[sdiy] tube amp

[anthony]

>> I'm making a monoblok amp from 3 EL84's.
>
> I'm curious... what is the third EL84 for?
>
It's a 100% Class A, parallel, single-ended design. The fourth one I have is 
cracked open or I might have done a stereo push-pull. But I really like how 
single-ended amps sound.

I may end up hooking 'em up in triode mode, but probably not. I was going to 
add a switch to switch back and forth between solid state and tube 
rectifiers, but the rectifier I'm using is a 6AX5GT and I'm pretty sure it 
can handle. I had thought it'd be cool to get a little sag out of a slightly 
small rectifier, but then I remembered, duh, I'm running it 100% Class A. If 
the rectifier is indeed too small I think it'll just sound like crap then. 
The voltage drop from the rectifier might actually be too much in this app 
(given the current it may need). If so then I might give it and put 
solid-state rectifiers in, but I'd probably look for a bigger octal 
rectifier first. Still the proof is in the pudding...

I have 4 6AQ5A's and I may do a stereo push-pull amp with those. But the 
chassis I thought I'd use for it only has three 7-pin sockets so that may 
dictate what I do. (If I decide to use a little pentode for the front-end 
that is).