"Fleetie" wrote in message
...
All right, enough already.

I think "Jem" is getting a bit too much of a hard time here.
I think some of the things he says are worthy.


Par for the course in ukra - any 'enthusiasm' here is bound to attract a
quick slapping from certain quarters. Best ignored......


And let's face
it, he's right about a few things. Like the fact that many
amplifiers are just old, old designs re-worked to look
pretty, and sold for a lot of dosh.

And yes, I'll hold my hand up: I really really want a valve
amplifier


Yes, you do.


and I know that probably all the budget ones are
re-worked designs from the 50s and 60s.


So what? I've got a pair of 60's monos that sound superb and it looks like
I'm about to embark on a 1930 design under Nick G's tutelage! Good basic
design/construction doesn't 'go off' with ageing (although some components
can, obviously)!

:-)


But now I've grown old
enough to admit to myself that as long as an amp sounds okay,


Okay???

Jeez, let's not get *too* optimistic here - if a valve didn't sound better
than its SS equivalent by several thousand % then I wouldn't bother with
it.....


I'm happy to take one that glows prettily and doesn't make a
mess of my music,


Again with the optimism....!!


because the thrill of having a valve amp
contributed to my enjoyment of the experience. I would never
have admitted that when I was younger.


Valves are your friends....



So people are still making money out of very old designs,
but as long as people are willing to buy them, why not?

As for solid-state amps, yes, the parts price is probably
way, way lower than the sale price for most of them.


I believe summat like 60% of the cost price of a fancy SS amp (of
modest/mediocre spec.) is in the casework, but if that's what people want
and what sells.....???

Keith G wrote:

I believe summat like 60% of the cost price of a fancy SS amp (of
modest/mediocre spec.) is in the casework, ...

Whereas, about 60% of a DIY jobbie is the transformers...


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

Fleetie wrote:
"Wally" wrote
Fleetie wrote:

Wood and me don't get along very well, so constructing speakers
myself is not an option. I know, because I've tried it a few times!

If I were forced to do it again, and had access to the necessary
equipment, I reckon I'd use =10mm thick aluminum plate for the
cabinets, and not wood.

If you can machine 10mm ally plate, you should be able to machine
wood.

I can't.

That surprises me. I do a fair amount of work with pure, soft aluminum,
using what are nominally woodworking tools, only with carbide-tipped blades
and bits. IOW, a I use a table saw, drills, disc sanders, and various
flavors of what are basically routers. Of course you have to watch out for
and stay away from aluminum alloys like 6061 that are more like mild steel,
feed a bit more carefully, etc.

In article , Jem Raid
wrote:


Your coments bear out my experience in engineering, the people who do
know how to do things well are all over 50 and most of them want to or
do get out of it, creating a skill shortage despite the shrinkage of
manufacturing.

I have mixed feelings about the above. :-)

I officially start my early retirement tomorrow. Plan to be 'active' in my
retirement, though... ;-

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

In article , Keith G
wrote:

I believe summat like 60% of the cost price of a fancy SS amp (of
modest/mediocre spec.) is in the casework, but if that's what people
want and what sells.....???

Looking at some of the commercial valve amps available today I suspect that
the casework of those is also quite costly. It would be interesting to know
the actual costs for such things, but I imagine that most producers would
not wish to divulge such information.

I don't particularly have any objection to this if it what people want.
Some of my all time favourite amps in terms of appearance use wood for
sleeving, etc... If you have to look at it, it might as well look good.
;-

For innards, in my experience the costly bits were things like transformers
and heatsinking. i.e. heavy metal. I have assumed this will be so for valve
amps as they tend to require more in the way of transformers than SS,
although less in the way of heatsinking.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

"Wally" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

I believe summat like 60% of the cost price of a fancy SS amp (of
modest/mediocre spec.) is in the casework, ...

Whereas, about 60% of a DIY jobbie is the transformers...


And rightly so - see this pic of the impending project......


http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keith_g/show/2a3a.jpg


.....wodger reckon - a bit *too* far the 'other way'....???

:-)

Keith G wrote:

And rightly so - see this pic of the impending project......

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keith_g/show/2a3a.jpg
....wodger reckon - a bit *too* far the 'other way'....???

I'd put covers on the rest of the transformers. Apart from that, it looks
fine to me. (Better finish than my own DIY jobbie...)


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

In article , Keith G
writes

"Wally" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

I believe summat like 60% of the cost price of a fancy SS amp (of
modest/mediocre spec.) is in the casework, ...

Whereas, about 60% of a DIY jobbie is the transformers...


And rightly so - see this pic of the impending project......


http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keith_g/show/2a3a.jpg


....wodger reckon - a bit *too* far the 'other way'....???

:-)




I reckon your missus should be grateful that you're doing summatt useful
in your shed, and not out boozing or womanising;-)

QUAD's are keepin well BTW
--
Tony Sayer

Keith G wrote:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keith_g/show/2a3a.jpg

Stereo? What's the o/p valve? What are the little ones? Is the bottom-right
coil a PSU choke? What rectifier?

Where can I get a look at the cct diagram? :-)


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

"Wally" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

And rightly so - see this pic of the impending project......

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keith_g/show/2a3a.jpg
....wodger reckon - a bit *too* far the 'other way'....???

I'd put covers on the rest of the transformers. Apart from that, it looks
fine to me. (Better finish than my own DIY jobbie...)



Oops, better clear up any confusion - that ain't my work, that's a pic of
the amp I intend to build as a 'trial triode'!!

I need to sort this triode thing out for myself - half the world says
they're ****e, the other half says they're the very best sound
(holographic?) you can get (SE) and I sure as hell can't/wouldn't spend the
stoopid money for an exotic 'ready-made' number..!!

Assuming I don't short myself out, I'll be posting pix and and a description
of the build (f*ck-up?) when I'm done!

(Explanation: There's a shop over in the town that sells gerbils with more
'electronics knowledge' than I have.....!! :-)