957
    edited September 2004
    Btw,

    Golden tube audio's have been modified by Sonic Craft .

    Here's how:

    Har,

    You do not have to do any part of the upgrades. If you want truly world
    class performance, you will run a bridged pair of SE-40-SEs with EH tubes
    the BB, RC, and the PS kits installed. I'm sure that the SE-40-SE with the
    BB will blow your socks off, but all these kits are really cheap and will
    ensure the best performance for 20-30 years trouble free (less tube
    replacement). You are free to chose. You will be making a guess at best
    because you have not heard the effects of any of these mods. I have cover
    all this as much as I can.

    In order to install any of my kits except the SE-40-SE upgrade, I merely
    require the board. For the SE-40-SE conversion, I need the whole amp as I
    must replace the output transformers (your amp will become 10 lbs heavier).

    Regards,
    Jeff


    The total cost I paid for the upgrades was $547.00. Thanks Jeff, the GTA performs flawlessly.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,474
    edited September 2004
    Har,

    You must be on drugs, Mark didn't switch any drivers. Those speakers came from a respected Polk member in perfect working order. I saw and heard them right after he bought them and before your deal with Mark. He didn't NEED new drivers, he just wanted some spares. To think that you'd take the word of some guy from eBay over a forum member is insane, just down right stupid and you should be ashamed!!!

    Only a person who would do something like that, would be that paranoid to think that someone would do it to them....pffft.

    I've got some more news for you, if you want to keep it between Mark and yourself, then don't post it on a public forum. Evidence, court......HA! The evidence is against you and besides you live in Canada, what court do you think you're going to take this to??? Even if you could take this to a court, I'll back up Mark on everything because I know the truth! Hell, he even consulted with me about what to do and what would be fair for the both of you. He never once thought about how to rip you off and actually thought about sending you the 4 good drivers and take the loss himself. I told him that was foolish and that you'd understand that the guy didn't pack them right. 8 drivers packed in newspaper, taped two together with nothing else! I saw them and the guy didn't pack them to survive shipping, plain and simple.

    The real shame about all of this is that you lost all respect here and you lost me as your friend because of $80.00 stinking dollars. So, just go back to were you've been hiding because there is nothing here for you, PERIOD.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2004
    Har you are such a dickhead, its unreal. There is NOTHING for you here anymore.

    YOU are the problem, not Mark, not me, not ANYONE else here.

    GO AWAY.

    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2004
    Har,

    You sir are completely out of your mind.

    You were nice enough at that time to make me a Har/Polk cable, but you did not do it for FREE, I paid you MONEY.

    I still have my MO receipt, shipping receipts and every email that pertained to that whole driver fiasco, so if you wish to play games, you will LOSE on every level.

    I am sorry that you feel the way you do, but I am more than financially secure than to play games with you over $80. You however have never offered to resolve the situation IN ANY WAY, AT ANY TIME.

    Let's not forget that you NEVER sent me money and you NEVER received bad drivers. I, as in Mark, was stuck with the bill and the bad drivers.

    I will cut and paste the WHOLE event for the Polk forum to read....you do realize it's still on the site right? As before, they can decide for themselves, and if I recall you looked like a real dirtbag after that thread....ring a bell now smart guy?

    You are lucky I am on hurricane dispatch in Alabama, or I would have responded in a more timely manner.

    Crawl back in your hole Har.

    Sincerely,
    Mark
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited September 2004
    someone is just getting clubbed like a baby seal!



    :cool:
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
  • gbond
    gbond Posts: 3
    edited September 2004
    THis has all been rather entertaining, but, you people are all clearly out of my league. All I am interested in doing is exploring the possibility of building a tube amp, with my father's (a retired electrical engineer who designed tube amplifiers for NASA in the '60's) help. Was looking for a few pointers on where to go on the web to get started and build an amp/pre-amp for around a grand (parts, etc), maybe that is unrealistic....all I see is one or two useful responses, and a guy with a way cool (and way expensive) trying to show off. Thanks.
  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited September 2004
    gbond,
    Just sent ya a PM.
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,474
    edited September 2004
    Gbond,

    The Bottlehead link is good place to start and if you do a Goggle search for DIY Tube Amps you'll find lots of stuff.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited September 2004
    When this first came up, I, Madmax, and others emailed Har to try to understand why he thought Mark would try to cheat him out of $80.

    I am by no means "taking sides", but I thought that since Mark is a long time forum member, and since he fronted the money for the transaction, he should have been given the benefit of the doubt. Most scam artists that I am aware of will front very little, if any, money for a transaction.

    Every SDA enthusiast knows that SDA drivers don't travel well and that they must be packed to withstand an atomic blast. I personally have received SDA speakers that were very well-packed, but arrived with one or more frozen voice coils due to rough handling (from Ultimate Parcel Smashers).

    Even if the drivers in Mark's/Har's transaction had not been damaged on the way from the shipper, they still could have been damaged in shipment to Canada.

    I recall that there was mention of the original drivers having a "secret mark" on them to make it easy to discern if the drivers had been "switched". Why bother? If Har suspected Mark would try to cheat him, why deal with him in the first place?
    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2004
    Good points as usual. Yes, he (Har) told Mark that he (har) went behind Mark's back and told the seller to make a small 'mark' on each speaker BEFORE they were shipped.

    Let's add insult to injury, one may or may not recall the pair of Monitor 7 he (har) won, that were located in Arlington Texas (about 45 miles from me). The ad stated local pickup only, he bid AND won anyway, then begged on the forum for help.

    I helped, I killed an entire evening driving out, and picking up his speakers. As SOON as I got home, I told Har that one midbass driver was frozen, but produced some sound, the other was not frozen, but produced NO sound.

    He wanted them shipped anyway, I sent them each in a double-wall dishbox. After he accused Mark of doing a swap (a year or more after I sent the 7's to him), he then said I pulled a swap on him also. (if you didn't know, these midbass drivers are really made of gold, VERY valuable)

    I never got so much as a thank you for helping him get these speakers, only to then be accussed of theft. I put sir Har Navalta about half a notch above the likes of Wangotango. The paranoia, the lies - the man needs help of the professional nature.

    Fact is, there is NOTHING here for him, I and other members will see to it that there isn't. Even a simple apology would have HELPED, but the non-chalant attitude only makes it worse to those involved.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited September 2004
    Watch my mouth?

    Ok, watch this, Har, you are a SCUMBAG.

    Did you see my lips moving?


    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited September 2004
    Did y'all arrange this just to welcome me back?
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner

    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited September 2004
    It's about time you poked your head in here again!! How ya been!?!
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited September 2004
    (with apologies to gbond for the continued derail)...

    I bean good, how you bean, Frank? Last I remember you had checked out as well...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner

    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited September 2004
    Fell back into the pit.;)
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
  • har_navalta
    har_navalta Posts: 957
    edited September 2004
    ... all it matters is that I am enjoying the fine sound of my 2 channel 1.2TL in tubes and the outstanding SRT system :p



    ~Polk Collection~

    2-channel Set-up: SDA SRS 1.2TL

    Home Theater:
    SDA SRS 2.3TL (Mains)
    RTAc 15TL(Center)
    RTA 11TL (Rears) PSW650 (Sub)



    Pure Overkill Audio/Video Set-up:
    SRT Sattelite L/R (Mains)
    SRT Sub L/R (Mains)
    SRT Center (Center Channel)
    SRT/FX L/R (Surround)
    RT7 L/R (Rears)
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2004
    Still doesn't change the fact you hold the 'dickhead' title for Club Polk.

    Your setup is nothing unique, lots of people here have the same, some MUCH better.

    Keep trying shitbird.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • har_navalta
    har_navalta Posts: 957
    edited September 2004
    Are you talking someone else, can't hear you...
    the SRT's rockin'...:eek:
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,474
    edited September 2004
    It doesn't matter what gear you have or don't have Har. What matters is something you'll never have, RESPECT!

    Keep digging a$$hole, it's very entertaining to watch.....WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk