Bronze heatsinks, split from advanced GainClone thread

[Peter Daniel]

I don't have any immediate plans to turn it into commercial product. I just wanted to share a design, that was started almost a year ago.

I don't care much what are the reasons for bronze to sound better or doing research what is written on that subject. I just built 4 different heatsinks (aluminum, copper, brass and bronze) and my choice went to bronze.

If Upupa is willing to donate diamond, I wouldn't mind testing it either.

[agent.5]

I just built 4 different heatsinks (aluminum, copper, brass and bronz) and my choice went to bronze.

what about gold and silver? With the rising gold and silver prices, the gold heatsinked amp may go up in value every day.

[Peter Daniel]

It is too expensive.

BTW, all the standoffs I'm using now are made of bronze as well. How about gold and silver?

[jneutron]

Originally posted by poobah
Anyone care to explain why bronze is sonically better?

1. The thermal diffusivity of bronze is lower than that of copper. This means that a heat pulse from the output die will not be able to form a large thermal gradient under the die. This reduces the stick-slip motion at the thermal interface. This lack of stiction frees up the musicality, regardless of the instrument involved.

2. The lower temperature gradient reduces the von mises stresses on the surface, which lowers the distortion of the surface under the die. This lowers listening fatigue, as well as die fatigue.

3. Bronze has a higher modulus, with a little less mass, lower heat capacity, which means that acoustic/thermal compressions will dampen out faster. Transients will be clearer and faster.

4. Lower electrical conductivity means the skin depth will be further down, this will drop the inductance/frequency equation to a flatter response, meaning that eddy current generation will be consistent across the audio bandwidth. (anybody wanna talk about your black background??)


Well.....how'd I do??

And, only five days early...couldn't resist.


Seriously though..is that how the wires are going to be dressed in the final units?? Wow, they're just goin everywhere, total anarchy...no e/m logic...

Nice machining though..

Cheers, John

[karma]

If Upupa is willing to donate diamond, I wouldn't mind testing it either

would this fit

[Peter Daniel]

Originally posted by jneutron


1. The thermal diffusivity of bronze is lower than that of copper. This means that a heat pulse from the output die will not be able to form a large thermal gradient under the die. This reduces the stick-slip motion at the thermal interface. This lack of stiction frees up the musicality, regardless of the instrument involved.

2. The lower temperature gradient reduces the von mises stresses on the surface, which lowers the distortion of the surface under the die. This lowers listening fatigue, as well as die fatigue.

3. Bronze has a higher modulus, with a little less mass, lower heat capacity, which means that acoustic/thermal compressions will dampen out faster. Transients will be clearer and faster.

4. Lower electrical conductivity means the skin depth will be further down, this will drop the inductance/frequency equation to a flatter response, meaning that eddy current generation will be consistent across the audio bandwidth. (anybody wanna talk about your black background??)


Well.....how'd I do??

And, only five days early...couldn't resist.


Seriously though..is that how the wires are going to be dressed in the final units?? Wow, they're just goin everywhere, total anarchy...no e/m logic...

Nice machining though..

Cheers, John

Thanks for explaining bronze advantage, I didn't have nerve to do that.

Regarding the wiring, only the section between two transformers is organized for now. The other connections are still under testing, so I didn't put any effort in arranging them. Although, after looking inside the Blowtorch preamp, I may actually leave them like that

[jimbo1968]

Originally posted by Peter Daniel
I don't care much what are the reasons for bronze to sound better or doing research what is written on that subject. I just built 4 different heatsinks (aluminum, copper, brass and bronze) and my choice went to bronze.

Out of interest, how did you test them?
.

[Upupa Epops]

Best heatsink is box with " dry ice " ( CO2 )....

[poobah]

I am a beginner here in every sense of the word. I am confused as to how different heatsink materials can (as you propose) affect the sonic characteristics of the opamp.

You're probably better off to remain confused. The claims of sonic superiority are very questionable. However, the use a copper based (bronze, brass) heat spreader is reasonable; provided that the thermal junction between the spreader and the balance of the heat sink is made properly. With the cost of copper (and zinc... used to make brass) rising, coupled with the poor machining qualities of pure copper as Upupa mentioned; the lower cost of bronze would be a "sound" choice...

[agent.5]

Well.....how'd I do??

I think you need more adjectives and compound words.