The challenge
This project certainly is not finished, it just has started. I designed a universal valve amplifier and created the transformers to build this amp.
First Announcement of The Vanderveen Project
March-23-2005: Lecture for the Dutch Acoustic Society (NAG), Utrecht
Second Announcement of The Vanderveen Project
Audiophiles and musicians like valve amplifiers; they sound so good. There are different ways how to get access to this sound: (1) buy an amp and just enjoy it, or modify the amp with special capacitors and resistors and valves; (2) build your own special fantastic amp.
Third Announcement of The Vanderveen Project
The power valves of the more than 20 amps of the project are universal available valves, like the EL34/6CA7, 6L6, 6550, KT66/88. Even the newest version (octal base) of the EL156 is very happy in this project. With these tubes the different amplifiers can be constructed (in mono block or stereo version) with output powers ranging from 5 to 80 Watts, intended for high-end or PA or guitar applications. In all amps, the driver tube is the well known 12AT7 (ECC81).
Part 1: The philosophy of The Vanderveen Project
The Vanderveen Project uses the design philosophy of the old times. In those days the quality of the design was far more important than audiophile components; optimal schematics and design were at the center of attention. The magnificent amplifiers of those days prove the validity of this approach.