Is that $70k tube only headphone bloviator even theoretically possible?

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Blue Jinn

Blue Jinn

Rider of the ARPocalypse
I need to post this over the place, but that "tubes only" headphone amp, is it even theoretically possible? I don't really understand tubes *that well* but let's suppose he found some elves somewhere to roll the perfect triode, would that even work? Directly heated cathode, somehow using the battery and the headphones as a load????
 
Sorry - no idea what on earth you are asking? What "tubes only" headphone amp?
 
No, it wont work. No B+, no plate or grid connections, no bias supply, no conduction, no amplification, no nothing other than a 70K$ hole in your wallet.
It looks like only the heaters are hooked up to the tube sockets, and the battery to them. Maybe that is the sellers idea of "tube warmth"?
 
It would be fairly easy to make an all valve headphone amplifier.

I assume for audiophile quality we must eschew transformers so we could use paralleled triodes.

I would gladly come out of retirement and build a stereo unit for say £7000 (inc shipping to the Sates!).

Three NE5532s per chan' however would give you vastly lower distortion and noise, and at a fraction of the cost!

Dave.
 
No, it wont work. No B+, no plate or grid connections, no bias supply, no conduction, no amplification, no nothing other than a 70K$ hole in your wallet.
It looks like only the heaters are hooked up to the tube sockets, and the battery to them. Maybe that is the sellers idea of "tube warmth"?

Well I did literally have to get some "tube warmth" from an HF transmitter once...It was damn cold outside.

I'm thinking even if he had some tube manufactured in Middle Earth, with perfect parameters, I still can't see it working, even with Elvish magic.

I couldn't let this go, apparenlty it cost half as much a year ago...

Quite possibly the greatest amp ever! [Archive] - Club Polk

@ecc83 the guy is talking about one tube and one battery, oh and four pieces of wire, **nothing** else.
 
Well I did literally have to get some "tube warmth" from an HF transmitter once...It was damn cold outside.

I'm thinking even if he had some tube manufactured in Middle Earth, with perfect parameters, I still can't see it working, even with Elvish magic.

I couldn't let this go, apparenlty it cost half as much a year ago...

Quite possibly the greatest amp ever! [Archive] - Club Polk

@ecc83 the guy is talking about one tube and one battery, oh and four pieces of wire, **nothing** else.

Well? Its vintage now, what did you expect?
 
If you guys want to save a fortune on it. I'll do a DIY kit for you. Literally pennies on the dollar, I can probably save you 90% compared to this guy. Whos in? Ill call it the BHA (Bloviator Headphone Amp)
 
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