My journey began in the Philippines where I grew up and lived the early part of my adulthood. It all started when a friend of mine and I were going through a pile of used magazines in a store in the late-90s. There on the cover of a 1995 Stereophile magazine was my first glimpse of a Nelson Pass creation – the Pass Aleph 0 monoblocks. It looked unlike any other audio gear – it had a cactus in a square pot look to it. When Nelson asked, “What is the sound of one transistor clapping?” I was hooked. As I read the article, I heard how a good sound should be – at least in my mind. In Manila there were a handful of high-end shops which I frequented just to ogle. One shop offered Pass Labs but all the Alephs were just on the shelf for the eyes not for the ears. And you just can’t ask to listen unless you show the intent of buying. Knowing the price, I was content to listen to what was hooked up – which was of lesser quality not parts. I soon discovered his wonderful website and his simple, great sounding (still in my mind), DIY Aleph circuit the Zen. I decided I should build a pair of these. Then suddenly SuSy came into my virtual life – there on the screen appeared the deliciously looking X amps still with few parts along the audio path but with a whooping 1kW of power. The moment Stereophile hit the stores with the X1000 on its covers I bought a copy (P550, a week’ s pay) to see how it compares with the Alephs and to hear in my mind how it sounds. The reviewer was raving and drooling. At the website, this guy Mr. Pass was again offering his newest design to those who dare to heat their homes with an amp!!! That’s it, I have to build this Son of Zen or I’ll never be at peace with myself. The simple design, scalability of its power appealed to me. Alas most of the parts where unavailable in that third world corner of the world. I made up my mind that I’ll build a headphone amp version of the SOZ. I e-mailed Nelson for advice with a promise that I’ll send him pictures of our creation. To my big surprise the Zen Master answered all my questions with a very encouraging “just try something” at the end. I was able to hustle most of the parts – paralleling four 3W resistors to get the right ohmic value. This project was shelved when I got caught up with work and family.
In about three years time I have moved my family to settle in the United States. I have frequented the Pass Labs website and the DIY Forum all these years but I have never again made a move to build something. My first love the Zen was already running turbo on V5s. The Nelson fans, the DIYers all over the world have built almost all his designs, posted it on the internet for me to envy and here I am still yearning to hear how one transistor claps in my mind. Knowing that Nelson, his creations and DigiKey and Aavid and MECI and HomeDepot and Lowe’s (hey I wasn’t paid to do this) is just a click or a mile away, I bided my time. Meanwhile I am self-learning AutoCAD 2002 and woodworking. One thing I knew when I finally build my Zen, it would sound like the Zen Master intended it. I am also going to make sure it would look its best with the elements of Zen. When Nelson echoed Albert, “Everything should be made simple, but not simpler”, did you pay attention to the two guys striking similarities? The eyes, the hair, the moustache. These guys are also geniuses!!! I started this thread to share with you my wonderful journey and to see how many audio souls were awakened. How many went on to learn how to solder, desolder, color code resistors, strip a wire, AWG, mount a power transistor, tell zener from a regular diode, how not to blow up a capacitor, approximate a heatsink’s temperature coefficient, Ohm’s law, P=EI=I^R=E^2/R, woodworking, CAD, use a power tool…I could go on and on. This man and his website inspired many to continue on learning and trying out new things…PLEASE BE COUNTED and let us know how many souls he has inspired.
Starting with me…1
In about three years time I have moved my family to settle in the United States. I have frequented the Pass Labs website and the DIY Forum all these years but I have never again made a move to build something. My first love the Zen was already running turbo on V5s. The Nelson fans, the DIYers all over the world have built almost all his designs, posted it on the internet for me to envy and here I am still yearning to hear how one transistor claps in my mind. Knowing that Nelson, his creations and DigiKey and Aavid and MECI and HomeDepot and Lowe’s (hey I wasn’t paid to do this) is just a click or a mile away, I bided my time. Meanwhile I am self-learning AutoCAD 2002 and woodworking. One thing I knew when I finally build my Zen, it would sound like the Zen Master intended it. I am also going to make sure it would look its best with the elements of Zen. When Nelson echoed Albert, “Everything should be made simple, but not simpler”, did you pay attention to the two guys striking similarities? The eyes, the hair, the moustache. These guys are also geniuses!!! I started this thread to share with you my wonderful journey and to see how many audio souls were awakened. How many went on to learn how to solder, desolder, color code resistors, strip a wire, AWG, mount a power transistor, tell zener from a regular diode, how not to blow up a capacitor, approximate a heatsink’s temperature coefficient, Ohm’s law, P=EI=I^R=E^2/R, woodworking, CAD, use a power tool…I could go on and on. This man and his website inspired many to continue on learning and trying out new things…PLEASE BE COUNTED and let us know how many souls he has inspired.
Starting with me…1
count me #3
This website and Nelson Pass reignighted my love for audio and for diy construction that was dormant for about 20 years. I built my first new audio project (Aleph L preamp with built in Pearl phono section) last winter and I am gathering the parts to build a pair of monoblocks based on the Aleph 60 this upcoming winter.
PaulyG
This website and Nelson Pass reignighted my love for audio and for diy construction that was dormant for about 20 years. I built my first new audio project (Aleph L preamp with built in Pearl phono section) last winter and I am gathering the parts to build a pair of monoblocks based on the Aleph 60 this upcoming winter.
PaulyG
I'm still waiting for the Zen master to publish a DIY class AB
high power monster amplifier design - 1 ohm stable
to satisfy the nasty audio demons that crave kilowatts of
power.
Then I will get excited.
Right now the Anthony Holton AV800 takes the #1 spot
unless the crown is taken later. /hehe
high power monster amplifier design - 1 ohm stable
to satisfy the nasty audio demons that crave kilowatts of
power.
Then I will get excited.
Right now the Anthony Holton AV800 takes the #1 spot
unless the crown is taken later. /hehe
Hear! Hear!
A short story.......
The Zen Master is visiting New York City from Tibet. He goes up to a hotdog vendor and says, "Make me one with
everything."
The hot dog vendor fixes a hot dog and hands it to the Zen Master, who pays with a $20 bill.
The vendor puts the bill in the cash box and closes it. "Where's my change?" asks the Zen Master.
The vendor responds, "Change must come from within."
A short story.......
The Zen Master is visiting New York City from Tibet. He goes up to a hotdog vendor and says, "Make me one with
everything."
The hot dog vendor fixes a hot dog and hands it to the Zen Master, who pays with a $20 bill.
The vendor puts the bill in the cash box and closes it. "Where's my change?" asks the Zen Master.
The vendor responds, "Change must come from within."
#5
Around 10 years ago, I was looking for a good schematics to built high end amp. Unfortuately nothing was really available, except for Adcom and japanese brands, yet high-end seemed to be something else than that. When I noticed in Audio Amateur that Nelson Pass contributed to one of the amps there, I new that this is something worth trying. I didn't even know the name NP then, but it said he was a founder of Threshold and that was good news. I've built the amp and it sounded better than whatever I used before and from now on, I was hooked. Even this forum, I found through the link from Pass diy site. His down to earth approach, also demistifies all that high end hype.
Thanks Mr. Zen Master (Pass)
Around 10 years ago, I was looking for a good schematics to built high end amp. Unfortuately nothing was really available, except for Adcom and japanese brands, yet high-end seemed to be something else than that. When I noticed in Audio Amateur that Nelson Pass contributed to one of the amps there, I new that this is something worth trying. I didn't even know the name NP then, but it said he was a founder of Threshold and that was good news. I've built the amp and it sounded better than whatever I used before and from now on, I was hooked. Even this forum, I found through the link from Pass diy site. His down to earth approach, also demistifies all that high end hype.
Thanks Mr. Zen Master (Pass)
count
That was my first finished amp ever. But i hope not the last...
http://www.passdiy.com/gallery/zen-v4-p4.htm
That was my first finished amp ever. But i hope not the last...
http://www.passdiy.com/gallery/zen-v4-p4.htm
To all of you guys: Thanks!!! This forum has also been an inspiration. I was expecting this site to be jammed with DIYers wanting to be counted...it should be in the hundreds by now coming from every corner of the planet.
Anyway, my 90,000uF/channel power plant is taking shape.
So far it's 11 and counting...?
Anyway, my 90,000uF/channel power plant is taking shape.So far it's 11 and counting...?
I have built a gainclone and mosfet amplifier (class AB) so far
and I have never been a friend of class A amps due to power consumption and doubt they sound any better.
The articles are written so well that they are not only interesting but also very informative (Diyopamps, A75, Zens...), funny and they make you wanna swing your soldering gun like Lucky Luke his gun.
End of the story:
The Aleph PCB´s are on their way and I´m looking forward to heat my room in the cold winter in germany.
Jens - number x and believing he could very soon be intrigued by very simple class a single ended mosfet audio power amplifiers
and I have never been a friend of class A amps due to power consumption and doubt they sound any better.
The articles are written so well that they are not only interesting but also very informative (Diyopamps, A75, Zens...), funny and they make you wanna swing your soldering gun like Lucky Luke his gun.
End of the story:
The Aleph PCB´s are on their way and I´m looking forward to heat my room in the cold winter in germany.
Jens - number x and believing he could very soon be intrigued by very simple class a single ended mosfet audio power amplifiers
#13 (I think)
For me, it all started in 1990 with my damned audiophile brother-in-law, who bought me a subscription to Stereophile for my birthday. I have a musical side to my personality, from childhood forward always playing, collecting and listening to music, but my audio system fell into the "my boombox is good enough" category. So the equipment reviewed in the Stereophile issues appeared to me as the expensive stuff the rich people bought to show off the brand names. Then, a couple of years later, I went to visit my brother-in-law, and for the first time I heard his "audiophile" system. My illusions were shattered! With the exception of listening to live performances, never before had I connected with the music in such a powerful way. I was hooked. Unfortunately I was still a poor student in graduate school, and the closest I could get to good gear was visiting the various high-end shops, who were less than enthused by my presence as they knew I couldn't afford anything, but occasionally I'd catch a sympathetic salesman and the magic would flow.
Years went by, my student days ended and my career began, but so did my mortgage, marriage and family. Slowly, I accumulated a modest system with brand names like Denon, Rotel, and B&W. While this system definitely gave me good music and great bang for the buck, it was still missing that illusive magic I craved. So I hit the internet looking for inexpensive ways to enhance my system through DIY modifications to my equipment I found drips and dribbles of instructions on how to tweak this specific power supply, or that specific gain stage, mainly at AudioAsylum, but I found little that explained the question of why it was better so I could apply it to my equipment. This drove the engineer in me crazy. I needed to understand.
Then one day I read a post that mentioned DIYAudio.com, found the Pass Labs forum immediately followed by the PassDIY site, and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Neslon's wonderful designs, clearly explained and reasonable to achieve. I read all his articles over and over again, understanding more and more each time. Finally I jumped in and built a crude version of the original Zen, afraid of my own lack of experience to dare anything more complex even though the ZV4 was out there. The result: it can't shake the room or annoy the neighbours, but the magic that I craved is there! Sweet, sweet music.
So now, while I wait for all the parts for my future Aleph5 to arrive, I bide my time still learning more as I repeatedly alter my Zen, seeing how each change affects the sound. I still can't quite wrap my head around SuSy or Folded Cascode, but that will come with time. Thanks for sharing Nelson, it's greatly appreciated!
For me, it all started in 1990 with my damned audiophile brother-in-law, who bought me a subscription to Stereophile for my birthday. I have a musical side to my personality, from childhood forward always playing, collecting and listening to music, but my audio system fell into the "my boombox is good enough" category. So the equipment reviewed in the Stereophile issues appeared to me as the expensive stuff the rich people bought to show off the brand names. Then, a couple of years later, I went to visit my brother-in-law, and for the first time I heard his "audiophile" system. My illusions were shattered! With the exception of listening to live performances, never before had I connected with the music in such a powerful way. I was hooked. Unfortunately I was still a poor student in graduate school, and the closest I could get to good gear was visiting the various high-end shops, who were less than enthused by my presence as they knew I couldn't afford anything, but occasionally I'd catch a sympathetic salesman and the magic would flow.
Years went by, my student days ended and my career began, but so did my mortgage, marriage and family. Slowly, I accumulated a modest system with brand names like Denon, Rotel, and B&W. While this system definitely gave me good music and great bang for the buck, it was still missing that illusive magic I craved. So I hit the internet looking for inexpensive ways to enhance my system through DIY modifications to my equipment I found drips and dribbles of instructions on how to tweak this specific power supply, or that specific gain stage, mainly at AudioAsylum, but I found little that explained the question of why it was better so I could apply it to my equipment. This drove the engineer in me crazy. I needed to understand.
Then one day I read a post that mentioned DIYAudio.com, found the Pass Labs forum immediately followed by the PassDIY site, and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Neslon's wonderful designs, clearly explained and reasonable to achieve. I read all his articles over and over again, understanding more and more each time. Finally I jumped in and built a crude version of the original Zen, afraid of my own lack of experience to dare anything more complex even though the ZV4 was out there. The result: it can't shake the room or annoy the neighbours, but the magic that I craved is there! Sweet, sweet music.
So now, while I wait for all the parts for my future Aleph5 to arrive, I bide my time still learning more as I repeatedly alter my Zen, seeing how each change affects the sound. I still can't quite wrap my head around SuSy or Folded Cascode, but that will come with time. Thanks for sharing Nelson, it's greatly appreciated!
After I ordered Audio Amatuer back in 1994, the first issue came with the original ZEN amp article. How could I lose?
I read the article probably 10 times. The concept just made sense to me.
It was my first amp. I cooked it a couple of times til I got it right.
The ZEN and the Bride of ZEN are the only 2 amps I built from scratch.
Well worth the learning curve!
Now I'm almost finished the small XA.
I read the article probably 10 times. The concept just made sense to me.
It was my first amp. I cooked it a couple of times til I got it right.
The ZEN and the Bride of ZEN are the only 2 amps I built from scratch.
Well worth the learning curve!
Now I'm almost finished the small XA.
AA and the original web site got me hooked. But first efforts were
failures. I moved on and got some experience building effects
pedals for my guitar. Then finally i found theis Forum!! Even
though i felt like a 1st grader who had stumbled into a Calculus
class... i kept reading and asking questions. Finally i built SOZ that
worked! Thanks to Mr. Pass and this Forum, i feel like i'm in, oh
let's say 2nd grade now!!
moe29
failures. I moved on and got some experience building effects
pedals for my guitar. Then finally i found theis Forum!! Even
though i felt like a 1st grader who had stumbled into a Calculus
class... i kept reading and asking questions. Finally i built SOZ that
worked! Thanks to Mr. Pass and this Forum, i feel like i'm in, oh
let's say 2nd grade now!!
moe29
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