Help choosing amp for a friend, SKA vs. Gainclone

[kmj]

Hi, I have a minor problem and I myself am partial to one sulotion so I can't be trusted.

My friend is on the market for a stereosystem and I talked him into letting me build him one. I have way to may projects and can't build speakers in the specified budget so The speaker will be storebought, I'm sorry to admit.

The speakers will probably be one of the following:
Speaker 1
Speaker 2
(sorry, swedish text)

The Preamp will something OP-based like Russ Whites Freebird with opa134 or someting similar.


Now to the tough part. The Power!
Since money always is a problem I have two alternatives.
1: LM3875 Gainclone which I have all nececary parts and can build quite cheap.

2: The SKA (simple killer amp) which will add up to approx 150$ more than the GC.

If it where up to me and no other had a say in it I would go with alternative 2 but this is for a friend so it has to be the best possible result and best or most powerfull sound. The music he listens to is mostly Heavy Metal so that has to be taken inte the equation.

What do you guys think?

Edit:
Changed subject to a more fitting one

[lineup]

As we have good details of these speakers
makes it easy to find out what a suitable amplifer would be.

Speaker 1
data:

Specifikationer Dynavoice Magic F-6:
Lådkonstruktion:
2 x basreflex bakåt
Guldplätterad terminal
Bestyckning:
1” Superaudio-diskant
2 x 6,5” bas/mellanregister
Impedance:
4-8 Ohm
Frekvensområde:
30-32 000 Hz (- 3 dB)
Känslighet:
91 dB
Max Effekt:
125 W
Storlek (H x B x D):
980 x 200 x 240 mm
(utan galler och spikes)
Vikt:
12,5 kg/styck

Speaker 2
data:

Specifikationer Dynavoice M-65
Lådkonstruktion:
4 x basreflex bakåt, två baspluggar ingår till varje högtalare
Guldplätterad Bi-wiring terminal
Element:
1” Superaudio-diskantt,
2 x 5,25” mellanregister,
2 x 6,5” basar
Impendans:
4-8 ohm
Frekvensområde:
25 - 32 000 Hz (- 3 dB)
Känslighet:
93 db
Max Effekt:
250 W
Storlek (H x B x D):
1100 x 200 x 400 mm
Vikt:
27 kg/st

I will have a little thinking
but will be back with the perfect amplifiers
to drive both your friends speakers

I can say he will get the experience of his young life
when listening!

lineup

[kmj]

Great!

[jacco vermeulen]

Har du set prisen om hogtalare ?
Mer kg an kvalietet !

GAINCLONE !

eller Dynavoice magic F-3 ?

[kmj]

Har du set prisen om hogtalare ?
Mer kg an kvalietet !

hehe, well. These speakers are acually quite good (for the price ofcourse) and he is a total noob when it comes to these things. Since the budget is limited these are the best alternative I could find, the store in question is also located in my hometown so with a litte luck I can find a less expensive pair that has been used for demo. If I get him hooked he can always upgrade later.

And most important! I can bring the amplifier and test it with

[jacco vermeulen]

Only kidding.

imo, the GC is very good compared to the commercial amplifiers i had at that age. The loudspeakers are about as expensive as i paid for the Wharfedales back then.(Pink Floyd , Deep purple, Led Zepellin, Zappa in those days, what did i know ? )
The GCs have built-in protection and if the efficiency is really that high the power of GCs is plenty.
You need a much better loudspeaker for the SKA. It's not worth the extra $150. (having both a set of BrianBell GCs and GB150s)

[kmj]

Only kidding.

hehe, I got it but used it to add some info

Well, the Gainclone can be built just by using spare parts so it can be scrapped without second thought. I just wonder if using "regular" parts instead of Peter Daniels components of choise will work as well. Noname metalfilm resistor, regular electrolytic caps with bypass and point to point solering.

But I really wanted to build the SKA, but not to myself
Well, nevermind. I'm not the one important here

[lineup]

Originally posted by jacco vermeulen
in My honest opinion
imo, the GC is very good compared to the commercial amplifiers i had at that age. The loudspeakers are about as expensive as i paid for the Wharfedales back then.
The GCs have built-in protection and if the efficiency is really that high the power of GCs is plenty.

I agree with jacco vermeulen here, ( sounds dutch in some way )
in this case:

Try building an IC chip amplifier!
In fact i am thinking about building a LM3875 based amplifier, myself,
for my brother now.
Just to show him how simple, small, and yet very good,
an amplifier can be constructed.

Use the standard LM3875 datasheet circuit setup in:
http://cache.national.com/ds/LM/LM3875.pdf
and maybe you can buy if from ELFA in your country:
LM3875 - buy at ELFA.se

You will find good info, if you look in and SEARCH LM3875 in
Chip Amps forum
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forum...?s=&forumid=40


If you need some assistance while building a LM3875 stereo
just ask in 'Chip Amps' forum.
There are several 100 of members that knows how to help you.

Good luck, kmj
With LM3875 you can not go wrong very much.

............................
See for example this little absolute high end audio site:
http://audiosector.com/
by this member Peter Daniel:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/membe...fo&userid=2814

[kmj]

Thank you all, I should have mentioned the reason why I leaned towards the SKA. It's because I have built and rebuild my first project about four times (Brian&Peter LM3875)

I have four soldered PCBs from chipamp.com (one or two burned but spare parts isn't a problem) and about 5pc of 3875-chips lust collecting dust along with those 4pc of 2x25V toriods of unknown power (weighs about 1/2-2/3 of a 300VA transformer) so monoblocks is an idéa. I realised that the hometheatre poweramp I thought of building as a pass-time isn't going to be made and I don't even like HT.

Oh, my available caps are "only" 1000uF but if they're to small then I can always buy SOME parts new

Btw
A while back I saw a beautiful thread or page with a step-by-step an building LM3875 point-2-point. The writer used some strippen 1,2mm solid copper cable to mount the components and as a groundpoint, ring a bell for anyone?

Edit:
Found the guilty one. The forums own Mike Feuerbacher

[zei]

That guy Mike,, what an artist!

Well, here,s another one..
LM4780 PTP

Mmm.. Offtopic now it seems..

KMJ, I,ll say go with the SKA. If you like it that much better than the Chipamps.. Keep it and give you,r friend the Chipamp,s


More fun for you as well..


/Z