I honestly think anything goes here. I took the lazy way out on my first attempt and just did a simple standard braid without separating the wires. I used them for several months because they were better than the PE 12 ga. I use as a standard. The clarity, power handling and stage convinced me I would build some as designed at some point. When I did I felt it was well worth the effort.
As is my usual method, I did not do any engineering study on either set other than keeping the length at 5 feet or less. It might be a good idea to test various lengths and combinations of jacketed Cat5 before stripping and doing the braiding.
Again, my friend John with the big tube amp had those top dollar super fat boutique cables and I didn't get the impression they added significantly to the sound quality. I'll take mine along when I do the final version face-off.
As is my usual method, I did not do any engineering study on either set other than keeping the length at 5 feet or less. It might be a good idea to test various lengths and combinations of jacketed Cat5 before stripping and doing the braiding.
Again, my friend John with the big tube amp had those top dollar super fat boutique cables and I didn't get the impression they added significantly to the sound quality. I'll take mine along when I do the final version face-off.
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Not very important, but it's been bugging me.
I complicated my comment about thumps and/or pops on turn off. All I meant was if the DAC is turned off while the FEs are still on I can hear the shut-down. I sounds ugly but doesn't do any damage. As Andrew and others have said, the speed of the on-board relays is of course fast enough to provide a one button silent system off. Didn't mean to imply there was an inherent flaw in the amp.
There, now I feel better.
I complicated my comment about thumps and/or pops on turn off. All I meant was if the DAC is turned off while the FEs are still on I can hear the shut-down. I sounds ugly but doesn't do any damage. As Andrew and others have said, the speed of the on-board relays is of course fast enough to provide a one button silent system off. Didn't mean to imply there was an inherent flaw in the amp.
There, now I feel better.
Not to worry Bob, I have a detail that I feel bad about too, I just discovered an important detail about the issue I have had with hum. While testing my amp in the shop I had all of the components plugged into a power strip that had the ground pin broken off. I went out to the shop and unplugged the power strip to verify this, sure enough. I did not know this until I brought the amp into the listening room and hooked it up to a properly grounded supply. I figured out there was an issue when I still encountered a small amount of hum with and without a connection to pgnd.
darn...
However I spent about an hour and a half listening and have some great results....even with a little hum
. I first hooked up my kg4s and had a listen. great bass great highs just great. sounded like I expected from how my 201s sounded. then I connected my ess amt monitors...still a little hum....but. at the same volume from the pre I was blown away. This amp really brought these speakers to life. really. They have never been known for there bass even with a 12" woofer, but the bass responce was great, the highs were lifelike and well timed. the combination brought the performance to me. awesome. Now to get rid of the hum.......
also hum is louder without pgnd connected, and even louder with pre connected but turned off.
darn...
However I spent about an hour and a half listening and have some great results....even with a little hum
. I first hooked up my kg4s and had a listen. great bass great highs just great. sounded like I expected from how my 201s sounded. then I connected my ess amt monitors...still a little hum....but. at the same volume from the pre I was blown away. This amp really brought these speakers to life. really. They have never been known for there bass even with a 12" woofer, but the bass responce was great, the highs were lifelike and well timed. the combination brought the performance to me. awesome. Now to get rid of the hum.......also hum is louder without pgnd connected, and even louder with pre connected but turned off.
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In the past I've had a really strange hum problem:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/135170-strange-buzz-only-one-channel.html
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/135170-strange-buzz-only-one-channel.html
Hello Dario,
once you suggest me Obligato Gold Premium cap for C13 (in My-ref A)... what do you think about this cap in FE ?
once you suggest me Obligato Gold Premium cap for C13 (in My-ref A)... what do you think about this cap in FE ?
Well I just replied on another thread that I thought I had a unique problem but it's sounding more and more like the same thing. If you read some of the entries there it becomes clear different combinations of pres and MyRefs produce various results.
The hum that I get does not increase with volume and is easily/fully masked with a small increase of either the bare pot or the pot on my JC-2 pre clone. I honestly think I either overheated something during assembly or one of the parts could be out of spec, or in the wrong orientation.
...... but then, the FE RC is totally hum free with my Mini2496 DAC. I know I sound like a broken record - but did you ever test a battery source to feed your amps? I'm very curious about what you find.
The hum that I get does not increase with volume and is easily/fully masked with a small increase of either the bare pot or the pot on my JC-2 pre clone. I honestly think I either overheated something during assembly or one of the parts could be out of spec, or in the wrong orientation.
...... but then, the FE RC is totally hum free with my Mini2496 DAC. I know I sound like a broken record - but did you ever test a battery source to feed your amps? I'm very curious about what you find.
No, it was constant.
If I were in your shoes I'd rule out that possibility trying a different set of RCAs.
The pair I've used with the gainclone were very similar to the ones I've seen in your build.
Hi Marco,
it was an old recommendation.
Use the caps in BOM or also a Clarity Cap MR (suburra's suggestion) unless you want to experiment.
Sadly, that didn't help in my case. These Neutriks aren't top quality but better constructed than plastic types. I also tried this style. Same results.
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According the bom from mouser
I have few rca's from china but not sure I am going to use them in amp build
I have few rca's from china but not sure I am going to use them in amp build
Search for CMC 805-2.5F on eBay, for around 10$ you get a couple of high copper brass, sturdy and good soundig connectors.
The ones in BOM are there to have a good code on Mouser but I never tried them.
If I have to suggest one my choice goes to CMCs.
I'm using the pure copper variant (805-2.5-CU-G), both are excellent choice.
Also the binding post from same manifacturer are good quality and affordable (CMC 858-S brass, CMC 858-S-CU-G, pure copper)
some vendors claims the brass variant is pure copper, only the -CU- codes are true copper!
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Thank you guys for the suggestions, however I am impatient I borrowed a pair of much better quality rcas from my unfinished lighter note build and wired them up. The hum persists.
Bob I tried to use my phone as a source but I could not get it to work. I will try again later when I have some more time.
Also, the amb switch driver circuit also floats and is not connected to ground. There is a g connection on the switch driver board, but there is no reference to ground on the posted schematic. I will investigate that further, though I have not found any reference to this topic on the amb forum. I may just have to try it.
Again, thanks everyone for all the help
I borrowed a pair of much better quality rcas from my unfinished lighter note build and wired them up. The hum persists.Bob I tried to use my phone as a source but I could not get it to work. I will try again later when I have some more time.
Also, the amb switch driver circuit also floats and is not connected to ground. There is a g connection on the switch driver board, but there is no reference to ground on the posted schematic. I will investigate that further, though I have not found any reference to this topic on the amb forum. I may just have to try it.
Again, thanks everyone for all the help
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15mF is a standard value for a capacitor.
63V rating is NOT required for a dual polarity PSU for a chipamp.
Use either 35V, or 50V, depending on which transformer you decide to buy.
You will find that 35V & 50V are both cheaper and smaller than 63V.
I posted a few times recently that I am using epcos.
63V rating is NOT required for a dual polarity PSU for a chipamp.
Use either 35V, or 50V, depending on which transformer you decide to buy.
You will find that 35V & 50V are both cheaper and smaller than 63V.
I posted a few times recently that I am using epcos.
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