Can you guys tell me where you purchase the aluminum sheets for your amp boxes? Some of you guys have the coolest looking amps! I just need 4 pieces for my amp. The heat sinks make up the side well enough, but I need a sturdy front, back, top & bottom.
I haven't been able to find anything locally. Is there anywhere nationally where I can order from?
Thanks!
Vince
I haven't been able to find anything locally. Is there anywhere nationally where I can order from?
Thanks!
Vince
Online metals seems quite expensive. It would cost me at least twice as much as I found the metal locally in Atlanta, GA. I would suggest looking around and calling places from your phonebook. I call sheet metal places, and none of them sold aluminum sheet metal, but they referred me to a few places.
--
Brian
gte619j@prism.gatech.edu
--
Brian
gte619j@prism.gatech.edu
Aluminium Coca-Cola Can Sound
Just some comment based on my observations.
In my experience, an amplifier using an aluminium cabinet will sound like it has an aluminium cabinet.
Ditto an amplifier using an iron cabinet.
Ditto an amplifier using a timber top cover.
For the experiment it is revealing for example to run an amp with top covering removed and take note of the sound.
Now place an aluminium, or steel, or timber top cover on the amp and note three different sounds.
What does this say ? - That there are field effects involved and they are not subtle.
IME this applies to heatsinks also.
My favorite amp has an iron cabinet and COPPER heatsinks.
I find this amp to be rather more pleasing over long term usage than an aluminium one.
Experiment two - take similarly sized sheets of AL, Fe, and Cu and tap them and note the character of the resulting sound.
I find that universally nobody likes the sound of aluminium.
To my ears an aluminium constructed amplifier gives a false, irritating and fatiguing characteristic to the highs, wrong mids, and diminished lows.
Experiment three - Take a piece of aluminium cooking foil and wrap it around the speaker leads - sonic results as above.
Years ago, I read an interview with Kostas Metaxus where he explained that he uses a particular non-magnetic grade of stainless steel because of these effects.
Stainless contains Nickel, so this is also out according to my ears.
It is worth noting that aluminium has no bio-chemical function in the human body, and is not used in the human body, and is indeed implicated in the causation of CRAFT* disease.
These are observations from long experience, both in experiment and servicing of all manner of audio equipment - maybe this is food for thought for a lot of us here.
Regards, Eric.
* - Can't Remember A F...... Thing disease - aka Alzheimers.
Just some comment based on my observations.
In my experience, an amplifier using an aluminium cabinet will sound like it has an aluminium cabinet.
Ditto an amplifier using an iron cabinet.
Ditto an amplifier using a timber top cover.
For the experiment it is revealing for example to run an amp with top covering removed and take note of the sound.
Now place an aluminium, or steel, or timber top cover on the amp and note three different sounds.
What does this say ? - That there are field effects involved and they are not subtle.
IME this applies to heatsinks also.
My favorite amp has an iron cabinet and COPPER heatsinks.
I find this amp to be rather more pleasing over long term usage than an aluminium one.
Experiment two - take similarly sized sheets of AL, Fe, and Cu and tap them and note the character of the resulting sound.
I find that universally nobody likes the sound of aluminium.
To my ears an aluminium constructed amplifier gives a false, irritating and fatiguing characteristic to the highs, wrong mids, and diminished lows.
Experiment three - Take a piece of aluminium cooking foil and wrap it around the speaker leads - sonic results as above.
Years ago, I read an interview with Kostas Metaxus where he explained that he uses a particular non-magnetic grade of stainless steel because of these effects.
Stainless contains Nickel, so this is also out according to my ears.
It is worth noting that aluminium has no bio-chemical function in the human body, and is not used in the human body, and is indeed implicated in the causation of CRAFT* disease.
These are observations from long experience, both in experiment and servicing of all manner of audio equipment - maybe this is food for thought for a lot of us here.
Regards, Eric.
* - Can't Remember A F...... Thing disease - aka Alzheimers.
You can let your fingers do the walking and look up sheet metal in the yellow pages. Any local metal shop has all kinds of guages of aluminum or steel they will shear to whatever size you want. I've found the smaller shops tend to be a little faster and cheaper. You will have to finish them yourselves but on average I spend about 10 to 15 bucks for a cut plate. Good luck
Let's ask Cap'n Pass about all those Threshold amps built with 1/8" aluminum. Sure our resident physicist could shed some light on this.
Speaking of food..........you are not serious that you trust that Greek restauranteur?
Oh, now I get it..........you're trying your hand at satire, right? [joke]
Speaking of food..........you are not serious that you trust that Greek restauranteur?
Oh, now I get it..........you're trying your hand at satire, right? [joke]
If you are anywhere near Seattle, Boeing surplus is the place to go -- i have a piece of 8" square, 1/2" wall tubing out in the yard that will be suppling chassis for some time come (particularily at the rate the aren't cranking out at the moment).
dave
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
dave
Resonse To The Jocko
No Jocko, please understand that my writings are neither satire, nor sarcasm.
In your case, perhaps it is more like throwing peals to swine !.
I am more interested to hear some intelligent and informed comment and observation than closeted comments such as as the quotes above, attributed to you.
I learned a long time ago that there is none so blind as those who will not see, none so deaf as those who will not hear,
and that an empty vessel makes the most noise !.
So Jocko, Just how much audio gear have you auditioned on the bench in a known acoustically friendly reference environment, and just how much A/B component testing have you done on the fly with an un-earthed soldering iron.
I well understand that different topologies of current sources will cause different distortion characteristics, as will different overall circuit topogies, including feedback versus zero feedback techniques, etc, etc.
Part of my point is that THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY SONIC INFLUENCES.
It seems to me that you are not really listening to the final music replay resultant, unlike others amongst us, notably Bernard (Dice45) who is able to communicate and express relevant feelings and knowlege without negative ego influence, and is indeed comfortable with the concept of pleasant musicallity.
Jocko, have you actually tried an amp with copper heatsinks for example ?
.........Yeah, I thought not !.
Also how much live mixing and how much mixdown have you done ?
And when did you last spend a week in a rainforest, and reference your ears to NATURAL sounds.
I feel better now, Eric.
No Jocko, please understand that my writings are neither satire, nor sarcasm.
In your case, perhaps it is more like throwing peals to swine !.
I am more interested to hear some intelligent and informed comment and observation than closeted comments such as as the quotes above, attributed to you.
I learned a long time ago that there is none so blind as those who will not see, none so deaf as those who will not hear,
and that an empty vessel makes the most noise !.
So Jocko, Just how much audio gear have you auditioned on the bench in a known acoustically friendly reference environment, and just how much A/B component testing have you done on the fly with an un-earthed soldering iron.
I well understand that different topologies of current sources will cause different distortion characteristics, as will different overall circuit topogies, including feedback versus zero feedback techniques, etc, etc.
Part of my point is that THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY SONIC INFLUENCES.
It seems to me that you are not really listening to the final music replay resultant, unlike others amongst us, notably Bernard (Dice45) who is able to communicate and express relevant feelings and knowlege without negative ego influence, and is indeed comfortable with the concept of pleasant musicallity.
Jocko, have you actually tried an amp with copper heatsinks for example ?
.........Yeah, I thought not !.
Also how much live mixing and how much mixdown have you done ?
And when did you last spend a week in a rainforest, and reference your ears to NATURAL sounds.
I feel better now, Eric.
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