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DIY audio: what are you building?


Paul Spencer

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Assembled but not wired. The PS section and output section have been pre-assembled and mounted underneath. 

 

Those who have been to my blog or own a copy of "Amp Book" know I don't always go for a traditional black top plate. This time I thought it would work well against the blond base. These RCA 6AS7s have been listed for over $100 each. I have four I bought years ago for a lot less. Genelex Gold Lion Gold E88CC pin up front and Alps pot.

PC103663 (800x600).jpg

 

PC103662 (800x600).jpg

Edited by mwhouston
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6 hours ago, mwhouston said:

Assembled but not wired. The PS section and output section have been pre-assembled and mounted underneath. 

 

Those who have been to my blog or own a copy of "Amp Book" know I don't always go for a traditional black top plate. This time I thought it would work well against the blond base. These RCA 6AS7s have been listed for over $100 each. I have four I bought years ago for a lot less. Genelex Gold Lion Gold E88CC pin up front and Alps pot.

PC103663 (800x600).jpg

 

PC103662 (800x600).jpg

The black top panel looks nice, there should be more of that

brass badge pops on it :)

 

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41 minutes ago, 125dBmonster said:

The black top panel looks nice, there should be more of that

brass badge pops on it :)

 

Mate, thanks for your nice comment. The last one was a commission job. This one is for me but I'll put it up for sale once I'm happy it's all sorted. Have another in the wings. 

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Finished the new tube HP amp - Sanctorum. Worked on the first turn on. Always pleasing. Sounds great but needs lots more hours. I promised an under the bonnet image and here is a few more.

 

I have always rubber mounted my power trannies to stop their vibration (50Hz) from getting into the tubes. If I have big chokes, often 5H or 10H I rubber mount them too. Tonight while listening to Sanctorum I could put my finger on the power tranni and feel the vibration but on the top plate where the tubes are mounted, nothing! I always felt it was a good idea and now absolute proof. Worst thing for any tube is vibration. Not on my watch!!!!

 

Under the bonnet, Testing and completed HP amp.

PC103662 (800x600).jpg

PC103663 (800x600).jpg

PC123664 (800x600).jpg

PC123666 (800x600).jpg

Edited by mwhouston
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@125dbmonster
Is that a pc passive CPU cooler I can see in the last amp build photo? If so are you using on a build?
I was thinking about trying these on the 4 channel Pass ACA build I did (and don't use because it runs too hot).

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1 minute ago, Upfront said:
15 minutes ago, Ittaku said:
Open baffles for my test run build on the speakers arrived today. emoji4.png
ayU7AxG.jpg

Read more  

Looking good so far mate. We'll done. What drivers are you putting in them?

Thanks! Full build gallery:

https://imgur.com/a/QItXO

Edited by Ittaku
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@Ittaku

Another flat panel system in progress, nice.

Get used to not hearing the box!

miniDSP for crossover the next step after the passive, or have you not thought that far ahead?

I found quite an improvement going to miniDSP and using the "Soundoctor" procedure, here http://www.soundoctor.com/testcd/Soundoctor_Test_CD_v2-7-2.pdf.

Look forward to your listening impressions when they are complete.

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5 minutes ago, soundbyte said:

@Ittaku

Another flat panel system in progress, nice.

Get used to not hearing the box!

miniDSP for crossover the next step after the passive, or have you not thought that far ahead?

I found quite an improvement going to miniDSP and using the "Soundoctor" procedure, here http://www.soundoctor.com/testcd/Soundoctor_Test_CD_v2-7-2.pdf.

Look forward to your listening impressions when they are complete.

Thanks. I actually am currently using a dpseaker dual core (built in DSP room correction) DAC and have a miniDSP which I never got to integrate (will sell it instead) as I just ordered a dspeaker x 4 which came out literally this week!  I'm not going with an active crossover as I have a lovely power amp (6 of which would be absurd cost) and I spent a heck of a lot on the passive crossover which took a long time to plan out and order. Thanks for the encouragement, I love the scanspeak drivers and it was their amazing woofer that is flat to 30Hz in free air that made me decide I finally had drivers that could all work in an open baffle. :)

Edited by Ittaku
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Picked up my OB baffles on Friday (thanks Murray !) and will be sanding and staining shortly. Anyone had experience staining Vic Ash/Tas Oak as these pieces tend to be more on the pink side ?

 

5a34b82771b78_IMG_0201-Copy.JPG.9862be8bfb773610b36ed71945d548ea.JPG

 

The pic above doesn't really show up the natural tone/pinkness but I wanted to get to something like my existing speakers which in the pic below is quite accurate:

 

5a34b86aa21b0_IMG_0202-Copy.JPG.b8f1b94f172d25bdaa9a335f35227976.JPG

 

 

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1 hour ago, jklow888 said:

Picked up my OB baffles on Friday (thanks Murray !) and will be sanding and staining shortly. Anyone had experience staining Vic Ash/Tas Oak as these pieces tend to be more on the pink side ?

 

G'day @jklow888

I have had good success with Wattyl 'Golden oak' stain to hide pink and bring out grain to a Teak colour. not dark.

http://www.wattyl.com.au/en/find-the-right-product/wood-care/Interior/DoorsandWindowFrames/Stains/WattylCraftsmanTraditionalStain.html

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2 hours ago, Gee Emm said:

I have had good success with Wattyl 'Golden oak' stain to hide pink and bring out grain to a Teak colour. not dark.

http://www.wattyl.com.au/en/find-the-right-product/wood-care/Interior/DoorsandWindowFrames/Stains/WattylCraftsmanTraditionalStain.html

@Gee Emm thanks - do you happen to have any pics of before and after with the Teak outcome ?

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On 12/12/2017 at 10:46 PM, mwhouston said:

Finished the new tube HP amp - Sanctorum. Worked on the first turn on. Always pleasing. Sounds great but needs lots more hours. I promised an under the bonnet image and here is a few more.

 

I have always rubber mounted my power trannies to stop their vibration (50Hz) from getting into the tubes. If I have big chokes, often 5H or 10H I rubber mount them too. Tonight while listening to Sanctorum I could put my finger on the power tranni and feel the vibration but on the top plate where the tubes are mounted, nothing! I always felt it was a good idea and now absolute proof. Worst thing for any tube is vibration. Not on my watch!!!!

 

Under the bonnet, Testing and completed HP amp.

PC103662 (800x600).jpg

PC103663 (800x600).jpg

PC123664 (800x600).jpg

PC123666 (800x600).jpg

What amp is that? Reminded me of a bottlehead crack

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15 hours ago, jklow888 said:

Picked up my OB baffles on Friday (thanks Murray !) and will be sanding and staining shortly. Anyone had experience staining Vic Ash/Tas Oak as these pieces tend to be more on the pink side ?

 

5a34b82771b78_IMG_0201-Copy.JPG.9862be8bfb773610b36ed71945d548ea.JPG

 

The pic above doesn't really show up the natural tone/pinkness but I wanted to get to something like my existing speakers which in the pic below is quite accurate:

 

5a34b86aa21b0_IMG_0202-Copy.JPG.b8f1b94f172d25bdaa9a335f35227976.JPG

 

 

Staining can be tricky if you haven't done it before, the same colour stain will look different on different timber species
Go to a paint store with a sample of timber, some will have boards of different timber already made up with different stain colours on it
You may need to thin the colour you choose to get the right shade you want (measure samples accurately and then make up enough to do the whole job!)
Remember the finished colour will be like the stain when it goes on wet, not after it has dried. Assuming it will be lacquered after staining.

Slop it on with a brush over the whole piece, rub in and wipe off with a rag. Don't do little bits at a time or you end up with overlapping double coats and an uneven finish. 
Wear disposable rubber gloves!

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Finally listening to temporary design. Glad I only built a temporary baffle. Initially it sounded pretty bad with all the bass completely sucked out. Did some tweaking of the subwoofer crossover and experimented with more elevation since stage was all too low - not surprising since tweeter wasn't at ear height. After adding height, a fresh round of room correction DSP, and a bit of burning in it sounds unbelievable. Final design I will make the baffle 20cm taller and much more rigid, thicker and with birch, recess the drivers, slant away from the mids and tweeter and probably add side walls to the woofer component in U configuration to decrease cancellation down to lower frequencies. I'll also mount the crossover much more sturdily. Damn my crossover soldering always looks so ghetto but it does the job. I much prefer the sound of hard wiring instead of adding a circuit board.

 

B0p07mL.jpg

 

Link to full gallery of construction showing crossover etc. which looks too embarrassing to show here:

https://imgur.com/a/QItXO

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