Willsenton R8: Fixing Lead Dress and Grounding Faults.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- In this 2 part video, I show how to follow best practices with the wiring, both with lead dress for the tube heaters, but more importantly how to correctly lay out the grounding using the "Star ground" method. This also resolves what I consider a major flaw with how the output tubes are grounded.
This is a video series about the popular Willsenton R8 KT88 EL34 Push Pull tube audio amplifier. We will go through the repair this amp needs, testing and reviews of the amp as delivered, and then work on modifications to improve the sound quality and durability.
A great book for DIY amp building info!
Morgan Jones: Building Valve Amplifiers.
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You can buy this amplifier here
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Dear Steph, thanks to you and your videos about Willsenton R8, my friend was able to fix mine, which by my mistake (turning it on and off in a short time) one channel stopped working. Without you it would be an impossible mission. Extremely grateful!!! Davor
Glad I could help!
All what you do and did to this commercial hyped amplifier is correct to reestablish the real standards ( old school ) of building and designing a tube amplifier and will be helpfull to every person with a passion or interest in tube amplifiers , I can only congratulate you ..........
Thank you! :)
Most people would just ignore the headphone output on this kind of amp. Your changes just make good sense. Looks very clean.
Could be the efficiency of someone's speakers as well.
You're killing it in these videos! Awesome!
Thanks!
Hopefully, the factory will see this and build accordingly!
You are so refreshing to watch, your explanations are evidenced based & can't get enough of your videos!!! I'll slowly work on the bias wiring & eliminate the possibility of the amp from "red plating" or melting other components or parts of the amp, is definitely a must DO!. Again, thank you for your passion & wisdom & patience in showing & explaining the reasons for the rewire or upgrading from cheap electrolytic caps to better audio components without breaking the bank. I love this project you did. More power to you! God Bless!
Thank you!
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics ☝👍👌🙏
You are helping many people with this series
PLUS taking this already amazing budget Tube amp to another waaaaayyyy higher level & without a doubt + audible improvements! BRAVO!
Thanks Stephe! As I said before these videos are not only informative but also a great addition to the hobby.
GREAT STUFF!!! I just got this amp and this is SOO helpful. PS- just emailed you. Thank you.
the owner will have an amp good for a lifetime.
The tubes will eventually get weak but the supporting circuitry will last a lifetime.
A higher quality sounding amp after the mods & retrofittings! PRICELESS! ☝👍⬆
The sound of clean output will emerge like an artesian spring from the sound of silence.
That's a great way of putting it!
you are amazing.. keey going with amazing info and support we love you
Thank you so much!
Another excelent and very well explained video!
Congratulations for all the great videos you made!
Thoroughly enjoyed this project. Thanks!
Looks really great Stephe. Have loved this video series and you have a great ability to teach as you go. I have recently entered the tube DIY sphere (just finished by first amp - Bottlehead Crack/speedbacll). Are you planning to publish a BOM on your website? It would really help as i'd like to go through your mods methodically looking at my amps current layout and building to your designs. The BOM would help as I believe not every person who has bought this amp has the same components (e.g. the same resistors in the same places) and i am not sure i should be driven by what's in there currently.
Absolutely plan to do a BOM, but I will not post anything until I am 100% finished as people will complain if I post it early and then need to change even 1 resistor. I made that mistake in the past when people were impatient for a BOM, listed it before I was 100% done testing, changed two resistors and a few people lost their minds over having to pay more shipping on those 2 changes lol.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics That's so good. Thanks so much. You are fantastic for the community Stephe - people should go easy.
Hi Derek, I also use the Bottlehead Crack with the Speedball upgrade. It really was a fun build and it sounds fantastic. A great way to get into tube related audio equipment 👍
Another great vid ❤
Great video, my amplifier has the same symptoms. At low and high volume, the background noise is small, but at half volume you can hear that noise. And I can add the fact that the third tube (EL34-6AC7-PHILIPS-MULLARD BLACKBURN XF2-B3H2) reddened more than the others. I changed them with others (El34) and it seems to work. I don't know what caused the problem with that tube, but it seems compromised.
Let's go. I've been waiting for this video. Thank you to the amp owner for agreeing to remove the headphone jack.
I'm amazed at all the crappy looking soldering joints in this amp! Also, why not just use shielded cable for all the heater wiring?
Twisted pairs routed intelligently work fine.
I have a willsenton r-800i with 805 and i do have left channel crackle while in mute mode on my high sensitive 106db speakers. The right channel is fine, overall sound is pretty nice. I guess some grounding problems too in this amp.
Not sure, those amps scare me. A made in China amp with 1000VDC inside it....
Stephe, thank you for another great video. And thank you for you straight forward honesty . Interesting enough I have exactly the two hiss problem you mentioned., and yes the noise is there 1. Noise/hum at the 12’oclock on the VC , 2. Weird pitchnoise/ hum from the tube phono preamp (D.Sach). Is the solution to remove the headphone jack + wiring ? And/or removal of hug 115/230v switch ?
Thank you, you’re fantastic ! Looking forward for the listening impression :)
I think this is mostly from the grounding + headphone jack but likely is partly from the heater wiring and using one leg of the output tube heater to ground their cathode. All of that is done poorly IMHO.
What a lucky guy who gets his poorly populated but just goodlookin chinese amp upgraded to far and beyond average standards; i'd have the patience to wait till wonderful Skunkie says it's done, come pick it up and pay the expenses with JOY.
Thanks for the video. Is there any reason the screw just to the right, as seen on close-up view, cannot be used as a chassis ground point?
Either direction is fine.
Niiiiiice
Like
please consider opening up the 800i?
I am
My Primaluna changes to Tube Output Amp for headphones with a flick of a switch
I like that idea much better.
Arr you intending to compare the THD after you’re done with the mods?
Today I plan to do final testing and play with the GNFB on my scope.
Puts on Stevie Wonder record....hears Dwight Yoakum for some weird reason! :D
HA! I was like WTH lol
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics 🤣
Nice. Skunkie dabbing on HIFI nerds.