3arl Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 So I just graduated college and landed a sweet job. I don't start til July so all of my current money is going towards moving, rent, new furniture, etc. But, once my paychecks start coming in, I plan on upgrading my system. Right now I've got my table running through some Yamaha receiver I found at my house. I do, however, have an old Marantz reciever with a messed up phono stage (the left channel comes in and out, all other inputs sound fine though). I'd like to pair this with a nice phono preamp, and I'd like to use a tube one. What are some in this price range? Also I'm totally cool with building a kit and would kind of prefer it, as eventually I'd like to have a setup that I completely built myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajxd Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Why tube? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3arl Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 Why tube? From what I've read they've got a good warm sound. And I think they look rad. But I could probably be easily convinced away from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3arl Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 Also, I've convinced myself to go DIY on this. I've been looking specifically at this one, even though it's a little more than I want to spend: http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php/products/reduction-phono-preamplifier-kit cbbrew22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevorxramage Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 vintage marantz have a warm "tube-esque" sound already... might be worth testing before buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3arl Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 vintage marantz have a warm "tube-esque" sound already... might be worth testing before buying. except my phono stage doesn't work on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevorxramage Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 except my phono stage doesn't work on it I would assume running a phono pre through the aux input would still give you a warm tone. The entire amp is warm sounding not just the phono input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinch Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Well "warm" just means harmonic distortion and rolled off treble. In the serious hi-fi world manufacturers aspire to achieve as neutral sounding components as possible both in tube and solid state designs. This used to be the case at least, since more and more big brands are marketing their own sound, which is another way of saying our components color the sound beyond recognition. If you want to use your components to "tune" the sound to your liking and strafe away from neutrality, you can do so with both tube and solid state designs. So buying tube to get the "warm" sound is not really a necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehou5000 Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I have a magnavox tube amp that was built as a DIY (not by myself). I would be interested in selling it to you. PM me for pics/details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmartinxx Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I've recently toyed with the idea of getting a Hagerman Cornet2, and went as far as to price the parts. Depending on your source, you should be able to build it for under $300, minus tubes. http://www.hagtech.com/cornet2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I've recently toyed with the idea of getting a Hagerman Cornet2, and went as far as to price the parts. Depending on your source, you should be able to build it for under $300, minus tubes. http://www.hagtech.com/cornet2.html Wouldn't the tubes be part of building it? Have a look at the yaqin ms12-b. Big tube phono stage/Pre amp, pretty good reviews, your price range and plenty of modding to be done down the road if you feel the inclination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Also, the half kit for the coronet2 is $750. Which is 300% more expensive than the absolute most the OP wanted to spend. PLUS $300 in other parts. Good recommendation there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmartinxx Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Why is everyone on this board angry, aggressive cockholes with inadequate reading comprehension? The half kit is $129 shipped (all it is, is a PCB and a box). You buy everything else, which can be unlimitedly expensive depending on how you build it. With your average Hammond transformer and non-exotic caps and resistors it would be just slightly over his budget. I didn't factor in the costs of the tubes because if you're like me you have boxes of the tubes necessary. Add another $50 if you don't have the tubes. His price range is "approximately $150 to $250" (the squiggle means "approximately"), so I didn't thinking coming up a little was out of the question. This is the cheapest DIY tube phono pre I've seen. The reality is, no matter what the kit, the tubes and transformer will cost nearly $150 alone and a box will run about $50. He needs to raise his range or, like you said, look into cheap Chinese stuff he can modify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 "Expert DIYers can build this preamplifier themselves. The half-kit version will cost you approximately $750 in raw parts" direct from the link you posted. "Why is everyone on this board angry, aggressive cockholes with inadequate reading comprehension?" I wasn't angry nor aggressive. Pointing out where perhaps you didn't comprehend the reading of the thread, versus the page you linked. Sheesh, have you had a bad day? Do you need a hug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearchuck Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Hagerman is great and has a well-respected line of products, many available as a kit for lots of DIY fun. I built the Bugle (and power source) and I think it ranks as one of the best budget phono stages out there. Can't remember how much I paid after ordering everything, but it was probably in the $150 - $200 range. Having said that, you ain't building the Cornet for anywhere near $300, no matter where you source the parts. The enclosure and transformer alone will run you about $200. Add in $50 for (unspectacular) tubes and $129 for the pcb and you're already close to $400. Start factoring in caps, resistors, heat sinks, plugs, switches, and all the other parts, you're definitely approaching that $750 number. And no, Hagerman is not suggesting that you use exotic components. In fact, most of the caps are under a dollar and the resistors are about a quarter each. You can download the manual here: http://www.hagtech.com/pdf/cornet2.pdf The parts list begins on page 5. Maybe you can save a few dollars here and there, but in regards to the guts of the Cornet, you won't find a better deal than what you can get at Digikey or Mouser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmartinxx Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 "Expert DIYers can build this preamplifier themselves. The half-kit version will cost you approximately $750 in raw parts" direct from the link you posted. "Why is everyone on this board angry, aggressive cockholes with inadequate reading comprehension?" I wasn't angry nor aggressive. Pointing out where perhaps you didn't comprehend the reading of the thread, versus the page you linked. Sheesh, have you had a bad day? Do you need a hug? "Raw parts" does not equal the cost of the kit. Again, the cost of the kit is $129 shipped. Reread what you wrote and explain to me how you weren't being an asshole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmartinxx Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Hagerman is great and has a well-respected line of products, many available as a kit for lots of DIY fun. I built the Bugle (and power source) and I think it ranks as one of the best budget phono stages out there. Can't remember how much I paid after ordering everything, but it was probably in the $150 - $200 range. Having said that, you ain't building the Cornet for anywhere near $300, no matter where you source the parts. The enclosure and transformer alone will run you about $200. Add in $50 for (unspectacular) tubes and $129 for the pcb and you're already close to $400. Start factoring in caps, resistors, heat sinks, plugs, switches, and all the other parts, you're definitely approaching that $750 number. And no, Hagerman is not suggesting that you use exotic components. In fact, most of the caps are under a dollar and the resistors are about a quarter each. You can download the manual here: http://www.hagtech.com/pdf/cornet2.pdf The parts list begins on page 5. Maybe you can save a few dollars here and there, but in regards to the guts of the Cornet, you won't find a better deal than what you can get at Digikey or Mouser. First off, when I was originally looking at it, it was the Cornet (not the Cornet2), so the box is no longer included and the parts list is slightly more extensive. That being said, raw parts are still no where near $750. Here's the price breakdown. [Digikey] $103.73 + [AES] $144.75 + [Lansing] $101.05 = $349.53 This is with tubes (not even the cheapest [Chinese] tubes, but tubes I picked for their sound). Not even close to "$750 in raw parts". I don't know where he got that number from. Even after you add the $129, you're still only at $478.53. Granted, this is much more expensive than $250, but that number is simply unrealistic. In the interest of full disclosure; I omitted the power cable since I assume everyone has a bunch of those in their house. Also, the LED (part 754-1235-ND) was out of stock at Digikey (not an expensive item, so I didn't bother to find a different one) and the #10 screws (part P-H245) were no longer listed, but again, not expensive. I didn't factor in shipping costs since I have no way to determine them other than guessing. AES is free over $100, though. For those who doubt the numbers: Index Quantity Part Number Description Customer Reference Available Quantity Backorder Quantity Unit Price Extended Price 1 5 493-1461-ND CAP ALUM 47UF 450V 20% RADIAL 5 Immediate 0 1.87000 $9.35 2 3 493-1275-ND CAP ALUM 10000UF 10V 20% RADIAL 3 Immediate 0 1.79000 $5.37 3 2 493-1269-ND CAP ALUM 470UF 10V 20% RADIAL 2 Immediate 0 0.29000 $0.58 4 2 EF1104-ND CAP FILM 0.1UF 100VDC RADIAL 2 Immediate 0 0.44000 $0.88 5 6 PF4105-ND CAP FILM 1UF 400VDC RADIAL 6 Immediate 0 2.27000 $13.62 6 2 PF4104-ND CAP FILM 0.1UF 400VDC RADIAL 2 Immediate 0 1.57000 $3.14 7 2 495-1331-ND CAP FILM 0.047UF 630VDC RADIAL 2 Immediate 0 0.77000 $1.54 8 2 495-4164-ND CAP FILM 1000PF 400VDC RADIAL 2 Immediate 0 0.41000 $0.82 9 2 490-4217-ND CAP CER 10000PF 250VAC RADIAL 2 Immediate 0 0.62000 $1.24 10 4 1N5821DICT-ND DIODE SCHOTTKY 30V 3A DO201AD 4 Immediate 0 0.66000 $2.64 11 2 RP456-ND VINYL HOLE GROMMET 9/16" 2 Immediate 0 0.58000 $1.16 12 8 HS372-ND HEATSINK TO-220 VERT MNT W/TABS 8 Immediate 0 0.86000 $6.88 13 4 SJ5523-0-ND BUMPON X-TALL TAPER SQ .81X.30BK 4 Immediate 0 0.16000 $0.64 14 10 4806K-ND STANDOFF M/F HEX 4-40 NYL 1.00"L 10 Immediate 0 0.44500 $4.45 15 2 F2419-ND FUSE 250V IEC SLO-BLO 5X20MM 1A 2 Immediate 0 1.00000 $2.00 16 1 L30032-ND LENS FOR T1 3/4 LED CLEAR DOME 1 Immediate 0 0.69000 $0.69 17 1 J587-ND POST BINDING GROUNDED TYPE NICKE 1 Immediate 0 3.65000 $3.65 18 2 CP-1435-ND CONN RCA JACK DUAL R/A RED/WHT 2 Immediate 0 1.72000 $3.44 19 1 CCM1647-ND MODULE POWER ENTRY 10A W/SWITCH 1 Immediate 0 7.44000 $7.44 20 1 WK0011-ND FUSEHOLDER OPEN 5X20MM PC MNT 1 Immediate 0 0.39000 $0.39 21 30 1285K-ND TERMINAL QUICKFIT .046"DIA .187" 30 Immediate 0 0.12300 $3.69 22 30 A27804CT-ND CONN RECEPT FAST 18-22 AWG .187 30 Immediate 0 0.23280 $6.98 23 1 360-1791-ND SWITCH TOGGLE SPDT 0.4VA 28V 1 Immediate 0 4.75000 $4.75 24 2 2N3906FS-ND IC TRANS PNP SS GP 200MA TO-92 2 Immediate 0 0.20000 $0.40 25 2 TIP50-ND TRANS NPN GP 400V 1A TO-220 2 Immediate 0 0.63000 $1.26 26 25 220W-1-ND RES 220 OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 25 Immediate 0 0.14800 $3.70 27 5 680W-1-ND RES 680 OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 28 10 910W-1-ND RES 910 OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 10 Immediate 0 0.20400 $2.04 29 5 1.8KW-1-ND RES 1.8K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 30 5 3.3KW-1-ND RES 3.3K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 31 5 6.8KW-1-ND RES 6.8K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 32 5 10KW-1-ND RES 10K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 33 5 47KW-1-ND RES 47K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 34 10 150KW-1-ND RES 150K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 10 Immediate 0 0.20400 $2.04 35 5 330KW-1-ND RES 330K OHM 1W 5% AXIAL 5 Immediate 0 0.24000 $1.20 36 1 1.8W-5-ND RES 1.8 OHM 5W 5% AXIAL 1 Immediate 0 0.55000 $0.55 Subtotal $103.73 Shipping Estimate Sales Tax unknown Total unknown Socket - 8 Pin Octal, Ceramic, PC Mount, Gold Pins (P-ST8-193G) $2.50 Socket - 9 Pin, Miniature, Ceramic, PC Mount, Gold Pins (P-ST9-214G) $7.05 Transformer - Hammond, Power, 275-0-275 V, 50 mA (P-T370BX) $76.60 12AX7LPS, Sovtek (T-12AX7LPS-SOVT) $26.50 ECC802 / 12AU7 Long Plate, JJ (T-ECC802-S-JJ) $13.50 Nut - Hex, Zinc, 10/32 Diameter (S-HHN1032) UOM: Package of 5 $0.30 Washer - Internal Tooth Lock, #10, Zinc (S-HLW10) UOM: Package of 5 $0.45 Screw - Machine, Phillips Pan Head, 4/40 x ¼", Zinc (S-HS440-14) UOM: Package of 5 $1.05 Nut - Hex, Zinc, 4/40 Diameter (S-HHN440) UOM: Package of 5 $0.60 Solder Lug - Locking, #6 Hole (S-H112) UOM: Package of 10 $1.20 5Y3GT Sovtek (T-5Y3GT-SOVT) $15.00 Subtotal: $144.75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.