Tony Gee's Low Budget Speaker - Build Thread

[raypalmer]

Since taking that photo I have ben having a fiddle with the position. In the position that the left speaker was in originally there was quite a bit of boomy(?) bass coming out of the corner.

I'm also planning on builing a DIY preamp and amp. However, i like to understand what I'm doing so rather than buying a kit and just doing it I'm busily doing all the reading I can find. Any suggestions for good resources for chip amps?

Ah you're a man after my own heart.

I espouse the chipamp.com or audiosector.com kits. I'm running with an audiosector lm3875 right know. Most GC's have enough gain to run solo with a potentiometer, which means you can use them right out of the gate while you build/decide whether to build a preamp.

This site here has pretty much all the info you could need.

 

[mrevie]

The HT amp does have pre-outs (of dubious quality, i'm sure), so if it comes to it I can always use those while umming and ahhing about a preamp. I really do need the HT amp around for it's various processing abilities, as I'm in the process of putting together a HTPC to run everything off. However, that being said I also intend to build a separate preamp/amp setup for stereo music listening. I can't imagine building a simple switch to change which setup I want outputting to the fronts would be too difficult.

 

[tinitus]

Your countryman Anthony Holton makes some of the worlds finest DIY kit amp modules

Your HT pre out might not be so bad as you think, but I cant say

I use a quality integrated stereo amp as preamp, with my diy amps
Back then I was told that the preout was intended fore subs only, and really no good fore anything else
But it really does sound sweet
Its an integrated where the control section is a passive "digital"
Its known to use just a special single but special selected small transistor on input of poweramp
When I look at the subout, theres also just a single small transistor mounted right at the output RCA, and probably the same thing

I was told it wouldnt work too good
A friend says why wouldnt it work
I think it sounds sweet, so I guess it is good

Why all this rubbish
Just to say "you never know"

 

[mrevie]

Hehe. I get what you're saying. . I'm very new to the world of audio so I'm going to be a lot of experimenting.

 

[raypalmer]

I use the Jolida model JD50, it's just a line-stage. That is to say, a passive potentiometer before the amp. Which admittedly I could just build into my amps rather easily. But the JD50 offers two significant features for a very small price.

-Remote control
-Switched power outlets

So now I can switch my amp on and off, and use the volume without leaving my seat. Yes I'm a lazy boy.

Personally I feel an active pre-amp should always be avoided when the power amplifier has sufficient gain. The golden rule: keep it simple.

 

[mrevie]

Ordered one of the premium LM3875 kits from audiosector.com today after doing a lot of reading through Peter's threads and reviews. Not to mention enough reading to get ahold of the concepts beyind op-amps and their use in hifi amplification. Hopefully it will go well with my new babies.

 

[mrevie]

I just finished building one of Peter Daniel's Premium LM3875 kits and I've got to say - it's a night and day improvement over the HT amp I was previously using to drive these speakers. So much better.

Having given the speakers plenty of time to burn in I've got to say that they blow any pair of speakers I've owned before completely out of the water. Admittedly, I don't have much to compare them to, but I am beyond happy with the result.

Highly recommend this design!

 

[Billyo]

* Bump * Hi all,First post here and novice speaker builder! mrevie, I'm thinking of attempting Tony's LBS speakers; Just wondering whether they've stood the test of time and you still think that they are great speakers!That little amp also intrigues me; how did you power it?