I'm thinking about building a point-to-point Clementine or GSG to use with my Budgie line stage (I'm currently using the line stage with the power section of an '80s NAD integrated amp).
A few initial questions are below. My sources are digital and vinyl. I listen in a small apartment at moderate volumes through Pioneer BS21 speakers (which seem to have a fairly low sensitivity of 84dB) and Stax headphones (not sure of the sensitivity, but I doubt they need much power; the perceived volume at a given output level seems higher than with the Pioneer speakers). I listen to a lot of classic rock and jazz, with some classical, and my tastes in audio equipment are probably closer to the "precise" end of the spectrum; transparency and imaging are important, and I like to hear the quality of the source, rather than coloration induced by my system. Thanks in advance!
1. Given my system, which amp do you think is preferable? Would either be suitable?
1a. If the Clementine is suitable, which version would be best? I believe the Ultra version has lower gain and more power, so I thought it might be better. Again, I am using a Budgie line stage, so hopefully that combination would work well.
2. What are the general subjective tonal characteristics of the Clementine and GSG? And how different are the input sensitivity, power, THD, etc.? My impression from searching this forum is that the Clementine 6L6 and Ultra both have somewhat similar characteristics to the GSG, but I'm not sure this is right.
3. Would a DIY ST35 be overkill for my system? I was thinking about ordering the Triode kit without chassis (I want to use an oak and aluminum chassis to match my Budgie line stage), or perhaps making a PTP version with Edcor transformers. I like the idea of lower-cost, readily available new production tubes, but I'm not sure I need that much power and I like the simplicity of the other designs.