It's done!First of all I need to thank everyone on this forum. I would not have had attempted such a project without all the knowledge stored here and all the help available. Halojoy and Jag for helping with my earlier issues..thanks. Peter Daniel..thanks for all the posts here especially the aluminum construction ideas. (I only hope my next project could look as good as some of yours...awesome!). And most importantly thanks to Nelson and Karen at passdiy for the boards, Qpacks, and design documentation!
I'm very happy with the outcome for my first amp.
Aluminum was purchased from onlinemetals.com and cut to exact size using my table saw. Power supply was built following the schematic on the passdiy website using avel lindberg torroids (2 @ 250va). Each channel uses 2 20000uf caps. The boards and original Q's are from passdiy, other electronics from digikey. The binding posts where from welbournelabs.com.
Now to find a good speaker design to build and then, maybe then a bigger Aleph...
Thanks a bunch..here are a few pics of the finshed amp.
Frank
Attachments
Very nice! 
I’ve been thinking about wrapping wire around the torrid for my amp project too. Nice to see that it works. Did you just wrap the wire and measure every turn, or did you calculate how many turns you needed to get the right voltage? If so, how?
Nice work with the aluminum, how did you finish it? Lacquer? Anodizing? It looks really good.
I’ve been thinking about wrapping wire around the torrid for my amp project too. Nice to see that it works. Did you just wrap the wire and measure every turn, or did you calculate how many turns you needed to get the right voltage? If so, how?
Nice work with the aluminum, how did you finish it? Lacquer? Anodizing? It looks really good.
Banned
Joined 2002
Looks awsome man i like that. here is alink to my photo album on a site look at my layout. for my zen4.
http://hackingthemainframe.com/gallery/jleaman
http://hackingthemainframe.com/gallery/jleaman
Banned
Joined 2002
Thanks everybody..
Kermit: I wish I could say I did something as scientific as that.
I just wrapped some 20awg hookup wire around the torriod, maybe 8 times and measured the voltage to ground. It was 2.2v so I hooked up the LED and it worked!
The heatsinks are from meci. I didn't measure the heat. They are
warm, but I can keep my hand on them. I mounted the heatsinks to 1/4 aluminum via two #10 machine screws each. The heatsinks as they come from meci have a raised ridge on the top and bottom, but I sanded it flat. I used some leftover
heatsink mounting stuff from my pc building days, arctic silver, to coat the heatsink before mounting. The pcb's are mounted on the inside to the 1/4 aluminum. The side plate is warmer than the heatsinks and the top also gets warm. I'm just glad the heatsinks warm up as I was worried that the heat would not dissipate to them. We'll see how it work in the long run....
I didn't really use anything to finsh the aluminum other than good old elbow grease. I sanded it with various grits of sandpaper and finally with scotch brite. Do I need to use any sort of lacquer to keep it's finish?
Yes that is an Aleph5 in the background. The Aleph definately has more definition in the lower end, but the Zen has some sweet sounding mids and highs. All in all I am very happy with the Zen4, but then again I am biased as it's my first. (It was quite a learning experience!)
My next project is to build some bookshelf speakers. Any recommendations on a good effecient design. Has to be simple for my first speaker project. Then maybe an Aleph...
fcel: here's a shot of the heatsink mounting from the side...
Kermit: I wish I could say I did something as scientific as that.
I just wrapped some 20awg hookup wire around the torriod, maybe 8 times and measured the voltage to ground. It was 2.2v so I hooked up the LED and it worked!
The heatsinks are from meci. I didn't measure the heat. They are
warm, but I can keep my hand on them. I mounted the heatsinks to 1/4 aluminum via two #10 machine screws each. The heatsinks as they come from meci have a raised ridge on the top and bottom, but I sanded it flat. I used some leftover
heatsink mounting stuff from my pc building days, arctic silver, to coat the heatsink before mounting. The pcb's are mounted on the inside to the 1/4 aluminum. The side plate is warmer than the heatsinks and the top also gets warm. I'm just glad the heatsinks warm up as I was worried that the heat would not dissipate to them. We'll see how it work in the long run....
I didn't really use anything to finsh the aluminum other than good old elbow grease. I sanded it with various grits of sandpaper and finally with scotch brite. Do I need to use any sort of lacquer to keep it's finish?
Yes that is an Aleph5 in the background. The Aleph definately has more definition in the lower end, but the Zen has some sweet sounding mids and highs. All in all I am very happy with the Zen4, but then again I am biased as it's my first. (It was quite a learning experience!)
My next project is to build some bookshelf speakers. Any recommendations on a good effecient design. Has to be simple for my first speaker project. Then maybe an Aleph...
fcel: here's a shot of the heatsink mounting from the side...
Hi Frank,
Your amp looks great! I myself am quite new to this, and I just finished these speakers (see link). They don't get much easier (and they even sound good too!) I can offer pointers if you need. Good luck.
Jason
http://www.speakerbuilding.com/content/1015/
Your amp looks great! I myself am quite new to this, and I just finished these speakers (see link). They don't get much easier (and they even sound good too!) I can offer pointers if you need. Good luck.
Jason
http://www.speakerbuilding.com/content/1015/
Speakers mated with Zen4
In case anyone is interested, I decided to build Tony Gee's Proteus Loudspeakers. Part of the reason is they are pretty efficient. Another reason was that my first experience with Pass gear was an Aleph5/Aleph P combo on Wilson speakers and I was totally blown away.
Anyway, being my first amp and first set of speakers built I am very happy with the combination. The bass I orignally thought was lacking with my JMLabs 88-89db speakers is now slamming. I think this speaker mates very well with this amp. The soundstage is wide and deep.
They where not the easiest speakers to build. I know there are easier designs and much more difficult ones, but all in all I am very pleased! Here's a picture of them. Please disregard the stands as I am working on more appropriate stands for these speakers now...(they are pretty deep)
In case anyone is interested, I decided to build Tony Gee's Proteus Loudspeakers. Part of the reason is they are pretty efficient. Another reason was that my first experience with Pass gear was an Aleph5/Aleph P combo on Wilson speakers and I was totally blown away.
Anyway, being my first amp and first set of speakers built I am very happy with the combination. The bass I orignally thought was lacking with my JMLabs 88-89db speakers is now slamming. I think this speaker mates very well with this amp. The soundstage is wide and deep.
They where not the easiest speakers to build. I know there are easier designs and much more difficult ones, but all in all I am very pleased! Here's a picture of them. Please disregard the stands as I am working on more appropriate stands for these speakers now...(they are pretty deep)
Attachments
Great looking amp, great sounding speakers, cute cat
Very well done
btw here is more info on Tony Gee's speakers
http://home.hetnet.nl/~geenius/index.html
Very well done
btw here is more info on Tony Gee's speakers
http://home.hetnet.nl/~geenius/index.html
Frank,
I have two questions for you :
1.) Why do all audiophiles own cats? Do I need to adopt one to be in the club?
2.) How does that speaker (the Proteus) sound in small a room placed right up to the back wall? I can only be at best 7’ to 8’ away. Do you think it would be boomy? Can this speaker sound good playing at really low levels or does it need a little more volume to open up.
Leve
I have two questions for you :
1.) Why do all audiophiles own cats? Do I need to adopt one to be in the club?
2.) How does that speaker (the Proteus) sound in small a room placed right up to the back wall? I can only be at best 7’ to 8’ away. Do you think it would be boomy? Can this speaker sound good playing at really low levels or does it need a little more volume to open up.
Leve
Cats...
Leve,
1) Cats...Perhaps they are just a compromise with the wife...They have not always been an audiofreaks best friend when they have decide to stretch out on the speaker grills.
2) My first listen to the Proteus was in my attic work area which is small and they where perhaps 6-8" off the back wall. In this room I was very impressed with their ability to disappear. In this setup I sat 4'-5' away. I find them very efficient (I don't know how to measure them) and sound very good at low volume, no need to crank it up to open them up.
Now I have them downstairs and am still fooling around with setup. It does seem that placement makes a considerable difference. Despite my repeated attempts at pulling them out into the room, I think I prefer them closer to the back wall. Now they are about 12" off the back wall.
I don't think you'ld be disappointed if you decide to build them.
Frank
Leve,
1) Cats...Perhaps they are just a compromise with the wife...They have not always been an audiofreaks best friend when they have decide to stretch out on the speaker grills.
2) My first listen to the Proteus was in my attic work area which is small and they where perhaps 6-8" off the back wall. In this room I was very impressed with their ability to disappear. In this setup I sat 4'-5' away. I find them very efficient (I don't know how to measure them) and sound very good at low volume, no need to crank it up to open them up.
Now I have them downstairs and am still fooling around with setup. It does seem that placement makes a considerable difference. Despite my repeated attempts at pulling them out into the room, I think I prefer them closer to the back wall. Now they are about 12" off the back wall.
I don't think you'ld be disappointed if you decide to build them.
Frank
In six months I’ll be out of school, that’s when I hope my audio hobby will take off (providing I get a job). I’m planning on building a 35 watt AX amp for a start and after that I’ll need a reasonably good pair of speakers to take advantage of it. I know I’m planning far ahead, but I like to always keep these things at the back of my mind. Until now all I’ve built audio wise are some base guitar preamps for a friend who sculpts some of the most amazing basses I’ve ever seen out of woods that I never even knew existed.
I’m getting off topic, I got out the measuring tape and worked out that if I put the Proteus Loudspeakers right up next the back wall and I'm sitting on my couch which is on the other wall I would be five feet away. That may just work. The other speaker I am considering is the Jordan JX92s (if you want I’ll post a picture) in a transmission line. It’s only 4” deep and it likes to be right up next to the wall because its base output is low. But it’s not all roses, The JX92s is only a 4” driver so it doesn’t play at hi levels and it’s only 87db efficient and it only goes at high as 16 KHz. I find my self changing my mind about what to build and how to build it every day.
I’m getting off topic, I got out the measuring tape and worked out that if I put the Proteus Loudspeakers right up next the back wall and I'm sitting on my couch which is on the other wall I would be five feet away. That may just work. The other speaker I am considering is the Jordan JX92s (if you want I’ll post a picture) in a transmission line. It’s only 4” deep and it likes to be right up next to the wall because its base output is low. But it’s not all roses, The JX92s is only a 4” driver so it doesn’t play at hi levels and it’s only 87db efficient and it only goes at high as 16 KHz. I find my self changing my mind about what to build and how to build it every day.
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