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DIY audio: what are you building?


Paul Spencer

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Most of highly apreciated music lovers have cats...so it's no big deal.....get over it...

I have 2 cats and I made speakers protection from a transparent foil against claws...

Cats can give you best joy moments....I love them.

 

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10 hours ago, Chris Disbrey said:

Hi all thought I'd share my first audio DIY project, a pair of granite speaker plinths.

 

After coming into some money last year I treated myself to a pair of Bowers&Wilkins cm8 s2s in shiny black piano gloss.  I loved them.  A few nights after setting them up and spiking them level to the carpet my small cat decided to jump on them.  Somehow she managed to knock one of them over into the wall and a glass hifi rack (they weigh 18.5kg each).  The first two images show the damage.  

IMG_20171016_095649.thumb.jpg.62aabf1a3fd537e58baf0b7f77cffd3c.jpg

 

IMG_20171016_095622.thumb.jpg.1affd9679c86f452deb07b2eb34a0de3.jpg

 

Angry and frustrated I ended up blaming myself for not using the plinths provided.  So I set them up with the plinth and spiked them level to the carpet.  A few nights later it happened again.  The same speaker fell into the rack and wall again.  It hit at the exact same spot so the damage got worse but at least it was in the same place.  So after having them out for less than 2-weeks I boxed them up till I could fix them and find a solution.

 

4 months have gone by, I've since moved.  In the meantime I sent the speaker to be repaired and I ordered a slab of granite and had it cut to size.

 

The granite is 40mm thick and each piece is 270 x 400. Which is about 10mm wider and 100mm deeper than the b&w pair.  I positioned the excess at the rear.  I had the stone mason cut, polish and bevel the granite and also drill holes so it could be bolted to the speakers.  Third picture is the naked stone top and bottom.

 

IMG_20180219_153528.thumb.jpg.75fdbafbe691782b647d6188c0a2eb26.jpg

 

I then dressed it with 6mm thick neoprene rubber top and bottom (they're now on hardwood floors).  Fourth picture.

 

IMG_20180220_144834.thumb.jpg.ea5bc998f165efed40857aea55bb7947.jpg

 

The end result is a plinth that looks good, suits the speaker, and at 14.5kg each, has lowered the centre of gravity enough that my cat can't knock it over!  Haven't set the rest of the system up yet but they should sound good too.

 

IMG_20180220_153308.thumb.jpg.72c8b0f60451f7b72c00e13f5a82a2e7.jpg

 

IMG_20180220_153330.thumb.jpg.eff045a099bba6fe6483dc7d21da68e3.jpg

 

The cost if anyone is interested:

Slab (lots more than I needed) $480

Cut, polish, bevel and drill $170

Rubber $66

Rubber adhesive $9

Bolts and washers $10? (can't remember)

 

So total is $735 and a few hours work. A bit steep but cheaper than a new speaker.  Would have only been $255 if I sourced some stone off cuts but I got impatient.

 

*forgot to take a picture or weigh the original plinth before boxing it up but I'd guess it's around 1kg.

Where did you bury the cat ;)

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Thanks!
 
I have to start to bookmark them... I keep asking the questions over and over again. How about delivery times? Shipping seems a bit steep for just standard.
 
Cheers,
 
Alberto
I've just ordered a couple of case's, of cause they wanted extra shipping for 2. Negotiated a $28 us discount! Don't be afraid to ask the question, most are pretty keen to do business.....
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Just finished building a pair of VTA M-125 Monoblock tube amps from Bob Latino kits.  I love tubes and wanted a little more power than my prior 12 Wpc amp.  These can run anywhere from 35 Wpc Triode mode using 2 power tubes per amp, up to 125 Wpc running 4 power tubes in UL Pentode mode.  Power tubes are currently 6550's, but they will take up to KT120's.

Build was relatively straightforward, and they sound awesome.  Will double as room heaters in winter!

P2230505.JPG

P2230506.JPG

Right.JPG

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Just finished building a pair of VTA M-125 Monoblock tube amps from Bob Latino kits.  I love tubes and wanted a little more power than my prior 12 Wpc amp.  These can run anywhere from 35 Wpc Triode mode using 2 power tubes per amp, up to 125 Wpc running 4 power tubes in UL Pentode mode.  Power tubes are currently 6550's, but they will take up to KT120's.
Build was relatively straightforward, and they sound awesome.  Will double as room heaters in winter!
P2230505.thumb.JPG.bf6d46087cdc0527950aa36d1df6b1d9.JPG
P2230506.thumb.JPG.ff7269a1401978f32e49e135196da606.JPG
Right.thumb.JPG.fb5667d09a40effd53c986b276eb1427.JPG
Nice build mate. I haven't heard of Bob Latinos kits. I'm off to Google for a look now.
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Really enjoying them.  Just have that edge in warmth and tighter bass control over solid state for my ears.  And if you put them in Triode mode they get even more so, just a little less accurate.  Have some KT120's on the way and looking forward to them.

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Really enjoying them.  Just have that edge in warmth and tighter bass control over solid state for my ears.  And if you put them in Triode mode they get even more so, just a little less accurate.  Have some KT120's on the way and looking forward to them.
The kt120s will be a cracker mate.
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1 hour ago, gibbo9000 said:

Just finished building a pair of VTA M-125 Monoblock tube amps from Bob Latino kits.  I love tubes and wanted a little more power than my prior 12 Wpc amp.  These can run anywhere from 35 Wpc Triode mode using 2 power tubes per amp, up to 125 Wpc running 4 power tubes in UL Pentode mode.  Power tubes are currently 6550's, but they will take up to KT120's.

Build was relatively straightforward, and they sound awesome.  Will double as room heaters in winter!

P2230505.JPG

P2230506.JPG

Right.JPG

Great Job, nice work. Hope they give you years of listening pleasure 

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11 hours ago, nzlowie said:
On 2/12/2018 at 7:51 PM, betocool said:
Thanks!
 
I have to start to bookmark them... I keep asking the questions over and over again. How about delivery times? Shipping seems a bit steep for just standard.
 
Cheers,
 
Alberto

Read more  

I've just ordered a couple of case's, of cause they wanted extra shipping for 2. Negotiated a $28 us discount! Don't be afraid to ask the question, most are pretty keen to do business.....

Who thought you can negotiate with the Chinese. I'll be hitting them up for a discount next time. These are great cases, I'll be ordering some more soon.

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15 hours ago, gibbo9000 said:

Just finished building a pair of VTA M-125 Monoblock tube amps from Bob Latino kits.  I love tubes and wanted a little more power than my prior 12 Wpc amp.  These can run anywhere from 35 Wpc Triode mode using 2 power tubes per amp, up to 125 Wpc running 4 power tubes in UL Pentode mode.  Power tubes are currently 6550's, but they will take up to KT120's.

Build was relatively straightforward, and they sound awesome.  Will double as room heaters in winter!

 

 

Right.JPG

@gibbo9000 - that a spiffing tidy looking amp, I have heard of others building his his preamps too.

 

Minor point - I would always keep the signal wiring separate from AC- carrying wiring (eg mains wiring to power switch, PTX, to/from rectifier, filter chokes, AC tube heaters, etc) & hard-twist them.  I think you'll see that on the tubes4hifi pics page.

 

Less of a noise/hum pickup issue with PP than with SE, but good practice nevertheless.

 

A next DIY project?

Cheers, Owen 

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3 hours ago, Owen Y said:

Minor point - I would always keep the signal wiring separate from AC- carrying wiring (eg mains wiring to power switch, PTX, to/from rectifier, filter chokes, AC tube heaters, etc) & hard-twist them.  I think you'll see that on the tubes4hifi pics page.

 

Less of a noise/hum pickup issue with PP than with SE, but good practice nevertheless.

 

A next DIY project?

 

Yes - a bit of a learning curve.  Bob's instructions are very clear and orderly, but there are a few things that could be done to increase separation of AC from signal, and make work around the tube sockets tidier.  Fortunately they have virtually no noise as is, so will listen to them for a while, contemplate the need for Time Delay Relays, and perhaps contemplate some rewiring  later - a next project as you suggest!
David

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22 minutes ago, Owen Y said:

The GZ34/5AR4 tube rectifier option, will give you slow turn-on

Thanks for the tip.  I have tried a couple of different 5AR4's but, for my ears, they don't handle extreme transients as well as the solid state WZ68's.  And NOS GZ37's, 33's are a bit pricey and hard to get hold of.  The WZ68's have a 3 - 5 second delay; most reckon that is OK and haven't had any problems, but just contemplating the conservative option down the track.  All part of the fun with such a flexible base.

Edited by gibbo9000
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On a lot of earlier amps I built I included a standby switch. Heaters come on with main power switch then one minute later I'd switch the standby. The standby switch switched in the HT. It was good also if I wanted the amp off for 30mins or so but didn't want it to cool too much. I'd turn on the standby (heaters would still be on) then turn off standby when ready to listen again. 

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You can use a hybrid arrangement where the first 2 legs of the bridge are solid state and the second 2 are indirectly heated tube. This gives you the best of both worlds;  a stiff psu with slow turn on. Works beautifully with TV damper diodes like the 6CJ3 which are tough as nails (leave a 5AR4 for dead and sound great) and very cheap.

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