Koinichiwa,
You are right. They don't sound the same. If you build an Ampliifer using the circuit of the Golden Night but with better quality output Transformers and a much better powersupply it will sound much better than the Golden Night. As for the AN M7 (I take it you are talking ANJ?), again, you can actually make something in DIY that is as good or better, depending upon what you are doing.
Okay, lets make as straightforward and simple as possible. If you want a Gaincard buy one. If you want to build an Amplifier to the Gaincard original design, this is covered too. You can also build this into an Aluminum Case like that used by 47'labs. You will find getting the original mains transformers a bit of challenge though.
So, you want a gaincard, buy one. You wan an inexpensive, good sounding, potentially physically small Solid State Amp, you could do much worse than building a gainclone.
Sayonara
ozk said:
You are right. They don't sound the same. If you build an Ampliifer using the circuit of the Golden Night but with better quality output Transformers and a much better powersupply it will sound much better than the Golden Night. As for the AN M7 (I take it you are talking ANJ?), again, you can actually make something in DIY that is as good or better, depending upon what you are doing.
ozk said:
Okay, lets make as straightforward and simple as possible. If you want a Gaincard buy one. If you want to build an Amplifier to the Gaincard original design, this is covered too. You can also build this into an Aluminum Case like that used by 47'labs. You will find getting the original mains transformers a bit of challenge though.
So, you want a gaincard, buy one. You wan an inexpensive, good sounding, potentially physically small Solid State Amp, you could do much worse than building a gainclone.
Sayonara
Kuei Yang Wang said:
About Audion, i know Audion amplifier very good, i have several amplifier of Audion. I think that good transformer as Golden Night cost around 2000 UK Pound !!! it's transformer design by Audion only and you can't buy them and if you want buy one, it's cost 1400 UK Pound one.
About the Audio Note Kondo San, the output transformer of Kondo San it's the best transformer in the world and the capacitor! it's design only of kondo san. and you can find it's only in Kondo San product's.
I heard a lot of real amp vs DIY, it's not heard same or even better! but it's really cost 10 or even 20 time less...
Anybody ever done this or heard of an A/B test of real 47 Laboratory Gain Card vs gainclone ?
ozk said:
Some things I have to say here.
I separated matters with topics:
1. You're reading too much of the makers catalogues.
That's marketing.
You would laugh if you knew what Conrad-Johnson calls to the LM3886 chips they use on some of their amps.
2. The same as one.
3. No. You should buy one or know a really nice dealer who could arrange an audition for you, and have the patience to hear to your GC.
I heard the 25w Gaincard playing in a dealer, connected to a pair of fullrange horn speakers, and it was playing nice sounds.
But as I don't know those speakers, I can't comment.
Also, those speakers were almost 100db sensitivity, I wonder if that amp could play with my speakers.
Finally, if you can't make a better copy of a good amp, there are people who can.
I have no doubts.
Kuei is one of them.
Sayonara.
Konnichiwa Daniel San,
Not bad at all. Congratulation to an excellent result. Just goes to show....
Sayonara
Peter Daniel said:
Not bad at all. Congratulation to an excellent result. Just goes to show....
Sayonara
Congratulations, Peter, you did it again.
I wish you luck with your project.
A question that I make myself is if the original GainCard is P-P...
Anyway Peter, if you're planning to build and sell plenty of these, you could make PCBs, one per channel, including the pot.
It would be much easier and quick to build.
But man, your P-P always looks good.
I wish you luck with your project.
A question that I make myself is if the original GainCard is P-P...
Anyway Peter, if you're planning to build and sell plenty of these, you could make PCBs, one per channel, including the pot.
It would be much easier and quick to build.
But man, your P-P always looks good.
I was considering PCB, but actually it would be the same amount of work. I would probably only gained on PS caps and LM chip mounting, but all the other connections would have to be done with cables anyway: Input from RCA to pot, pot to PCB, From PCB to binding posts, power suply capbles. I wouldn't place feedback resistor on the PCB also as it is best soldered directly to the IC pins. I also have to justify horrendous price tag. Since it is done P2P, I can always claim custom work and more time involved in production. 
I made some jigs, which simplify caps positioning in the blocks as well pins length precutting.
I made some jigs, which simplify caps positioning in the blocks as well pins length precutting.
The gaincard uses a small PCB. There are photos circling around of it on the internet.
The problem with a commercial amp is that you can't change the specs easily after the release! With a PCB and different layout, the amp will likely sound different...
It seems like an awful lot of work to build this amp, Peter! Will you not get enough of it after making a few hundred ?
Fedde
The problem with a commercial amp is that you can't change the specs easily after the release! With a PCB and different layout, the amp will likely sound different...
It seems like an awful lot of work to build this amp, Peter! Will you not get enough of it after making a few hundred ?
Fedde
Peter Daniel said:I also have to justify horrendous price tag. Since it is done P2P, I can always claim custom work and more time involved in production.
I think that the price is quite reasonable! You get a better quality of components for the money than with 47 Labs. Though I didn't compare the end result yet
(and DIYing is still much cheaper, but hey...)
Do you do the aluminium work by yourself for all amps !?
Fedde
Peter, I said the pots mounted on the PCB too.
And even the RCAs and binding posts may be PCB-type, although you may have difficulty in finding decent ones...
Oh, and I make very small "bread-board" circuits and I solder the feedback resistor on the circuit.
But it's so close to the pins (actually, it's directly soldered to them) that I doubt one can do better in P-P.
Well, but you're right, if that's a very expensive amp, you may say it's hand-made with love, dedication and care.
And even the RCAs and binding posts may be PCB-type, although you may have difficulty in finding decent ones...
Oh, and I make very small "bread-board" circuits and I solder the feedback resistor on the circuit.
But it's so close to the pins (actually, it's directly soldered to them) that I doubt one can do better in P-P.
Well, but you're right, if that's a very expensive amp, you may say it's hand-made with love, dedication and care.
carlosfm said:
But to implement this, the whole layout would have to be rearranged and I simple cannot see a better way to do that, that I have currently. Even if it is requires some extra work to complete, I like the 'purity' of the signal path and simplicity of all connections.
With chip mounted on the rear panel and caps sitting directly on the pins, horizontaly, the PCB has to be mounted verticaly. I don't see a way to mount the pot directly to PCB with this arrangement. Also mountong the RCA's and binding posts directly to PCB is not practical when space is so tight.
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