Latest Project: Tube-based Bookshelf System

 I’m back! As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been doing a lot tech-wise since I wrote that article about Windows Phone (RIP), and have a bunch of projects and topics to cover. I’ll start with my current obsession.

I’ve been working remotely for the last few years and didn’t have great audio options in my home office. Until last week, it was either “play through the computer speakers” or “play through my smart speaker.” I have a set of Logitech Z323 2.1 speakers connected to the computer, which are decent but not amazing, and a Google Nest Mini, which is ok for music if there is no other option available. I don’t like using the computer speakers because all sounds from the computer go through them by default, so if I turn it up for music I also get loud Windows notifications, etc. as well, and the Nest Mini can only play stuff I could stream and, as I mentioned, is not that great for music.  

I didn’t set out with a specific plan to upgrade my office audio. In the last month or so, I’ve been building  my home studio capabilities (I’ll post about that soon) and Amazon started putting “related suggestions” on my landing page. One of the items that it suggested was the Douk Audio P1 HiFi Bluetooth 5.0 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amp/USB DAC/Preamplifier. I took a look out of curiosity and thought it might be fun to try out, and that led to me deciding to make something for better sound in my office. This post provides an overview of what I bought and how I hooked it up. I will post reviews of the various components that provide more detail on the specific items in the near future.


The Douk Audio preamp is an interesting component. It has a very small footprint, which makes sense as it is marketed as a headphone amp. It comes with two 6J5 Chinese-made vacuum tubes, the Bluetooth antenna, and a short USB-A to USB-B cable for connecting to a computer or mobile phone (with adapter), and a power brick. On top it has brass controls that include a large volume knob and bass/treble tone controls, as well as the tube sockets (with brass rings around them). On the front you have the power button and switches for input, tone control bypass, and tube lighting (they have blue or orange LEDs under the tubes). The back has the line in, line out, and USB connections as well as the antenna. Setup was easy – insert the tubes, attach the antenna, plug it in, and you’re good to go. It seems to be a very well-built preamp and has a nice retro look to it.  

Image of tube amplifier from top


I paired the preamp with a set of Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers. They’re large enough to have a decent sized woofer without being overwhelming on my shelf. If you look at the specs, you’ll see that they actually have the capability to be a stand-alone system as there are 2 line inputs, one optical, one coax, and Bluetooth. Edifier makes a set that just has one line input that costs about 20-30 dollars less that would work well with the setup. I got these for two reasons. First, I could get them delivered at the same time as the preamp. Second, in the event that the preamp was not up to the task, I’d still be able to do most of what I wanted to do. They are well packaged and come with everything you need, including an RCA line cable, an optical cable, speaker wire to connect the two speakers together, and a power brick. The design is simple and straightforward. The front is just the speaker grille with a silver stripe in the middle and the Edifier logo at the bottom. The right speaker has volume and tone controls on the right side, and the connections on the back, and the left is a passive speaker with an input for the wires from the right speaker. These speakers sound great and compliment the preamp well.

I rounded out the system with a Chromecast Audio that I picked up a few years ago (unfortunately they don’t make those any more), and an old Sony Blu-Ray player that we never used (to play CDs). I also picked up a set of upgraded tubes (based on suggestions in Amazon reviews) and a 16-foot USB-A to USB- B cable so I could connect the system with my desktop computer.

After using the system for a week, I am very satisfied with it. The Edifier speakers have a nice relatively flat sound signature (some reviews call them “studio monitors”) that lets you hear the lows, mids, and highs without favoring one. I prefer that in my systems – I would rather hear music closer to what the sound engineer was working with. If a particular song sound off, I can always use software EQ or the tone controls to adjust it if I feel like it. That said, the speakers do have decent bass response and have handled almost everything I’ve thrown at it. There is one song (Doin’ it Right by Daft Punk) where the lowest bass notes go below the 55 Hz the speakers support). The Douk’s DAC works well, and I love being able to play anything that I can on my PC to the system. I set my music programs (Foobar2000 and Amazon Music) to use the preamp/DAC in Advanced settings so my computer speakers handle all the Windows stuff. CDs sound good too, though since I have most of them ripped to FLAC I don’t use that as much. The Edifiers work well with the Chromecast Audio, which I connected via 1/8” optical to TOSLINK cable. I just have to remember to switch inputs if I want to cast music using Google (like when I get my morning news or am playing music to the whole house). It’s a nice change from a typical “box with speakers” bookshelf and provides flexibility to add/remove components as I see fit.

If you’re interested in building something similar, here are links to the pieces I bought on Amazon. I don’t have any kind of affiliate program setup and don’t get any compensation for using these links – I’m just adding them for convenience.

Douk Audio P1: Amazon.com: P1 Bluetooth 5.0 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Hi-Fi Valve Headphone Amplifier Wireless Receiver Audio Decoder Preamp USB DAC APTX: Home Audio & Theater

Edifier R1280DB: Amazon.com: Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Optical Input - Wireless Studio Monitors - 4 Inch Near Field Speaker - 42w RMS - Wood Grain: Electronics

Alternate speakers – Edifier R1280T: Amazon.com: Edifier R1280Ts Powered Bookshelf Speakers - 2.0 Stereo Active Near Field Monitors - Studio Monitor Speaker - 42 Watts RMS with Subwoofer Line Out - Wooden Enclosure: Electronics

USB cable: Amazon.com: Amazon Basics USB 2.0 Printer Type Cable - A-Male to B-Male - 16 Feet (4.8 Meters): Computers & Accessories

Upgrade tubes: Amazon.com: Riverstone Audio - Tested/Matched Pair (2 Tubes) 7-Pin GE JAN 5654W Fully-Tested Vacuum Tubes - Upgrade for 6AK5 / 6J1 / 6J1P / EF95 - GE 5654W Platinum Grade Pair: Musical Instruments

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