Vivek:
1. Copying CDs at friend's places is piracy. You should not be talking about it on an open forum , specially since you're under your real name... Keep those topics for PMs. You might offend someone. Nobody's holy, but let's not be blatant about it either...
2. We have a good source in Calcutta for used equipment. You may not be able to find exactly the model you are looking for, but you can get pretty close and a good deal as well. I'm not sure where in Bangalore you can find one. I have a friend but he runs a proper showroom, I forget the name but it's on Airport Road (he also has another shop on MG Road near the St. Marks' Crossing), I think it's Modern Radio but I'm not sure. He may not remember me but you can use my reference and ask him if he knows anybody willing to dispose of a cassette deck. You might just hit paydirt. If of course you are willing to spend money you can pick up a ProFx from the showroom around 15 grand or so...
1. Copying CDs at friend's places is piracy. You should not be talking about it on an open forum , specially since you're under your real name... Keep those topics for PMs. You might offend someone. Nobody's holy, but let's not be blatant about it either...
2. We have a good source in Calcutta for used equipment. You may not be able to find exactly the model you are looking for, but you can get pretty close and a good deal as well. I'm not sure where in Bangalore you can find one. I have a friend but he runs a proper showroom, I forget the name but it's on Airport Road (he also has another shop on MG Road near the St. Marks' Crossing), I think it's Modern Radio but I'm not sure. He may not remember me but you can use my reference and ask him if he knows anybody willing to dispose of a cassette deck. You might just hit paydirt. If of course you are willing to spend money you can pick up a ProFx from the showroom around 15 grand or so...
Tape Deck
Sangram,
Thanks for very sensible words. If you went back to read previous threads on this topic, you will see another reason why some of us still hang on to tape decks. Good classical music is available only on tape and the few CDs that are available in this genre are obscenely expensive.
Please will you care to answer a few technical questions?
1. I am looking for a simple deck mechanism (no inbuilt amp). What do you suggest?
2. What do you do for speakers?
Beware!! If you answer these questions, more may follow.
Thanks.
Sangram,
Thanks for very sensible words. If you went back to read previous threads on this topic, you will see another reason why some of us still hang on to tape decks. Good classical music is available only on tape and the few CDs that are available in this genre are obscenely expensive.
Please will you care to answer a few technical questions?
1. I am looking for a simple deck mechanism (no inbuilt amp). What do you suggest?
2. What do you do for speakers?
Beware!! If you answer these questions, more may follow.
Thanks.
Hi Shashi (may I call you Shashi?)
I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you wanna DIY it. If you wanna buy it, the grey market is a pretty good source. I pick up used stuff locally, and have access to evrything - Nakamichis, Denons, HKs, Sansuis... the works, and sometimes under 10 grand. If you want new, TEAC, Sony, ProFX (Denon in India) have stuff available legally, mostly above 15 grand. Sources available on request.
There are good soft touch mechanisms and associated cabinets available in Mumbai, Chennai and sometimes Cal. Delhi definitely. Bangalore - not so sure.
For a preamp, most of the stuff pretty much is low-fi, or mid-fi at best. There's no good preamp circuits DIY available, last time I checked, all were lo-cost designs with LA3161 etc. You can try to homebrew if you can whip up a PCB or a nice layout. I'm a bit leery of making low-signal circuitry on veroboard.
If you can score a working PCB from a used Sonodyne or Philips decks, you might hit paydirt. Canging the transistors around and moving everything to metal film and polyesters/tantalums will help a lot, but the basic circuitry in those decks is pretty solid. Use NAB EQ circuits, I have one based on opamps though if you wanna go discrete you'll definitely be able to find what you need...
Why don't you get in touch with kayes? He seems to have some stuff suitable for the electronics....
Those were a few options on decks.
What do I for speakers? I have just picked up a pair of Jamo 470s as my stereo speakers, and am weighing whether I need a sub or not. If not, the NAD C521i is on my shopping list for this month.
What do you do for speakers? Gee, I dunno. I used to love the Philips drivers. 7 years of trouble free service, and damn nice for 1200 bucks for the drivers (at the time, Philips no longer supplies those drivers) for a stereo 2-way system. I'm not sure quality drivers are still available in India. I never much cared for Bolton drivers, all talk and no walk. I know someone else over on the loudspeakers forum has mentioned that Peerless drivers are available in Mumbai (not the real peerless, some others). I really wouldn't know man. The last pair of speakers I built was last night, when I moved my Philips drivers into a new cabinet because the old one had termites... Never bought drivers in a while.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you wanna DIY it. If you wanna buy it, the grey market is a pretty good source. I pick up used stuff locally, and have access to evrything - Nakamichis, Denons, HKs, Sansuis... the works, and sometimes under 10 grand. If you want new, TEAC, Sony, ProFX (Denon in India) have stuff available legally, mostly above 15 grand. Sources available on request.
There are good soft touch mechanisms and associated cabinets available in Mumbai, Chennai and sometimes Cal. Delhi definitely. Bangalore - not so sure.
For a preamp, most of the stuff pretty much is low-fi, or mid-fi at best. There's no good preamp circuits DIY available, last time I checked, all were lo-cost designs with LA3161 etc. You can try to homebrew if you can whip up a PCB or a nice layout. I'm a bit leery of making low-signal circuitry on veroboard.
If you can score a working PCB from a used Sonodyne or Philips decks, you might hit paydirt. Canging the transistors around and moving everything to metal film and polyesters/tantalums will help a lot, but the basic circuitry in those decks is pretty solid. Use NAB EQ circuits, I have one based on opamps though if you wanna go discrete you'll definitely be able to find what you need...
Why don't you get in touch with kayes? He seems to have some stuff suitable for the electronics....
Those were a few options on decks.
What do I for speakers? I have just picked up a pair of Jamo 470s as my stereo speakers, and am weighing whether I need a sub or not. If not, the NAD C521i is on my shopping list for this month.
What do you do for speakers? Gee, I dunno. I used to love the Philips drivers. 7 years of trouble free service, and damn nice for 1200 bucks for the drivers (at the time, Philips no longer supplies those drivers) for a stereo 2-way system. I'm not sure quality drivers are still available in India. I never much cared for Bolton drivers, all talk and no walk. I know someone else over on the loudspeakers forum has mentioned that Peerless drivers are available in Mumbai (not the real peerless, some others). I really wouldn't know man. The last pair of speakers I built was last night, when I moved my Philips drivers into a new cabinet because the old one had termites... Never bought drivers in a while.
Tape vs CD in India
Today you can buy a new VCD/CD player for Rs3000/- (US$60/-). The VCD player is also available in kit form - chassis -transport-control board-audio /video board. So for a minimum outlay you have a new base to start on. May not be the best of systems but you can do a lot with it. Maybe even make it sound really great - that's what DIY is all about.
A 90 minute tape is Rs50 (US$1/-)
A blank CD-R is Rs15 or less (US$0.30)
You can see where the cassette tape will end up. Right now there is a market in the rural areas for tapes . I know people who used to make bulk cassette tapes ( recorded). The business has shrunk so much only a few key players are left - and shrinking as the cost of CD players drops.
You may not be aware of the present situation. When I tried to sell my 2 year old Marantz CD-67se I was offered Rs 4000/- (US$80-) ! Why buy a used cassette deck for Rs10,000/- ?
Have fun.
Cheers.
Today you can buy a new VCD/CD player for Rs3000/- (US$60/-). The VCD player is also available in kit form - chassis -transport-control board-audio /video board. So for a minimum outlay you have a new base to start on. May not be the best of systems but you can do a lot with it. Maybe even make it sound really great - that's what DIY is all about.
A 90 minute tape is Rs50 (US$1/-)
A blank CD-R is Rs15 or less (US$0.30)
You can see where the cassette tape will end up. Right now there is a market in the rural areas for tapes . I know people who used to make bulk cassette tapes ( recorded). The business has shrunk so much only a few key players are left - and shrinking as the cost of CD players drops.
You may not be aware of the present situation. When I tried to sell my 2 year old Marantz CD-67se I was offered Rs 4000/- (US$80-) ! Why buy a used cassette deck for Rs10,000/- ?
Have fun.
Cheers.
You bring up an intersting point, except if I remember correctly we established the fact that a cassette deck was what was required, not a CD player. Some 10 posts back.
I personally have stopped listening to cassettes, yet I have some very good bootleg tapes that cannot ever be found, I assume a lot of people has such tapes it will be impossible to find.
On the question of the 3000 buck all-in-one Cd players, I must comment on poor taste of anyone who thinks those players can be called 'good' by any stretch of imagination. Those players sound positively horrible, have the cheapest possible circuitry, and are built by electronic 'quacks' in China. The sound of one of those makes me cringe, it is so terrible. Dry sound, boomy and dull low end, and harsh upper treble, the midrange sounds as if someone took a knife to the vocalists throat and then got them to sing. And the distortion!!! If you think compacts sound good, then possibly you can like the sound.
And the mechanisms. Oh, my GOD! Solidly mounted with metal brackets to the chassis, no suspension. And those cheap XO oscs! and a single 7805 for the entire digital curcuit and the servo and the mech motor, bolted onto the chassis wothout a heatsink! And the use of ribbon wire for wiring amp controls! My Discman sounds like an Arcam compared to some of those. And I have auditioned plenty. If you value your ears, I would suggest to stay away from those players. You haven't bought one already, have you?
You can improve it a bit by DIY'ing a large part of the whole thing, but it'll cost you more than the player itself, a lot more. You can't polish a turd into a diamond.
I cannot understand the value of such a player to anyone. A good Nakamichi tape deck is worth its weight in gold. We in India think Sony and Pioneer and Onkyo and Marantz are the best you can buy. Mostly, that's a load of moo-moo. All Marantz sold in India is low-end Marantz. The top end is what sounds good, and costs a ton of cash, think in 6 figures and more.
Sorry guys. I can't control myself when someone talks about good-sounding audio in India. Half of us don't know what good sound is. Have you ever listened to any contemporary hindi film music on a good set of truthful monitors? Appaling!! And those guys are supposed to be pro sound engineers!!
Jeez.
I personally have stopped listening to cassettes, yet I have some very good bootleg tapes that cannot ever be found, I assume a lot of people has such tapes it will be impossible to find.
On the question of the 3000 buck all-in-one Cd players, I must comment on poor taste of anyone who thinks those players can be called 'good' by any stretch of imagination. Those players sound positively horrible, have the cheapest possible circuitry, and are built by electronic 'quacks' in China. The sound of one of those makes me cringe, it is so terrible. Dry sound, boomy and dull low end, and harsh upper treble, the midrange sounds as if someone took a knife to the vocalists throat and then got them to sing. And the distortion!!! If you think compacts sound good, then possibly you can like the sound.
And the mechanisms. Oh, my GOD! Solidly mounted with metal brackets to the chassis, no suspension. And those cheap XO oscs! and a single 7805 for the entire digital curcuit and the servo and the mech motor, bolted onto the chassis wothout a heatsink! And the use of ribbon wire for wiring amp controls! My Discman sounds like an Arcam compared to some of those. And I have auditioned plenty. If you value your ears, I would suggest to stay away from those players. You haven't bought one already, have you?
You can improve it a bit by DIY'ing a large part of the whole thing, but it'll cost you more than the player itself, a lot more. You can't polish a turd into a diamond.
I cannot understand the value of such a player to anyone. A good Nakamichi tape deck is worth its weight in gold. We in India think Sony and Pioneer and Onkyo and Marantz are the best you can buy. Mostly, that's a load of moo-moo. All Marantz sold in India is low-end Marantz. The top end is what sounds good, and costs a ton of cash, think in 6 figures and more.
Sorry guys. I can't control myself when someone talks about good-sounding audio in India. Half of us don't know what good sound is. Have you ever listened to any contemporary hindi film music on a good set of truthful monitors? Appaling!! And those guys are supposed to be pro sound engineers!!
Jeez.
Cheap?
This is a DIY forum.
Many DIY people do just that. Me too - until I got older and could afford almost anything I wanted !
They take products and transform them into much better sounding systems. Often it is because they cannot buy more expensive products - not necessarily because they do not have enough money.
No need to look down upon cheap products. They were meant to meet a price point. Very often one can make quite a number of changes to improve the sound drastically without spending too much - especially so in India.
What else could you expect from a machine that costs so little.
Certainly a great place for someone to start tweaking. Everyone does not have enough money to buy expensive gear. DIYaudio is not about expensive equipment.
I would recommend that you look at the AV Max magazine published from Mumbai. Many High-End audio manufacturers of the world started selling their products through dealers in Mumbai quite a while ago. I just heard a B&W nautilus 801 with a Musical Fidelity Nuvista amp and matching CD player. That's just one. There are plenty of people down south with very high end equipment - you name them and they are there. Mumbai is loaded with equipment. I have been in this business for 30 odd years, maybe I should know!
Its good to encourage the youngsters and those who love playing around with hi-fi on a budget. They also come up with great ideas .
Its all about fun. If that is missing , it would not be worthwhile having a DIY forum. I think you will agree that we have to thank all the great guys who have been most patient and encouraging on this forum.
Thank you all !
sangram said:
This is a DIY forum.
Many DIY people do just that. Me too - until I got older and could afford almost anything I wanted !
They take products and transform them into much better sounding systems. Often it is because they cannot buy more expensive products - not necessarily because they do not have enough money.
No need to look down upon cheap products. They were meant to meet a price point. Very often one can make quite a number of changes to improve the sound drastically without spending too much - especially so in India.
What else could you expect from a machine that costs so little.
Certainly a great place for someone to start tweaking. Everyone does not have enough money to buy expensive gear. DIYaudio is not about expensive equipment.
I would recommend that you look at the AV Max magazine published from Mumbai. Many High-End audio manufacturers of the world started selling their products through dealers in Mumbai quite a while ago. I just heard a B&W nautilus 801 with a Musical Fidelity Nuvista amp and matching CD player. That's just one. There are plenty of people down south with very high end equipment - you name them and they are there. Mumbai is loaded with equipment. I have been in this business for 30 odd years, maybe I should know!
Its good to encourage the youngsters and those who love playing around with hi-fi on a budget. They also come up with great ideas .
Its all about fun. If that is missing , it would not be worthwhile having a DIY forum. I think you will agree that we have to thank all the great guys who have been most patient and encouraging on this forum.
Thank you all !
Vivek,
If the player you're talking about is one of the first Philips players, full size with a single tray (I don't remember the model number now) before they got into the Powerhouse game, you've got a good thing going. If it's one of the new Philips micros, it's a great set. Anything else from Philips was pretty average.
Ashok,
I agree that this is a DIY forum. I agree that you can take a cheap player and work wonders with it. I agree that that is the point of DIY - to have fun, do something productive and get a good sounding player all at the same time.
I also admit that I am an AV Max addict, I make it a point to read every issue. I know that B&W, Kimberkale, Arcam, Musical Fidelity, Dynaudio are available in India. I also have seen really good gear slowly come into the country. I have also been witness to the DIY scene in India, as you must have been. Ashok, do you really think we have the resources to DIY top-quality gear ourselves? How widespread are simple things like tantalums and 1% metal film resistors? Where are the drivers, the digital components? Where do you get the SMDs, and how easy is buying things from abroad?
Let me add up the costs:
New CD-Player: 2500 (average)
Wires: 300 (really good OFC shielded wire runs Rs. 80/m)
Resistors: 100
Caps: 150
Heatsink: 75
Pots: 200
ICs: 50 (LM 324 replacement, 7805 augment)
DAC kit: 600 (assuming the servo is OK, or else a new servo is in order)
Transformer/s: 1000 (Including the PSU components)
Ashok, I do not look down on cheap gear because it is cheap, but because it does not sound good. I have plenty examples of cheap systems that sound better than things 2x or 3x their price, but I'm afraid the Chinese stuff is not up there with that set. This site is about audio, too, not just DIY. And one must be discerning enough to know what is good audio, and what is not. Bad construction=bad sound, more or less. Bad components=bad sound, more or less. You can spend upto Rs. 5000 totally with one of those Chinese things, and get a halfway sounding player. Or get a new player for a little more than that, that though not the top of league, will have acceptable sound.
The day we have access to good DAC kits, custom-made transformers, nice CD-transports, I will eat my words. Till then, my friend, I am afraid the readymade segment calls the shots. I earned my living from DIY for a full two years before I got a real job. Ashok, you're in the business now. What do you really think? Honestly? Do you think we can DIY at a level that can compare with a good international name? And with the CD-kits that are available?
It has also got a lot to do with how discerning we as consumers we are. As long as we go on swallowing cheap systems without feeling the need to complain, we will get exactly that. As long as the public buys things with more lights on them than sound quality, we will get substandard systems.
I am not saying all of us should go and buy the most expensive system we can afford, or lust after the top end of audio only. I have seen plenty of the new micro-hifis that omit the flashy lights, 200 control buttons and stuff like 'DJ bass' or some other beef, and instead concentrate on getting the sound right. And it IS a major improvement. They indeed sound as good as systems 3x their price, but are not successful because we guys want the 200 control buttons, the airport displays and 4-level bass system that muddies and colours the sound.
Ashok, remember the old days of Indian audio? The Silver Sonodyne cassette players with built in amps? Or the Philips separates systems? Where have they gone? Sonodyne is marginalised into professional audio and the Genie systems. Philips is making systems with blue LEDs dancing in the speakers (I will reserve my comments on this). Where have players like Cosmic disappeared? Where has the average Indian taste in music gone to? What does the average Hindi film recording sound like? What does the average hindi film song sounds like?
Please weigh what I am saying carefully. I am not trying to put down your opinion. I am talking about the fundamental issue of taste, or rather our lack of it. And I am crying out against it.
If the player you're talking about is one of the first Philips players, full size with a single tray (I don't remember the model number now) before they got into the Powerhouse game, you've got a good thing going. If it's one of the new Philips micros, it's a great set. Anything else from Philips was pretty average.
Ashok,
I agree that this is a DIY forum. I agree that you can take a cheap player and work wonders with it. I agree that that is the point of DIY - to have fun, do something productive and get a good sounding player all at the same time.
I also admit that I am an AV Max addict, I make it a point to read every issue. I know that B&W, Kimberkale, Arcam, Musical Fidelity, Dynaudio are available in India. I also have seen really good gear slowly come into the country. I have also been witness to the DIY scene in India, as you must have been. Ashok, do you really think we have the resources to DIY top-quality gear ourselves? How widespread are simple things like tantalums and 1% metal film resistors? Where are the drivers, the digital components? Where do you get the SMDs, and how easy is buying things from abroad?
Let me add up the costs:
New CD-Player: 2500 (average)
Wires: 300 (really good OFC shielded wire runs Rs. 80/m)
Resistors: 100
Caps: 150
Heatsink: 75
Pots: 200
ICs: 50 (LM 324 replacement, 7805 augment)
DAC kit: 600 (assuming the servo is OK, or else a new servo is in order)
Transformer/s: 1000 (Including the PSU components)
Ashok, I do not look down on cheap gear because it is cheap, but because it does not sound good. I have plenty examples of cheap systems that sound better than things 2x or 3x their price, but I'm afraid the Chinese stuff is not up there with that set. This site is about audio, too, not just DIY. And one must be discerning enough to know what is good audio, and what is not. Bad construction=bad sound, more or less. Bad components=bad sound, more or less. You can spend upto Rs. 5000 totally with one of those Chinese things, and get a halfway sounding player. Or get a new player for a little more than that, that though not the top of league, will have acceptable sound.
The day we have access to good DAC kits, custom-made transformers, nice CD-transports, I will eat my words. Till then, my friend, I am afraid the readymade segment calls the shots. I earned my living from DIY for a full two years before I got a real job. Ashok, you're in the business now. What do you really think? Honestly? Do you think we can DIY at a level that can compare with a good international name? And with the CD-kits that are available?
It has also got a lot to do with how discerning we as consumers we are. As long as we go on swallowing cheap systems without feeling the need to complain, we will get exactly that. As long as the public buys things with more lights on them than sound quality, we will get substandard systems.
I am not saying all of us should go and buy the most expensive system we can afford, or lust after the top end of audio only. I have seen plenty of the new micro-hifis that omit the flashy lights, 200 control buttons and stuff like 'DJ bass' or some other beef, and instead concentrate on getting the sound right. And it IS a major improvement. They indeed sound as good as systems 3x their price, but are not successful because we guys want the 200 control buttons, the airport displays and 4-level bass system that muddies and colours the sound.
Ashok, remember the old days of Indian audio? The Silver Sonodyne cassette players with built in amps? Or the Philips separates systems? Where have they gone? Sonodyne is marginalised into professional audio and the Genie systems. Philips is making systems with blue LEDs dancing in the speakers (I will reserve my comments on this). Where have players like Cosmic disappeared? Where has the average Indian taste in music gone to? What does the average Hindi film recording sound like? What does the average hindi film song sounds like?
Please weigh what I am saying carefully. I am not trying to put down your opinion. I am talking about the fundamental issue of taste, or rather our lack of it. And I am crying out against it.
Sangram,
When you refer to those old Sonodynes or Philips Hi-Q amps, you are talking hi-fi. Those were the good days. A friend offered me one of those Philips amps with a set of Philips speakers for Rs 1500. That price was dirt but I did not have money to buy it. That set is a classic. I would put it up against brands like Onkyo or Bose.
I have a Sonodyne FM 2000 (modified by me) but I find that it is not as good as the Sonodyne rack system my uncle bought in 1985. That system was a wonder even with its cone tweeters.
I fully agree with you about today's generation. All they want to see is the airport displays with leds dancing about in bizarre ways. And there is the craze for watts. No one ever bothers to notice the quality of sound. They just want the whole house to rattle with overamplified bass. I built a pair of speakers with Indian made Peerless drivers (much better than present day Boltons). The first thing my friends asked was the wattage. I told them to comment about the sound and not to worry about the wattage. With the current state of things India can boast of volume enthusiasts and not sound enthusiasts. Sad but true.
Finally, check out www.circuitsonweb.com. They have some Philips amp kits and a couple of Crescendo kits too. They also have some Philips pre-amp kits. Let me know if any of them are worth trying. Also let me know if there are any kits available in India which are worth trying.
Cheers,
Vivek
When you refer to those old Sonodynes or Philips Hi-Q amps, you are talking hi-fi. Those were the good days. A friend offered me one of those Philips amps with a set of Philips speakers for Rs 1500. That price was dirt but I did not have money to buy it. That set is a classic. I would put it up against brands like Onkyo or Bose.
I have a Sonodyne FM 2000 (modified by me) but I find that it is not as good as the Sonodyne rack system my uncle bought in 1985. That system was a wonder even with its cone tweeters.
I fully agree with you about today's generation. All they want to see is the airport displays with leds dancing about in bizarre ways. And there is the craze for watts. No one ever bothers to notice the quality of sound. They just want the whole house to rattle with overamplified bass. I built a pair of speakers with Indian made Peerless drivers (much better than present day Boltons). The first thing my friends asked was the wattage. I told them to comment about the sound and not to worry about the wattage. With the current state of things India can boast of volume enthusiasts and not sound enthusiasts. Sad but true.
Finally, check out www.circuitsonweb.com. They have some Philips amp kits and a couple of Crescendo kits too. They also have some Philips pre-amp kits. Let me know if any of them are worth trying. Also let me know if there are any kits available in India which are worth trying.
Cheers,
Vivek
Vivek said:
Thanks for the link.
Actually the only kits in India worth trying out are the TDA 7294 gainclones, which are available in Banaglore. These are pretty decent power opamps, and though they are opamps, they can give a lot of discrete amps a run for their money.
The original Philips amps are available in kit form, upto the 40w/ch model, pretty readily. You can rustle up one for very little moolah, though beware - they use output caps.
Hi Sangram,
I suppose the output caps introduce distortion. Basically, what I was asking you was which kit (discrete only) is worth trying. I have built an STK 4171 amp but I would like to go a little further.
The Zens, Alephs, P3As are certainly worth trying but with the problem of part availability, one gets fed up. The link has a couple of Crescendo amps too. Do you think I can try that?
Cheers,
Vivek
I suppose the output caps introduce distortion. Basically, what I was asking you was which kit (discrete only) is worth trying. I have built an STK 4171 amp but I would like to go a little further.
The Zens, Alephs, P3As are certainly worth trying but with the problem of part availability, one gets fed up. The link has a couple of Crescendo amps too. Do you think I can try that?
Cheers,
Vivek
Maybe, I dunno. I've never heard the Crescendos in action, but from a challenge point of view they would be nice. Some of the discrete designs that keep popping up on this site are quite nice.
If you want a REAL challenge, try to pick up a Philips amp and modify it for running off a split PSU...
Joking there. I peaked at a bridged 4191 using a preamp from the Philips design book. The amp is happily chugging along, currently being used as a subwoofer amp (don't ask!), having been run at 100% volume levels for numerous parties, and being dropped two dozen times - even though I've lost the book.
I've never DIY'ed discrete, I've never found good enough designs. I've heard good things about Crescendo, so I don't think it would hurt to try one channel and see if it works well for you.
If you want a REAL challenge, try to pick up a Philips amp and modify it for running off a split PSU...
Joking there. I peaked at a bridged 4191 using a preamp from the Philips design book. The amp is happily chugging along, currently being used as a subwoofer amp (don't ask!), having been run at 100% volume levels for numerous parties, and being dropped two dozen times - even though I've lost the book.
I've never DIY'ed discrete, I've never found good enough designs. I've heard good things about Crescendo, so I don't think it would hurt to try one channel and see if it works well for you.
Guys in Bangalore - If you want I have a fully built MiniCrescendo with metal film resistors / switch on delay / film capacitors of Vifa etc -With Aluminium frame welded box - all aluminium with front and Top Aluminium covers Powder coated/ Computer grade Power supply caps and 35 Amp rectifier bridge for 2000 Rs -
Ofcourse it has Aluminum L bracket bolted on to the Heatsink at the back.
Incase you want to build a nice 50 W RMS amp without bothering to source the compnents and soldering or trying to make the L bracket suitable for mounting the power transistor as this circuit board has direct mounting of MOSFET.
Since I partly buit Linsely hood Class A amp - I kept this away.
Anybody buying this should rewire and clean up the wiring and general arrangement for a beatiful 50 W amp.
Yeah you can try Power supply bypass or component chage or stabilised power for driver stage etc.
The heatsink and Aluminium box alone would cost the price I am asking.
Since i am in US right now, if you show interest I have to ask somebody at my home to take it out and give it to you
I am not interested in shipping as it is heavy with transformer /
Ofcourse it has Aluminum L bracket bolted on to the Heatsink at the back.
Incase you want to build a nice 50 W RMS amp without bothering to source the compnents and soldering or trying to make the L bracket suitable for mounting the power transistor as this circuit board has direct mounting of MOSFET.
Since I partly buit Linsely hood Class A amp - I kept this away.
Anybody buying this should rewire and clean up the wiring and general arrangement for a beatiful 50 W amp.
Yeah you can try Power supply bypass or component chage or stabilised power for driver stage etc.
The heatsink and Aluminium box alone would cost the price I am asking.
Since i am in US right now, if you show interest I have to ask somebody at my home to take it out and give it to you
I am not interested in shipping as it is heavy with transformer /
Cassette Decks
Sangram,
Thanks for your reply.
Although Mangalore, where I live and work, boasts of a Regional Engineering College and half a dozen other engineering colleges, DIY electronics here is dismal. I cannot even dream of having access to all those brand names that you mention in your post.
Anyway, as to electronics (preamp), I have a thing or two to say. Indeed most indian circuits (a la EFY) are limited to LA3161. In my letter to Vivek who has posted here I had told him that LM1898 is worth a try. It is a dedicated new generation tape head preamp with DC coupling. You must here to believe it. This, coupled with TDA7294, can be a great thing. Discrete designs may in principle beat IC based circuits. But you spend a fortune and an age in maching transistors and getting all those 0.1% MFRs.
My experience with Philip 8" Woofers was not a happy one. I spent two months in measuring the TS parameters of these drivers only to find out that these are not particularly HiFi devices. I had paid almost 450 Rs for each driver. I have just started a new thread in this forum about the feasibility and the advisability of using bi- and triaxial speakers. Have anything to say?
Please continue to share your experience on usable decks. I am basically looking for a car deck that can be run on 12V source.
Thanks.
Sangram,
Thanks for your reply.
Although Mangalore, where I live and work, boasts of a Regional Engineering College and half a dozen other engineering colleges, DIY electronics here is dismal. I cannot even dream of having access to all those brand names that you mention in your post.
Anyway, as to electronics (preamp), I have a thing or two to say. Indeed most indian circuits (a la EFY) are limited to LA3161. In my letter to Vivek who has posted here I had told him that LM1898 is worth a try. It is a dedicated new generation tape head preamp with DC coupling. You must here to believe it. This, coupled with TDA7294, can be a great thing. Discrete designs may in principle beat IC based circuits. But you spend a fortune and an age in maching transistors and getting all those 0.1% MFRs.
My experience with Philip 8" Woofers was not a happy one. I spent two months in measuring the TS parameters of these drivers only to find out that these are not particularly HiFi devices. I had paid almost 450 Rs for each driver. I have just started a new thread in this forum about the feasibility and the advisability of using bi- and triaxial speakers. Have anything to say?
Please continue to share your experience on usable decks. I am basically looking for a car deck that can be run on 12V source.
Thanks.
Re: Cassette Decks
r_s_dhar said:Sangram,
Thanks for your reply.
Although Mangalore, where I live and work, boasts of a Regional Engineering College and half a dozen other engineering colleges,
and some of the best seafood I have ever tasted, a wonderful virgin white beach, and arguably the most challenging landing strip in the world which only the most seasoned pilots can tackle
DIY electronics here is dismal. I cannot even dream of having access to all those brand names that you mention in your post.
Anyway, as to electronics (preamp), I have a thing or two to say. Indeed most indian circuits (a la EFY) are limited to LA3161. In my letter to Vivek who has posted here I had told him that LM1898 is worth a try. It is a dedicated new generation tape head preamp with DC coupling. You must here to believe it. This, coupled with TDA7294, can be a great thing. Discrete designs may in principle beat IC based circuits. But you spend a fortune and an age in maching transistors and getting all those 0.1% MFRs.
Yes, unfortunately I've never built any discretes, nor do I plan to. I'm so far happy with my setup at home, all of which is purchased, all of it is imported new and used gear, because I do not think we are at a stage where we can DIY anything to any sort of hi-fi standard.
My experience with Philip 8" Woofers was not a happy one.
Mine was
I spent two months in measuring the TS parameters of these drivers only to find out that these are not particularly HiFi devices. I had paid almost 450 Rs for each driver. I have just started a new thread in this forum about the feasibility and the advisability of using bi- and triaxial speakers. Have anything to say?
Please continue to share your experience on usable decks. I am basically looking for a car deck that can be run on 12V source.
I think you are talking about mechanisms? I know for a fact that complete car systems are not that hi-fi, unless you're looking at the cream of the crop. For mechanisms my friend, I am at a loss. I do not know of a single tape transport avaailable in the country that can satisfy a hi-fi buff like me, even accounting for the fact that the tape is a deficient listening medium.
Thanks.
I have a couple of huge heatsinks originally bought (Rs 350) for building the P3A. I however have doubts about building the P3A under Indian conditions.
But if Jethari thinks that the amps are good, maybe I will give it a try.
I just want to hear a discrete amp.
Shashidhar,
The tragedy in India is that most people (99.99%) study BE electronics just for the sake of the degree. They do not study it for the love of the subject.
But if Jethari thinks that the amps are good, maybe I will give it a try.
I just want to hear a discrete amp.
Shashidhar,
The tragedy in India is that most people (99.99%) study BE electronics just for the sake of the degree. They do not study it for the love of the subject.
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