Electron Tube Audio
| Electronics | Thomas PA | Preamp | 8417 PA | Links |
This section is devoted to my electron tube audio projects. Some are modifications to existing amplifiers, while others are "from scratch" designs by yours truly. The projects are listed below, in the approximate order of their inception:
Disclaimer: All of the projects described in these web pages use dangerous and potentially LETHAL voltages, materials, and components. This material is intended for advanced electronics experimenters only. The author assumes no liability for damages incurred through the use or misuse of the information provided herein. This information is provided "as is" and without warranties as to performance of or any other warranties whether expressed or implied. No warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.
It has been only within the last few years that I have learned the skills needed to properly work with and design electron tube electronics. There a lot of unfamiliar considerations to take into account when coming from the silicon world. Much of what I have learned was from Morgan Jones' excellent book Valve Amplifiers (as well as a few others) and, of course, the Internet. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interesting in learning the fundamentals of electron tube amplifier design. He offers a lot of insight, simple approximations to complex problems, good design examples, and plenty of British wit. He even covers basic circuit theory in enough detail for folks who do not yet have many skills in this area. He is also not a tube purist, and uses silicon in the designs of power supplies, regulators, etc. Another excellent book, as a guide and a reference for electronics in general, is The Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill. It provides the basics, as well as a lot of insight into various specific electronic components (analog multiplexers, etc).
Why thermionic electron emission devices (valves to our friends in the UK)? Well, I grew up listening to my LPs, cassettes, and the radio through a 6V6GT push-pull instrument amplifier and eventually found that I really missed its sound. I actually didn't know what it was I didn't like about my audio system until I fired up that old amp again. The brash, gritty sound was gone. See introduction to the Thomas 6V6GT PP amp for more on this. I don't consider myself to be an audiophile, however the difference to me is noticeable. For an excellent article with a bit of empirical evidence, take a look at Tubes Vs. Transistors by Russell O. Hamm.
The other part of the answer to this question is that I enjoy the challenge as much as (if not more than) the results of my efforts. In terms of components in the signal path, electron tube amplifiers are about as simple as it can get. Perhaps some of the healthy fear involved in working with lethal voltages has something to do with it as well. :) Finally, tubes are just damn cool. They operate on such a macro scale that you can actually "see" the process take place inside them that is providing you with service that you took the time to design/modify. They're also pretty to look at....
Copyright Notice: All contents of these pages are Copyright ©1996-2003 by Russ W. Knize. All Rights Reserved. The information presented in this section may be used for personal, non-commercial use only. Any commercial applications of this design or any part thereof requires previous licensing arrangements with the author and copyright holder, Russ W. Knize.
Updated on 02/01/2003
Copyright © 1996-2003 Russ W. Knize