Description
This is our classic line preamp (with no tone controls) based on the Aikido topology and recently revised. It is a very sweet sounding preamp with a perfect balance of treble and bass, neither one overpowering the other. This is the preamp you want to use if you do not wish to have tone controls.
The Aikido uses four 12AX7 triode’s. The PCB is manufactured to FR4-TG standards with ground planes on both sides to improve screening as well as component screen printing to make assembly easier. A set of assembly instructions is also included. However, tubes are not included.
The Aikido will also work with most solid state amps, but, there will always be exceptions and we cannot advise which solid state amps may require an impedance matching circuit, as there are just too many variables.
Effective output impedance for our Aikido with is 180 OHMS. Volume control MUST be 100K and balance control MUST be 250K!
NOTE: the tubes require a 24VDC supply for the filaments, not 6.3V or 12.6VDC!
Please note that the photos are a general indication, and component colors and style can and will vary.
An important note regarding the AIKIDO: since this preamp uses four tubes, the original Dynaco PA211 power transformer will not be able to handle the additional filament current demanded by the two additional tubes. You will need to use one of our regulated power supply kits, details of which can be found on our power supply kits page.
