Pre and Headphone Amplifier project by Pete Millet
Starving Student II
Starving Student II
Description
The Starving Student II is a hybrid tube/solid state headphone amplifier and pre-amplifier. 48VDC is fed via in from a high quality universal-voltage Meanwell power adapter. It has dual RCA inputs, with a 1/4” jack for headphones and another pair of RCA outputs for use as a pre-amplifier.
BOM and schematics are inside Pete's excellent SSII assembly instructions. 6L6 has prepared a beautiful SSII step-by-step build guide. The SSII information directory contains links to every SSII resource.
Both the parts kit and chassis will ship immediately from our US warehouse at the same time. You can ask questions and discuss your build in the SSII discussion thread on diyAudio.
Features
- Can be used as a headphone amplifier or pre-amplifier
- Includes two 18FX6 vacuum tubes, functioning as triodes
- Choice of resistor or CCS plate loading for preferentially lower distortion or softer clipping, using a blue LED to bias CCS and light the tubes
- Time delay muting circuit to allow the tubes to warm up
Specifications
| Spec | Plate load | 150 ohm load | 30 ohm load |
| Gain (at max volme setting) | CCS | 20 dB | 18 dB |
| Resistor | 17 dB | 16 dB | |
| Frequency response +/-3dB | CCS | 11Hz - 40kHz | 18Hz - 40kHz |
| Resistor | 12Hz - 50kHz | 20Hz - 50kHz | |
| Frequency response 20Hz-20kHz | CCS | +/- 0.8dB | +/- 1dB |
| Resistor | +/- 0.8dB | +/- 1dB | |
| THD+N 1V 1kHz | CCS | 0.47 % | 0.15 % |
| Resistor | 1.8 % | 1.3 % | |
| Maximum output @ 5% THD | CCS | 9.9 V RMS | 2.5 V RMS |
| Resistor | 3.1 V RMS | 2.4 V RMS |
We also have available a zip archive containing 12 different SSII graphs.