Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

It would be a good idea to check the ohmage from B+ to ground before you apply power. With no power on, and the tubes removed, I would guess the proper ohmage would be a couple thousand Ohms. Also make sure the caps are discharged before the test.

I've smoked a lot of projects in my 40 years of building things. =-} Haste makes waste.

Roxy -
The Assembly Manual says at the end, "The sound of the kit1 will change quite a bit over the first month as it burns in – you will also smell the transformers burning in – this is normal."
So it sounds like you're on target.

Beginning test phase. Rechecking interwiring connections and then power up without tubes to try some voltage checks. Woo-hoo!

Well, the amp is entirely built. Voltages check out fine, so this weekend I'll be hooking it into my rig and checking out the sound, making sure there's no hum issues, etc!

Play it on Salvation Army $10 speakers first. I always test on throw away speakers first as an FYI.