Ergonaut
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Workshop and Amp design
Editor
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I have been away because my work and my degree have been keeping me very busy - now I am back to stir the ingredients of science back into my hobby.

Welcome back.


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Do feel free to criticise any of the ancient tech I have in this place.

Forgive me for being picky, but I don't see any loudspeakers -- or headphones for that matter!

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

cyclebrain
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I see a lot of old analog equipment. Lots of meters. Were is the digital readouts and PC based stuff?
At least your stuff is solid state. No tube warmth in your measurements.
Seriously, whatever your method or results, at least you are being creative and thinking for yourself.

Ergonaut
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I prefer analogue meters to digital ones - I see more of what is going on and make coparisons at a glance - digital meters may seem more accurate - but you have to wait for the numbers to stop racing up and down in value -- but I do have digital variants as well for fine tuning.

In answer to John's question

I have a range of Speakers

Cambridge Audio R50's
KEF 104/2 reference
Tannoy CPA12's
Tannoy Lynx Monitors
Linn Icebricks (Isobarik)

I sold the Maggie 3.6's on account of the most acidic Hi-Fi reducing agent known to man.............a wife.

So back to coils for meh - I have been considering a Pair of Tannoy Dimension 12's - as I have a lot of respect for Tannoy having worked with their professional ranges of monitors and PA.

Waddoz any1 think?

For first impressions, Listening room would be my living room.

mrlowry
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I think that you should have sold the wife instead of the Maggies, that's what I think.

JSBach
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I think that you should have sold the wife instead of the Maggies, that's what I think.


I agree. One of the great unanswered questions of the sex wars is why, oh why, do otherwise tough, hetro males allow their so called better halves to dictate everything related to the appearance of the cave they live in ? I just don't get it. I suppose I have a warped perspective being a faggot but then again I know some piss-elegant fairies who are so obsessed with their d

Buddha
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Wow.

Maybe the wife didn't like the way they sounded, eh?

Anyway, welcome back, amigo!

I look forward to updates on your endeavor.

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It all boils down to a sad conclusion the biggest up-grade to any audio system is often divorce.

Easily the quote of the week. Buddha may finally have some competition.

Ergonaut
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Too right mr.Lowry

Ok I have chosen the direction I'm going in _ I'm now knee deep in Power suppply design because of the direction I've chosen.

I'll start with a 120W variant and work my way up to 300W methinks.

Design Parameters are as follows (thus far)

First variant 120W in 8 Ohm - inductive
Capable of withstanding continuous operation into 4 Ohm load - inductive
Capable of withstanding continuous operation into 2 Ohm;.
Bipolar design (not FET or bottles)
Full Class "A" front to back.
Operational tolerance 1%
Operational ambient between -20 Degs to +55Degs
Balanced Line input (muted front end when connections not detected).

Front end inlet so far

I'll throw up the power supply soon. 800VA transformer has been ordered. That's twice as big as I reasonably need - but I'm designing for 2 Ohm; with little or no assymetric properties. - so slew rate I am aiming for should hit 50+V/micro Sec

...boy am I having fun again, tis ages since I did this

Ergonaut
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Hmmmmm PSU is designed - amd I have power regulated it on this variant. I'll try both passive unregulated and regulated to see what differences occur under test.

cyclebrain
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I'm looking in to a high quality, high efficency amp for my motorhome. 12VDC powered switching supply driving a class D amp. Could be tricky combining two circuits with RF freqs.
Any ideas?

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Why dont you just get a voltage inverter and convert your 12 VDC to 120 VAC? that way you can use whatever you choose.

Ergonaut
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I might try a class D variant after I do these. - Could be fun

Buddha
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Thanks for the updates!

They are like when I saw porn when I was 5 - I don't understand what's going on, but it's somehow compelling.

Ergonaut
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aaahh Buddha - just comment on what yer think. Component choices are coming along with tests on my development boards. Seeking low noise - speed - thermal and current resilience etc.

Doing driver stage and outputs stage now - then I'll think about current limit and speaker protection.

When transformers turn up - I need to begin re-testing the devices I've chosen.

But right now I'm going through all the catalogues seeking the best audio type capacitors - If anyone here has any recommendations - be fun to get samples and test.

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Why dont you just get a voltage inverter and convert your 12 VDC to 120 VAC? that way you can use whatever you choose.


12VDC to 120VAC at less than 50% efficiency, then 120VAC to + and - 40VDC again at less then 50%, driving a class AB amp again at less then 50% efficient. I would like to run off of batteries as much as possible and not have to turn up the volume to drown out the generator.

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Mundorf, , V-Cap, Sonicap, Relcorp Multicap...

Capacitors reccomended...(Mundorf would be my first choice)

http://www.madisound.com/manufacturers/mundorf/index.php

Ergonaut
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Awww thanks ncdrawl - that's a good bunch of leads

Nice 1 -- I like the look of Sonicap too -- good tolerances
I'll get a bunch of those and test them

I have been reading up also http://www.dnm.co.uk/capacitors.html
http://www.dnm.co.uk/capbhc.html

I wanna make the best amps I possibly can out of the best copper - best aluminium (Alooominum to you guys) best housing and best components - munneh no objekt

May send a pair of finished products to Wes Phillips to review or rip to shreds... and roast me as a designer

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http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f21/orgy-capacitors-cap-thread-284863/
Ergonaut, that one is quite good too...jupiters beeswax cap looks um..interesting..


Quote:
Awww thanks ncdrawl - that's a good bunch of leads

Nice 1 -- I like the look of Sonicap too -- good tolerances
I'll get a bunch of those and test them

I have been reading up also http://www.dnm.co.uk/capacitors.html
http://www.dnm.co.uk/capbhc.html

I wanna make the best amps I possibly can out of the best copper - best aluminium (Alooominum to you guys) best housing and best components - munneh no objekt

May send a pair of finished products to Wes Phillips to review or rip to shreds... and roast me as a designer

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I just can't wait to get new tubes for my Cary SLP-30 and modified Moscode 300 so I can set up my Maggies for my newish wife to behold. I'm sure she'll have a fit.

She spends little time in the LR, so I doubt she'll insist that I take them down. I doubt I would in any case.

eagle
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I'll slap together a 300W version when available.

eagle
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P.S. How about a pre-amp with volume control as in the new Ayre unit. It seems like the only way to go.

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parts lists and source of said parts would be nice.

eagle
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I got a 60W x 4 McIntosh car amp at a pawn shop or $200. It's awesomme. Macs are available on ebay regularly. I suggest getting one.

eagle
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Point to point wiring w/ pure silver wire would be nice.

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Point to point wiring w/ pure silver wire would be nice.

what is up with all the unrelated off topic floodposting??

Ergonaut
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Hmmmm unsubtle

Well it bumped the thread I suppose - so here's an update

Jobs to do at moment

Still designing 2nd stage
Testing components
PSU Circuit board design and fabrication
Trying to find fabricator for tailor made cases

tom collins
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eagle: take it from a divorce lawyer, now that sounds like the way to run a marriage. start off from the dominant position. tell her she just better get used to those maggies or you'll hold out on her. women love it when you do that.

eagle
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Hmmmmm PSU is designed - amd I have power regulated it on this variant. I'll try both passive unregulated and regulated to see what differences occur under test.

I believe that C14 and C16 are reversed in the schematic.

commsysman
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I have been doing some designs myself over the years, and I question the use of a 10 uF capacitor for input coupling of the signal. It is SO tough to get a coupling capacitor of that size in the signal path that will not degrade the signal significantly. The only ones that I can tolerate are the TRT Dynamicaps, but if you use one that large, you need to put it in parallel with one of about .047 or so, because even the best 10 uF cap starts to get inductive at higher audio frequencies.

In any case, DC coupling, with no caps in the signal path, is much to be preferred.

Check out the schematic of the BRYSTON 3B-SST on their website; that is a true audiophile-quality amp; ultra-low distortion and pure sound! You might get some ideas there.

Two good parts sources for good stuff are Parts ConneXion in Canada and Micheal Percy in California.

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Quote:

Quote:
I think that you should have sold the wife instead of the Maggies, that's what I think.


I agree. One of the great unanswered questions of the sex wars is why, oh why, do otherwise tough, hetro males allow their so called better halves to dictate everything related to the appearance of the cave they live in ? I just don't get it. I suppose I have a warped perspective being a faggot but then again I know some piss-elegant fairies who are so obsessed with their d

KBK
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Recent studies have shown that the average female orgasm is 9x shorter in duration than that of the male. Men will spend more than 9 complete hours of their lives in a total orgasmic high from sex - women only 1.5 hours.

Men-approx 12.5 seconds....women approx 1.5 seconds.

In the same study...17 percent of women out there are on record as learning how to have ye-olde 'extended orgasm', and can run their motorboats for 25-30 seconds.

Oddly enough, education is a barrier, overall, for women achieving orgasms of a heady nature. the less the education and overall mental standing/association, the bigger and better the orgasms.

Highly educated wife, on average -no nookie..as there apparently is no orgasm.

Little educated wife, 0n average -plenty nookie, as there is lots of orgasm.Ie, 2x more than you'll ever get. But that is in that '17% overall' of the female population.

Make what you will of that - all I did was read the thing.

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Recent studies have shown that the average female orgasm is 9x shorter in duration than that of the male. Men will spend more than 9 complete hours of their lives in a total orgasmic high from sex - women only 1.5 hours.

Men-approx 12.5 seconds....women approx 1.5 seconds.

In the same study...17 percent of women out there are on record as learning how to have ye-olde 'extended orgasm', and can run their motorboats for 25-30 seconds.

Oddly enough, education is a barrier, overall, for women achieving orgasms of a heady nature. the less the education and overall mental standing/association, the bigger and better the orgasms.

Highly educated wife, on average -no nookie..as there apparently is no orgasm.

Little educated wife, 0n average -plenty nookie, as there is lots of orgasm.Ie, 2x more than you'll ever get. But that is in that '17% overall' of the female population.

Make what you will of that - all I did was read the thing.

Well, we now the know the average length of a fake orgasm.

Strike one for science!

Those scienctific palm pilots should learn how to do "field" investigation.

eagle
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Quote:

Quote:
Hmmmmm PSU is designed - amd I have power regulated it on this variant. I'll try both passive unregulated and regulated to see what differences occur under test.

I believe that the diodes in parallel w/ C14 and C16 are reversed in the schematic.

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