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Model: Simple SE Category: Amplifier (Tube) Suggested Retail Price: $XX.XX Description: DIY Single-ended Triode Wired Pentode Main Amplifier Manufacturer URL: Tubelab Model Picture: View
Review by B. Scarpia on May 13, 2023 at 08:09:19
IP Address: 97.82.221.142Add Your Review
for the Simple SEI first built one of these back in the early 00's of this millenium. George Anderson, the designer, was about to be a victim of Motorola's Ft. Lauderdale Cellphone plant closing it's doors where he was a top R&D guy. He had already put Tubelab on the map with his very successful TSE 300B/2A3/45 amp and for reasons outlined at the top of the linked page, introduced the Simple SE.
The SSE was just what I was looking for at the time as I was quite wrapped up in the low-power, high efficiency cult. It was also my first "naked" kit with just a PCB for sale along with his well laid out online instructions and Bill Of Materials referenced to Digikey and Mouser. That hasn't changed but the instructions have become more comprehensive and better organized along with improvements to the design. There's also a a Tubelab discussion forum on diyaudio.com
The end of last year I was looking for something to build and because I didn't trust myself to work from a schematic anymore as I had done for a number of years due to the effects of aging, I decided to revisit the SSE. I had a Hammond 6K7VG power transformer and a 5H choke gathering dust from my first build and a lot of the necessary other parts on hand. So I paid the $40 and received a fresh board.
I populated the board in a couple of evenings with the resistors and tube sockets on top and all else on the reverse side as you will see if you click on the build links down the right hand side of the linked page. The board attached, as has become my custom, with 1/2" nylon stand-offs to an 1/8" aluminum plate sourced from Online Metals. The use of the 2 and 3 position terminal strips with appropriate PCB eyelets makes making all the connections a snap and allows for the rookie to fix rookie mistakes without damaging the board.
The photo shows everything wired up with the optional 100uF last power supply capacitor, the 2 big Solens.
Important new additions to the design are a CIL, Current Inrush Limiter, and a high voltage diode to protect new production tube rectifiers at turn on. Alternatively, one may build with a solid state rectifier and there's even provision for having both and switching between them.
The SSE build thread on the linked Diyaudio.com site will help you deal with parts shortages (thank you Mr. Putin) and any other obstacles you may encounter. You will also find comprehensive info on tube choices and high voltage power safety.
Now having some hours on my build and with Gold Lion KT-66s (the design will accommodate nearly any Tetrode, see the Tubes and Transformers section) onboard I'm comfortable recommending the SSE even to hardcore audiophiles. Keep in mind that there are just 4 to 6 Watts per channel being produced depending on Cathode resistor and output tube choice. As "how much power do I need for my XX dB sensitive speakers?" is among the most asked questions on any audio board and answers are all over the map, caveat emptor :-)
The sense of space, treble extension and the placement of instruments is very good. Kick drum is a little more in the direction of "thud" than "whack" but there's no hint of "one-note" bass through my 4 Pi speakers. As you might expect with the 6L6-like KT-66, the mid-range is as sweet as you would want with just a touch of cloudiness. Switching the KT-66's for Gold Lion KT-88's absolutely transforms the sound. Thud becomes Whack, acoustic and electric bass strings are more clearly vibrating, and all cloudiness departs from the mid-range. That 6L6 sweetness, though, is absent.
It's inarguable from the above that the SSE accurately outputs what you feed it due in large part I believe to it's clever Constant Current Source and the simplicity of it's design.
So why would you want a low power amplifier that doesn't evoke any Reichart-like Metaphors or lift any veils? One that's not eye candy (although I'm delighted with how the Cherry base turned out) or runs almost Class "A" hot? Well, with the $100 from Hawk Electronics 6K7VG PT (the sharp-eyed may detect that the photo when you click "view" is the bigger Hammond 374BX but it puts too much voltage out so the 6K7VG is the choice), $80 (one could spend less) Edcor GXSE OPT's, a $50 Hammond Box, $100 worth (not Gold Lions or NOS) of tubes, and another $200 in parts you'll have a great sounding amplifier for about $700 including the PCB.
Best of all, if, unlike me, you have any friends, you can tell them,
I built that
Product Weakness: It likely won't go with your LRS+ Product Strengths: Fully comprehensive, no ambiguities, easy to follow directions<br>Sounds really good, too Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: It is the amp, well, one of them Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): JE Labs 76 Line Stage Sources (CDP/Turntable): VPI Traveler Speakers: 4 Pi Cables/Interconnects: White Lightning Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, Female vocals, chamber Room Size (LxWxH): 12 x 15 x Room Comments/Treatments: 24x48x2 Time Period/Length of Audition: 20 hours Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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Topic - REVIEW: Tubelab Simple SE Amplifier (Tube) - B. Scarpia 08:09:19 05/13/23 (1)
- RE: REVIEW: Tubelab Simple SE Amplifier (Tube) - Daveslater 21:45:09 05/13/23 (0)
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