real beginner amplifier

inadaze · 8th May 2007, 02:31 PM

Hello everyone,
I would like to build a small (and hopefully inexpensive) amplifier to plug my ipod into outside during the summer. I tried searching the forum but, unfortunately I don't know enough about electronics to follow the posts.
Could anyone have the heart enough to help out a beginner with this?

Cheers,
Jason

taj · 8th May 2007, 03:20 PM

Hi Jason, welcome to amp building. Here's my opinion/advice:

Start with a chip amp. They are perfect starter projects, sound quite respectable and can be made very powerful if need be. You can build them from scratch, buy a ready-to-assemble kit, or anything in between. Plus, you can scale them up or down to suit your budget (I'm thinking of the power supplies in particular here). They can be made quite small.

Look in the chip amp forum. Read a lot first. Check out BrianGT's www.chipamp.com and Peter Daniel's www.audiosector.com for excellent examples. There are many others.

Good luck.

..Todd

Minion · 8th May 2007, 07:14 PM

I agree....For a First Amp project you would not want to build a discrete Transistor amp as they are hard to troubleshoot and easier to screw up......

Chipamps are great cuz you can build something that sounds good and goes really loud with just a few parts and even be done P2P or make your own PCB"s if you can.....

I use one as a Guitar amp and it goes plenty loud enough to overwelm the drums and sounds great to boot.....

CHeers

Nordic · 8th May 2007, 07:21 PM

For a step by step, google decibel dungeon, and look at the basic ICG (inverted gainclone...) was my first diy amp too...

Buckapound · 8th May 2007, 07:42 PM

Also check out the many modification threads over in Class D on the Sonic Impact, and the various Tripath kits, especially the Amp 6 from 41hz.com. Until you get into big (100w+) power, they're small and cheap. They're all highly efficient--which means a lot if you're planning on running your unit on battery power.

These small Tripath-based class D projects are manageable for a beginner, and imensely gratifying when the (great) sound comes out.

--Buckapound

inadaze · 9th May 2007, 05:48 PM

Wow! Thanks so much. This is all great.
I took a beginners class on electronics last year but I have been a little discouraged ever since. I am glad I found his forum so that I have someone to ask questions to as they arise.

Thanks for the starting point...

Cheers,
Jay

john blackburn · 9th May 2007, 11:41 PM

Hi Jason, I've just "finished" my first diy amp, a chipamp.com LM3875 with a Decibel Dungeon "Uno" preamp using a pair of Vikash designed Fr125s ported speakers.
There were times when I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew but with the help of some top people on this forum it all came together!
It sounds splendid, a friend said it was like wearing headphones, it might not make any sense now but it will when you hear it for yourself.
Go carefully and you will have something that sounds better than you thought possible for the price of mass produced mediocrity.
Be warned though, it's addictive, I haven't painted my new speakers yet and I'm already looking at more ambitious design for the next ones!
JB

Leolabs · 10th May 2007, 02:22 AM

Chipamp like the LM1875 or the LM3875 is a good choice for beginner.

ttan98 · 10th May 2007, 03:45 AM

Ask DIYparadise in Malaysia, for Tripath amp, can it run on battery? not sure.

8th May 2007, 02:31 PM	#1
inadaze diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	real beginner amplifier Hello everyone, I would like to build a small (and hopefully inexpensive) amplifier to plug my ipod into outside during the summer. I tried searching the forum but, unfortunately I don't know enough about electronics to follow the posts. Could anyone have the heart enough to help out a beginner with this? Cheers, Jason

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8th May 2007, 03:20 PM	#2
taj diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005	Hi Jason, welcome to amp building. Here's my opinion/advice: Start with a chip amp. They are perfect starter projects, sound quite respectable and can be made very powerful if need be. You can build them from scratch, buy a ready-to-assemble kit, or anything in between. Plus, you can scale them up or down to suit your budget (I'm thinking of the power supplies in particular here). They can be made quite small. Look in the chip amp forum. Read a lot first. Check out BrianGT's www.chipamp.com and Peter Daniel's www.audiosector.com for excellent examples. There are many others. Good luck. ..Todd

8th May 2007, 07:14 PM	#3
Minion diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2006	I agree....For a First Amp project you would not want to build a discrete Transistor amp as they are hard to troubleshoot and easier to screw up...... Chipamps are great cuz you can build something that sounds good and goes really loud with just a few parts and even be done P2P or make your own PCB"s if you can..... I use one as a Guitar amp and it goes plenty loud enough to overwelm the drums and sounds great to boot..... CHeers

8th May 2007, 07:21 PM	#4
Nordic diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2005	For a step by step, google decibel dungeon, and look at the basic ICG (inverted gainclone...) was my first diy amp too...

8th May 2007, 07:42 PM	#5
Buckapound diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago, IL	Also check out the many modification threads over in Class D on the Sonic Impact, and the various Tripath kits, especially the Amp 6 from 41hz.com. Until you get into big (100w+) power, they're small and cheap. They're all highly efficient--which means a lot if you're planning on running your unit on battery power. These small Tripath-based class D projects are manageable for a beginner, and imensely gratifying when the (great) sound comes out. --Buckapound

9th May 2007, 05:48 PM	#6
inadaze diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Wow! Thanks so much. This is all great. I took a beginners class on electronics last year but I have been a little discouraged ever since. I am glad I found his forum so that I have someone to ask questions to as they arise. Thanks for the starting point... Cheers, Jay

9th May 2007, 11:41 PM	#7
john blackburn diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wirral UK	Hi Jason, I've just "finished" my first diy amp, a chipamp.com LM3875 with a Decibel Dungeon "Uno" preamp using a pair of Vikash designed Fr125s ported speakers. There were times when I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew but with the help of some top people on this forum it all came together! It sounds splendid, a friend said it was like wearing headphones, it might not make any sense now but it will when you hear it for yourself. Go carefully and you will have something that sounds better than you thought possible for the price of mass produced mediocrity. Be warned though, it's addictive, I haven't painted my new speakers yet and I'm already looking at more ambitious design for the next ones! JB

10th May 2007, 02:22 AM	#8
Leolabs diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bukit Mertajam	Chipamp like the LM1875 or the LM3875 is a good choice for beginner.

10th May 2007, 03:45 AM	#9
ttan98 diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melb	Ask DIYparadise in Malaysia, for Tripath amp, can it run on battery? not sure.

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