Your work is for me a blast from the past when years ago all such projects were P2P wiring .Although I have boards for my ZEN projects and I'm just at the THRESHOLD (no pun intended) of this area I may just do as you have done and get creative . I think Mr. Pass would concur with your approach. How fortunate for him to see just how inspirational his work is. I have never heard any of the ZEN units but have listened to an A40 years ago and have good recollections of the sound quality.
again NICE WORK!!!!
again NICE WORK!!!!
Many good words you are saying. Thanks 
Don't know much about the past long ago as I was born in 1976 , but I just don't like the look of PCB's in Audio in general.
After all these are only additional traces and solder jonts, but sometimes is very hard to do without them. There are very fiew simple circuits that sound excellent and I think this preamp sure is one of them. And by excellent i trully mean very good comparing to "of the shelf" today's, quite expensive audio gear (actually original Aleph P was quite expensive preamplifier).
The signal wires are not actually shielded. These are copper litz made of very thin Cardas 6N enemeled copper wires, so even without sleeves they are isolated, but I just put them in cotton sleeves for safety and the look.
Maybe they would benefit from shielding or twisting the "+" es and "-" es together but it works fine and I don't get any hum out of this pramplifier
Don't know much about the past long ago as I was born in 1976 , but I just don't like the look of PCB's in Audio in general.
After all these are only additional traces and solder jonts, but sometimes is very hard to do without them. There are very fiew simple circuits that sound excellent and I think this preamp sure is one of them. And by excellent i trully mean very good comparing to "of the shelf" today's, quite expensive audio gear (actually original Aleph P was quite expensive preamplifier).
The signal wires are not actually shielded. These are copper litz made of very thin Cardas 6N enemeled copper wires, so even without sleeves they are isolated, but I just put them in cotton sleeves for safety and the look.
Maybe they would benefit from shielding or twisting the "+" es and "-" es together but it works fine and I don't get any hum out of this pramplifier
zygibajt said:
Nicely built !!!
And, it's interesting. I have enjoyed my PASS line stages from BOZ through BOSOZ to a variation of P1.0. I like both BOSOZ and P1.0. I consider these two as a twin because they have the same DNA and the same performance. Zygibajt, could you describe briefly what difference you hear between BOSOZ (BLS) and P1.0?
By the way, my SOBOZ was with +/- 30V rails, with Drain operation at about 15V DC, and with 35mA bias for each Mosfet. Later, I changed the supply to 60V single, the Drain operation at 40V and the same bias. In addition, I have one CCS tail instead of the resistor tails because I use this for unbalanced-input and balanced output. Now, I'm confusing how I should call mine . . . SOBOZ of P1.0 . . . ?
Happy New Year!!!
Banned
Joined 2002
Sure if I can trade it for something. Thanks
The outside look of the enclosure isn't that pretty, so I agree to some degree. Have some other projects fininshing that are much more pretty
No it's powder painted (I'm not sure if it's correct word for this)
At first I don't recognize all the names you used..BOZ, BOSOZ, SOBOZ... sorry I get confused, didn't follow DIYAudio that much to know all those names.
At the beginning I built all of the Pass preamps that the circuits are avaiable with generic , cheap parts, all of them the same, built on piece of wood. Same cheap metal film resistors, some cheap film caps, 4,7K cheap pot at the output. And I compared them one by one. I think BLS was the first one and I enjoyed it, Then Bride of Zen, accept it was louder sounded dryier and less refined that BLS. Then I built Aleph L, the all active version. this one was just much better than BLS. 3D imaging, more detail, like the blankets had been taken out of the speakers, truly amazing. Then I built the second, half passive version of Aleph L. This one sounded just very average, it wasn't bad but it wasn't even good. Then I built Aleph P1.0 and WOW that was the most smooth, the most detailed and the most extended at the same time of all. BLS sounded really flat and shy by coparision. The one to compete was an Aleph L. It was sure less extended at extremes, the highs were a bit more dirty and the bass wasn't so deep. But for some time I even thought the midrange of Aleph L was more detailed and the dynamics were better. but after listening to Alph P for 2 weeks there was no coming back. The dynamics seemd lower becouse it is very smooth and calm but they actually wasn't lower. I just had to get used to that calmness and clarity. Then I built Aleph P 1.7 some moths later. I think it was kind of Aleph L sound , but better. But the character was still of aleph L, more forward and screaming at me, that is why I didn' like it more than P 1.0.
I still think Aleph L is an excellent preamplifier. If the tonal character of the system is too calm and dark, missing dynamics and midrange detail it might be even better than Aleph P 1.0. But in quite neutral sytem Aleph P wins hands down, imaging, clarity and smoothnes is just much much better. Don't really know why the diffrance between BLS and Aleph P was that big but it just was. The circuits are similar. I compared most of them using Aleph 4 clone, some also on Gain Clone. Always compared them as unbalanced. Tried balanced connection but the diffrance wasn't even the fraction of the diffrance between diffrent preamplifiers.
It is only mine opinon, others can be diffrent.
I didn't change anything in schematics, just staright copies.
There will be no production. The circuits are the property of Nelson Pass. I'm not that smart to came up with my own circuits. Maybe some day...10-20 years from now I will. Hope so.. Thanks
XR100,
Looks nice, how is the sound compared to others you have heard?
Is that a 2-layer board ? The pic is quite fuzzy but it looks like
it may be a single layer board with the copper on the top
side ???? The copper is supposed to be on the bottom side.
You flip the artwork when you expose it - if you use a photo
sensitive process to make the board. I've built a board
backwards once - how embarrasing. The trick is to have
some printing on the artwork somewhere - if you can read it
properly when the atwork is applied and you expose, then
the artwork is backwards.
There is a very good layout by Damian Antoniak which uses
one layer for Aleph P 1.7. I am currently adapting that layout
to my own part sizes. I'll publish a work log when there are
pictures available.
Keep up the good work.
W.
Looks nice, how is the sound compared to others you have heard?
Is that a 2-layer board ? The pic is quite fuzzy but it looks like
it may be a single layer board with the copper on the top
side ???? The copper is supposed to be on the bottom side.
You flip the artwork when you expose it - if you use a photo
sensitive process to make the board. I've built a board
backwards once - how embarrasing. The trick is to have
some printing on the artwork somewhere - if you can read it
properly when the atwork is applied and you expose, then
the artwork is backwards.
There is a very good layout by Damian Antoniak which uses
one layer for Aleph P 1.7. I am currently adapting that layout
to my own part sizes. I'll publish a work log when there are
pictures available.
Keep up the good work.
W.
My thinking is simple. Sometimes too simple.
P1.0 has bridge rectifier-R-C-R-C-active regulation-R-C-R-C.
Meanwhile, BOSOZ(BLS) rectifier-C-active regulation-R-C.
And, R values are bigger in P1.0.
Maybe, the "better" to be replaced with "reinforced" . . . ?
Regards
jH
Not only my ears but also my brain is getting worn out. I am always confused between BOSOZ and SOBOZ. Whichever I use, I mean BOSOZ (BLS) . . .
P1.0 has bridge rectifier-R-C-R-C-active regulation-R-C-R-C.
Meanwhile, BOSOZ(BLS) rectifier-C-active regulation-R-C.
And, R values are bigger in P1.0.
Maybe, the "better" to be replaced with "reinforced" . . . ?
Regards
jH
Not only my ears but also my brain is getting worn out. I am always confused between BOSOZ and SOBOZ. Whichever I use, I mean BOSOZ (BLS) . . .
The official title of the article was Balanced Zen Line Stage which we
often write as BZLS.
Because it was released after the Son of Zen - SOZ - and because
the first Zen preamp was the Bride of Zen... it was also referred to as the
Bride of Son of Zen, or BOSOZ
Then when the X stuff started happening, things got real fun
often write as BZLS.
Because it was released after the Son of Zen - SOZ - and because
the first Zen preamp was the Bride of Zen... it was also referred to as the
Bride of Son of Zen, or BOSOZ
Then when the X stuff started happening, things got real fun
Thangks .Wayne325,hehe.
the board are double layer.
I can connect two layers with the conponents' legs
and the layout are done by protel DXP,
I convert the PCB to CAD files.
then I print it on clean papers ,and the next steps
I convert the drawing to PCB board with carbon papers
and stick with adhesive tapes(big area)
knifed .then throwing it into fecl3
...
the board are double layer.
I can connect two layers with the conponents' legs
and the layout are done by protel DXP,
I convert the PCB to CAD files.
then I print it on clean papers ,and the next steps
I convert the drawing to PCB board with carbon papers
and stick with adhesive tapes(big area)
knifed .then throwing it into fecl3
...
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