A three-piece hi-fi system, a central unit and two speakers, in laminated wood with a mahogany veneer. It combines the warmth of tube sound with modern convenience: a four-tube preamplifier, a 100 W amplifier, a built-in subwoofer and an MP3 player with a display, in a retro-styled design. Built during 2017.
DIY Tube Amplifier
A sound system with a tube preamplifier, designed and built by hand.
Technical sheet
General
- Type
- Hi-fi system with a tube preamplifier
- Year
- 2017
- Design
- Original
- Format
- Three pieces: central unit and two speakers
- Material
- Laminated wood with a mahogany veneer
- Size
- Speakers: 20 × 13 × 11 cm
Central unit: 24 cm wide, 11 cm deepApproximate · height × width × depth
Amplification
- Preamplifier
- 4 preamplifier tubes
- Amplifier
- Built-in 100 W
- Power
- External supply for the tubes, on top to dissipate the heat
- Speakers
- 2 × 4" speakers (30 W, 8 Ω) with 2" tweeters
- Subwoofer
- 15 W, built into the base of the central unit
Playback and controls
- Player
- MP3 board with a blue LCD display
- Media
- SD cards and USB
- Navigation
- 6 buttons for playback and track changes
- Sound
- Volume, bass and subwoofer level
- Master volume
- With a retro metal switch and a red LED pilot light
- Knobs
- Buttons salvaged from vintage science-lab equipment
Connections
- Front
- Gold-plated jack to mini-jack adapter
- Input
- Stereo RCA (red and white), at the back
- Output
- Classic speaker terminals, at the back
The process
Step 01 The electronics: tube preamplifier, amplifier and power supplies, before assembly.
Step 02 The laminated wood cases for the central unit and the speakers.
Step 03 Test fittings, the control panel and the mahogany veneer finish.
Step 04 The complete system, nearly finished.