1st diy amp kit

[MarkL1]

Hi can someone recommend an amp kit that is good for a first timer.
Also recommend a good power supply that will work with it.

The budget is around £100 (160 USD)
My source is an Arcam Rdac and my speakers are Monitor Audio BX2 that require 30-100 watts at 8ohms 90DB

So far i was looking at something from Chipamp.com or DIY Chip Amplifier Kits, PCB's, Components and Information.

Many Thanks
Mark

 

[john dozier]

You can't go wrong with Peter Daniel's kits. Just add a transformer. The Antek is about $50 shipped. regards

 

[MarkL1]

On the antek website its $44 just for international shipping is there any other uk options.

And what is (in terms of sound quality) the difference between a LM3875 and a LM3886

 

[john dozier]

Sorry, I did not look to see that you were in the UK. Try a local supplier for a 22-25v xformer. I prefer the 3875, a little less powerful but I think better sounding. Regards BTW Peter may can help on UK sources for a suitable xformer.

 

[lanchile]

audiosector

My vote is for Peter daniel's boards too (audiosector)! excellent quality and all the support from peter.

 

[mikejennens]

I built a Peter Daniels' 3875 amp and am very happy with it, especially for the price. Plus, Peter was very helpful during the build. A
DIY Chip Amplifier Kits, PCB's, Components and Information. gets my vote.
Mike

 

[john blackburn]

Hi MarkL1

You could try Airlink for transformers in the UK. The ones I have bought in the past have been very good quality and were delivered quickly.

Chassis mounting toroidal transformers

John

 

[john dozier]

26 pounds seems to be about what an Antek 300va would cost here in the states. Go for it!

 

[MarkL1]

It works out at just over £40 delivered which is good but which one will i need the 300va 22+22 or shall i go for the 25+25??? Also im definitely going to go with an audio sector kit as they seem very popular and theres lots of stuff on the forums to help me.

Also is there much difference between the classic and the premium kit? is it worth the extra money??

Thanks to everyone for all your reply's i really cant wait to get started!!

 

[lanchile]

It works out at just over £40 delivered which is good but which one will i need the 300va 22+22 or shall i go for the 25+25??? Also im definitely going to go with an audio sector kit as they seem very popular and theres lots of stuff on the forums to help me.

Also is there much difference between the classic and the premium kit? is it worth the extra money??

Thanks to everyone for all your reply's i really cant wait to get started!!

I build the premium and I was happy with quality! These LM3875 kits sound very good, but use at least 10.000uf per rail in the power supply. they come with "joke" caps for power supply.

 

[siliconray]

You can try with our JLH Class-A amp kit. Many members have built amp with it with very good result. It's very simple and cheap. If you have components 2 PCBs are free for you.

 

[GloBug]

I might try bigger caps on my audiosector lm3875, having said that the bass is fine with the smaller caps and sounds very good.

 

[nigelwright7557]

Hi MarkL1

You could try Airlink for transformers in the UK. The ones I have bought in the past have been very good quality and were delivered quickly.

John

Transformers etc.
RS is free p+p
Farnell is free if over £20.

RS Components | Electronic and Electrical Components
world-leading distributor of electronic and maintenance, repair and operations products. | Farnell United Kingdom

 

[lanchile]

I might try bigger caps on my audiosector lm3875, having said that the bass is fine with the smaller caps and sounds very good.

Trust me when I say it will make a BIG difference and it will improve bass big time with 'real' capacitance. I did this test many times with different values and the one I liked was 6.800uf x2 per rail. and 10.000uf per rail.

 

[john dozier]

If you are going to use the 25volt model, you will need more heat sink area. The datasheet for the chip uses 35v (after rectification) for all specifications. To determine the after rectification voltage, multiply by 1.41. Then you can decide. I think max voltage is 40. I would go with the premium kit as it is a bargain as those caddock resistors are costly when purchased separately. The concept behind the ps caps is part of the "secret". Ask Peter to explain it and get his suggestion. I think he knows more about the design than all of us put together. You might also ask him about transormer voltage. Regards BTW he is very good about answering emails.

 

[GloBug]

Trust me when I say it will make a BIG difference and it will improve bass big time with 'real' capacitance. I did this test many times with different values and the one I liked was 6.800uf x2 per rail. and 10.000uf per rail.

OK I will try some bigger caps just to see. I do run a small amount of EQ, maybe the bigger caps will let me run flat. Thanks.