Good valve kit ?

[Lozzle]

Hi all,
I've been a keen hifi enthusiast for a number of years now and have finally decided to have a go at the DIY approach. I had set my heart on one of the lower priced WAD valve amp kits, but to my horror (as you already know) they have gone bust.

Could anyone please suggest an alternative ? I've had a good browse on the net , but couldn't find as many kits as I had hoped for. However, the Stoekit ones seem quite good. Anyone have an opinion?

All info will be greatly appreciated

Lozzle

[Ianm2]

there are a few alternatives, goodness knows how but there is a burgening diy community, I don't know how such a small scale thing can support so many suppliers.

Anyway, best advice if you can, is sit and wait here, as this company is in negotiation I believe to obtain the ashes of wad. And some good new designs may be forthcoming.

Depends what you want but if you have to have one now, there are bottlehead and welborne in the states, and diyhifisupply in hong kong.

silktransformers do a really nice looking el84 kit amp that's cheap and a good intro.

[Lozzle]

Cheers Ian.

In your opinion do you think it is worth waiting for WD to pick up the WAD old stock? Were WAD that much better than everyone else?

Obviously I can wait, but I'm getting restless. I'm currently having to put up with an all-in-one midi system. Aaarrrggghh.

[Ianm2]

wad has a certain attraction to it.

[JerryT]

Lozzle

I'm biased (class A of course). WAD/World Designs have a very helpful community around them, with years and years of experience - and the WAD designs have been very, very well received (because they sound good and respond to tweaks well).

I waited to get my kits and don't regret it. Hang on if you can!

If not there is a whole new world of buying 'old' quality components cheaply and making them better - see the threads on the Quad 303 power amp - for example.

As I remember my father telling me many, many years ago. "A good experience after a nearly unendurable wait is much better than a disappointment in an hour's time". He is tone deaf so I don't know what he was using as his example, but I think the idea applies!

Jerry