Love car audio. Do not like communisum/government/etc, so like to have buy most of my stuff made in USA. Have bought a car audio amp which is considered "made in USA", however, took the top cover off to find Fujicon caps and a fan with "made in China" sticker on the back. The amp's USA properties are..
All engineering is proprietary to us as we have our own fulltime engineer in house.
All aluminum is extruded in Gainesville GA. and cut and powder coated here in West Palm Beach Florida
PCB’s were done in Texas
We have a staff of 12 employees and all automated equipment in house for full assembly.
All repairs and warranties handled on sight.
The amp specs are..
All engineering is proprietary to us as we have our own fulltime engineer in house.
All aluminum is extruded in Gainesville GA. and cut and powder coated here in West Palm Beach Florida
PCB’s were done in Texas
We have a staff of 12 employees and all automated equipment in house for full assembly.
All repairs and warranties handled on sight.
The amp specs are..
- Great for an All-in-One solution or for an incredible 3-way active front-stage!
- 150 x 6 @4ohms all channels driven.
- Channels 5 & 6 can be bridged for 1000 watts and is stable to a 1ohm bridge.
- The amplifier has Burr-Brown pre-amp section
- 82% efficiency
- Slew rate is 19v
- Ultra Small footprint 9.5" x 2.25" x 10".
- Signal -to-Noise: > -101dB
Im certain it would be difficult to find all parts
and Im not sure it would make sense either
but thats your choice, and game
Replace the caps and a fan with a sticker that says: "Made in USA". And there you go: 100% USA amp. But it will be nonsense, you can just take the cash which you would plan to spend on the US parts and set fire to it. The effect on amplifiers quality is the same either way.
If you want to learn to understand electronics, then buy a broken amplifier and try to repair it.
If you want to learn to understand electronics, then buy a broken amplifier and try to repair it.
Making an amp that's 100% made in the US isn't likely to be possible. At the very least, you'll likely have to use foreign made semiconductors. The cost will almost certainly be prohibitive, especially considering that the market for such an amp (no matter the quality) will be very narrow. People want CHEAP. That's the most important criteria for most all buyers.
Virtually all amps (the power amplifier itself) sound the same. This is due to the negative feedback used in most solid state amplifiers. There can be some differences in the way an amp (overall) sounds due to the crossover design or equalization. This means that you won't be able to build an amplifier that will sound significantly better (one of the only reasons to justify the additional cost). Even if you did come up with a better sounding amp, the budget amp manufacturers would copy it and undersell your product. They can sell amps for less than you could build one for.
That shouldn't discourage you from building an amplifier for yourself.
Virtually all amps (the power amplifier itself) sound the same. This is due to the negative feedback used in most solid state amplifiers. There can be some differences in the way an amp (overall) sounds due to the crossover design or equalization. This means that you won't be able to build an amplifier that will sound significantly better (one of the only reasons to justify the additional cost). Even if you did come up with a better sounding amp, the budget amp manufacturers would copy it and undersell your product. They can sell amps for less than you could build one for.
That shouldn't discourage you from building an amplifier for yourself.
The Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook
Buy it and read it twice.
For power supply design, try the Basic Switching Power Supply Design page in the sig line below.
Buy it and read it twice.
For power supply design, try the Basic Switching Power Supply Design page in the sig line below.
to a point, yes. many parts can be made in the us, and even somewhat competitive, but there are also many components that are just made better or only overseas, imho. doesn't really take that much away to have a miniscule amount of build cost in a few parts.
Preveiwed a couple pages out of "The Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook". seems like little difficult to understand. do any other books exsist which might be easier? the "Basic Switching Power Supply Design" link brings me to a website which have visited numerous times before. good site with tones of useful info. kinda wish the book was as easy to understand as it is.
just want a really good sounding car system, mabye even *world class*. an amplifer which can do it all would be great and simple. don't want to give money to bad guys. like was said earlier, already own a 6 channel amp (1,2 for tweets/midrange, 3,4 for midbass, and 5,6 for sub). however, because probably most electronic components come from china, was wondering if it is possible to DIY something which could sound as good with US made caps,boards,etc.
when previewing the "The Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook" it seemed tough for me with no electrical background to read and understand. it might have been because of the previewing method, the actual book might be different. have found another book called "High-Power Audio Amplifier Construction Manual by G. Randy Slone" for like 20 bucks off ebay, might give it a shot before buying the other book which is like 50. hoping to see pictures and descriptions.
always what is right
Austin
when previewing the "The Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook" it seemed tough for me with no electrical background to read and understand. it might have been because of the previewing method, the actual book might be different. have found another book called "High-Power Audio Amplifier Construction Manual by G. Randy Slone" for like 20 bucks off ebay, might give it a shot before buying the other book which is like 50. hoping to see pictures and descriptions.
always what is right
Austin
You can't make an amplifier that will sound significantly better (produce sound more accurately) than most other amplifiers. The negative feedback that's used with most solid state amplifiers ensures that virtually all solid state amplifiers sound precisely the same (as long as they're in good working order).
To design your own amplifier, you need to understand all aspects of amplifier design for the topology that you intend to use. It's relatively easy to design an amp that will produce audio but to design one that's reliable and stable under virtually any load, that requires a greater knowledge. The term 'stable' here doesn't have any thing to do with the ohm load. When designing amplifiers, they have to be designed to handle reactive loads (both capacitive and inductive) without oscillating but without being damped so highly that they limit the high frequency response. The term 'damped' refers to the resistance to oscillation, not the damping factor.
One of the specs that people look at is the signal to noise ratio. If you were designing an amp, you may want fully balanced inputs. While balanced inputs have advantages, they have some disadvantages. Balanced inputs require at least one additional set of op-amps. Cheap amps use a floating secondary ground. This eliminates the need for additional op-amps in the audio chain. The addition of the additional op-amps increases noise and distortion, no matter the quality of the op-amps.
Cheap amps are almost exclusively class B amps. Class AB and class A amps have current flowing through the outputs. Class B amps do not have any current flowing through their outputs at idle. This can help class B amps (the cheap amps) have less noise at idle.
Distortion is another spec that people look at. Some people claim that class B amps produce a distorted signal and want class AB or class A amps. A properly designed class B amp will not have any audible distortion.
I'm not trying to discourage you but before investing a lot of time and money into an amplifier, you should realize that you cannot produce a more accurate amplifier than cheap amps. If you have a really good marketing team, they may be able to come up with various buzz words to make the amp seem better than others but it's not going to sound better (more accurate sound production). In a blind A/B test, don't expect to be able to tell one amp from another.
To design your own amplifier, you need to understand all aspects of amplifier design for the topology that you intend to use. It's relatively easy to design an amp that will produce audio but to design one that's reliable and stable under virtually any load, that requires a greater knowledge. The term 'stable' here doesn't have any thing to do with the ohm load. When designing amplifiers, they have to be designed to handle reactive loads (both capacitive and inductive) without oscillating but without being damped so highly that they limit the high frequency response. The term 'damped' refers to the resistance to oscillation, not the damping factor.
One of the specs that people look at is the signal to noise ratio. If you were designing an amp, you may want fully balanced inputs. While balanced inputs have advantages, they have some disadvantages. Balanced inputs require at least one additional set of op-amps. Cheap amps use a floating secondary ground. This eliminates the need for additional op-amps in the audio chain. The addition of the additional op-amps increases noise and distortion, no matter the quality of the op-amps.
Cheap amps are almost exclusively class B amps. Class AB and class A amps have current flowing through the outputs. Class B amps do not have any current flowing through their outputs at idle. This can help class B amps (the cheap amps) have less noise at idle.
Distortion is another spec that people look at. Some people claim that class B amps produce a distorted signal and want class AB or class A amps. A properly designed class B amp will not have any audible distortion.
I'm not trying to discourage you but before investing a lot of time and money into an amplifier, you should realize that you cannot produce a more accurate amplifier than cheap amps. If you have a really good marketing team, they may be able to come up with various buzz words to make the amp seem better than others but it's not going to sound better (more accurate sound production). In a blind A/B test, don't expect to be able to tell one amp from another.
Perry's site is pretty unique like that, Ive read that site countless times over the years & still learn & understand more every time I visit. I doubt anyone without serious schooling & experience could design & build a reference quality amplifier any better than whats already out there.
While equipment is important it is not the end all for a quality system. There are so many factors working against you in a vehicle its almost impossible for any subtle improvement in equipment to make an audible difference. However, unlike designing an amplifier the installation aspect you do have a running chance at improving, and there is plenty to learn about acoustics and a lifetimes worth of trial & error ahead. lol
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have emailed Linear Power asking "Can you tell me what components in older/newer Linear Power amps ARE NOT made in USA?"
LP replied "There are no parts from China, we purchase only from US manufacturers. The primary and majority of all the parts are Motorola/On Semiconductor or TI/Burr Brown parts.
We design and hand build the amps here in the USA. There are NO Chinese stickers any where on any of our products. They all say PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA. "
so, maybe proves some posts so far wrong, maybe not
LP replied "There are no parts from China, we purchase only from US manufacturers. The primary and majority of all the parts are Motorola/On Semiconductor or TI/Burr Brown parts.
We design and hand build the amps here in the USA. There are NO Chinese stickers any where on any of our products. They all say PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA. "
so, maybe proves some posts so far wrong, maybe not
The parts are purchased from companies that began in the US but the parts aren't likely to be produced in the US.
I'd consider amps to be US made if the design team was in the US, the boards, sheetmetal and heatsinks were made in the US, the boards were populated/soldered in the US and the amp was assembled in the US. It's not practical or even possible to buy all parts that were made in the US.
I'd consider amps to be US made if the design team was in the US, the boards, sheetmetal and heatsinks were made in the US, the boards were populated/soldered in the US and the amp was assembled in the US. It's not practical or even possible to buy all parts that were made in the US.
You can get all USA made parts if you dig a little.
They will be made in the 70's to, at most, early 90's.
Not an impossible task, USA *was* an Electronics powerhouse for many years.
Last time I checked, "Silicon Valley" was still in California
Consider using, say, USA made RC4558 Op Amps, Sprague capacitors, Ohmite resistors, Motorola or TI transistors , etc.
What I wouldn't trust that much would be vintage electrolytics, but you can test them before use.
Visit Ham Fests and such, garage sales at households where "Grandpa" used to be a hot Repair Tech in the 70's to 90's, those will be treasure troves of high quality USA parts, even if in dusty or moldy cardboard boxes.
Now delving slightly into "Politics": Japan/China/Taiwan/Singapur/Malaysia/India/etc, did not become the Electronics factories of the World because of Communism and such, but because of the very Capitalistic greed of USA Companies who fed, trained, financed, teached them but worst of all, gave them the largest Market in the World: USA.
So it looks like really there's not that much to complain about, if anything at all.
They will be made in the 70's to, at most, early 90's.
Not an impossible task, USA *was* an Electronics powerhouse for many years.
Last time I checked, "Silicon Valley" was still in California
Consider using, say, USA made RC4558 Op Amps, Sprague capacitors, Ohmite resistors, Motorola or TI transistors , etc.
What I wouldn't trust that much would be vintage electrolytics, but you can test them before use.
Visit Ham Fests and such, garage sales at households where "Grandpa" used to be a hot Repair Tech in the 70's to 90's, those will be treasure troves of high quality USA parts, even if in dusty or moldy cardboard boxes.
Now delving slightly into "Politics": Japan/China/Taiwan/Singapur/Malaysia/India/etc, did not become the Electronics factories of the World because of Communism and such, but because of the very Capitalistic greed of USA Companies who fed, trained, financed, teached them but worst of all, gave them the largest Market in the World: USA.
So it looks like really there's not that much to complain about, if anything at all.
very good info indeed. thanks very much.
have moved on to an old school car audio amp kit which has single boards at 280rms by 1 channel, then combining boards to match sub power. not sure if it was a good idea or not. should have maybe kept the new all in one amp 150x4 plus 900x1, but every electronic besides the board was sourced from China probably. The DIY amp is on the back burner, got as far as needing a good schematic, then sourcing the materials like you mentioned? had some suggestions to bypass the powersupply if you built your own battery bank or ran it off of an electric car battery.
thanks for reminding me of wall street greed. however, would like to add the demand for such electronics by lazy stupid people, good people who just didn't know what is going on, and people who know and just don't care. Which is the whole point of the thread. If you wouldn't buy it because it was made like such, the company probably wouldn't do such in the first place.
Could be wrong but have read Japan/Taiwan have strict epa regulations compared to China. Maybe better worker rights too? Mabye you could give feedback on Malaysia because was looking at purchasing a newer cd player for the car by Kenwood made in Malaysia (avoiding Alpines' China line up), but maybe not good if the factory in China is better than the factory in Malaysia.
Politics you mentioned, it's been around since the 1st human? would like to retrace everyone's heritage back to the beginning to determine everyone's place for the future. Huge misbalance of right and wrong probably exsist between differen't people. Would like to see life's resource be given to the people who have been living more right.
have moved on to an old school car audio amp kit which has single boards at 280rms by 1 channel, then combining boards to match sub power. not sure if it was a good idea or not. should have maybe kept the new all in one amp 150x4 plus 900x1, but every electronic besides the board was sourced from China probably. The DIY amp is on the back burner, got as far as needing a good schematic, then sourcing the materials like you mentioned? had some suggestions to bypass the powersupply if you built your own battery bank or ran it off of an electric car battery.
thanks for reminding me of wall street greed. however, would like to add the demand for such electronics by lazy stupid people, good people who just didn't know what is going on, and people who know and just don't care. Which is the whole point of the thread. If you wouldn't buy it because it was made like such, the company probably wouldn't do such in the first place.
Could be wrong but have read Japan/Taiwan have strict epa regulations compared to China. Maybe better worker rights too? Mabye you could give feedback on Malaysia because was looking at purchasing a newer cd player for the car by Kenwood made in Malaysia (avoiding Alpines' China line up), but maybe not good if the factory in China is better than the factory in Malaysia.
Politics you mentioned, it's been around since the 1st human? would like to retrace everyone's heritage back to the beginning to determine everyone's place for the future. Huge misbalance of right and wrong probably exsist between differen't people. Would like to see life's resource be given to the people who have been living more right.
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