The question is one of knowledge. Like you, I am trying to find that depth and body in the music. What I have found is that that can be added at any stage in the amplification. What the B1 that I have built excels at, is dropping the noise floor. It brings everything into pinpoint focus, even if that means pushing it back into the soundstage. What if i could keep that wonderful trait, and add the body and presence and depth at another stage. This is my current goal. Try Solen. They are not bad at all, or do the Dc coupled version. It would be easy to do and I will help in anyway i can. Spend the money for the cap on a stage that doesn't need it and is even quieter than what you have.
Noise is not the issue here.
The B1 works just as well with a regular PSU with big caps.
I think all the shunt regulators make their place with MM and MC phono stages that need extremely low noise supplies.
I originally tested the B1 with just a transformer, 1A standard bridge rectifier and two low ESR 4700uF caps.
The result was BLACK SILENCE. It depends on how god the PSRR is in the design of the amp. The B1 is VERY GOOD.
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For what they cost its worth a try. I replaced an already good p/s for the LDR volume control of my Optivol/DCB1 combo with the bib reg. and to my ears and those of a friend who has a far more discerning ear than me the sound improved. My electronics knowledge is not good enough to explain this as it is only supplying the led's in the ldr's but it became more open sounding and easier to follow instruments in the mix. This is with the output of the preamp being capacitor coupled as my power amps do not have any d.c protection.
By the way I used a Wima on the input and one of the Mundorfs you showed on the output of the B1 I built last year but only a 10uf.
By the way I used a Wima on the input and one of the Mundorfs you showed on the output of the B1 I built last year but only a 10uf.
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is is possible to tweak the B1 to have some gain ?
Banned
Joined 2002
after 2.5 years i have my B1 running, only took me long enough
Will post pictures of it in the temporary case for now to work bugs out and do more testing with different caps and stuff.
J
Did you have problems with it ?
My worked at first attempt - and perfectly to boot.
I'm just playing with caps to brighten it up a bit.
and with a small gain amp like the F4 ?
My B1 drives an Aleph 4 - The Aleph has 26dB of gain and the combination is STUNNING.
Banned
Joined 2002
Been busy with my 2 full time jobs, new house 1 year old daughter and my computer hobby & networking.
Pictures.
Picture of the board & 2 pots. One pot is for the B1, the other is for a Passive pre-amp im going to build.
It's in a spare case that a friend made me, for testing propose..
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I've just sold a ladder attenuator with Dale resistors because I didn't like it.
The ALPs is better in my opinion.
When they make a 200 pole switch I might change my mind.
The B1 popped horribly with the switched attenuator and the adjustment was far too course for my liking.
I managed to get rid of the popping with isolation caps but I never did like the course steps.
The ALPs is better in my opinion.
When they make a 200 pole switch I might change my mind.
The B1 popped horribly with the switched attenuator and the adjustment was far too course for my liking.
I managed to get rid of the popping with isolation caps but I never did like the course steps.
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