Building a symmetrical PSU B1 buffer

[Zen Mod]

Done. (Almost...)

Today I finished my B1. The wire, attenuator and sinks still need attention but it is good enough to be put in production.

It sounds very good (no break-in time yet) in he sense that the music was still very detailed. If it changed anything I will never know as I removed the selector switch and attenuator from my tube-amp and I do not plan to put it back. I just needed a pre for my coming F5 and Tubelab SE.

Thank you very much for the circuit, pcb and support!!

Jeroen

you want improvement ?

wire all signal routes with decent wire - 0,25mm dia , and less
I'm using Cu enameled with silver , 0,25mm dia , and there is always positive result - comparing to even Silver wire but with bigger dia

 

[udailey]

I agree. Smaller diameter wire sounds better. I use 30AWG silver and have not tried an AB comparison to copper but the smaller diameter is definitely better.
Uriah

 

[R-K Rønningstad]

Is such things really audible, or are my 53 years old good ears too old?

 

[udailey]

I dont use any measuring equipment to tell me if it sounds good other than my ears and my own personal set of psychoacoustics.
Uriah

 

[R-K Rønningstad]

No, no, I understood that. And in younger days I heard all kinds of differences. (I think )
Well, if one hears a difference, or feel less listening fatigue with this or that, good and well!

 

[Salas]

Got mine working, no case yet. Relays are different because could not find the Omrons close, but they work fine.

The DC offsets are -2.1mV and 0mV when the relay goes on, and they drift to 0.7mV and -0.7mV slowly, takes few minutes. Maybe need to do some changes to get them lower.

Under a mV in a few mins is a very fine result.

 

[JeroenR]

you want improvement ?

wire all signal routes with decent wire - 0,25mm dia , and less
I'm using Cu enameled with silver , 0,25mm dia , and there is always positive result - comparing to even Silver wire but with bigger dia

Ok, I will try that.

I see PartsConnexion only has 28AWG silver, but I love the cotton tubing to go with it.

 

[Nelson Bass]

Ok, I will try that.

I see PartsConnexion only has 28AWG silver, but I love the cotton tubing to go with it.

I suggest... Go for thinner wire in any material is way more important than the material it self.

Thinner copper wire will sound better than thicker silver wire... even for speaker cables. Crazy? Try it!

Nice thin wire IMO: Farnell Export

And always use solid core wire for signal and speaker cables... or better... use foil!

 

[grufti]

NB, your Farnell link doesn't really work.

 

[TheShaman]

Click on anything ("Farnell Export" for example) to initiate a session with the website and then click Nelson's link again.

 

[grufti]

Thank you. I tried clicking on a number of links on that page other than "Franell Export" and none of those others work. Clicking on "Farnell Export" in the upper right hand corner and then clicking on the link again was the only combination that worked for me.

 

[merlin2069er]

Leds

How critical are the strings of leds? I'm measuring 1.94v & 1.98v in the bunch of 64 I sorted (with my m3 semiconductor analyzer).

 

[AR2]

Thank you. I tried clicking on a number of links on that page other than "Franell Export" and none of those others work. Clicking on "Farnell Export" in the upper right hand corner and then clicking on the link again was the only combination that worked for me.

Here is the very same link but for the US marketplace.

PRO POWER|ECW0.2|WIRE, COPPER ENAMELLED, 35SWG | Newark.com

 

[ichiban]

wire all signal routes with decent wire - 0,25mm dia , and less
I'm using Cu enameled with silver , 0,25mm dia , and there is always positive result - comparing to even Silver wire but with bigger dia -- ZenMod

By "Cu enameled with silver" do you mean "silver plated wire" and not "enameled wire" as in the stuff used to wind coils/transformers?!
If so, with what insulation, none, cotton, ptfe ?

 

[Salas]

How critical are the strings of leds? I'm measuring 1.94v & 1.98v in the bunch of 64 I sorted (with my m3 semiconductor analyzer).

Critical no, preferable yes. So to meet the prototype Iccs and Vout. You will just get a little more current and Vout. It may have a sweeter tone with 1.8V Leds or it may not in your system. Nothing terrible.

 

[merlin2069er]

Critical no, preferable yes. So to meet the prototype Iccs and Vout. You will just get a little more current and Vout. It may have a sweeter tone with 1.8V Leds or it may not in your system. Nothing terrible.

Ok, thanks. I've got 4 dcb1 boards - I might as well finish one with the leds I've got.

 

[merlin2069er]

Ok, I got my leds installed. I powered it up without any inputs or outputs attached to it. I noticed the leds on the bottom lit up and then faded - but the power led stayed lit. (I guess that's a good sign, lol)

Is there anything I should be looking out for - voltages, etc, at certain points?

 

[Tea-Bag]

if you can run it upside down, then measure the the voltages on the three holes before the B1 section. Center is ground voltages should be 10v there to start, if more like 20, then regulator part not working.

 

[merlin2069er]

Nope, don't get 10v.

Ok, something must be wrong further up the circuit.

Should the LEDs be all on?

 

[Salas]

Check the orientations of all your semiconductors and LEDS carefully.