building a Darling?

sweet & juicy SE amp for 1626 Darlings and the 6L6 family

building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:18 am

Hello Tom and all the Darling experts.
I'm in process of gathering parts for a Darling build with diode rectification.
Just read Kevin Davis Glow In The Dark Audio site about the Darling he had Tom build for him.
It used a tube for the rect. Would I benefit using a rect. tube rather than sil. diodes?
If so, which tube would that be? Any circuit mod needed?
thank you for the help.

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Re: building a Darling?

Postby Geek » Sun Jul 17, 2016 9:30 pm

Depends on the rectifier.

I can hear a definate difference between silicon and 5U4, 5R4, 5Y3, but no difference between silicon and a GZ34 for example.

Cheers!
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:50 am

so is the "definate difference" you hear better or worse.? Hopefully better.
Thanks.
pete42

PS: does rect. tube need any circuit mod.?
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby Geek » Mon Jul 18, 2016 2:11 pm

Funny thing with audio - trust your own ears. There is no one better, they are all just different.

Audio is like food.... some people like chuck, some like strip, some like the fillet.... personal taste makes one "better" for some people, but they're all great ;)

As for circuit mod, don't think so. I didn't. But I design/build everything with a 2:1 headroom, so.... O:)
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:35 pm

so all the tube rects sounded good to you. but neither one sounded any "better" than the sil. diodes.
Therefore there would be no great benefit/sound improvrment to use a tube rect.
I think thats what you are trying to tell me.
Forgive me if I don't get your meaning imediatly.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby Geek » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:16 pm

For my personal tastes, I like the 5U4.

My customers like the 5Z3.

For power, nothing beats SS or a GZ34. But you tend to "lose some tubiness" because of the lower supply impedance.

You just have to "roll" them and use the one you like ;)

Cheers!
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:50 pm

OK. I will do that.
Thanks geek.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:18 pm

This afternoon I finished the PTP wireing of a Mcnally/ Danielak Darling amp with the 12SL7 input.
Tomorrow it's pwr up time.
But first I would like to know the expected B+ and B++ voltages. I seem to have misplaced them in all my research info I collected
on the Darling.
Can some one help me out?
I'll post pics if it dont smoke.
Thanks. It was a fun project, as they all should be..
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Sun Aug 21, 2016 7:52 am

OK so diytube has gone home.
I powerd it up with no smoke.
tubes lit up.
B+ came up to 270.
B++ only about 235 or so.
that seems low but I dont know.
Can someone tell me what B++ is suppose to be?
THANKS.
ps: IT passes and amplifies a signal on both chs. equally so thats good.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby WA4SWJ » Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:06 am

Looks like you're in the ball park. The manual provides a voltage chart. Check it out.

Congrats!! Hope it sounds great.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:29 am

thanks WA4 but there is no mnl for the Danialak darling that I could find.
this isn't the PC bd version.
It is my scratch build from the McNally/Danialak schematic. It's abit diff from shannon's PC bd clemintine.
But if my B++ voltage sounds ok thats good enuf for me.
Thanks.
PS: I'll chk the shannon voltage chart.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby TomMcNally » Sun Aug 21, 2016 4:18 pm

Hi Pete -

I think I've build about 45 Darling variants, the 12SL7 version, the original Danielak version, and the Clementine/Darling. I rarely look at voltages, I turn them on and listen !

... tom
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Sun Aug 21, 2016 4:46 pm

I understand Tom, but your 45 to my 1, 1st scratch build totaly without instructions from the schematic
says to be sure I did everything rite I should check PS voltages to see how they are. Then if ok go ahead and
run a bench test for operation wathcing a scope. Then in the house on speakers playing music.
Thats the sort of tek I am. It in my jeans.
All thats left is the music bit.
I;ll post pics later.
Thanks for the encouraging words.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Mon Aug 22, 2016 1:01 pm

Pics of the Darling I built.
Critics welcome.
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Re: building a Darling?

Postby pete42 » Mon Aug 22, 2016 7:42 pm

WOW!!!!!!!!!
My Darling sounds fantastic. Way better than I expected.
Sounds like my ST35 power wise but the sound is way more detailed
and clear I think. Smooth. Airy. Very easy to listen to.
Really glad I built one finally.
They are all they're kraked up to be.
What a difference 3/4 of a watt makes.
I used 10w edcore OPTs and it seems to do just fine with them.
I saw all the others were using 15watts. Why, when all it can do is 3/4 watt
But no matter. I'm just amazed at the SQ that it produces.
Don't need more.
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