confessions of an audiophile (hifi geek)
Not only do I own hideously expensive speakers and turntable, but I use valve amplifiers (that's vacuum tubes for you 'merkins) for the entire signal chain.
If you think that's bad enough, not only do I use valve electronics, but I built the damn things four years ago from kits sold through a Hifi magazine. only 15 watts but plenty loud enough for me.
I'm planning to build another amplifier from scratch over the winter.
(f_rev, Thu 4 Nov 2010, 23:01, 3 replies)

Will you knit a cover for it as well? That is awesome building your own.

(boozehound is drinking your bar dry, Fri 5 Nov 2010, 4:08, closed)

I quite fancy trying that.
How much are the amp. bits and from where do you get them?
( Awk Industries is actually a helic- NO, STAY BACK SHARK!, Sat 6 Nov 2010, 22:53, closed)

you can get kits from
world designs, hifi collective or diyhifisupply.

Or you could order various capacitors & resistors from RS, get some valve bases from eBay and get a company to custom wind you mains and output transformers.

be warned though, even the simple EL84 needs around 350v. 300Bs around 4-500v
just don't even think about 211s or 845s; 1.2kv
(f_rev, Wed 10 Nov 2010, 13:11, closed)