"Andre Jute" wrote


PPS The SEX kit as above is super for what you want; SEX stands for
Single Ended eXperimenter's amp but the carriage from Poulsbo near
Seattle will be a killer. A super kit if it is still made is the Arion
Adonis (their base the last time I heard was in Northern Ireland),
about 20W from 5881, lovely casework with a polished stainless
topplate and excellent transformers designed by the sainted Simon
Shilton.


Hah!

The valve amp that was my introduction to valves (and slammed the door
shut forever on SS amps for music playback for me) was an Arion 'Tycho'
(still with the astronomical references today!) - ran as hot as a
blacksmith's forge with the odd red-hot resistor here and there, but
with a fabulous *fully Class A* sound from 8 x 5881 power valves. I only
got rid because it was a great big, complex bugger that needed a bit of
attention and because I had built my own not long after getting it.

It was also a bit humungeous:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Arion01.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Arion02.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Arion03.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Arion04.JPG


:-)

Sadly, Arion Acoustics went bust in 1997, I believe...