Aikido (DIY Kit)

About the Aikido (DIY Kit)

The GlassWare Audio Design Aikido DIY Kit is a modular, tube-based line-stage preamplifier kit built around the Aikido circuit topology developed by John Broskie. The kit is supplied as a printed-circuit-board-based construction project rather than a complete enclosed preamplifier. Depending on the version selected, it may include the Aikido PCB, vacuum tubes, resistors, power-supply and heater-bypass capacitors, coupling capacitors, ceramic tube sockets, and PCB mounting hardware. The builder must provide or separately source a chassis, power transformer or suitable external power supply, controls, input/output connectors, wiring, and other enclosure hardware. The Aikido design is intended for flexible tube selection and component-value experimentation; exact performance therefore depends substantially on the PCB revision, tube type, operating voltage, component choices, load, and power supply. Available versions include octal and 9-pin stereo line-stage boards, with some revisions supporting separate or integrated high-voltage and heater supplies. The product is documented as a DIY line-stage amplifier and should not be confused with a completed commercial preamplifier.