Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

Grannyring,
Yes, I am certainly learning a lot. It's a good feeling to know that I can take the bottom of the chassis off and fix or upgrade anything I want. Like, on a trivial letter, when I got the amp back from the local "repair" shop (sorry for the sarcasm), the speaker binding posts and input selector switch were both loose. On a factory built amp, I'd have been all upset. On my Kit 1, I just took the chassis bottom cover off and tightened a few lock nuts. What a nice feeling!

Almarg,
You are amazing: bingo and bingo!
What Brian explained to me is that the ceramic caps (C1, 2, 3 and 4) perform some sort of filtering function and aren't in the signal path at all. The reason there are two sets of pads in the PCB is that the PCB (which is an original Audio Note design) can accommodate more than one size/type of cap in that position, and the two sets of holes take two different kinds of caps. As they are right now, they're shorted out and not doing anything, but that doesn't effect the troubleshooting we're doing.

Gsm,
Don't be discouraged. I'm not! Remember that I was working with an incomplete version of the revised Assembly Manual. You'd be working with something much more complete, refined and in line with the latest version of the kit. It's a lot of fun and, as Grannyring said, you learn so much.

A super cool thing about DIY that I have found most enjoyable is the subtle and not so subtle changes in sound when I change out one part for another. If one wants a bit more "old school" warmth in their system, dont go out and buy a new speaker cable or interconnect, put in an oil cap and Allen Bradley resistor in cathode of your driver tube. One guy I know has a seriously upgraded AN DAC and he loaded the circuit with Allen Bradley resistors. He loves the sound and I got to hear it and yes it is way cool sounding. He took a point of view and went with it and can always undo it later on if the mood strikes. Look under the hood of a Ken Shindo amp or preamp...you will find all sorts of vintage parts. I got lots of ideas after googling Shindo and viewing the innards. To much warmth in your system? Try an Audio Note Tantalum or Vichay Nude Resistor in the driver cathode. I settled on AN Tants on my driver tube. They gave me all of the musicality of the Allen Bradley's with a bit less warmth. Some amps have electrolytic caps in their power supplies. Replace one or two of them with oils and listen to how smooth and liquid your amp will sound. I am currently experimenting with hi quality Wima caps in my power supply. Dont get me started on coupling caps :) Lots of fun to be had with them. Being able to change out parts in a SET amp yields very interesting changes in sound since they have so few parts to begin with and it is very empowering to have so much control and spending so little money. So much of this hobby is very expensive...cost come way down and satisfaction goes way up when one enters the DIY arena.

Rebbi,

Where in the circuit are the caps C1 thru C4? Since the silk screen on the board shows a physically much larger size cap for those four, did they modify the original circuit or simply send you the four mylar caps by mistake. Good luck, you're in the homestretch now!
Ron

Jet, you are so right and I so do that! Let me share with you my most recent find for the power supply of tube amps and preamps. I have used the large computer grade electrolytics and recently tried the oil types from GE & ASC. I like the oil types and have mixed them with Mundorf MLytics when more capacitance is needed.

However, nothing prepared me for the sonic breakthrough that resulted when I placed 100% Clarity TC film caps in my Preamp. Oh my. Go look at Parts Connextion and see the TC 600 series of film power supply caps. With no electrolytics in my preamp and these killer TC caps things really opened up and the life like sound of voice and instrument is SOTA.

They are large and you need room under the hood so some gear won't accommodate them unfortunately. TC caps come in 600vdc values with up to 500uf of capacitance. They simply sound spectacular. Since my preamp is tube voltage regulated, and I cannot overstate the importance of tube regulation done right, I was not sure how much these TC film caps would help over the computer grade electrolytics. The bottom line is they are really a sonic joy.

These are the sorts of improvements only DIY initiatives and curiosity will uncover. Since starting my DIY journey I am happy to say the sonic gains in my system are unprecedented and I have learned so much.

Lots of great gear out there designed by brilliant folks and companies. They can often times be brought to the next level with DIY initiative and passion.