Ive just recently finished building my JLH monoblocks and have been comparing them to my aleph 2s.
I prefer the alephs but they aleph cost 4 times more. They have 2 by 1KVA Tx's as opposed to 2 x 300VA, Aleph Total capacitance of 500000uF unregulated as opposed to 68000uF regulated. The aleph resistors are all dale RND60s as opposed to cheap local electronics shop metal film. Caps on JLH are all surplus. Fets on aleph are matched , transistors on JLH are not. 100 Watt Aleph against 20 watt JLH.
So I guess Im wondering if I spent lots more on the JLH and matched all parts would it make a big difference. Should I invest a bit more time and money on this or move on the next project.
Do I just prefer the aleph topology or should I try and get more out of the JLH?
The speakers Im using are KLS10s audax 89dB 8 ohms they are very accurate and revealing. BTW the difference isnt huge, the Aleph is a bit more authoritive and relaxed, highs not so strained, one thing that I really liked about aleph over JLH was the silent passages were very dark or quiet, not that the JLH is noisy. I really struggle with these descriptions.
The other point is, Im not sure if some of these differences are differences between mosfet and transistor, not sure am im not so experienced in this hobby. Such a rewarding hobby but allways so many questions and variables.
I prefer the alephs but they aleph cost 4 times more. They have 2 by 1KVA Tx's as opposed to 2 x 300VA, Aleph Total capacitance of 500000uF unregulated as opposed to 68000uF regulated. The aleph resistors are all dale RND60s as opposed to cheap local electronics shop metal film. Caps on JLH are all surplus. Fets on aleph are matched , transistors on JLH are not. 100 Watt Aleph against 20 watt JLH.
So I guess Im wondering if I spent lots more on the JLH and matched all parts would it make a big difference. Should I invest a bit more time and money on this or move on the next project.
Do I just prefer the aleph topology or should I try and get more out of the JLH?
The speakers Im using are KLS10s audax 89dB 8 ohms they are very accurate and revealing. BTW the difference isnt huge, the Aleph is a bit more authoritive and relaxed, highs not so strained, one thing that I really liked about aleph over JLH was the silent passages were very dark or quiet, not that the JLH is noisy. I really struggle with these descriptions.
The other point is, Im not sure if some of these differences are differences between mosfet and transistor, not sure am im not so experienced in this hobby. Such a rewarding hobby but allways so many questions and variables.
Hi, Luke
very interesting what you write.
I have been building some JLH`s, the first ones with cheap parts and the last ones with high Quality parts.
I think there was no big diferences in comparing dale, Caddock and Vishay s102k, but there were big diferences in comparing with cheap metal type resistors.
i used a 800VA toro each side, cap-mult PSU.
All transistors matched. Elna cerafine and BlacKGate capacitors.
If you use speakers with high sensitivity it may be desirable to build a JLH with best parts and you can connect the JLH directly to your CD Player over a pot. and last high ed modification: drive the JLH at +/-12Volts with battery supply...
greets,
Ralf
very interesting what you write.
I have been building some JLH`s, the first ones with cheap parts and the last ones with high Quality parts.
I think there was no big diferences in comparing dale, Caddock and Vishay s102k, but there were big diferences in comparing with cheap metal type resistors.
i used a 800VA toro each side, cap-mult PSU.
All transistors matched. Elna cerafine and BlacKGate capacitors.
If you use speakers with high sensitivity it may be desirable to build a JLH with best parts and you can connect the JLH directly to your CD Player over a pot. and last high ed modification: drive the JLH at +/-12Volts with battery supply...
greets,
Ralf
Hi Ralf,
Thanks for your reply, these are the things I want to hear
Im wondering how much difference they will make, I guess the only way to know is to try them. What I can and will try soon is more capacitance, I have 100000uF caps I can use so Ill try them and see. Upgrading resistors would be an inexpensive upgrade but would have to get the parts from overseas so a bit harder.
Blackgates and bigger transformer are big ticket items, but very curious to know how much difference they will make.
Thanks for your reply, these are the things I want to hear
Im wondering how much difference they will make, I guess the only way to know is to try them. What I can and will try soon is more capacitance, I have 100000uF caps I can use so Ill try them and see. Upgrading resistors would be an inexpensive upgrade but would have to get the parts from overseas so a bit harder.
Blackgates and bigger transformer are big ticket items, but very curious to know how much difference they will make.
...more
Hi Luke,
i had build some hiragas, SOZ, XSoz etc, compared it with 300Bxls Tube amps and others and for my taste, my speakers ( i own diferent ones , see here http:/www.high-end-manufaktur.de ) the JLH was within the best.
I was attempted to build other designs like Aleph X (i have the pcb`s already here, but i think its a waste of time.
I will go for perfectioning the JLH`s instead of trying something new of which i know it cannot be thus better.
I will do the best with JLH and if a have any money over i will buy some CD`s....
It would be nice of you to e-mail me, when you have new experiences..
Ralf
Hi Luke,
i had build some hiragas, SOZ, XSoz etc, compared it with 300Bxls Tube amps and others and for my taste, my speakers ( i own diferent ones , see here http:/www.high-end-manufaktur.de ) the JLH was within the best.
I was attempted to build other designs like Aleph X (i have the pcb`s already here, but i think its a waste of time.
I will go for perfectioning the JLH`s instead of trying something new of which i know it cannot be thus better.
I will do the best with JLH and if a have any money over i will buy some CD`s....
It would be nice of you to e-mail me, when you have new experiences..
Ralf
Hi Ralf,
I really like your Verstärker, I saw it on the JLH thread a while ago.
Its a little annoying that I have to upgrade so much stuff without knowing where the big gains are to be had. My instincts tell me bigger power supply but my instinct has let me down in the past
Will report back when I have done filter caps.
BTW was in Germany last month, my wife is from Muenster
I really like your Verstärker, I saw it on the JLH thread a while ago.
Its a little annoying that I have to upgrade so much stuff without knowing where the big gains are to be had. My instincts tell me bigger power supply but my instinct has let me down in the past
Will report back when I have done filter caps.
BTW was in Germany last month, my wife is from Muenster
Luke
... i esimate (dont know) that choosing good filter caps is as important than the amount.
Unfortunaly best filtercaps are expensive.
If i had enough money i would go for BlackGates - but i have`nt.
Thats, why i would like to try battery supply. Some guys here have tested Battery-Supply with Aleph-x, Jlh and they recommend it.
I would go for two 75AH Batteries with two or four Car-Audio Capacitors with 1F as buffer, each ---per chanel.
Second important thing is the coupling capacitor in JLH. You can easily hear-out different caps. I tried very diferent ones like Copper-foil of jensen, Silver-oil of Mundorf, KP 1832, Siemens MKV, Styroflexes, MKP`s, bypasses ....
I went for two paralelled Micas, each 40.000pf, but the the amp has no deep bass anymore, it slightly goes down with 6db under 150hz.
But since i use a sub this effect is desired- my Full range drivers are freed of high bass excursions and sound clearer in higher levels
Its a real, time consuming and expensive challenge to bring a very good circuit to its best.
Ralf
... i esimate (dont know) that choosing good filter caps is as important than the amount.
Unfortunaly best filtercaps are expensive.
If i had enough money i would go for BlackGates - but i have`nt.
Thats, why i would like to try battery supply. Some guys here have tested Battery-Supply with Aleph-x, Jlh and they recommend it.
I would go for two 75AH Batteries with two or four Car-Audio Capacitors with 1F as buffer, each ---per chanel.
Second important thing is the coupling capacitor in JLH. You can easily hear-out different caps. I tried very diferent ones like Copper-foil of jensen, Silver-oil of Mundorf, KP 1832, Siemens MKV, Styroflexes, MKP`s, bypasses ....
I went for two paralelled Micas, each 40.000pf, but the the amp has no deep bass anymore, it slightly goes down with 6db under 150hz.
But since i use a sub this effect is desired- my Full range drivers are freed of high bass excursions and sound clearer in higher levels
Its a real, time consuming and expensive challenge to bring a very good circuit to its best.
Ralf
I was quite proud of building this amp with so little money, but I now feel I havent done it justice. I might try bigger caps cos I have them but basically I will probably leave it for a while and post back on this thread if I make significant changes.
Thanks for your feedback.
Ian, I have some aleph-x boards from Chads group buy, but Ive left it for a while as I want to buy nasty big transformer and lots of Fets for matching. Interesting you compare it to JLH, Ralf maybe you should try the X after all
Thanks for your feedback.
Ian, I have some aleph-x boards from Chads group buy, but Ive left it for a while as I want to buy nasty big transformer and lots of Fets for matching. Interesting you compare it to JLH, Ralf maybe you should try the X after all
Interesting, I have just put a scope on the output and found 5mV P-P oscillations at around 50Mhz. Its superimposed on 50hz hum of around 50mV peak to peak so never really noticed it was there till I looked closer. Is this acceptable, I have done alot of the recommended things to cure oscillations so I expect it wont get any better unless I zobel it?
I have been playing a re dux Aleph 60 from my Aleph 2.
Its fantastic. I don't have the JLH on line at the moment but based on my recollection the Aleph 60 has quite amazing Timbre accuracy right through the range, a naturalness that's quite uncanny. The JLH tends to be more airy and more sense of space but it tends to have a zing also to the highs.
Both are great but I would not pass up the Aleph 60.
I recall Nelson and Kent remarking about the potential of both the Aleph 30 and 60 when I visited Passlabs this last May. My friend Kent (below) had a Aleph in this system at the time, about the best diy speakers I heard in my travels across the U.S.A.
Perhaps we will see these find designs re introduced as some stage.
Ian
Its fantastic. I don't have the JLH on line at the moment but based on my recollection the Aleph 60 has quite amazing Timbre accuracy right through the range, a naturalness that's quite uncanny. The JLH tends to be more airy and more sense of space but it tends to have a zing also to the highs.
Both are great but I would not pass up the Aleph 60.
I recall Nelson and Kent remarking about the potential of both the Aleph 30 and 60 when I visited Passlabs this last May. My friend Kent (below) had a Aleph in this system at the time, about the best diy speakers I heard in my travels across the U.S.A.
Perhaps we will see these find designs re introduced as some stage.
Ian
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