Agree about the KEL.I have one myself.I find it a real giant-slayer.I've heard commercial stuff costing in the thousands that didn't equal this amp.Pretty much impossible to beat for the money IMHO!
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,031
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Agree about the KEL.I have one myself.I find it a real giant-slayer.I've heard commercial stuff costing in the thousands that didn't equal this amp.Pretty much impossible to beat for the money IMHO!
Senior Member
Location: norwich
Posts: 246
On the WD front:
i didn't have A CLUE about building electronics. everything you have heard about WD is true. They help you every step of the way and the forum will always help you out. check,check,check and check again. then wait for the smoke and bang!
on my first project - a kit6550, i had a dry joint and wired up all the valve bases wrong. but when i sorted it out and that rich valve sound came out of my speakers - it was a fantastic feeling of achievement.
hence the phono3 and the WD25ts
DO IT !!
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recovering audioholic
Technics: SL 1210 mk2 / KAB PS1200 psu /Trans-fi Terminator / AT-OC9MLII / WD ph3s /Bluesound node 2i/Musical Fidelity Ms3i/ WADkit 6550 / Tannoy revolution xt8f
Gareth.
Alien Entity
Location: North East UK
Posts: 6,358
I'm InSpace.
More WD...
I'll second all that's been said. I've never built a WAD kit but the newer WD ones are a pleasure to do.
In fact, if anyone want one but doesn't want to do the building, I'll do it for free!... I enjoy that sort of stuff so much I wouldn't want a penny!
Cheers....
Shian7
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Kudakutemo
kudakutemo
ari mizu-no tsuki
Though it be be broken -
broken again - still it's there:
the moon on the water.
- Choshu.
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,031
I'm inthescottishmafia.
One caveat I've heard regarding the KEL.Apparently the WAD ones are superior to the newer WD ones.I'm told they changed the supplier of the output trannies for a cheaper inferior version.
Sony Fanboi
Location: Mid Lincs
Posts: 1,445
I'm Buffet-blower.
Oooh....if I ever decide to give valves another whirl I'll give you a shout! The thought of me getting my fingers anywhere near several hundred volts of DC is a little too scary a prospect.Originally Posted by Shian7
In fact, if anyone want one but doesn't want to do the building, I'll do it for free!... I enjoy that sort of stuff so much I wouldn't want a penny!
Cheers....
Interesting point re the TX's in the WD amps vs the earlier WAD ones. I wonder if anyone can clarify this?
Edit: Just found a pic of a little trio of amps I had a year or 2 ago...
The A21's another amp I shoudn't have got rid of...
Last edited by Gromit; 09-10-2008 at 22:19.
Richard.
Round & round bits: LP12/Cirkus/Kore/Herc II/Roksan Nima/Hana EL
Megabits: Bluesound Node 2i/TEAC UD-H01 dac
Making it louder bits: Phonostage: Dynavector P75 Amp: Cyrus 8vs/PSX-R Speakers: Royd Sintra II
Connecting it together bits i/c's: Flashback Premier. Speaker cables: Van Damme Hifi
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,031
I'm inthescottishmafia.
What a coincidence! I have two of those amps still.
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,508
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Oi, Richard, I asked you a question earlier about belt-drives vs. direct-drives! When you've got a moment, like
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL, in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,031
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Regarding the KEL,I can't substantiate my comment except by saying more than one person has told me this.Whether the output trannies were actually changed or not I don't know for sure.The people who told me have heard for themselves though!
Senior Member
Location: Bristol, UK
Posts: 463
I'm Greg.
Hi Ali,
Certainly WD changed suppliers for all Tx's on all their kits after they bought out WD. The emphasis on the change was to go for better quality! I can't comment on what you've said because that is the first I've heard of it unless this is some confusion around the early WAD KeL84's that I think used torroidal O/P Tx's. They got better when they introduced the EI Tx's, but that was long before WD were on the scene.
We used the latest version at the Heathrow Show for a while. I was gobsmacked at it's capability. We were in a 90m sq room and through the WD25TXL's it coped very adequately! Not bad for 15 watts.
Anyone pondering getting into DIY could not go wrong with this little kit. It punches way above it's weight and is just £500 which for high end sound......yes, that's what you get, is an absolute bargain. As a learning kit it is ideal because the circuit is on PCB so it's soldering by numbers. Easy to do and as said above, there is a shed load of willing help if problems are encountered both here, on the WD website and of cause from WD themselves. It doesn't stop once it's built. You then have the option of revisiting, upgrading and even selecting replacement components so you get the exact balance you need for your system. If anyone is thinking of going in this direction and has not explored DIY before, this kit is a no brainer. I challenge anyone to buy one and then claim not to be satisfied!
Best wishes,
Greg
Last edited by Cotlake; 09-10-2008 at 23:11. Reason: added stuff
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 14,031
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Hi Greg,
Well I can't really comment as I've not heard it for myself,but a couple of people who have heard WAD and WD KEL's both told me the same thing.I can say I'm dead happy with mine(WAD) it's pretty much unbeatable for the money IMHO.
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