tubes, and why I want them now
Mar 25, 2012 15:00:16 GMT
Post by dragan on Mar 25, 2012 15:00:16 GMT
Right. This is going to be a LONG post, so anyone without enough time/patience can close this thread now
12 years ago, I've passed my qualification exams to enrol in Electrotechnical School "Mihajlo Pupin" in Novi Sad. With E.S. "Nikola Tesla" in Belgrade, my school was one of the two best Electrotechnical Schools in Serbia. Computer technician (top class) would be my 4 year course. Qualifiers were at the end of June, and after passing them, I had 2 months until start of the school year at Sept. 1st. Being young and having nothing to do, one of my usual day routines was shopping for groceries at the local store, not to far away from apartment where I lived. One of the mornings I was passing between fruits and fridges at the store, and I heard this sound. Few steps back, and discovered where it was coming from. A really, really old radio (cathedral type with only one oval speaker). And it was a real vintage radio, not modern chinese lookalikes. They did not exist 12 years ago. Anyways, it was playing a local FM station, nothing fancy. As I can not quantify sound quality with words (only with my hands , I will call this sound pleasant.
After that, I haven't heard a single tube in action.
At that time, I did not know ANYTHING about electronics. I've only seen nice looking audio systems at very (VERY) few homes here in Serbia. I was 14, just out of elementary school (we still have a schooling system similar to that of which UK abandoned 30 or so years ago. 8 years of elementary, 4 years of high school, and 4 or 5 years of university master programmes)
Only music equipment I had was Sony WM-EX190 (proper) walkman with real cassettes to feed it with music. It also had MegaBass function I've fed it with (don't laugh), ABBA, Boney M, and stuff like that. Music that my dad was listening back in the day. Also, classical music was something that I liked from my earliest years, without anyone steering me in that direction. As I got more "urban" and "teen rebellious" I started listening to Music Instructor, Boomfunk MC's and other popular electronic music from late 90s and early 00s. Hence my "ex bass head" status now.
Still with me? Fast forward 4 years, and I've finished 4 years of my high school.
By then, PC case was never closed, hard drives going in and out (carrying HDs in back pocket of my jeans was a normal thing), upgrading this and that, building, rebuilding and modifying PCs was everyday thing.
In that 4 years of high school, we had numbers of subjects as Basics of electrotechnics, Electronics, Digital Electronics, Measuring in Electronics, Computer hardware, Programming and such. One of the practical things we did was (don't laugh making a smart battery charger (different sizes and voltages) from scratch. Designing a circuit on PC, exporting that design to Protel (now Altium?), printing it, making a PCB, putting components on, soldering, checking, debugging and making a case for it. So, thats all that I knew about electronics 8 years ago.
Went to learn something completely different at university, and forgot 95% (or more) of everything I knew. Now I can't even read resistors without consulting internet. Lost all my high school books, scripts and notepads which is a downright shame.
As my taste in music started changing (soft rock, heavy and symphony metal, hard rock, and prog rock - being my most recent discovery), and as I got my first pair of full size headphones (AKG K77s) some 2 years ago, I started googling around for headphone amplifiers, sound quality, headphones quality and such. By then, I am AKG HPs sound fan. This is why I recently bought K500s in the first place.
This is my background of my taste in music (classical being top fav, altho I'm listening to it very rarely), and my ex and current skills in electronics.
Okey dokey, we can now get back to real diy part of the thread.
I want to make that before mentioned pleasant sound coming from my HPs, or (later) even from a pair of speakers.
So, I would need a tube (pre)amp, being able to drive HPs and reproducing that pleasant sound.
I insist on headphones (and headphone amp), as I have been raised not to disturb others with my activities, and also because I really don't have the funds or the place and conditions necessary for proper stereo speaker setup.
I will stop now, and ask a question.
Is there anyone reading this, willing to explain to me how to make an amp producing pleasant sound?
I can take no for an answer, as I understand that very limited number of people would be willing to do this.
It would include posting and explaining things in detail to me (and anyone reading this thread). What to use, why, how it works and how to improve it. Real, real basics for the start and serious things toward the end.
Someone saying there is no end in this hobby?
My questions would be ranging from (probably) most basic ones, to real intricate details.
12 years ago, I've passed my qualification exams to enrol in Electrotechnical School "Mihajlo Pupin" in Novi Sad. With E.S. "Nikola Tesla" in Belgrade, my school was one of the two best Electrotechnical Schools in Serbia. Computer technician (top class) would be my 4 year course. Qualifiers were at the end of June, and after passing them, I had 2 months until start of the school year at Sept. 1st. Being young and having nothing to do, one of my usual day routines was shopping for groceries at the local store, not to far away from apartment where I lived. One of the mornings I was passing between fruits and fridges at the store, and I heard this sound. Few steps back, and discovered where it was coming from. A really, really old radio (cathedral type with only one oval speaker). And it was a real vintage radio, not modern chinese lookalikes. They did not exist 12 years ago. Anyways, it was playing a local FM station, nothing fancy. As I can not quantify sound quality with words (only with my hands , I will call this sound pleasant.
After that, I haven't heard a single tube in action.
At that time, I did not know ANYTHING about electronics. I've only seen nice looking audio systems at very (VERY) few homes here in Serbia. I was 14, just out of elementary school (we still have a schooling system similar to that of which UK abandoned 30 or so years ago. 8 years of elementary, 4 years of high school, and 4 or 5 years of university master programmes)
Only music equipment I had was Sony WM-EX190 (proper) walkman with real cassettes to feed it with music. It also had MegaBass function I've fed it with (don't laugh), ABBA, Boney M, and stuff like that. Music that my dad was listening back in the day. Also, classical music was something that I liked from my earliest years, without anyone steering me in that direction. As I got more "urban" and "teen rebellious" I started listening to Music Instructor, Boomfunk MC's and other popular electronic music from late 90s and early 00s. Hence my "ex bass head" status now.
Still with me? Fast forward 4 years, and I've finished 4 years of my high school.
By then, PC case was never closed, hard drives going in and out (carrying HDs in back pocket of my jeans was a normal thing), upgrading this and that, building, rebuilding and modifying PCs was everyday thing.
In that 4 years of high school, we had numbers of subjects as Basics of electrotechnics, Electronics, Digital Electronics, Measuring in Electronics, Computer hardware, Programming and such. One of the practical things we did was (don't laugh making a smart battery charger (different sizes and voltages) from scratch. Designing a circuit on PC, exporting that design to Protel (now Altium?), printing it, making a PCB, putting components on, soldering, checking, debugging and making a case for it. So, thats all that I knew about electronics 8 years ago.
Went to learn something completely different at university, and forgot 95% (or more) of everything I knew. Now I can't even read resistors without consulting internet. Lost all my high school books, scripts and notepads which is a downright shame.
As my taste in music started changing (soft rock, heavy and symphony metal, hard rock, and prog rock - being my most recent discovery), and as I got my first pair of full size headphones (AKG K77s) some 2 years ago, I started googling around for headphone amplifiers, sound quality, headphones quality and such. By then, I am AKG HPs sound fan. This is why I recently bought K500s in the first place.
This is my background of my taste in music (classical being top fav, altho I'm listening to it very rarely), and my ex and current skills in electronics.
Okey dokey, we can now get back to real diy part of the thread.
I want to make that before mentioned pleasant sound coming from my HPs, or (later) even from a pair of speakers.
So, I would need a tube (pre)amp, being able to drive HPs and reproducing that pleasant sound.
I insist on headphones (and headphone amp), as I have been raised not to disturb others with my activities, and also because I really don't have the funds or the place and conditions necessary for proper stereo speaker setup.
I will stop now, and ask a question.
Is there anyone reading this, willing to explain to me how to make an amp producing pleasant sound?
I can take no for an answer, as I understand that very limited number of people would be willing to do this.
It would include posting and explaining things in detail to me (and anyone reading this thread). What to use, why, how it works and how to improve it. Real, real basics for the start and serious things toward the end.
Someone saying there is no end in this hobby?
My questions would be ranging from (probably) most basic ones, to real intricate details.