for my first attempt :

[Magnetmaz]

Greetings!

I've been lurking here every spare hour i've had since i found this hobby last week. I feel like i finally have a family...people who are as into the whole "behind the scenes" aspect of audio as well as the pure enjoyment of listening.

*runs crying into everyone's arms*

They made fun of me when i said i NEEDED to buy a fender rhodes, because samples on some synth just couldn't reproduce the dynamics and timbre....
They made fun of me when i bought a Roland TR-808, saying i could get the same beats out of something digital.....but the sounds just arent the same...

what do 'they' know?

So anyways, i'm here...and here's my first question :

What do i build first?

I've read up on the Zen V4, the foreplay preamp, .....assuming all i have is speakers and a cd player, what would you tell me to build...as a beginners project? ( and i read the post about the easy headphone amp already...)

And as a followup...which is the easier amp to build out of the Aleph and the Zen v4. ?

-Maz

[dlharmon]

The zen is quite easy to build. If you buy the pcb's from Pass Labs it will be as simple as inserting parts and soldering it up. The aleph is not as well documented and you can't buy pcb's from Pass Labs.

Darrell Harmon

[Peter Daniel]

I know that some people would say it's not good for a beginner, but Aleph X would be my first choice. Especially when you can get boards for less than $10 with next revision. Check 'Aleph X' thread.

[MikeW]

The Zen 4 is easier to build and will cost less. Not as many caps, a regulated suppy, and very good directions. You also won't need as big a heatsink. I have been listening to mine for a couple of weeks and it sounds very good. My Aleph 5 is about 3/4 of the way done. When it is finished I will compare. You may want to build both.

[jh6you]

Using Pass Labs PCB (Zen V4), you could make Zen, Zen V2 or Zen V4.
I would decide one of three, considering the speaker efficiency.

JH

[Magnetmaz]

i have B&W 305's. Are these considered decent by the DIY hi-fi crowd ?

[Taco]

If you have made your amps, make DIY speakers . It doesn't matter what you have, in DIY it's about the fun to make your own stuff, not about what you MUST have.

[PedroPO]

I would go for the Son of Zen.

Few components and failproof.

my next choice (in a degree of dificulty would be Zen amp.

As for aleph,, if you decide to go for it, there are a couple of guys in the forum that sell the boards, and are very nice.

make a search and you'll find them.

[Circlotron]

Originally posted by Taco
If you have made your amps, make DIY speakers . It doesn't matter what you have, in DIY it's about the fun to make your own stuff, not about what you MUST have.

Around here you might get razzed if you *bought* sub-standard stuff, but if you made something yourself you are in! Even if it is crook as a chook, if you done it with ya own hands you's parta da family.

[dlharmon]

Originally posted by PedroPO
I would go for the Son of Zen.

Few components and failproof.

That is if you don't mind the heat. I kept mine about 2 weeks before converting it to a zen. 600W was way too much for me. The SOZ is extremely simple. 2 Fets, 10 resistors and a power supply.

Darrell Harmon