DIY, Don't like your pre-amp? Build your own!
By Erik Hanson 
posted Dec 31st 2007 9:56AM
posted Dec 31st 2007 9:56AM
If you're big into do-it-yourself electronics, and feeling like your existing off-the-shelf pre-amplifier just isn't cutting it, Hack a day has the plans for you, with schematics and photos of a 7.1-channel pre-amp design sporting RCA, SPDIF, XLR, and USB inputs, and a VFD display to show you what's going on. The design is very professional-looking, and despite the glaring lack of analog tubes, it's sure to please any soldering audiophiles.
I have actually been tossing around the idea of building my own tube amplifier from kits, but they still are really expensive.
I'm worried I'd blow up something.
Would be fun though...if you were confident enough to do it.