After studying several GC schematics and reading many threads and websites I'm wondering what you Gaincloners consider as the best sounding circuit. I've read that some of you think that an inverted GC may sound harsh on the top.
I'm thinking about building a tube buffered GC with snubberized Carlos PSU. Yes I like snubbered PSU's.
BTW, I'm experienced in terms of tube amps.
I would be glad about some responses - thanks in advance.
I'm thinking about building a tube buffered GC with snubberized Carlos PSU. Yes I like snubbered PSU's.
BTW, I'm experienced in terms of tube amps.
I would be glad about some responses - thanks in advance.
I’m just about to find out if the Non-inverted is superior to the Inverted for myself. I've just come back to Gainclones after a 2 year break.
2 Years ago the Inverted was the flavour of the month and I built a battery powered Inverted Gainclone and while I was very taken by the amp over time I found its was just not refined enough up top especially for someone who had come from valves. The Inverted clone still had many great qualities that I'd love to be able to hear again.
So I’m now about to build one of Audio Sector’s premium kits. I’ll post my findings as soon as they are built and burned in….
Cheers,
Anthony
2 Years ago the Inverted was the flavour of the month and I built a battery powered Inverted Gainclone and while I was very taken by the amp over time I found its was just not refined enough up top especially for someone who had come from valves. The Inverted clone still had many great qualities that I'd love to be able to hear again.
So I’m now about to build one of Audio Sector’s premium kits. I’ll post my findings as soon as they are built and burned in….
Cheers,
Anthony
Hi Will,
Like I have said in another thread, I would like to match the LM chip with single ended IRF610 or IRL510! (BOZ). My objective is single supply, inverted opamp, and probably with common input bias network.
You may say that it does not work, but it is not that I have never built IGC+BOZ. I know that there are hundreds of probabilities to get different sound. The LM itself is very sensitive to power supply. Using Solen MKP bypass for example, outperform my BG 1000uF bypass near LM pin. The BOZ is even more sensitive to PS ripples. And we still have probabilities to match the Zout of BOZ with Zin of the opamp. Can anyone suggest a working schematic for what I'm looking for? I'm tired of burning my chips
Like I have said in another thread, I would like to match the LM chip with single ended IRF610 or IRL510! (BOZ). My objective is single supply, inverted opamp, and probably with common input bias network.
You may say that it does not work, but it is not that I have never built IGC+BOZ. I know that there are hundreds of probabilities to get different sound. The LM itself is very sensitive to power supply. Using Solen MKP bypass for example, outperform my BG 1000uF bypass near LM pin. The BOZ is even more sensitive to PS ripples. And we still have probabilities to match the Zout of BOZ with Zin of the opamp. Can anyone suggest a working schematic for what I'm looking for? I'm tired of burning my chips
Will said:
I'm only interested in absolute sound quality. I'm not religious - tube or transistor. But one thing is VERY sure for me: Without an extreme good tube pre-amp you can do what you want it will never sound really good. I'm willing to build some transistor, chip or hybrid power-amps but the thing with the pre-amp is "no discussion here please". I've listened to many different pre-amps in my audiophile life and NEVER heard a non-tube pre that sounded acceptable, in most cases quite horrible.
Passive designs are mostly used by people who listened years to transistor pre-amps (no offense here), and ofcoure it is better than a semicon pre but will never beat a monster PSU tube pre with expensive parts.
i dunno how can u call assembling a kit as diy!anyways,
if u need clarity throughout the spectrumuse tda72xx series.they have flat response for whole freq band.
if u need more emphasis on bass,use lm series.it my experience.for music quality concious listener,tda72xx seies has always garnered praises.(my experience).for listeners who like music to rattle every inch of surrounding,lm series has got praises(experience again)
if u need clarity throughout the spectrumuse tda72xx series.they have flat response for whole freq band.
if u need more emphasis on bass,use lm series.it my experience.for music quality concious listener,tda72xx seies has always garnered praises.(my experience).for listeners who like music to rattle every inch of surrounding,lm series has got praises(experience again)
Hey...
I run counter to the normal school. The inverted GC is the best 'to my ears', and has with a correctly implemented psu and bypassing a very smooth sweet treble - especially when combined with battery power. Remember the 6080 or the 6c45pi? without grid stoppers *on* the pins, they suffer break through RF oscillation that hardens the treble - having used these (and other valves) I learned my lesson. The result was a very sweet amp, with plenty of power for most circumstances.
Now I also subscribe to the Sakuma school of like drives like, and spent a long time trawling for the ideal opamp to drive the GC with.
In the end I settled on an LF 353 - the only difference between it and the LM3875 is power dissipation, the number of current sources and sinks are the same, the generalised circuit is near identical, and is reflected in specs that are so similar it's spooky (aside from power dissipation). The sound of this preamp was quite simply stunning. Better than a valve pre? Well thats a matter for debate - it sounds at least as good as a thoriated SE DHT pre I built using some nice Sowter transformers, and overkill CLCLCRC PSU.
I suggest that you get a good robust psu built, and experiment with chips, BJTs, MOSFETs and all sorts of other 'stuff' - they all have features that you'll love (and that'll be frustrating too) - but then that's what gaincloning is about. It's not about the end result - nice small powerful, good sounding amp, but the journey to creating a beatiful, small, fabulous amp that simply astounds.
Enjoy your journey
Owen
I run counter to the normal school. The inverted GC is the best 'to my ears', and has with a correctly implemented psu and bypassing a very smooth sweet treble - especially when combined with battery power. Remember the 6080 or the 6c45pi? without grid stoppers *on* the pins, they suffer break through RF oscillation that hardens the treble - having used these (and other valves) I learned my lesson. The result was a very sweet amp, with plenty of power for most circumstances.
Now I also subscribe to the Sakuma school of like drives like, and spent a long time trawling for the ideal opamp to drive the GC with.
In the end I settled on an LF 353 - the only difference between it and the LM3875 is power dissipation, the number of current sources and sinks are the same, the generalised circuit is near identical, and is reflected in specs that are so similar it's spooky (aside from power dissipation). The sound of this preamp was quite simply stunning. Better than a valve pre? Well thats a matter for debate - it sounds at least as good as a thoriated SE DHT pre I built using some nice Sowter transformers, and overkill CLCLCRC PSU.
I suggest that you get a good robust psu built, and experiment with chips, BJTs, MOSFETs and all sorts of other 'stuff' - they all have features that you'll love (and that'll be frustrating too) - but then that's what gaincloning is about. It's not about the end result - nice small powerful, good sounding amp, but the journey to creating a beatiful, small, fabulous amp that simply astounds.
Enjoy your journey
Owen
owen said:Hey...
I run counter to the normal school. The inverted GC is the best 'to my ears', and has with a correctly implemented psu and bypassing a very smooth sweet treble - especially when combined with battery power. Remember the 6080 or the 6c45pi? without grid stoppers *on* the pins, they suffer break through RF oscillation that hardens the treble - having used these (and other valves) I learned my lesson. The result was a very sweet amp, with plenty of power for most circumstances.
Now I also subscribe to the Sakuma school of like drives like, and spent a long time trawling for the ideal opamp to drive the GC with.
In the end I settled on an LF 353 - the only difference between it and the LM3875 is power dissipation, the number of current sources and sinks are the same, the generalised circuit is near identical, and is reflected in specs that are so similar it's spooky (aside from power dissipation). The sound of this preamp was quite simply stunning. Better than a valve pre? Well thats a matter for debate - it sounds at least as good as a thoriated SE DHT pre I built using some nice Sowter transformers, and overkill CLCLCRC PSU.
I suggest that you get a good robust psu built, and experiment with chips, BJTs, MOSFETs and all sorts of other 'stuff' - they all have features that you'll love (and that'll be frustrating too) - but then that's what gaincloning is about. It's not about the end result - nice small powerful, good sounding amp, but the journey to creating a beatiful, small, fabulous amp that simply astounds.
Enjoy your journey
Owen
Thank you very much for the information Owen.
You really mean the preamp sounded as good as a SE DHT? I just can't believe it.... I take your response serious - please don't misunderstand.
OK dudes, lets stick to the topic like you so rightfully deserved...
So far I've built 2 VBIGCs and 2 IGCs. While I believe the VBIGC has the edge over the IGCs, I still think it can go further by having a CCS / Constant Voltage on its tube PSU. I'm still longing for that lush factor in the VBIGC that is already hinting its presence.
Someone here in the forum did a similar version of Joe's JLTi but apparently didn't really report back on his absolute findings on the final sound quality. I am willing to try that soon.
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So far I've built 2 VBIGCs and 2 IGCs. While I believe the VBIGC has the edge over the IGCs, I still think it can go further by having a CCS / Constant Voltage on its tube PSU. I'm still longing for that lush factor in the VBIGC that is already hinting its presence.
Someone here in the forum did a similar version of Joe's JLTi but apparently didn't really report back on his absolute findings on the final sound quality. I am willing to try that soon.
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ElectricHead said:
I'm using the venerable EH 6922, using only single tube for stereo per the original specification. Voltage wise, they are at +/- 42v (derived from a 30-0-30v tx). Some even use higher voltage at +/- 60v. I believe the higher voltage will tend to clear up some mist in the amp.
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schotky diodes::::check
huge and good caps(10000uf/63v/philips)::::check
snubber::::check
heavy xformer(225va for a 56w amp)::::check
missing::::dual rectifiers.no need when the schotkies being used are 35 amp each(continous)(4 of them in a bridge).
all this for a 56w amp
isnt it a good psu??
anything more in it(except fuse;5 amp slow blow),and its a wastage of money that could have been invested anywhere else.
huge and good caps(10000uf/63v/philips)::::check
snubber::::check
heavy xformer(225va for a 56w amp)::::check
missing::::dual rectifiers.no need when the schotkies being used are 35 amp each(continous)(4 of them in a bridge).
all this for a 56w amp
isnt it a good psu??
anything more in it(except fuse;5 amp slow blow),and its a wastage of money that could have been invested anywhere else.
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