the name is Shunty not shuntky......maybe you write the name right it will work....
Thanks for all the suggestions and discussion, especially the ones that have kit or pcb available. I'll check into them. I might end up building more than one. I did read people mentioned about the input impedance of Aleph 3 may not match well with some preamp, so I need to pay attention to that.
It seems that Mr. Macura does sell all kinds of combos and matched JFET, so I don't need to worry about getting pairs, right? I am interested in this since it also can be used as "normal" headphone amp since I use Aleph 3 mainly for an "abnormal" headphone.
I did read people mentioned about the input impedance of Aleph 3 may not match well with some preamp, so I need to pay attention to that.It seems that Mr. Macura does sell all kinds of combos and matched JFET, so I don't need to worry about getting pairs, right? I am interested in this since it also can be used as "normal" headphone amp
since I use Aleph 3 mainly for an "abnormal" headphone. I have the Aleph 3 here in my room singing beutifully with Aleph preamp.
I have built BOZ, BSOZ, both aleph L and both Aleph P in the past and B1 lately.
The preamp that won my heart is Aleph P 1.0, not the one everyones is/was building - Aleph P 1.7.
It is really a great circuit and I'm wondering why no one is building it, becouse it uses IRFP240 as gain stage? Supricingly the highs are just excellent, the whole sound is just excellent once built with high quality parts.
Use Caddock and Mills resistors, good PS caps and the best signal caps you can afford, or find an old PIO Siemens MKV or Bosh MP caps that are really top quality and one has to spend gig $$$ to better them.
I power it off 10x6V Lead Acid battery (the 18V taken of first 3 ones).
Just recently I built B1 with Caddock and Mills resistors, Seiemens MKV and Aerovox caps, powerred off batteries. It sounds nice and fine but not as good with Aleph 3 as Aleph P 1,0.
For volume I us 5K stepped attenuator at the output.
Just my 3 cents.
I have built BOZ, BSOZ, both aleph L and both Aleph P in the past and B1 lately.
The preamp that won my heart is Aleph P 1.0, not the one everyones is/was building - Aleph P 1.7.
It is really a great circuit and I'm wondering why no one is building it, becouse it uses IRFP240 as gain stage? Supricingly the highs are just excellent, the whole sound is just excellent once built with high quality parts.
Use Caddock and Mills resistors, good PS caps and the best signal caps you can afford, or find an old PIO Siemens MKV or Bosh MP caps that are really top quality and one has to spend gig $$$ to better them.
I power it off 10x6V Lead Acid battery (the 18V taken of first 3 ones).
Just recently I built B1 with Caddock and Mills resistors, Seiemens MKV and Aerovox caps, powerred off batteries. It sounds nice and fine but not as good with Aleph 3 as Aleph P 1,0.
For volume I us 5K stepped attenuator at the output.
Just my 3 cents.
Dodo range of 1000-1500 commercial preamps is budget level, this is where the preamps actually start. I haven't tried PMA circuit but sure Aleph P (1.0) or other Alephs are less complicated. I love how simple P 1.0 gain stage is, just two Fets, 4 signal caps and a couple of resistors, two caps and resistors filtering PS and that's it. Built with high quality parts in proper way (point to point with short signal paths and no PCB) it just sings beautifully.
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Actually, DIY store does not have B-1, that can be obtained directly from Pass along with matched fets. DIY has the Mezmerize DC B-1, a variant using mods that allow dispensing with coupling caps.
Russellc
I have used KK PCB boards for a monoblock Aleph 2 build. The amps have been running for some years and work fine. Not quite the same sound as the Aleph 3 though (I have an original Aleph 3 that I bought second hand). Could be due to parts, because looking back (specially after reading a lot on diyaudio.com in the last year) I think I want to change a lot of parts in the Aleph 2's!
I also bought KK PCB boards for Aleph P1.7 at the same time. Due to problems with volume control and input selection (not due to the KK PCB boards but Chinese junk supplied by a local dealer) that build is not yet completed. Boards seem fine. I cannot comment on quality of layout other than that the layout was not designed for large polypropylene caps.
I also bought KK PCB boards for Aleph P1.7 at the same time. Due to problems with volume control and input selection (not due to the KK PCB boards but Chinese junk supplied by a local dealer) that build is not yet completed. Boards seem fine. I cannot comment on quality of layout other than that the layout was not designed for large polypropylene caps.
I just saw the photos your beautiful point-to-pint Aleph P 1.0. Very nice work and interesting approach.
And it happened that my current setup can use extra smoothness, which seems to be what P 1.0 can provide according to your description in other posts.
Thanks!
And it happened that my current setup can use extra smoothness, which seems to be what P 1.0 can provide according to your description in other posts.
Thanks!
things have changed over the last 20-30 years
Nowdays most dificult part in preamps it take care about EMI , which go in the signal from every possible direction.
PMA took care about it
My present opinion in range of importance in audio circuits :
- circuit topology
- layout&wiring&box(as a barier for EMI )
- active parts qulaity
- pasive parts quality
Jfet-Dispre just meet with my point of view
In my opinion Aleph 3 is in range 1000 -1500 USD comercial amps
Why someone would like to use much beter pre , where power amp quality is the limitation
Halo,
Sure everyone has right to his own opinions. Original Aleph 3 was more expensive I belive and even still today you would probably have very hard time finding similarly sounding power amp for $1000 or $1500. I'm not talking about DIY clones build on the budget, though they also can sound nice depending of what are you expecting and comparing it to.
Everything is important and usually appears to be much complicated when research deeply. A poor signal cap will kill 75% of the sound regardless how thoughtfull is circuit topology, layout wiring ect... that is how I see it.
And I admire Pavel Macura work a lot.
Sure everyone has right to his own opinions. Original Aleph 3 was more expensive I belive and even still today you would probably have very hard time finding similarly sounding power amp for $1000 or $1500. I'm not talking about DIY clones build on the budget, though they also can sound nice depending of what are you expecting and comparing it to.
Everything is important and usually appears to be much complicated when research deeply. A poor signal cap will kill 75% of the sound regardless how thoughtfull is circuit topology, layout wiring ect... that is how I see it.
And I admire Pavel Macura work a lot.
Well that was I think 3 or 4 incarnation back from where I'm now (don't use BG N caps as signal caps, very poor performance).
Well I was refering to other Pass preamps I built not in general.
In general I was planning to echange this P 1.0 for something new and better but so far the thing is everything I try isn't for better, at least for me in my setup. I think I will built one more, the ultimate version and sure will post it here on the forum when I'm done.
dodo
It's no secret that Mr Macura does not like passlabs..
Are you sure you're not a local dealer of PMA?
Hard words
, considering I don't care about what PMA thinks in subject of Passlabs constructions ( I'm noone local dealer )If you however insist to give a feedback about preamp quality , I can tell you , that All Borbely preamp kits
( including super buffer) with shunt regulators, which I had a chance to listnen were much better in terms of dynamic , resolution , 3D stage compared to my DISPRE
The problem is , those constructions are outside of possibility range for most Diy-s , because of parts avablity.(Sadly I also belong to this group
)Someone asked about recomendation , so he got it .
If you want to be helpfull - give your recomendation and don't play games
(in case you have something aginst PMA).
hi zygibajt,
I tried today the Semisouth ..........R550, they sound nice in the P circuit.
I had them in the P1.7 circuit also, with higher bias with help of Zen Mod and there they did not bloom so much.....
Not as dark and seductive "melancholic" like the IRF but not flat, they give the sound more room and details without being hard.
I also tried to pepp up the B1 circuit .... You wrote that you find it a bit uninvolving..... My impression too .... Maybe to neutral.
Things changed when I replaced the upper K170 with a V-Fet 2sk79 .....
Body, relaxed, darker, more atmosphere... More like BA-3, my favorite, but too much gain for my amp and Lowthers....
The 2SK79 is at eBay..... Fairly expensive..... But good!
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