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DIY audio: what are you building?


Paul Spencer

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My new P77i showed up today. Mounted and listening. Better bass and better mids than the K3. You can hear the K3 in there but the sound has definitely lifted. Happy so far. 

 

Funny how how this has same specs etc to the P77i;- https://www.vinylengine.com/library/arcam/p77.shtml

 

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Edited by mwhouston
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“Icon” in the same vane as Grace and Elite but with very different passives and a matched pair of ShuGuang 50 Year Treasure CV-181-Z (6SN7). Cheaper parts but still with Mundorf EVO oil output caps and stepper attenuator. This time metal film Rs.

 

Assembled not wired. External PS as with the others. Three mutually exclusive inputs this time. Input selection at front.

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Edited by mwhouston
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It lives.Mundorf EVO oils, ShuGuang 50 Year treasures  and this time Cks for more second harmonic. Usually I don’t bipass my cathode resistors (Rk) but this time I went for more second H. 

 

Sounds really excellent. 

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Edited by mwhouston
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Just now, Porkbuns69 said:

@mwhouston Your preamps are a work of art!  Have you built any passive TVC preamps before?  What are your thoughts on them?

I have never built one and can see no reason why they shouldn’t be good. I like my tube preamps and couple them with my 180W Class Ds. It’s an excellent combo. This new one is just that bit richer. Extremely pleased at mo. 

 

Thanks for the nice comments. I’m going to build a matching 180W Class D. Same chassis type. 

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[mention=108489]mwhouston[/mention] Your preamps are a work of art!  Have you built any passive TVC preamps before?  What are your thoughts on them?


Have you put one together yet?
I heard one many years ago it was a DIY S&B one (tells you how long ago) it wAs good not sure what the cheaper chinese made ones are like. sure it can’t be that bad.

I use a intact audio /dave slagle autoformer pre. needs low impedance source and high imped. amp. + short cables to sound it’s best.
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3 hours ago, misternavi said:

 


Have you put one together yet?
I heard one many years ago it was a DIY S&B one (tells you how long ago) it wAs good not sure what the cheaper chinese made ones are like. sure it can’t be that bad.

I use a intact audio /dave slagle autoformer pre. needs low impedance source and high imped. amp. + short cables to sound it’s best.

 

No never have and probably won’t. I prefer active preamps even ones which are active attenuators, e.g. Pass’ B1.

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Here is a genuine digital amp and not just a switching amp as in a class D as we know it. If you read the blurb they will tell you it is not a DAC and amp but a digital amp amplifying the digital signal. Signal is supplied by USB.

 

Looks like a future project for me.

 

https://hifimediy.com/news/new-digital-ddx-amplifier-udp320?utm_source=Hifimediy+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e69d6a7aa1-Hifime_Newsletter_8_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e252e7fe2-e69d6a7aa1-171455069&mc_cid=e69d6a7aa1&mc_eid=a542540a57

 

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3 hours ago, mwhouston said:

No never have and probably won’t. I prefer active preamps even ones which are active attenuators, e.g. Pass’ B1.

Recently finished a Pass Labs B1, no power amp as yet though.

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Unfortunately I have not finished the M2X yet so still to hear it through speakers, but did play it through Q701 and the HP amp you sold me, sounds very promising.

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14 hours ago, Owen Y said:

Hi @Batty - I like that punched Meccano-like chassis, super handy I reckon.

What product is it?

 

Cheers, Owen

Dark Lantern blog - http://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/

It comes from Italy and cost 339 USD plus postage, it was pre drilled for the M2X I got it from DIYAudio store.

Great for positioning things plus you can order smaller plates  that just bolt on, I used one to mount the toroid vertically and it holds the two bridge rectifiers and is handy as a heatsink if your component doesn't run too hot.

Edited by Batty
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You would think after over 47 years of DIY audio and electronics nothing could excite me. I’m about to get excited.

 

https://hifimediy.com/news/new-digital-ddx-amplifier-udp320

 

I have made a number of posts of my DIY gear which spans quite a range. Lately Class D amps and exotic tube preamps. Here comes a new wave - for me anyway. Genuine digital amps. 

 

It is miss-guided to call Class D amps digital when they are switching amps like switch mode power supplies. Digital power supplies DMPS - no not at all. True digital amps have been around for sometime but now hifimediy, whose Class D modules I have used extensively, have married true digital amplification with Class D power. In other words you inject a dital signal, via USB or toslink to a power amp module direct. NO DAC EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL, THE DIGITAL SIGNAL IS AMPLIFIED AND DRIVES YOU SPEAKERS. NO DAC. No DAC, there goes a billion dollar market!

 

They (hifimediy) are in the process of upgarding their original digital module to a higher power version. It appears no PS on board which is the feature I have been exploiting lately but that is of no consequence. I have my name down to be informed when the new, upgraded, modules are ready for purchase.

 

If you know of any big name manufacturer who is already selling digital amps commercially I would like to know. A link please. At this point I don’t think any are. It took most of them ages to come up with reasonable Class Ds and then some of them weren’t good.

 

When the modules are out I’ll be quick to get an amp up and post it here. Image no DAC - from Pi server to amp to speaker. 

Godda bee goood. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by mwhouston
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