My "audiophile" LM3886 approach - Page 313

grigore · 16th March 2010, 02:17 PM

Guys, two years ago I've just made this amplifier and was working very fine.
Then, I asked a friend to re-design the pcb and my friend have designed a double side pcb. With this new pcb the amplifier had a better sound, it was quitere. I've tested the amplifier with different speaker cables and with different speakers. It worked very good with Epos M12.2, Epos M5 and ProAc Studio110. As speaker cables it worked very good with DNM cables, ProAc speaker cables and some special Italian cables.

I've compared this amplifier 1 to 1 with Creek 5350SE and with Atoll IN100. The Creek was warmer and relaxed but the soundstage was not as deep as with my amplifier. The Atoll IN100 was also warmer but not as Creek. Al in one, this amplifier is a very good one with a clean and clear sound. A very good value.
This amplifier works better with speakers wich are an ease load.

In time I've made 3 amplifiers for my friends and all of them are very satisfied.

Last year I've tried and I've made for a friend an amplifier just with LM3886 , a real gainclone, but this is a diferent story.

maxlorenz · 16th March 2010, 09:21 PM

Yes, indeed, it is a very good amp. Yet, I found that, as maybe with all circuits, it improves significantly with good regulated supply to the lm318 opamp (did I remember well the number?). I suspect that it will also improve with a good regulated power, but now I am in the middle of many projects and I can't test this hypothesis.

Cheers,
M.

westers151 · 25th March 2010, 10:02 PM

I'm interested in building this, but would also like to know what active DIY pre amp would be recommended to go with it. I've been looking at (dare I mention his name here) Carlos's AD815 pre amp, but I picked up that this might not be the best choice for the amp. Not sure why though.

Suggestions? (I'm can make my own PCB's from schematics (within reason), but a kit or pre built board would be ok).

udailey · 25th March 2010, 10:49 PM

Sorry, you said the name. Cant help ya

Do you have a link to it? Or do know the output impedance?
Uriah

udailey · 25th March 2010, 10:50 PM

I have made a few pcbs and a few years ago tried to etch the single sided version. I dont know what went wrong but it never turned on. So I salvaged my parts and stuffed them in a regular PCB on the last group buy.
Uriah

Evilsizer · 25th March 2010, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by westers151

I'm interested in building this, but would also like to know what active DIY pre amp would be recommended to go with it. I've been looking at (dare I mention his name here) Carlos's AD815 pre amp, but I picked up that this might not be the best choice for the amp. Not sure why though.

Suggestions? (I'm can make my own PCB's from schematics (within reason), but a kit or pre built board would be ok).

does it have to be a active preamp?

udailey · 25th March 2010, 11:17 PM

No, until I broke mine in a move I was running it with a Lightspeed which is totally passive to the signal and is absolutely mind blowingly good.
This also means you could use a switched pot or any type pot or other type passive attenuator.
Uriah

westers151 · 25th March 2010, 11:28 PM

I do - my power amp will be about 10 feet from my source - mp3 player and CD player. MP3 I'm not worried about, but the distance between the CD Player and the amp will require a pre amp.

AndrewT · 26th March 2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by westers151

the distance between the CD Player and the amp will require a pre amp.

no. The maximum acceptable distance is determined by the source impedance and the ability of the source to drive current into a capacitive load.

You need gain if the voltages are mismatched, such that the source cannot drive the receiver to adequate SPL/volume.

matt09 · 27th March 2010, 08:31 PM

Could someone please tell me how this configuration sounds compared to Briantgt's with a discrete class a buffer and what the main changes are other than the opamp feedback setup and speaker protection extras?

I started building brian's a year ago and never finished and now am wondering if it's worth abandoning it in favour or this or is the performance the same with minus the incorporated opamp?

I'd really appreciate comments I've been busy and havent had time to keep track of this.

Thanks

16th March 2010, 02:17 PM	#3121
grigore diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Romania	Guys, two years ago I've just made this amplifier and was working very fine. Then, I asked a friend to re-design the pcb and my friend have designed a double side pcb. With this new pcb the amplifier had a better sound, it was quitere. I've tested the amplifier with different speaker cables and with different speakers. It worked very good with Epos M12.2, Epos M5 and ProAc Studio110. As speaker cables it worked very good with DNM cables, ProAc speaker cables and some special Italian cables. I've compared this amplifier 1 to 1 with Creek 5350SE and with Atoll IN100. The Creek was warmer and relaxed but the soundstage was not as deep as with my amplifier. The Atoll IN100 was also warmer but not as Creek. Al in one, this amplifier is a very good one with a clean and clear sound. A very good value. This amplifier works better with speakers wich are an ease load. In time I've made 3 amplifiers for my friends and all of them are very satisfied. Last year I've tried and I've made for a friend an amplifier just with LM3886 , a real gainclone, but this is a diferent story. __________________ Just read:http://audiosophie.blogspot.com/

16th March 2010, 09:21 PM	#3122
maxlorenz diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: osorno , Chile	Yes, indeed, it is a very good amp. Yet, I found that, as maybe with all circuits, it improves significantly with good regulated supply to the lm318 opamp (did I remember well the number?). I suspect that it will also improve with a good regulated power, but now I am in the middle of many projects and I can't test this hypothesis. Cheers, M. __________________ Cheapest horn speakers: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

25th March 2010, 10:49 PM	#3124
udailey Passive Aggressive diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	Sorry, you said the name. Cant help ya Do you have a link to it? Or do know the output impedance? Uriah __________________ You can purchase LDRs anytime to build a standard LDR attenuator or to build my new LDR Attenuator "A Lighter Note". Email me. diyldr@gmail.com

25th March 2010, 10:50 PM	#3125
udailey Passive Aggressive diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	I have made a few pcbs and a few years ago tried to etch the single sided version. I dont know what went wrong but it never turned on. So I salvaged my parts and stuffed them in a regular PCB on the last group buy. Uriah __________________ You can purchase LDRs anytime to build a standard LDR attenuator or to build my new LDR Attenuator "A Lighter Note". Email me. diyldr@gmail.com

25th March 2010, 11:17 PM	#3127
udailey Passive Aggressive diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	No, until I broke mine in a move I was running it with a Lightspeed which is totally passive to the signal and is absolutely mind blowingly good. This also means you could use a switched pot or any type pot or other type passive attenuator. Uriah __________________ You can purchase LDRs anytime to build a standard LDR attenuator or to build my new LDR Attenuator "A Lighter Note". Email me. diyldr@gmail.com


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25th March 2010, 10:02 PM	#3123
westers151 diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2008	I'm interested in building this, but would also like to know what active DIY pre amp would be recommended to go with it. I've been looking at (dare I mention his name here) Carlos's AD815 pre amp, but I picked up that this might not be the best choice for the amp. Not sure why though. Suggestions? (I'm can make my own PCB's from schematics (within reason), but a kit or pre built board would be ok).

25th March 2010, 11:28 PM	#3128
westers151 diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2008	I do - my power amp will be about 10 feet from my source - mp3 player and CD player. MP3 I'm not worried about, but the distance between the CD Player and the amp will require a pre amp.

27th March 2010, 08:31 PM	#3130
matt09 diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006	Could someone please tell me how this configuration sounds compared to Briantgt's with a discrete class a buffer and what the main changes are other than the opamp feedback setup and speaker protection extras? I started building brian's a year ago and never finished and now am wondering if it's worth abandoning it in favour or this or is the performance the same with minus the incorporated opamp? I'd really appreciate comments I've been busy and havent had time to keep track of this. Thanks

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