john curl said:
Hi John,
I'm agree that lower DA is better but I'm making the point that with careful attention to detail excellent results can be had with readily availible, reasonably priced board materials.
Parts placement is always a challenge but I'm always amazed at what can be done if I spend the time pushing and shoving parts around until it all fits like a glove. With a PC-based layout program it's more like a game of chess; although I also know a good layout doesn't necessarily translate to ease of manufacturing. When that is the goal the higher price materials could be a good insurance policy.
It's an interesting trade off though, higher price board material to save money on assembly
(and I know that's an over-simplified view).KSTR said:
To me this would be a nightmare to construct with any circuit of even minimum complexity. Probably fun for the first stage or two but after a few parts swaps would turn into a mess.
Regards, Mike.
Hi Quirck,
Also, any active device in a chain has the ability to distort the audio information. Right now, in my system, looking for a good preamp is a problem. The defects are clearly audible. If your amplifier isn't up to snuff, you may not be able to hear the differences between these things.
So the preamp is at least as important as the amplifier. Looking at things from a phono cartridge level, the preamp has a more difficult job to do than the amplifier in my opinion. Then there is noise and crosstalk issues related to a number of possibly active inputs.
-Chris
No it isn't. However, at high impedances, any nonlinearity of a component will have a large effect. DA would have the effect of reducing the detail in an audio waveform. So you can see that these issues are not silly at all. They are very much a part of audio design.
Also, any active device in a chain has the ability to distort the audio information. Right now, in my system, looking for a good preamp is a problem. The defects are clearly audible. If your amplifier isn't up to snuff, you may not be able to hear the differences between these things.
So the preamp is at least as important as the amplifier. Looking at things from a phono cartridge level, the preamp has a more difficult job to do than the amplifier in my opinion. Then there is noise and crosstalk issues related to a number of possibly active inputs.
-Chris
QSerraTico_Tico said:
Any damage done at the preamp level can't be undone by the amp. It really doesn't take much to obliterate some of the fine detail, inject a bit of noise (masking/texture) or add a bit of un-correlated correction to the signal. It all depends on your sensitivity to, or your systems resolution of, such minor modifications.
Regards, Mike.
I have been making quality preamps for 34 years for high end home use. Every preamp has its own 'personality' and sound. Of course, in 1974, I originally thought that my Levinson JC-2 was PERFECT! I learned about its subtle problems over several years, even decades. Still, the original JC-2 preamp now sitting around would technically do everything that I need today. It just doesn't perform well enough, just like a 1974 Porsche 911 might not seem adequate today to a car buff with a much newer model, or even something more exotic..
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anatech said:
And now on a practical mood, if someone cares to comment. No fear…
Much has been said but it would be nice to hear some tips on how a good layout should be done to avoid certain pitfalls. For example, how to lay a hi impedance node to avoid interaction? Under a ground plane? Surrounded by power supply rails?
How to avoid DA on the layout besides board material or solder mask?
Spacing of tracks for signal?
With all the experience around this thread we might get some good praxis.
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