New to building Amps

[Jalex420]

Hello.
First I should probaly introduce myself.
My name is James, i live in the US, I've gotten my vibe for wanting to make electronics from my fother who hase been making his own Power Supplies for his HAM gear, along with transevers.

Since im not realy into the whole radio communication thing, i figured i'd try to make my own Amp for my Stero.

I've been reading on how amplifiers work, and the concept seems simple, but im guessing there is more to it then the very basic one i read about.

I've read a few topics and realized that this is a good community that realy will share information if they have it.

So, on my adventure in building an Amplifer, i was wondering where a good place to start would be, Are there any math forumlas I need to know to get the best sound out of my amp? Where is a good place to purchase the parts i will need?

Any help would be apericated.

Thanks,
-James

[DoomPixie]

i think that the first thing you have to do is choose what i is you want to build, after the results i got when i built my first chipamp the other day i'd recomend you start with something simple like that. but at the end of the day its up to you.
Owen

[Jalex420]

Ok, Thanks!

[BobEllis]

Welcome to the forum from another Pennsylvanian (Philly 'burbs).

A chip amp is a good start if you just want to build something that works. They are fairly inexpensive to build and hard to mess up if you take your time.

If you want to learn how things work, take a look at the Pass Labs Zen series - www.passdiy.com you may not want to build every one, but the articles provide a wealth of knowledge.

The Leach amp is a step up in difficulty from a chip amp, but it also has more power output capability. Boards are available from Professor Leach.

As for parts suppliers, my favorites are

www.apexjr.com - all sorts of surplus and NOS parts, including heat sinks and power transformers. If you don't see what you need call or email Steve. He often has things that are not listed on his website. I put Steve first because heat sinks and transformers are two of the most expensive items.

For components

www.mouser.com - no minimum order
www.digikey.com - $25 minimum to avoid a $5 handling fee. Also be aware that the credit card information you enter on digikey's site is stored by Internet Explorer's autocomplete feature - completely open. Anyone using the computer before you clear your autocomplete information will be able to access your card information. When I complained to Digikey's webmaster, I was told "just turn off autocomplete" When I told them that other sites are able to replace the characters or clear the entry, they said they'd look into it. Nothing has changed.

For security and ease of use I prefer Mouser's site. Others find using Digikey's easier.

Others to consider for some parts -

www.newark.com
http://www.arrownac.com/
http://www.alliedelec.com/
www.partsexpress.com - sells Avel transformers as well as speaker parts. Their Dayton house brand reference series are great performers at budget prices.

[Jalex420]

Wow, thanks alot

[AndrewT]

Hi,
read up amps in general. So many threads to choose from. Read Leach, Pass and ESP websites.

Start with building a chipamp (good threads here) and spend money on a well specified PSU but NO exotic components at this stage.

Then decide where you go next.

[Leolabs]

Hi,Jalex
A chipamp should be a good heardstart,then you can go on with some discrete amps,ESP,Self,Pass,Leach,MJ............and so on.