Posted by newsjeff [ 216.54.96.140 ] on January 11, 2004 at 19:17:57:
In Reply to: SET kits posted by Wayne Parham on January 08, 2004 at 16:24:11:
I don't have a list, but I've been looking over several kits to go with my Pi Theater 4s.
Indeed, Doc's kits look fantastic. For the money, they are a steal. I already have Doc's Foreplay preamp. So, a Paramour or Paraglow may be the next logical step for me. Several Theater 4 owners have had great results with the Paramours. Garland, Bill Epstein and several others here at the roundtable can attest to this.
I have narrowed my search down Doc's amps and two others. The DRD amps from Ron Welborne (Welborne Labs) look very well built. I like the simple design and the quality of parts. They have a great list of options, including both tube and SS rectification.
The third kit I am considering is the LadyDay+ from DIYHiFi Supply. Lots of good options with this 300b kit, too.
Right now, I am looking at a 300b with the Theater 4s. I would like a few more watts than I can get with a 2a3. I may be going against the grain, but I am leaning toward SS rectification. If done right, it seems to help with getting better bass. With the majority of my listening time spent with Rock, I think I may go with the SS.
I like the Sovtek 6N1P driver tubes Ron uses in his DRD amps, too. With all factors combined, I am leaning toward the DRD 300b at this point.
All three kits have a huge following the DIY community. I don't think I could go wrong with either of them. Doc, Ron and Brian Cherry with DIYHiFi Supply all seem to have very good support and customer service. I am thinking I may end up with a piece of equipment from all three companies. Doc's preamp, Ron's amp and Brian's new Bix turntable kit. That, along with Wayne's speakers and some DIY cables, and I should be very happy. Think of the all the tweaking that can be done with a system like this. All for less than $3,000.