March 11, 2022

This Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Features a Nixie Tube Display and Motorized Volume Knob

from hackster.io

If you really care about the sound quality of your music, you aren’t going to be happy with the tinny sound of a cheap Bluetooth speaker or TV sound bar. Audiophiles can easily spend thousands of dollars on their home stereo systems. But, even among those enthusiasts, there is a lot of debate about which equipment is best.

Do you want absolutely clean audio that reproduces the recording with perfect accuracy, or a system that adds a bit of warmth? Justin Scott was going for the latter, and constructed a vacuum tube preamplifier with a built-in Nixie tube display and motorized volume knob.

As far as the general public is concerned, vacuum tubes are obsolete technological components. But for guitarists and audiophiles looking for a particular kind of sound, vacuum tube amplifiers are ideal. Technically, the “warm” sound of a vacuum tube amp is the result of minor distortion from the tubes, but it is pleasant enough to be desirable. Scott's build started with a high-end PH-16 phone preamplifier kit from tubes4hifi.com. A complete PH-16 kit costs more than $700 after shipping, but the quality is quite good. Even so, the PH-16 is a “no frills” design without any controls other than a power switch. Scott's modifications dramatically improve on that design.