In which part of an amp build would you spend extra dough for high end parts?

[soundguruman]

Haha ! For the 3/4 points, i would actually put them on the same level, but you're right because caps are cheap, where NOS tubes...

My reply was more to the question "What can influence the overall sound of the amp, and therefore deserve more money if possible/needed ?"
Anyway good speakers are not necessarily expensive (if you love the Blue, bad luck) nor are the PT/OT (at least when you live in the US) and the 80/20 rule is absolutely true, there's always a point beyond which fine tuning the circuit is way more sensible than buying a costly OT etc...
I love NOS MAZDA 6V6, but the marginal gain of "quality" to my ears is not worth their usual price.

The 80/20 rule was invented by makers of fake SVTs, in China.
What matters is that it's built right (to last) and that it sounds good.
Whatever the parts cost to make it sound good (and last), that's what I'll pay.

If you can afford really nice parts, more power 2 you. Use 'em! I do. (But who cares what I do? nobody.)

[mort]

Here's a related question for you guys:

Do you think there is value in using over-speced resistors?

In the few builds that I've done I used alot of 1W resistors where it called for 1/2 watt. I know that either will work just the same, but I guess it just seems like a decent upgrade for very little extra money.

[soundguruman]

Here's a related question for you guys:

Do you think there is value in using over-speced resistors?

In the few builds that I've done I used alot of 1W resistors where it called for 1/2 watt. I know that either will work just the same, but I guess it just seems like a decent upgrade for very little extra money.

I would say that there are advantages, mostly in very long term reliability.
But you really don't see the advantage until several years down the road.
I do use 1W instead of 1/2 pretty frequently, if it fits in the space.
The repeated thermal cycling of resistors does cause gradual breakdown over long periods of time.

[soundguruman]

I would say that there are advantages, mostly in very long term reliability.
But you really don't see the advantage until several years down the road.
I do use 1W instead of 1/2 pretty frequently, if it fits in the space.
The repeated thermal cycling of resistors does cause gradual breakdown over long periods of time.

If you are looking at the average carbon composition resistor, it's held together with glue.
Over years, cracks or gaps will form in the carbon, more heat dissipation probably slows the process down.

[diagrammatiks]

transformers definitely. don't skimp on your transformers.

I guess you could put speakers up there but unless you are building a dedicated combo, I don't really consider speakers to be part of the amp.

nice big resistors are easier to work with unless you have a pcb or turret board that's spaced for a specific size in which case it becomes a nightmare to overspec.

Unless I'm working with carbon comp resistors I never use 4/5 band resistors because I hate reading color bands.