Explendid amplifier designed by Michael Bittner, our MikeB

12 Cents said:
Now I wired up a better PSU -> ah, better.

Q: What happens if I leave out C14 completely? Cause that's just what I did. :crazy: :Ohno:

Unfortunately it might not be that simple to disconnect that feedback capacitor. Few days ago I added Bode plot stability explanation to my "evaluation page"

http://web.telecom.cz/macura/symasym.html

Please read it carefully and look at the Bode plot image. Disconnecting the feedback cap may lead to very low phase margin (blue phase curve, close to non-stability point, danger of oscillations). I would always connect a small value of the feedback cap for the Symasym circuit, say 3.3pF - 6.8pF.

Regards,
Pavel
 
Well, I did not mean to do so. In the end I specially bought my MJL3281A and MJL1302A from ebay dot com. I just left the choice of feedback cap until I forgot completely... d'oh.

Anyway, two channels are up and playing and I'm fine for the moment...:happy2:

Now I have to look for a bigger transformer, think about housing etc.
 
Thinking about using these black beauties to the right for this amplifier...
 

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hehe...if you visit Chip amplifier forum you will be on risk 12 cents!

Ahahahahaha!...you will be excomungated..... they will turn shocked with you.

Enormous and delicious bass reproduction with those 10000 zier gut enormous can in the supply, when they use, sometimes 1500 each rail, saying that is nice..ahahahaha!.... and you have no snubber, no filter...nothing!...some of them there, i hope only few guys, may believe that this enormous capacitor, those enormous electrolític condenser will suck, will drain, all audio quality....ahahahaha!

Also using Aligator, Crocodile styled clips, don't you fear that the sound can be reptil....reptilian sonics?

The sonic image could turn dark...as condensers are black.... "a dark sound stage"...hehe....i love our forum, there are things that are very funny that often appear to us...of course no"reptilian sonics and no dark sound stage"...all this is a joke i am doing, because things i had read those last days...cannot say the place i read.

Do not show this to Chip amplifiers forum guys.... as some of them, maybe 10 or twelve will hat you to spend enormous money to "kill your amplifier quality".....ahahahaha, of course i do not think alike those 10 or twelve.

You will be comdemned to go inside a rocket to Jupiter, one way ticket only...ahahahaha!.

I will construct a very huge transformer to my amplifiers.... will have more than 40 pounds...this way, maybe, i will have a "heavy bass!"

Also i am thinking to put a lens...optical lens....in front of my speaker coil..... to have sound difracted, dispersed, better distributed...ahahahaha!

The adjustments you are doing, with experienced Pavel, will produce a better sound, and more precise amplifier, and this is nothing related my jokes....Pavel is doing a serious scientifical work...the jokes are nothing related to him or his work.

Life is beautifull, and funny too.

Very pretty 12 cents, i can see that you expended 100 Euros more 12 cents to produce that beautifull amplifier...i am sure that it is sounding great!

Lovely your son!....you hairs are good too, as we cannot see you in the avatar...but your son is great.

regards,

Carlos
 

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Thanks Carlos!

Well, the alligator clips will have to leave of course. They are not up to the current these caps are able to deliver (if that is ever needed, maybe on a party some day... I play not full throttle usually). These very nice caps - I have a small stock of them, got them relatively cheap, will not tell you how much, was lucky :tongue: ...no thanks, no wimpy 1500µ black gate stuff for me, also not bypassed by anything, be it silver, pp, cryoed carbon or whatever. Impedance fits me well and the energy these cans can store makes for a nice and stiff supply.

I think I will comment a bit on the sound when it's time, no rushing in here maybe...

What I found fascinating is what the amp picks up with the input just left open, quite some hum and noise, but then the wiring of the psu etc. will contribute to that. So, with the input shorted, I hear only some "soft" sounding noise when I put my ear into the speaker like with those seashells, I could not exactly say if it's maybe this seashell effect... ;) So a shielded input cable with low impedance termination at the preamp side would be desirable. Pavels method of input wiring will be of great help here.

Regards,
Lukas
 
12 Cents said:


What I found fascinating is what the amp picks up with the input just left open, quite some hum and noise, but then the wiring of the psu etc. will contribute to that. So, with the input shorted, I hear only some "soft" sounding noise when I put my ear into the speaker like with those seashells, I could not exactly say if it's maybe this seashell effect... ;) So a shielded input cable with low impedance termination at the preamp side would be desirable. Pavels method of input wiring will be of great help here.

Regards,
Lukas

Well, symasym is the quitest amp I ever built (hum, buzz, noise). This is true when properly built and wired. 50 Hz artefact of some -105dB in my measurement is an arrangement problem, not the amp's. The amp's residuals are well below -110dB. Again, improper built may this degrade to some -70 dB.

I have been listening to symasym for several weeks until now and have made some comparison tests. I can honestly say that from my experience this is one of the best amps I've heard.

Regards,
Pavel
 
PMA said:


Well, symasym is the quitest amp I ever built (hum, buzz, noise). This is true when properly built and wired. 50 Hz artefact of some -105dB in my measurement is an arrangement problem, not the amp's. The amp's residuals are well below -110dB. Again, improper built may this degrade to some -70 dB.

I have been listening to symasym for several weeks until now and have made some comparison tests. I can honestly say that from my experience this is one of the best amps I've heard.

Regards,
Pavel

Full endorsement from Carlos, the natural romantic, and Pavel, the natural objectivist (ah, but both music lovers first and both passionate). Mike, you done good.

Sheldon
 
PMA said:
Lukas,

oh, I see. Did you have a chance to compare with another amp, or is this your 1st one?

Regards,
Pavel

P.S. A little bit off topic - your Christian name (Lukas) - am I right? ;)

I did a EL34 push-pull from a kit, then a LM3886 just to compare, turns out it sounds not bad, double LM3886 in parallel for subwoofer, and I still own a Denon PMA-715R (all camps united, I feel like on a mine field). No pricey contenders. When I have firm opinions I want to tell them, but it can be a while. I am absolutely confident that this will be the best amp I owned, you know even through the "thing" depicted above, I get an impression that lasts through further audition. I won't advertise here further based on nothing, but I already have the amp in my heart... (What am I writing here).

Sadly I have no opportunity to compare to other very high quality amps. Also, the bass department is catered for by my new subwoofer, but ultimately I am thinking of a pair of new speakers or just starting a speaker project, so ..... we'll see

My name... yes, my real name :) ...was that your question?

Regards,
Lukas
 
Yes, one of the best i ever heard too...wonderfull amplifier.

Thank you Sheldon...have you received the Samba?
Question reason is because i have the complete music to upload to you...hehe...4 Mega is the size.

.......................................................................................................

Lucas....well.... you will have enormous surprise when turn the volume up, connected to real speaker system....have a photo machine prepared to show your smile to us...will be one of the biggest smiles you will give in your life...because the amplifier surprise us with dinamics and bass impact...beeing treble pretty good too.

.........................................................................................................

And i was thinking to myself, that this guy, Michael, asked me to publish because busy....really not only busy... a little shy too...finally i was honored to help him....had my name attached to his name...good to me that.

So, we can perceive that many "big valuable" guys are hidden, somewhere, silent, having capacity to produce lovely things to us.

He had fixed idea to produce good, cheap, the simplest possible and to win his Yamaha (1000 dollares 6 channels unit)....his intention was to have around 5 persons doing it....hehehe...now a days he has more than three times his expectations.

I want to find, some way, to challenge him to class D....this will be great to us...and perfect to me, as i can use it to own some money in my place...i have personal, comercial interest related that class D.

........................................................................................................

But Dtriff, Dimitri Trifonopoulos, is silent...i think he may had bad luck and his unit did not worked perfectly...bad luck...really bad luck!... well, i am not sure...i am just with that suspection.

regards,

Carlos
 
Re: Yes, one of the best i ever heard too...wonderfull amplifier.

destroyer X said:
Thank you Sheldon...have you received the Samba?
Question reason is because i have the complete music to upload to you...hehe...4 Mega is the size.
Carlos

Yup, thanks. I haven't had a chance yet to play. This weekend I will. Oh, and I think the treble, at least on my speakers is more than pretty good. First rate, I'd say.

Sheldon
 
It may be exceptional Sheldon, the problem is that my reference speaker is not so...

good to trebles reproduction, it has those fluid cooled tweeters.... they have reduced efficiency.

Also my headphones are a little bit mufled in my point of view.

Evaluating using ears....when my ears are 54 years old...and audiometric tests where made 6 years ago....i can have suspections that i am not listening trebles with the same level than others.

When this amplifier was evaluated in group, people said that trebles and bass are outstanding, and voice are something normal....i did not perceive the same..... but what they said has more value than my personal opinnion about....because beeing group evaluation.... even beeing something subjective, that already loose some precision, had more value them my lonely listening ideas about.

When i said pretty good, means that i could listen better trebles using another amplifier with those speakers and headphones...Aksa did that.

Each amplifier have their own good characteristics, for instance, as an example...the gainclone has beautifull mid range reproduction.

In my mind, some combination of amplifiers will produce the best possible sound.... having amplifiers for bass, the ones reproduce better bass...amplifiers for mid ranges and for trebles.....and one powerfull unit for sub woofer.

I am working here in this direction...very lazy to construct those days, as i hate mechanical work...enclosure construction or adaptations....but i will do this way.... first using passive filters and second trying op amps to produce the needed electronic filtering.

I want to adjust all amplifiers separated...each one going to adequate speaker....units done specially for voices, low frequencies and trebles, and will distribute the speakers in my room....nothing surround, or any sinthetic effect...just stereo, but not sending wide audio bandwidth to any speaker...as i think this is worst than reduced bandwidth.

Now a days already working with two bands...subwoofer and full range, and i feel this very nice, as i can adjust power separated to each one of the four amplifiers...but i want, at least 7 amplifiers, they are almost constructed....i have to finish them, constructing the enclosure, fixing heatsinks, drilling holes, thinking about the wiring to avoid capacitive coupling between them, separated supplies...will be hard work, and construction will result very crowdy....with big density or boards wires and transformers.

I am lazy as i have some problem.... and could not find solution.... i will have 7 amplifiers and i have room only to 3 meters.... pointers meters...and will use also peak meters with leds too, but those will be at subwoofer only.. to avoid overdrive the subwoofer amplifier without perceive that...as overdrive those ones do not show us so clear distortions as trebles and mids...will monitor the amplifier with leds, and use speakers that can hold twice the subwooffer amplifier power.....yes!..i have meters enougth.... S Meters, but have no room to install them in the panel i have decided...as cannot be bigger than the furniture i have...with 45 centimeters long.

Inside i will have the best amplifiers i could listen...each one dedicated to it's own prefered spectrum.

This way, i think, i will make the best possible system to me.

Try to imagine this scene.... some big speaker reproducing 1 cicle...one hertz...let's imagine that you can listen 10hertz...do not mind that this is note easy to listen.... and slowly the speaker will go in and out...10 times each second....and now...mix that 30 watts RMS with 4 kilohertz tone.... 50 decibels lower in power.... together the bass tone.... in the same speaker will be difficult to listen the 4 kilohertz clear....but using two amplifiers and 2 speakers, you will listen perfectly.

You may say:

But if this can be good, why industries never done that, or, at least is not easy to find those systems...only those Surrounds and Pro this Pro that, and 5.1 and others point something?

Because the speaker cost...many speakers.... all them special, with capacity to hold big power each one of them, inside tuned or acoustic suspension enclosures.... all amplifiers with same power, as Epupa Epops already explained, high power all them... with separated supplies....many supplies, with independent rectifiers and filters...this is very expensive to construct and to sell...better to make those systems that have enormous chip inside producing those sounds waving, with echos, ambience, travelling routating ...having capacity to receive many separated channels but with a single supply loosing enormous voltage when all amplifiers start to drain big currents...aaaagh!....not enough.... the cost can be reasonable...but the sound normally is not fine because the costs to produce...as power capability, have to be more than 1 real kilowatt maximum with all channels added in the clipping limit.

The ridiculous of my idea...others already had this idea of course....is that we can make the same with headphones.... a cheaper way...multi drivers inside.... outside a small multi channel, one stage, single ended class A transistor for each channel...will do better job...but!...how to find that headphone?

regards,

Carlos
 
The most difficult thing when comparing amplifiers, as you all know, but is good

To say, because there are young guys that do not know that.

And there are young guys that know more than we know too.

But the most difficult thing is to decide the one is better.... this is very difficult, as when you compare two good amplifiers, they offer you pleasure and will win the other in some aspect and will loose in other aspect.....that total smashing victory is very difficult to find so bad unit that be smashed.....desintegrated....anulated.....or ashamed by some unit.

When some wins in dinamics, normally will loss somewhere...nothing is perfect in this world, ...as we can perceive that we came from a perfect designer (some people believe as i do...but this is not to discuiss here....just to tell some and stop fast...broke rules!) and even resulted from a perfect designer, we have many failures...and wars are there to prove that for us.... selfish...rich and poor.... run to have the Petrol...death in Africa because we turn blind related
them...eteceteras.

Comparison is interesting, i think, the most extraordinary tool to evaluate....beeing that comparison listening, or even having both techniques, the subjective and objective comparison testings.

I am sure Symassym will win many, but will appear someone to reproduce something better....maybe some class A....not fair to compare Orange and Screws, but people can try some those fascinating enormous amplifiers.... with iddle consumption of 250 watts...hehe....coward comparison, but someone can try...obviously, there, it is problable that Symassym will have some weekness appearance.

I will be happy to listen some comparison with LM3875....because i had not courage to talk those things...but i will fell down from my chair if someone turns crazy enougth to open the mouth abouth the subject...ahahahaha!...the earth will shake in that moment...ahahahaha!

This day i will laugh than you will listen big fat charlie in your country...so loud i will laugh...because i will see many surprised faces, some others shocked...i am sorry, my own defect...i am not a Saint...or someone without defects...the opposite...i am human...and this will be hillary....remember "pinton"....under the wood...hehe

Related specifications...observe that LM3875 have some characteristics to "eat the Symassym in the breakfast!"...but go to listen, so, you will conclude that people "manipulate" specifications , or, the specifications are not a guarantee of quality......

- "Will the small and pretty chip smash symassym?... we will see in future exciting chapter"

Also..... this will produce another movie "The day after!"...when all chip forum enter a big revolution against the "one" that told the Heresie....heretic!.... Iconoclast!.... burn him!!!!...ahahahah!

no regards now.....forget me!...as this may be terrible!

Carlos
 

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I feel good when we find things to agree...this is nice

A very happy ending of many misunderstoodings...and a nice start of a new stage in our relationship.

Also Epupa is not the one that turns satisfied with poor amplifiers, he has also good experienced listening habilities, in addition to his Enginnering capabilities too.... his inclusion in that agreement is beautifull.

But no "fish" will bite the "trap"...to compare with LM3886 or some cousin...hehe...they are thousands!, the ones that love those chips are more than an army.... trouble to the one that open the big mouth.... will probably receive a flying watermellow directly into the mouth! (virtually of course, as they are not agressive).....ahahahaha!

regards,

Carlos
 
I have found this...but i did not posted in Graham's thread because he did not asked

He did not asked that...i am afraid that he will not like that i am showing you this...but as i discover it by myself...i will post it .

http://www.zen22142.zen.co.uk/Circuits/Audio/thegem.htm

Observe...the amplifier is not dead!

Other message, Pavel, a friend, that use internet too, made a voltage follower and resulted excelent, he already made three units and sold them....300 dollares each channel, and here, this is a fortune!

Congratulations....the Voltage follower if not yours, may belong to Epupa.

regards,

Carlos
 

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