Amplifiers you use

[alandavidhenry]

Use a Pioneer A300R to power my studio monitors (Behringer B2031P). Onkyo NR626 AV Receiver for my HT.

HT is under construction. Finished the Digger 8 sub and currently building five Heliums.

[mlwebb]

Re: Nutube preamp, Nelson Pass version:
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass...rg-triode.html
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/the-...-feedback.html
https://diyaudiostore.com/collections/kits
There is also a version out there by Peter Millet, on Ebay.

[scholl]

I like the old Ashly FTX2001 amps for mibass, mids and highs. if I can find something I like more for five times the price maybe I'll change. A big ugly Crest for subwoofers.

I use various silver faced vintage.
I use various class d amps.
I've used many, many different tube amps.and still have a 6BQ5 integrated.

[scottsehlin]

I had an older Ashly (FET200). It sounded great for percussion (dynamic as anything I have had) but was a little unrefined otherwise. There are a couple FTX2001's available to me nearby, so you've got me a little curious. What have you compared them to?

[a4eaudio]

...
first watt f5
...

How do you rate the F5 compared to your other amps? I'm not sure that I really want to take on a DIY amp, but I do think about trying the F5.

[stephenmarklay]

I have thought about it also. I would like to try a solid state amp. I have built up some tube amps which was really fun.

[ugly woofer]

The F5 that I built uses a larger transformer, and over 250,000uf of capacitance in the power supply. It does some things extremely well, such as patricia barbers voice, but it can sound a touch hard, but that is in comparison to the Aragon. I personally prefer the smoother presentation of the aragon by a small amount, but the F5 is excellent, as a matter of fact my wife likes it better. Different flavors. I will probably built a F7 when ever it gets cloned, but back to the original point, it is better than all of the others on my list, with the exception of the Aragon. By the way, it is not even close to what you would call tube-like.
I have also built a pearl2 and I'm currently working on a DCG3 preamp.

[a4eaudio]

Thanks! You probably just cost me several hundred dollars as that motivates me to take the plunge on the F5. I also have the boards and jfets for the Pearl2.

[Kornbread]

DCG3 preamp.

Links???

[Dirttracker73]

This is DIY. Here's my most recent build, Apex AX14. Built on circuit boards designed by diyaudio member prasi. Powered by +- 42VDC courtesy of shaan's PeeCeeBee PSU / protection boards (also diy). This amp plays beautifully. No noise, even spralled out across my workbench. Very dynamic, crystal clear with excellent imaging. This one deserves a nice enclosure and finishing. Also have other diy amps including VSQC, PeeCeeBee v4, Honey Badger, several LM3886 and TDA7293 chip amps. Harman Kardon hk1400 and Sony str-de915 are two of my commercial amps. Several others in various states of repair / parts / salvage...

[a4eaudio]

How good is the Honey Badger compared to your other amps?

[scholl]

I like the old Ashly FTX2001 amps for mibass, mids and highs. if I can find something I like more for five times the price maybe I'll change. A big ugly Crest for subwoofers.

I use various silver faced vintage.
I use various class d amps.
I've used many, many different tube amps.and still have a 6BQ5 integrated.

The FTX series 1 and 2 are a different design than the FET, FTX uses the vertical MOSFets like hifi amps. the FET are more like Hafler amps. The series 3 goes back to lateral but are the BUZ types. I borrowed a big SAE A501 amp and the Ashly has a notedly fuller midbass tone. The SAE found a place on the shelf until it can be returned. ClassDaudio modules with huge power supplies might have a little better sound stage but I never really trust those with heavy music at high output. I like looking at schematics and the Ashly designs are as modern as Adcom, Parasound and Emotiva, they're not Accuphase but nothing is. They're more sophisticated designs than Crown, MAC, QSC, AB international, Peavey etc. The only things to mod on them are input caps and power supply caps which are easy to do. I did it to one with measurable ripple and sag improvement but not much sonic improvement. The whole amp can be completely disassembled in 15 minute with two or three tools. I buy the Ashlys for $85 to $125 each and have a few opportunities a year to buy them local. If the local amps are series 3 for under $125 buy them. If you can find an Accuphase Pro5 for under $1000 buy that. Anything in between is a toss up.

[ugly woofer]

The dcg3 can be found on the diyaudio forum.
The pearl 2 is very good by the way.

[stephenmarklay]

Are there any recommendations for good (great) sounding kits?

[fpitas]

Are there any recommendations for good (great) sounding kits?

Hard to go wrong with any of the First Watt DIY amps, if tens of watts will do you. I'm pretty sure kits are available for most of them if you check out the forum: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/

[stephenmarklay]

Thank you. I will check these out. There are a lot of choices there 😳. I am good with probably 25w or close but not the really flea power stuff.

[djg]

I built one of these. Reproduction of a "classic". tubes4hifi.com has other Dynaco derived kits and several tube preamp kits.

https://www.dynakitparts.com/shop/st-35-kit-120-vac/

[Wolf]

The difference is the THD rating. FirstWatt amps are more power at higher 1% ratings. The 25W is at like .00005% or something like that.
Wolf

[fpitas]

The First Watt line-up. The ones not in production are discussed in the forum and generally DIYable:

http://www.firstwatt.com/prod.html

The F4 is especially interesting if you want the "tube" sound. It has no voltage gain, so people put a triode gain stage before it.

[Waboo]

I have an Adcom 555 MkII I bought new in '93 that I use for 2 channel. Still original with no upgrades and I still rather enjoy it. Hooked up to an Adcom GTP-500 (I think that's it).

Mid-range Onkyo 7.2 for HT.

30 years ago I used to dream of owning the big name amps like Krell and Threshold, but no longer. They're simply outrageous these days.