Interpret Step response in tweeter selection

Hi,

I see that often the step response is not included in the tech specification of many common brands,while I think this parameter is impotant becouse lets us know how “fast” the tweeter is and therefore if it can accurately reproduce all the details.

I have compared these misurations:

Bliesma T34A-4
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/bliesma/bliesma-t34a-4

SB Acoustics Satori TW29TXN-B
https://hificompass.com/en/reviews/satori-tw29txn-b

and from what I see in the step response the Satori TW29TXN-B is much more faster then Bliesma T34A-4 and frankly did not expect this as I thought the Bliesma T34A-4 was superior to the Satori in this aspect as well, but apparently I was wrong.

And so maybe I should reconsider the Satori, in my next 3 way project (Woofer: Scan Speak 26W_8534G00, Midrange: SB Acoustics Satori MW16TX-8, with crossover cut 250 Hz, 2.5 Khz )

Then there would be the preference of the “relaxed” sound to consider. In the hificompass.com review:

https://hificompass.com/en/reviews/bliesma-t34a-4-34mm-alumag-dome-tweeter

they called it relaxed perhaps precisely because of its “slowness” but this is just theory.

I like to understand better if this paramenter "Step response" is important, or is perhaps something secondary.

What do you think ?

Thank you !!

R2R or single-IC for DAC?

Own one of the Denafrips R2R "ladder" dacs. Also own many classic and newer CDPs with multi-bit IC dacs (TDA1541, etc) or even Delta-Sigma or Bitstream. And also have some cheap kit dacs lying around based on ESS or Philips TDA chips.
I've heard this from reviews of R2R dacs, like Denafrips and Soekris, is that while they sound warm, clean and musical, they can sound "slow", lacking rhythm and drive. And that's what I've found, even with the Denafrips oversampling mode engaged.
Could it be all those R's in the discrete R2R (Denafrips, Soekris) topology?? That it takes some time for the signal to make it through those long R2R traces. Is that what slows the music down, taking away its sense of pace and drive?

Bliesma T34B-4 on Waveguide No.2439

Introduction

In this post I test a new waveguide design that I came up with for the Bliesma T34B-4 Beryllium dome tweeter. The specification page for the T34B-4 can be found here. The tweeter retails for around $500 USD. I directly compare this new waveguide/tweeter combo against the RCF CD350 compression driver with the ES-800 Biradial. I chose this comparison because the RCF/ES-800 combo represents a pretty standard setup, and a good all-around performer. The RCF retails for $90 USD, and so there "should" be a considerable step up in performance with the Bliesma.

Waveguide Design Elements

I wanted a waveguide that was based on my ES-Biradial horn flare geometry so that I could control vertical and horizontal directivity independently. The biradial shape also provides closer driver spacing to the low frequency driver.

The horn is 3D printed in two components. The first component is the throat piece which closely follows the shape of surround. This requires high precision printing which is why this is a separate piece. The second piece is the horn mouth which is printed in a different axis than the first piece.

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Measurements

I began by measuring the raw 2439 frequency response at 1m (see red below). I then installed a capacitor to flatten the response for further testing. I found that a 6.8uF capacitor was ideal (see red response below). The raw impedance sweep is also shown as an overlay in black.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_Raw_red_and_6.8uF_Blue_480x480.png


I then conducted the same response with the RCF CD350/ES-800 Biradial combo. A 3.3uF capacitor was enough to provide a reasonably flat response.

ES-800_Biradial_with_RCF_CD350_Raw_red_and_3.3uF_Green_480x480.png


I then measured the horizontal and vertical directivity of the T34B/2439 combo.

Horizontal coverage is characterized as a consistent and wide coverage of 120 degrees however it narrows somewhat starting at 8kHz where we see directivity at 70 degrees for the 11kHz region. Pattern control is maintained as low as 1.2kHz.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_Horizontal_Directivity_Map_480x480.png


The vertical directivity is characterized as a gradual narrowing starting at 2kHz narrowing to 40 degrees at 11kHz. Overall behavior is devoid of any diffraction or spurious resonances.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_Vertical_Directivity_Map_480x480.png


I then measured the RFC CD350/ES-800 Biradial combo which provides constant directivity across the operating range. Coverage starts out at 120 degrees at 1kHz and ends at 100 degrees for the 11kHz region.

ES-800_Biradial_with_RCF_CD350_Horizontal_Directivity_Map_480x480.png


The vertical is characterized as a gradual narrowing starting at 2kHz and ending at 60 degrees coverage for the 11kHz region.

ES-800_Biradial_with_RCF_CD350_Vertical_Directivity_Map_480x480.png


Generally we see a more optimal polar map for the ES-800 biradial. One factor contributing to this is the larger throat of the bliesma at 1.33" versus 1".

Time Domain

I then measured the Burst Decay for the Bliesma. We see a perfectly clean result within the audible band.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_Burst_Decay_480x480.png


The CSD plot also is very commendable.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_CSD_480x480.png


I then measured the RCF CD350/ES-800 Biradial combo. The burst decay shows some ringing in the 10kHz region out to 15 periods. Personally I like to see a clean burst decay to within 18 periods. So this is acceptable.

RCF_CD350_ES-800_Biradial_combo_Burst_Decay_480x480.png


The CSD plot is shown as well for reference.

RCF_CD350_ES-800_Biradial_combo_CSD_480x480.png




Distortion

I then looked at distortion using a 95dB test signal level referenced at 1m. The mic was placed at 20cm from the horn mouth. H3 and H4 measure at around 0.008% for the 2kHz region.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_95dB_1m_Harmonic_480x480.png


If we change the vertical scale to dB instead of percent, this translates into -82dB.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_95dB_1m_Harmonic_dB_Scale_480x480.png


I then measured the RCF CD350/ES-800 Biradial combo under the same conditions and achieved 0.007% for H3 and 0.014% for H4.

ES-800_Biradial_with_RCF_CD350_95dB_1m_Harmonic_480x480.png


Again, changing the vertical scale to dB results in H3 at -83dB and H4 at -77dB.

ES-800_Biradial_with_RCF_CD350_95dB_1m_Harmonic_dB_Scale_480x480.png


Conclusion on Harmonic

Both the RCF CD350 and T34B have similar harmonic distortion profiles for H3 and H4.

Intermodulation Distortion using Multiband Multitone

I then measured the IMD of the Bliesma at the same 95dB test SPL that we used for the Harmonic test. IMD is at -60dB for the 1.5kHz region increasing to -70dB for the 5kHz region. Upper treble is around -65dB.

Bliesma_T34B_on_Waveguide_No.2439_95dB_IMD_480x480.png


I then tested the RCF CD350/ES-800 Biradial combo. We -64dB for the 1.5kHz region -61dB for the 5kHz region and -55dB for the upper treble.

ES-800_Biradial_with_RCF_CD350_95dB_1m_IMD_480x480.png


The Bliesma seems to outperform the RCF marginally on the IMD by about +5 to +8dB dB. This may be more academic since both results are far below the threshold of audibility.

Gedlee Distortion (Gm)

Below is direct comparion using Gedlee Distortion for the 95dB test SPL. I'm using Virtins Multi-Instrument Software to conduct this test. The RCF is shown in red with the Bliesma in Blue.

Gedlee_480x480.png


Conclusions

The RCF CD350/ES-800 Biradial combo is a tough act to follow but the Bliesma pulls it off by offering a smoother response, lower distortion, and a cleaner time domain. However the larger diameter of the Bliesa introduces some narrowing of directivity in the critical upper treble where soundstage width could be compromised. The Bliesma has no trouble digging down deep into the lower midrange without sounding stressed or resonate, which is often the case when mounting a dome tweeter in a waveguide.

My subjective evaluation was brief and conducted in mono. Overall I would say that the Bliesma sounded excellent, with just a slight lack of upper treble energy compared to the RCF. Directly comparing the two revealed that the compression driver is more expressive and colorful, highlighting dynamic contrast more readily. Both had similar levels of clarity through the midrange and treble.

Capacitor values?

Could somebody please tell me what the values of this capacitor are? And any other information that can be taken from this image.
It is approximately 5mm wide and 2.5mm deep.
It is in a really tight spot so it’s hard to see the height but it’s maybe 5-7mm.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks

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Sony's mysterious PLM DAC technology

Several Sony CDP's from the early 1990s received high praise from the audiophile community ... and continue to do so. The resale value of certain Sony CDPs from 1991-1994 seem to hold up ...

Login to view embedded media
What they seem to have in common is Sony's own CXD2565M 1-bit (PLM) dac chip. This was an DF+DAC device that was apparently an evolution from separate DF and DAC devices [CXD1244S, CXD2552]
In any case, the vintage 1-bit Sony dacs (or complementary DF chips) are hard to find on ebay, etc. Also, not sure what the input format is. EIAJ or I2S. I can't tell from the datasheet timing diagrams.
Sony seems to have kept a tight lid on the details and distribution of these devices -- compared to Philips, AD, Burr-Brown, that is. Not sure why Sony was overly protective of these devices?
Would be interesting to make a diy dac based on CXD2565M, maybe being fed by a USB adapter.
I have a feeling that such a project -- even if everything was very optimized and cleanly powered -- would only yield so-so sound.
Something magical and dreamlike happens when the whole OEM box -- say, classic Sony or Philips CDPs , with all those manhours of R&D -- is used. Something about the dream of totality.

Also see:

https://www.datasheetbank.com/datasheet-download/340323/1/Sony/CXD2565M?v=V2

https://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/46935/SONY/CXD1244S.html
https://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/47027/SONY/CXD2552.html

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sony.shtml?category=cd-player
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For Sale Eton mid+tweeter+enclosure

For sale Eton mid drivers from hex series and soft dome silk tweeters.Bouth in verry good condition and working order.The units are:
2x mid 5-880/25 hex
2x tweet 19SD-1 silk dome
If the buyer will I can add the nice made par enclosures with zebrano wood veneer and made of 19mm mdf.Dimensions are H-30cm,W-19cm and D-25cm,with bassreflex tunel on the back.The price for the drivers so 2x mid and 2x tweet is 200 eu including shipping inside EU.With enclosure shipping the cost for shipping are way more high,but for someone that will build some nice monitor speakers out of this drivers I think is worth,becose by carpenter you will pay such enclosures at list 250-300 eu!More info on contact!

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Working on Technics SA1000, wanting to replace TA7136P opamps

This receiver is fairly highly regarded, it was the largest to come out of the receiver wars of the 70s, making 330w per channel. Pretty outstanding if it isn’t the prettiest girl at the dance.

It uses 6 TA7136P seven pin single opamps. Now this opamp isn’t highly regarded, not even slightly. It’s known to be a pretty poor performer. I see that there are a couple of people that sell adapter boards to where you can attach your own opamp, but at $5-$7 per adapter board I’m going to look at other options. I am currently trying to get accustomed to Kicad and EasyEDA so that I can make up my own adapter boards and order 50 for less than the cost of the 6 I would have to buy (I will share the gerber when I do).

One board is supposed to be used with the OPA604, but it’s generic pinout where they just attach the appropriate pins, V+ to V+, output to output, etc. So this board can be used with any single opamp with the same pinout like the TL071. Speaking of, I’ve also the TA7136 repalced with a TL071.

The other board that is available can be used with single opamps like the OPA604 and NE5534AP, but can also be used with dual opamps like the TL072, NE5532AP. With the dual opamps you’re just supposed to wire the two opamps in parallel, so parallel the outputs, + and - inputs and such. I still don’t know what the advantage of using a dual opamp is over a single opamp. Is wiring a dual opamp in parallel give better performance?

Until I get well enough acquainted with Kicad or EasyEDA I’m thinking I’ll just use these small adapter boards I have on hand and wire leads that go to the appropriate spots on the TA7136 pinout.

IMG_2745.jpeg


I can use standard 8 pin opamps or I could use a smaller SOIC-8 package. For standard packages I have TL072CP, NE5532AP and then the single NE5534AP. For the smaller packages I have some OPA1656IDR and then for a single option I have OPA1641AID.

Im thinking for simplicity I’ll use of the single opamp options, unless someone has a reason as to why I should go dual.

It should fairly simple, joining the correct pins.
IMG_2661.jpeg


Just omit pins 1 and 5 and remove the components on the board at 1 and 5 as stated in the photo. Also attach a 100 nF from pins 4 to pin 7, the supplies.

IMG_2660.jpeg


So my questions, any reason to use a dual opamp over a single? And do all of my choices look like they would work well? That being NE5524 and OPA1641 for the singles and NE5532, OPA1656, or TL072 for the duals?

Appreciate any and all thoughts on this.

Dan

For Sale MiniDSP DDRC-88A with Bass Management, Dirac, and Remote

I paid $800 for this unit used from the original owner and had good intentions of using it in my main setup, but I am constantly changing my amps and speakers that I got tired of running new sweeps each change and only used the unit for 4 months and it's been in my closet since.

I created my own phoenix adapters for balanced input and used it to run two speakers and two subwoofers. I ended up re-painting the top cover matte black because it was scratched up.

The only issue with this unit is something other users of this unit have reported having as well. If you use a fully balanced setup (input and output), the outputs 1 and 2 (only on XLR output) had some noise if you put your ear close to the speaker. I ended up just changing the settings where outputs 1 and 2 ran my subwoofers off RCA and 3 and 4 were my speakers. There are not issues using RCAS on 1 and 2 or issues with XLR input on 1 and 2.

I am asking $625 SHIPPED for it or open to trade offers for diy parts or anything else cool.

Any questions just ask. Shipping to CONUS only please.

Power Transistors - availability

Hi,

With the growing popularity of Class D amplifiers -> use of MOSFETs, I’m wondering about the future availability of BJT transistors. Could their production eventually decline, making them harder to find , purchase? Aside from their use in high-voltage applications and certain SMPS designs, will BJTs remain readily available?
Mainly I'm talking about Power transistors , complementary NPN-PNP parts.

Additionally, what are currently considered " the best " power transistors for output stages in audio amplifiers?
I often come across designs that feature older power transistors, so I’m curious—are there any newer options on the market?

When it comes to output transistors in audio power amplifiers, how do epitaxial planar transistors compare to triple diffused ones? Is one generally a better choice, or do the other specifications ultimately dictate the decision, regardless of the transistor type?

For instance, if two transistors share the same specifications, but one is epitaxial planar and the other is triple diffused, which would you choose? Would there be any noticeable difference in sound quality or performance? From what I’ve read, epitaxial planar transistors tend to be faster and more linear, while triple diffused transistors are more rugged with higher current and voltage ratings.

- Bruno.

CEC DX51 DAC, R channel pops

Hi everyone hope everyone is doing great.

I acquired this DAC and looking for a popping solution.
The right channel will pop whenever audio starts playing. It can be replicated by either play/pause or turning volume up from 0.

image.jpg
There are a pair of CHAMP Modules (pictured, horizontal with many LEDs) which I assumed was the cause. After swapping the cards the popping did not swap so it could be up stream.

The three boards (vertical) are Decoder board, Digital Filter board, and DAC board.

IMG_3601.jpeg
The dac uses 4 PCM1704 chips.

No service manuals are available and information is sparse.

Aside from the popping and slightly higher noise floor compared to modern DACs, it sounds great. I use it for my tv as well so the pops between quiet passages doesn’t sound great.

Ps; this dac has a quirk of never turning off. When you press the front power button everything stays lit but the input/output relays are disengaged. I assume they’re subscribed to the idea of leaving your equipment turned on makes it sound better.

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Guitar speaker cab series/parallel switching

I have two single extension cabs with a 10" 8ohm speaker each. Would the following doodled diagram work if I wanted to run one into the other as either series or parallel? I have amps that are 4 or 8 ohms only as well as a few that are selectable between 4,8, and 16 ohms so it would be nice to have it as versatile as possible. So the three jacks (in, series out and parallel out) on one cab and just a single jack on the second cab.

Edit:replaced crappy doodle. 🙄


IMG_4787.png

Hello

Hello,

My name is Robby and i live in Montgomery, AL. i have many different stereo components, mostly vintage integrated SS amps and many different types of speakers. Looking for more information on tube amplifiers, especially one that i picked up used. i will ask for help in a new thread. Thanks for all the great information on this forum. i am a tube amp novice. Looking forward to learning more.

Thanks,
Robby

For Sale UNBUILT NOS Heathkit Audio generator IG-5218

Bought this from an estate sale a few years ago. opened only to figure out what it was. all parts are there and 100% brand new old stock!!!! OH the joy of building your very own HEATHKIT!!!

Super cool!

$125 plus shipping
***NOTE: the last picture showing the built unit is a photo i found on the web so you would know what it would look like.

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Longtime reader takes the next step

Hello all, reading and building a lot of designs here from the forum. I want to share some of my experiences in the future. I can draw my own schematics and PCB's. I have also a nice workshop where I can 3D print and solder my projects. My skills are with tubes, through hole and SMD designs. I appreciate the knowledge here on the forum. Some favourit members are Abraxalito, Mooly, Jan.Didden, MarcelvdG, Krivium, b_force and Kevinkr.

Projects from the past,

  • 1541 DAC
  • TDA1383 DAC
  • PCM1792 DAC
  • ES9038Q2M DAC
  • Tube phone preamp phonodude
  • Hybrid phone preamp
  • Passive preamp with remote and source select.
  • SE 813 Tube amp
  • Several Hypex UCD and Ncore amps.
  • Purifi 1et400a amp with and without (tube) preamp.
  • JBL/Eminence loudspeakers.
  • JL Audio subwoofer.
  • A lot of power supplies.
  • Rebuild Thorens TD160 mk2 turntable.
  • Tube preamps with 6n6p/ecc99.
  • 6 x LM3886 composite amp.
  • 2 x LM3886 composite amp.


Ronald

Complete and tested Prasi LT4320 based bridge rectifier

SOLD

Posted some time ago to sell some spare blank boards but there was no interests.
So i went ahead to purchase parts to populate and tested.
Info on the boards :
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/lt4320-based-active-rectifier.336572/page-78#post-7729619
All the parts are smd devices, hand soldered by me meticulously. Boards are cleaned with IPA to make sure there is no residual flux left behind.
MOSFETs used are TPH4R008NH, which is one of those listed by Prasi
https://www.mouser.sg/ProductDetail/Toshiba/TPH4R008NHL1Q?qs=sA3qAAQcQeEIWvkYMlVV6Q==

I have not installed the LED, which i deem as redundant. C1 and C2 are also skipped, which i feel is unnecessary unless the rectifier is wire over a long length to the filter caps. Some well-experienced member has also reflected that the caps on board is not really necessary.

The pair of boards + shipping to you ( registered + tracking) = USD 50
Paypal FF only please.

Two 8 inches or one 10?

Hi to all,

I plan to build a three way in a simplified form of Watt Puppy. I don't want to try to replicate it.

My question is should I use two 8 inch woofers or one 10 inch. We often say that there is no replacement for displacement. Also I beleive that a pair of 8 inchers will not sound the same as one 10. Even if the 8 inch pair has more displacement than the 10 inch by approx 30%. I aim to have deep yes but mainly articulate bass. On the downside, that a 10 inch facing driver is quite big visually (not to mention a 12 incher).

I have not chosen the other drivers yet. But I want top tier stuff!

Thanks for sharing your experiences,

Walter

Sansui AU-D33 recap e-cap replacement question

Hello all, i just bought Sansui AU-D33 already recapped. im still in progress checking all caps one by one.

I found that in lC2 0.47uF/100 prev owner replaced it with 0.47/50 ?
Located in F-3592 Protector Board (l)

And if i must found replacement, i cannot find Ecap with 100v, most of them is MKP or MKT or worst case i must buy pink WIMA. (worst at price side 😆 )

That is so far my question, i will add more question if im confused.

Thank you so much

sansui_au-d22_d33_sm.pdf-image-012_protector.png


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New to DIYAudio

Hey all. I am new to the site and newish to servicing Class H Crowns (DSi, CDi,XTi). I work in digital cinema service and got into fixing Crowns as an extension of the service. I am hoping to get advice on more advanced servicing of these crazy amps (very complex) and pass along any info I might have on audio (Dolby certified in ATMOS design and set up) and Crown repair, or anything other related stuff.
Matt

For Sale Stereomour II DHT 2A3 amp

Hi selling a stereomour ii set for 240 V with shunt reg mod and upgrades as:
4x Vcap odam + khozmo 48 steps attenuator. (only those cost approx 650 Eur)
The price I list is for the working unit only without tubes! As you can see painting has some defects. The unit works perfectly of course with its hum reducer pot.

If you want I can add tubes of your choice. Shopping can be as follow
2a3 Linlai mesh or linlai candle type titanium or cheaper ken rad

12at7 can be mullard or others of your choice between my collection.

Price demanded of the unit without tubes 900 eur+shipping obo. If you want tubes as well we can sort out a great deal.
Prefer to ship to Europe to avoid insane ship costs for far away destinations
Any question just ask
Fair offer will be accepted

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Does the 30w Jean Hiraga Power Supply need an input choke coil

Since I don't see myself hauling batteries to get an A class amplifier playing I was wondering about a PSU for the Hiraga monster.
I've seen them without input chokes and with. I believe the Lundahl 2733 was mentioned, also the 159ZG Hammond. This came about in an older thread but since I'm a beginner the discussion was a bit all over making it very hard to follow. From what I read the input choke is the better option for this amplifier since it can deliver large amount of current very fast. So maybe someone could shed some light on this and maybe a schematic. I think the discussion was also in l'audiophile magzine about the PSU for the 20W and they somehow changed it to have a choke in it but I couldn't find it for the life of me.

HYS3C210-CS Switch Mode Power supply

Good day ! I have been working on a Monster Clarity HD1 multimedia speaker which has this HYS3C210-CS smps. Its is a very good monitor speaker but suddenly stopped. I found 2 diodes Sb260 and Sb160 shorted. I replaced them but still it is not working. At the back of the board as I believed is a driver chip and a ceramic capacitor encircled with red which are defective as shown on the photos. Can anyone share me the number and value of this SMD parts? I would appreciate much if somebody can also share me the schematic diagram of this SMPS. Thank you in advance bro. More power!
HYS3C210-CS Power supply.jpgHYS3C210-Cs power supply2.jpg

Fender 83 P bass special active preamp

Hi there, I recently got an old preamp that came out of a P bass special from 1983. I placed it into a 5 string bass that I built and it sounds good and very quiet. I used Seymour Duncan quarter pounder Jazz bass pickups which are much hotter than the original P bass pickups from Fender. The only problem that I have is that it has got a boomy bass sound. Obviously the preamp was designed for a four string bass and not for a five string bass. Now, I can help myself with a soldering iron. but I am not an electronic expert by any means. I have got a copy of the schematic of the preamp and would like some help from you guys. I'm sure there's a way to change one or two components to reduce the gain of the bass frequency, maybe smaller caps or resistors but you guys must tell me which. Any help would be appreciated. Thanx.
Screenshot 2024-08-06 111109.png

Help with a rear-firing tweeter

Hello everyone,

I want to add an ambient rear-firing dome tweeter to a pair of 3-way speakers to observe the effects.
The system is powered by a Hypex FA253. I will use the 100W inbuilt tweeter amplifier to power both the front-firing LT3.2 Planar ribbon plus the new rear-firing ND16FA6 dome.

I am aware that the filters and slopes (DSP) for the front tweeter will inherently be applied to this ambient tweeter (being connected to the same processing). However, I intend only to use the rear-firing dome from ~8Khz and up (I am after ambience / highest octaves only). I might add a 3.3 µF cap for a 1st order roll-off at 8000hz to the ND16FA6?

What are your thoughts on this? I would appreciate any help on how to wire this up; I want to ensure the load to the amp is stable, the impendence stays happy etc.

Thank you kindly.

Vance

Hello, here to learn and have some amps to build

Hi all, I am here as I had a work friend who was a very keen DIY audio guy and was building some of the Nelson Pass Burning Amps when he got sick and was unable to continue due to physical ill health. I helped with the builds while he provided direction and brain power. Unfortunately he died before we could finish, I got the two chassis assembled and PSUs built and tested and we were waiting on a few parts, but his illness progressed very fast.

Anyway in his memory I want to finish what we started albeit in slightly altered and reduced form (was originally planned on balanced mono-blocks with a lot of FETs). I have a background in electronics as used to be a tech decades ago, but not anything to do amplifiers, however have been reading lots on this forum and learning a lot - didn't know what a Class A amp was, or terms such as mono-block or gain stage or anything much else a few months ago, this site is a terrific resource!

Thanks

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For Sale 3e Audio TPA3251/55 & PSU in the bin 2024-08-28 AU time

Price drop
AMP Balanced/unbalanced TPA3251 & TPA3255 AUD45.00
PSU AUD30.00. Family and friend PayPal

Yes I will post anywhere AuPost delivers and yes I will charge insurance and the cost of the box and there are no returns.

Photos for illustrative purposes.

I have sold some, so check out what I have left.

If I get no response by 12:00 Central Australian time on 2024-08-28 they go in the bin. I have had enough and I really do not care.

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Bottle of water incident - dead amplifier - Transistors replacement!

Hi , sadly I accidentally spilled a bottle of water ( was on the desk , right next to the amplifier , yes , very good place to keep it ..... ) went into my Amplifier ( music was playing. suddenly died ). It went on the amplifier section. ( output transistors, heatsink. )
I cleaned it , let it dry.
amp does not turn on , power transformer seems ok ( 4 ohm 14 Henry ). Fuse is ok, maybe something else , not even stand by led works.
Measured power transistors show a few ohms, so most likely they might be blown. Until I take it apart and measure.

Output transistors are 2sc3182n / 2sa1265n . Only place I found them , and I have my doubts they are original and not fake.
https://www.adelaida.ro/2sc3182n.html
https://www.adelaida.ro/2sa1265-si-p-140v-10a.html
Bought components from this website before, they were genuine.

*Question is , for testing I think I can use 2sc4468 / 2sa1695.
What better alternatives are ( to use permanently ) instead of the original 2sc3182n / 2sa1265n .
Would 2sc4468 / 2sa1695 work ? they are 20mhz instead of 30, same Ic , power.
250p instead of 220p .
Slightly different Collector-emitter saturation voltage , Collector cut-off current , Emitter cut-off current . Specs I don't really understand.
Datasheets:
2sc3182n
2sc4468

I hope the pre drivers and drivers 2sc3298 / 2sa1306 are alive. Tho I found them too
https://www.adelaida.ro/2sc3298y.html
https://www.adelaida.ro/2sa1306-si-n-160v-1.5a-pioneer.html


* Amplifier is my beloved Pioneer A702r
Service manual down here in attachements.

Weird that no water went on the power supply side. amp just turned off ( died ) won't turn on , not even in stand by at all.
I know water and electronics aren't friends, but tap water , no salt, could cause that much damage !?.
Amp was running pretty high volume, hot ( 27 degrees celsius ambiet temp , yea it's pretty hot here in the summer ) . Temps were around 50c.

So I think I need to take it apart, test the stand by, main transformers separately. Check the output transistors, drivers, pre drivers... etc.
**** I just checked quickly the cable that goes from the main transformer to the amplifier power section +- 55v dc , unplugged, on the amp side it shows 0.5ohm so yea, something is fried.

- " same amp " slightly less power ( a602r ) uses 2sc3281 / 2sa1302 only 4 transistors , two per channel. here on a702r are 8 transistors, 4 per channel but 2sc3182/2sa1265.
are MJL3281A / MJL1302A some kind of replacements for 2sc3281 / 2sa1302 ?. What if I use MJL3281A / MJL1302A instead of the 2sc3182/2sa1265.

- Bruno.

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Hiya…Here for some help with one quiet output on a Sharp DX200 CD player

Hi everybody. I’m here cuz I just bought a cd player, Sharp DX 200, for 5 bucks and one output is really quiet. Everything else seems to work. I’ve tested and ruled out the other components of my system and am certain that the fault is with the player itself. I have another cd player that works fine when hooked up. I resoldered the output Jack, then I replaced it. No change. The left output is good. The right is barely audible. I can’t find the schematics, and even if I had them, I’m not that great at reading them. I suspect it might be a simple repair. I already have a working cd player but want to do this as a fun/learning project. Looking for some help. Thanks in advance!

Fake STK3152/STK3102

As an owner of a Marantz PM80SE, it has given me the usual grief of a failing STK3102, twice.

Thanks to this forum, I quickly found it to be the culprit when it first statrted acting up in 2004. And then it started all over again in 2011.
Not wanting to replace the module I again, I thought about making a discrete replacement based on the VAS of PM8000, which looked like it should work without too much headaches. But I stashed the amp in the attick instead and never made an attempt.

After some work on my brothers PM7200KI, I thought to have another go again.

Powered it up and sure enough, the output relays refused to engage.
A quick measurement on the headphone voltage divider near the red reed relay at the back of the power amp board confirmed the left output going close to a voltage rail.
Took out the STK3102 (or so I thought) and powered it up again, no more DC.

Since the replacement STK-module that I bought in 2004 was no longer functioning properly, I popped the plastic cover and found that it was a fake. Finding only SOT23 transistors and some 0805 resistors, I was a bit surprised. Okay, in a VAS it worked for about 6 years, but aren't these things supposed to be able to drive 8 Ohm loads?

This is apparently the inside of an oriniginal:
stk3102_interieur.jpg


Whereas in my (supposedly) STK3152 replacement it looked like this:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Front of the fake:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Rear of the fake:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


No doubt many of you know about these replacements being fake, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

I do wonder, though, if I can repair this thing and stick it back in...
Hopefully these transistors aren't some Chinese knock-offs but generic transistors that I can find in a smd-codebook..

Help troubleshooting M2 clone

I have 2 M2 clones built with Tea Bags boards. I connected the first M2 I built which had been sitting unpowered for about one year and noticed a greatly diminished output from the left channel. Both Q1 and Q2 are heating up but I did notice that Q1 is running about 10F lower in temperature than the right channel which produces the correct output. I poked around on the board looking for a bad solder joint with no luck. I replaced the problem M2 with a second M2 and confirmed the issue is isolated to the left channel board. Power supply voltages are fine. The only thing that changed was I did remove the fender washers compressing Q1 and Q2 to verify the FETs make and model. Is it possible I damaged one of the FETs doing this? Any help isolating the problem is appreciated. Both of my amps have operated flawlessly since I built a few years ago.

Jim

suggestions for sub using 3015LF

Hi, I've tried to read through the posts on options for building a sub with the 3015LF driver, but I'm curious if I'm missing anything (I assume I am).
Designs that I'm considering are Cubo 15, Cubo Sub, SS15, and (maybe) THAM15 (not sure if the 315LF works in THAM15).
I have 4 of the drivers already in 4 40-year old TOA bass reflex cabs. I'm assuming there's some better cabs around now. The TOA cabs only go to 50 Hz. It'd be nice to get to 40. I use these primarily for small, free outdoor parties, playing everything from acoustic music to tekno.

WinPCD - Passive Crossover Designer for Windows

WinPCD - Passive Crossover Designer for Windows with Polar plots

An update is available for WinPCD, the Windows Passive Crossover Designer, a crossover program that originally emulated the PCD that was written for Excel. It still doesn't do all that the PCD does, but it has other enhancements and does not require Excel.

Prior to this release (v1.513) the user interface locked up when the polar calculations were being made. No windows could be opened or moved, even the polar window would accept no user input. There was a single thread.

With this release the user can now open, move or close windows to include the polar plot window. Controls that affect the calculations cannot be changed, however, because this would interfere with the polar plot calculations. The polar plot window can be closed prematurely and the settings will all reset to what they were before calling the polar plot.

While coding these changes I noticed that there was some error in the off-axis response. The farther off-axis the mic angle, the more error occurred in the calculations. That has been corrected and I think that the off-axis calculations are now accurate. Keep in mind, however, that the off-axis has two components, the change in delay from each driver due to different distance and the change in each driver due to the off-axis response change. The latter is a calculated change based on the basic assumption of a flat radiator. It's not accurate (and possibly worse than reality), but it provides a basic idea of the change with angle.

Dave



polar.gif

Full front hemisphere model in 5 degree rings with 5 degree intervals on each

horizonatal_off_axis.gif

Horizontal model from -90 to +90 degrees in 5 degree intervals

vertical_off_axis.gif

Vertical l model from -90 to +90 degrees in 5 degree intervals

Restoring a pair of Klipshorn speakers

Hello all,

I'm living in Richmond Hill, and hoping to dive deeper into my home audio set up.

The biggest part of my journey, a pair of Klipsh Klipshorns KC-BR (from the late 80s or early 90s) that I inherited from my father. Ever since I was a little child I was absolutely obsessed with them and in beyond happy that I now have them in my possession.

What I'm hoping to gain here is some info on how I can bring them back to glory (everything is original so I feel like many parts/wires maybe due for some upgrading), and also how I can integrate them with an appropriate set up. I have read on some other forums that there may be some kits that can be purchased to help do this, however I never got a working link to any. They are in pretty good shape physically, however I would want to update the mesh around them, as they have taken some hits after being moved from a few different houses over the years (some rips and degrading of material). The speakers are currently set up in my basement (in the corners of the room), but not connected to anything. So that's one of the big things for me is to make sure I get, or build, the correct things to paid with the system. Such as amps, equalizers, ect. If there's anyone local to the area that can help or give advice, I would be SO THANKFUL for that.

I used to think of myself as a little bit of an audiophile, but a quick read at the posts on here and I realize that there's a lot that I know nothing about.

The last thing I want to mention is that I would like to get the system integrated with some newer tools. I have a simple pioneer sb3 dj set paired with 5" JBL 305P Bookshelf Speakers. Unfortunately neither of them are being used at the moment, but the hope for me is that I'd be able to sometimes use the khorns to play some music when people come over using the sb3, and at other times to just use the bookshelf speakers with the sp3 when just messing around myself. I do have a small collection of older vinyls as well (maybe 300 or so albums/singles) and I would like to be able to play those on the khorns as well.

Thanks in advance

TH 15" flat response to 35Hz (-3dB) - By LORDSANSUI

SS15MOD - TH 15" flat response

Hello all,

Time to post some results, but before, I'd like to say thanks to all guys who have been supporting / teaching / encouraging me to learn more about TH design.

After some benchmark between lots of different cab I decided to choose TH one due to the large documentation available for design but also due to good results between simulation and real worlds.

The base design is the SS15 published by Jbell (He has one sheet build constrain, I'm not 😀 )

Single sheet TH challenge

or TH18 published by Xoc1 (designed for 18" drivers based on Danley's design TH118 that is also based on previous 15" design TH115)

TH-18 Flat to 35hz! (Xoc1's design)

They have the same base design in terms of fold.

Project targets:

Low frequency <40Hz for a single cab
High frequency > 100Hz
Volume < 300 L (reduced from 450L once my current T18 clone cab has 300L with 18” driver and I swapped from 18" to 15")
Single driver
SPL@1m > 98dB

I chose Brazilian driver Snake HPX2150 15” and I also forgot about 18” once I confirmed I could reach my target with 15” one with more compacted size.

Bellow you can find Thielle/Small parameters in comparison with SS15’s driver (Eminence) and also THAM15’s driver (B&C):

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


The design was started using the image below to find the best targets for the cab.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


The S1 is a results of driver compression ratio (cone area dived by throat area).
Detail about the others parameters see here (credits to soho54):

Hornresp for Dum... hmm... Everyone 😉 - Page 2 - Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com

Like a DOE (design of experiments) I covered the ranged bellow:

Compression ratio: 1:1 till 2,5:1
Note: I didn’t went higher once the driver isn’t stiff enough and the motor strength (BL^2/Re) isn’t that high too.
Horn Length: 250cm till 350cm
Horn expansion angle: 0 degree till 5 degree

The best option I found was:

Compression ratio 2:1
Horn Length: 260cm
Horn expansion angle: 3 degree

Hornresp parameter for base design.
S1: 440 L12: 20 S2: 493,68 L23: 100 S3: 760,92 L34: 120 S4: 1081,71 L45: 20 S5: 1134,75

The next step was to install Solidworks to build the cab thru automatic folding process using parametric sketch.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


In sequence I also implement an automatic unfolding process. This is very important to guarantee reliability on the hornresp simulation. I used soho54 method that is called “advanced centerline method”.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Using parametric CAD software makes things easier when they are well implemented.

Next, I tryed to add the second horn expansion:

Horn expansion angle: from 3 degree till 24 degree.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


The best results condifering 2nd expansion was: 6 degree and 12 degree

Here are my proposals:

Proposal A (HxDxW 762 x 630 x 550 = 264,5L)

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Proposal B (HxDxW 776 x 625 x 550 = 267,1L)

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Proposals A and B over righted @ 600W

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Which one would you guys pick up to build?

:cheers:

Measuring TS/impedance

Hello, greetings to all members here! I'm an electrical and sound engineer from Hungary.
My hobby is designing and building all kinds of analog audio electronics.

As a first topic, I'd like to learn more about the sensitivity measurements of the speakers.
Especially, the measurement method(s) for tweeters.
I've got a Dayton DATS V3 system, and I've tried to use it for woofers or for midrange speakers, with the added mass method. It's easy and working fine for me.
But unfortunately, this isn't suitable for the majority of the tweeters (especially for the more delicate silk or other soft-dome ones).
I've also tried to measure that via a test-box method with a known internal volume.
Unfortunately again, DATS always gives me an error-message, regarding to the volume of the test box (it's either too large, or too small at the other attempt, it's annoying and strange...).
I've also read somwhere here in the forum, that if the TS-parameters of the driver has been measured, then the WINISD for example can calculate the sensitivity somehow... Sadly, I don't know the exact formula, how to get that.
I've also read about the miking method, when you put a mesurement mic in front of the speaker (in axis, 1m away) and put 1W of output power (or 2,83V when the impedance is 8 ohms) to it, and measure the SPL with a calibrated chain... something like that...

So, my question is... what's the best way to do it, with adequate accuracy but in the simplest way...?

Hello! New Student and Sound Engineer

Hello all!

I'm a student currently at the end of their bachelors program in Music Technology and Audio Production. I also work professionally as a sound engineer.

I know a fair bit about electronics, acoustics and math already, but am by no means an expert. Live sound systems and their applications/variations are my current area of expertise (as far as that goes).

I've joined this forum as a way to learn more about speakers and their designs to serve as a reference for my journey to building my own set of speakers. I know there are kits available and while those seem like a lot of fun, and I will still probably build some along the way, my primary goal is to research and develop my own (maybe not very unique) speakers for my personal use.

I look forward to participating in and hopefully contributing to discussions on here! 🙂
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  • Poll Poll
JL E6450

JL e6450

  • 2

    Votes: 1 100.0%
  • 1

    Votes: 1 100.0%

Hi every one
I have JL e6450 the number Q50(irfz44r) and Q49 (irfz44r) was barn i order some from AliExpress and change it but still same problem its going hot, with out connect the speaker.
as will the voltage when i reed it from the amp its give me 6.40V in the meter
any idea what is the issue
thank you for your help

E130L PP Power Amplifier

Hi All,

I'm just about to start a Push Pull Amp build using E130L Tubes, it will be a dual mono in one enclosure, output transformers are being custom built in Poland, input impedance 1.6k, phase splitters will be 6n6p's, grid v regs will be 0A2 gas tubes, the plan is for 50/60 watts into 4/8 ohms. This is my first Power Amp build, so any advice help on this would be appreciated. Everything I need is ordered, I've probably forgotten something.

Tube amps cost priorities

Hi everyone!

I've had several vitage tube amps and modified them but I'm not at the range of expertise to evaluate every aspect of them. Since SMPS are available (please disregard tha tin the discussion, I've got several analog and digital PS available), the major factor in cost is the output transformer. They are (compared to other transformers) very expensive, and I'm aware the saturation is a big issue, my question is, why not use regularily available ones? I have to admit, I am not aware what transformation values are exactly needed nor do I know about the typical inductance of sait OT.

Capable and reputable OT (~40-100W) come at 150-400€, but here's my question, if you can get 100V audio transformers for as low as 2,50€ (in bulk even cheaper), isn't it possible to buy a bunch of these and compensate for the current by parallel/serial connect them? Probably counter inductance by R-C or other circuits? I mean, for 400€ you could get ~160+ of them.
Please don't laugh about that, I'm often able to tell what's a problem in an amplifier circuit but regarding tubes I've got little practical experience in output transformers and what's really required or the 'usual range' of output transformers.

So my question is, (besides saturation), what's the problem of mass parallel/serial 70/100V transformers and why it isn't there any example on the net for it (or rebunking it) since it could shave the cost down to about 1/10s? I know, that it's probably looking at it very naively but I haven't found any reputable stance on it.

For Sale SEAS E0047-04 T29MF001 “MAGNUM” magnesium dome tweeter

I am selling Seas E0047-04 T29MF001 tweeters in perfect working order as they are still running.
After trying everything for me it is the best tweeter I have ever had, everything sounds good so it is easy to filter passively or active,
It took me a long time to get them since seas has not manufactured them for a few years.

Price €450+shipping

http://www.seas.no/index.php?option...&id=372:e0047-04-t29mf001&catid=25&Itemid=254


The T29MF001, “MAGNUM” is a 25mm magnesium dome tweeter with a patented Neodymium based magnet system. It is the tweeter of choice for those who seek extremely precise and realistic sound reproduction combined with a relatively low crossover frequency.

A unique HEXADYM patented magnet system based on 6 radially magnetized NdFeB magnet blocks. Efficient ventilation and damping of every potentially resonant cavity behind the dome, surround and voice coil. Moderate magnetic stray fields present no problems in AV installations.

A generously underhung voice coil ( + and - 0.5mm ) ensures low distortion even with low crossover frequencies.

An optimally shaped magnesium dome membrane which behaves like a piston throughout the audible frequency range and shows a controlled break up above it.

A homogenous, linear surround manufactured by SEAS from SONOMAX, a soft polymer material of high climatic stability.

Flexible lead-out wires which ensure a good connection between voice coil and terminals. This arrangement also helps to prevent lead breakage due to the large excursions encountered when low crossover frequencies are used.

Low viscosity magnetic fluid which provides excellent cooling while maintaining a low resonance frequency.

6,0 mm machined aluminium front plate with a moderate horn loading characteristic which ensures linear frequency response, and a stiff and stable connection to the cabinet.

A substantial injection-moulded rear chamber made from zink eliminates unwanted chamber wall resonances and conducts heat away from the magnet system.

Captura-de-pantalla-2023-07-30-123102.jpg

s-seas-excel-loudspeaker-tweeter-e0047-t29mf001.jpg


IMG-20230730-WA0011.jpg

IMG-20230730-WA0012.jpg

iiu-Ih7-PSmb-T9-Daw-WMIQibz-OS8ffljb81-SWp7-R3-Kovw0-plaintext-638263078522443266.jpg

p-Mv-Xp-Irv-FKVFXm72-B1m-EQd-OFqmp-Th-t-KIT2un42f-HEE-plaintext-638263078524327795.jpg

IK0-Hvmvx-D-65x-Uf-QN0-N0h1-g-BRd-Aq-VQQq-EFHj-J3-VUz-Q-plaintext-638263078508463225.jpg

Gv-Txz-BLCd-HL98t-Xsgy-OGW7m-OXV6u-UEa-Jwdvq-Un-LDd-Os-plaintext-638263078502032909.jpg

Hello!

Now that kids are nearly out of the house, I’ve had the opportunity to focus back on to my lowly home studio. In my college years, I always enjoyed the Parasound power amps designed by John Curl and a recent find at a used record store got me into rebuilding an old HCA1500a with some swollen caps. That amp is working great now and I’m back for more looking at rebuilding other malfunctioning gear I come across.

I’ve already read so much on diyaudio and know there’s so much more information out there for me to read. With an account now, the conversations can be two-way. 🙂

Ben

I'm looking to mod my NHT Power 2

Hello everyone. Years ago, I bought an NHT Power2 with two 500A modules powered by a third 500ASP module. I always wanted to add a 1000w power supply but never did. I just noticed that Icepower released a stand-alone 1000s module that I could use. Does anyone have any experience with them? I have opened the case before, and it seems like there is enough room to add the 1000S, use it to power both of the 500A modules and then create a 3rd channel using the 500ASP. Thoughts?

Krell KRC preamplifier info

Hi All,

I have Krell KRC preamplifier and try to find more technical information about it. I tried to find a service manual or some circuit but unsuccessfully. Does someone have more info about it. All capacitors has been replaced and it sounds great. The bad thing here is that the preamp cannot be switch off from the device, The only way is the turn off is from the power socket. I digged a little bit looking the board and found out there are two relayes which should be used for switch off/on the preamp but they are not used at the moment. That why I am looking for some circuit because I want to make it workable. They may be used when there is some issue with the device but who knows.

Any help will be usefull,
Thank you in advance.

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Balanced microphone preamplifier with effect loop

Hello,

A few days ago a good friend of mine asked me for help. He wanted to utilize his guitar effect pedals with vocal microphone at stage.
After short research I found that off the shelf solutions (like Radial Voco-Loco for example) aren't so affordable, so I came with idea doing it DIY way.

Basically I wanted balanced XLR microphone input, single ended 6.3mm send/return and balanced XLR line level output.
Design assumptions:
- Lowest noise and distortion possible
- Gain range suitable for both dynamic and condenser microphones
- Switchable +48V Phantom power supply
- Universal and easy to use
- Reliable
- Compact, fitting inside Hammond 1590BB enclosure
- Rather simple and elegant circuit as I don't like to make things over-complicated
- Not too expensive

Later, after hearing friend's suggestions:
- Possibility to bypass effects with foot-switch
- Dry/Wet (blend) mix

Considering the following I decided to use ICs from THAT Corp. - 1510 as mic pre and 1646 as balanced line driver. Both could be substituted with slightly worse INA217 & DRV135 from Texas Instruments.

Dry/Wet mixing circuit is rather simple, virtual ground type.
I could have used one dual pot instead of two singles but that way gives more flexibility.
If I'm not mistaken now it is possible to use it as two channel mixer - using mic input and return jack as second channel.
Two inverting op amp stages are used so absolute polarity is preserved.
Only thing I'm not completely sure is if should I leave it as is with buffered pot or place pot in place of feedback resistor, getting more gain possibilities.
OPA1678 input bias current is extremely low so coupling cap isn't probably required.

Power supply design was definitely the hardest part of design process. More on this can be found at my another thread - https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pow...-getting-15v-15v-48v-single-power-supply.html
Phantom power and grounding are really tricky matters. I had to did a lot of research in terms of proper grounding and "Pin 1 problem".
Some really helpful papers:
Ian Thompson-Bell - Mixer Grounding 101
Rane note 151 - Grounding and Shielding Audio Devices
Rane note 165 - Pin 1 Revisited

After a lot of thinking and with help of fellow forum users I finally decided that I gonna use external +48V SMPS and integrated DC/DC converter to +/- 15V.
My last concern if its ok to "tie" enclosure and signal grounds with LED and resistor when SW1 turns phantom off. Or maybe DPDT switch should be used?

There is a jumper, so I have a bit of flexibility with grounding. Depending on the results of measurements, I can tie grounds or leave them unconnected.
Most sources recommends tieing them in one point. But isolated DC/DC converters are pretty new thing, maybe they didn't been considered? Having completely floating supply sounds indeed interesting.

Schematics are attached to post. Now fun part begins - PCB layout 😀

Regards,
Miłosz

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Allow me to introduce myself :)

I'm Tony Ferraro, and I'm excited to join the diyAudio community! I know a lot about recording and I know how to setup and use complicated professional audio equipment, but I know very little about circuit design as a whole. I can troubleshoot and fix most audio related gear, but would like to learn so much more. I want to understand how circuits are designed, how components work, why components are chosen for certain designs and how they affect the signal in a circuit. I want to be able to backwards engineer any circuit and be able to make a schematic on my own. Eventually, I want to design and fabricate circuits for custom audio projects.

22 years professional experience working as a recording/live sound engineer, record producer, drummer/musician, vinyl scratch DJ, etc. I've always had a passion for music and am always curious about how things work. I got much more interested in diy audio when I had $4000 microphone pre-amps and other gear in my studio would malfunction and needed service. I couldn't afford to pay or wait to get these things fixed. I slowly started to figure out how to do it myself. After a while, people started asking if I could fix their gear and made some decent cash doing it. To make a long story short, a large portion of my income comes from repairing, servicing and selling audio equipment. It's hard to say I actually know how electronics work, but I end up figuring out whats wrong and doing the repairs myself.

I think I have the unique ability to answer a lot of questions from a different, but very useful perspective. I am more than happy to share my knowledge and am glad I have somewhere to post questions and get help troubleshooting projects I'm working on.

About me about my background-

I started my career obtaining a degree in Recording and Engineering at Music Tech College of Music in St. Paul, MN. My professors noticed I had a good ear as I quickly earned a solid reputation for many established musicians in the Twin Cities music scene. I ended up spending 12 hrs a day at school, taking advantage of free studio time recording local musicians using world class recording gear.

I was fortunate to learn how to record music using the best equipment while I went to school, but soon after found myself struggling to make anything sound half-way decent, recording death metal bands in a drywall dungeon practice space where I had to battle sound bleed from multiple other bands and mixing on headphones using extremely primitive physical (large and heavy) DAWs and shitty microphones. 2003 was a terrible time for digital recordings. Everything sounded bad, everything took forever, nothing worked right and computers would crash a lot. I somehow had a reputation with respected national recording artists that had a high standard for quality.

I don't know if any of this info is useful to anyone else. I might add to this later...

High Efficiency Line Array

This is a speaker system that I completed earlier this year.

Goal: A line array with efficiency of about 100dB 1W/1M not weighing more than about 50 pounds and is not too large so that it can be easily set-up and stored. The speaker system is intended to be driven by a class D amp powered by a 12V rechargeable battery rated 12AH.

A. One horn tweeter and six 5.25 inch woofers. This is a two-way closed-box system with a crossover frequency of 2 kHz.

1. The width of the enclosure equals 7.75 inches. For this width and where Fstep equals the baffle step frequency,
Fstep = (4560 in./ 7.75 in.) = 588 Hz
Thus the tweeter functioning at freq. > 2 kHz has efficiency in its operating frequency range equal to its rated efficiency of 100 dB 1W/1M.

2. Efficiency of each of the six woofers is specified as 89 dB 1W/1M. As a result of driving the six woofers together,
efficiency gain = 10*Log(6) = 7.8 dB
(Thanks to James R. Griffin, PH.D for this equation)
Thus efficiency of the six woofers driven together equals 97 dB 1W/1M. -only 3 dB away from efficiency of the tweeter!

B. Line Array
1. Center-to-center spacing of the woofers mostly equals 6.5 inches. This means that the woofers can function as a line array for freq. < 2 kHz. This is given that wavelength at 2 kHz equals 6.5 inches. Two of the woofers and the tweeter are positioned on the baffle in the D'Appolito MTM arrangement.

2. For the line array, intensity decreases at 3 dB and 6 dB per doubling of distance for respectively near and far field reproduction. Where d equals the distance at which the transition from near to far field reproduction occurs or the critical distance,
d = 1.5*f*H^2 (Griffin)
where f= frequency in kHz and H is the height of the array in meters.

3. Listener distance from the array is made equal to 2 meters to facilitate the listener being in the near field reproduction by the array as much as possible. Because I wanted the speaker to be easily moved, I limited the number of woofers to six, and the resultant height of the array between the radiation axes of the top and bottom woofers equals 1 meter. Given critical distance d equals 2 meters, height of the array equals 1 meter, and solving for frequency in the previous equation,
f = d/(1.5*H^2)
= 2/(1.5*1)
=1.3 kHz
This means that the listener is in the near field reproduction of the line array where freq. > 1.3 kHz. This is less than an octave below the crossover frequency of 2 kHz.

C. Equalization. I need to do some more thinking about how I came up with the equalization that was implemented.

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Need Help Diagram

Hi everyone. My name is James. I'm new on this zone. I would like to ask if you have the diagram of this board and possibly have the value of each resistor and zener diode. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you!

This board came from a power amplifier (a local brand) probably a chinese brand. They called this a stepper and obviously has an issue.

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Amplifier design based on HITACHI topology balanced VAS super hi OLG of 75dB

Hi everyone,

Here I present an amp design that was inspired by HITACHI balanced VAS topology.
Open loop response is nice and flat in the audio range at 85dB, dipping to 75dB at 20KHz
THD shows to be around 0.0007% into 1khz.
This is not fully finished design.
I am hoping that with the help of the community this can be polished and I am excited to make actual boards.
I am attaching LTSpice file so feel free to download and tweak as you like.

Input stage consists of
LTP with low degeneration resistors,
constant current source supplying 1mA (not sure if that's enough),
and current mirror utilizing helper transistor.

VAS is balanced and cascoded.

Simple Vbe multiplier.

Simple 2EF output stage.

Idea is to use this amp with 36V power supply.

Things that probably will need further testing are the phase margin, distortions at 20khz, step response.

Thank you for looking everyone.

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Vertical reflections, symmetric crossover and tilt -experiment

Hello,

Long story short I suspect tilting back speakers about measly 10 degrees give or take would positively affect imaging.

This is a thread where it would be nice to collect some observations and experiences on tilting back loudspeakers, is it worth it.

Without further ado I'll explain an observation I had recently from VituixCAD simulation and I'd like to know better what you have experienced in terms of sound stage height and / or stability with and without tilt. If you have any comments regarding vertical early reflections and speaker tilt and height, crossovers, how we perceive the vertical reflections, what ever related.

There are attachments after the longish text explanation, scroll back and worth, it was bit hard to condense.

Observation from simulations:
Multiway speaker will have narrowing vertical response around crossover frequency on most typical two(+) way speakers between a tweeter and a woofer due to the drivers being not coincident but stacked one above the other, lobing. With symmetric crossover this narrowing is symmetric to vertical angles relative to listening axis meaning that above and below listening axis the frequency response is roughly similar 10 and -10, 20 and -20 etc.

On a typical listening situation a loudspeaker is positioned so that listening axis is about at ear height which is 90cm from floor in this example. Usually rooms (here in Finland at least) are about 2.5m tall and listening distance is 3m. Due to speaker and listeners ears being closer to floor than to ceiling angles towards first vertical specular reflections differ between floor and ceiling. On this example scenario the angles are roughly 30 degrees towards floor specular reflection and about 50 degrees towards ceiling. This means that with symmetric crossover frequency response towards these reflections are different. Also, floor being closer the path length through the floor is shorter than through the ceiling and this means less attenuation through floor reflection, which is louder of the two and arrives first to ear, right after direct sound making it probably dominant of the two.

Now the hypothesis from this observation regards to "vertical imaging" is that due to differing frequency responses that arrive to ear from high up and down below, and particularly nasty zigzag move right around crossover point which usually is right at the important vocal range and where ear is sensitive, affects perceived vertical image height/soundstage clarity/how would you call it. This is something I think I heard with quick listening test and would like to know what you think and hear.

Tilting speaker back some 10-15 degrees on this example scenario will make the response towards the first reflection points similar, no zig zag move and highs towards ceiling get boost and respectively attenuation towards floor. Same thing happens with my prototype speaker. I assume but don't know if its true, that if there is more sound through floor than through ceiling, and especially since the floor reflection arrives earlier, the perceived sound image height stays low. The zig zag move perhaps makes important vocal range image little bit hazy because there is more sound towards floor in general except around the crossover there is suddenly more sound to ceiling which perhaps pulls up this frequency zone a bit in perceived image, a confusing thing. When the two reflections are roughly balanced I assume sound image is stable at the speaker height, less confusing perceived vertical image. In addition if there was more highs through ceiling and more lows through floor would possibly elongate perceived vertical image some. If you know better or have links to studies, please comment!

This makes a lot of sense to me logically and I think I heard it but not so sure if its just bias 😀 Keep in mind direct sound frequency response also changes as speaker is tilted, but this could be adjusted if the scenario is planned in design phase. I'd be glad if you can share thoughts on it and especially if you have tried it. did vertical image or image in general get somehow sharper and perhaps even taller?

Here are some attachments for the text above.
This is made up sim with ideal drivers, its a two way box with 5" woofer and 1" tweeter, 20cm wide and 31cm tall, rather typical bookshelf speaker. The situation would be about the same for any loudspeaker that has a small tweeter and a woofer who are not coincident but stacked one above the other, perhaps 90% of all speakers out there, could be two or more ways, bookshelf or tower. Speaker with coincident tweeter and woofer (or a fullrange driver, or an array etc.) would have pretty much similar frequency response towards these reflections and perhaps there is not much difference. Perhaps this is partly the reason people like such speakers?

Drivers and baffle, responses made with mic at center for simplicity.
diffraction-tool-woofer.pngdiffraction-tool-tweeter.png

Here is the basic simple simulation setup. Arbitrary crossover point at 2500Hz, could be more or less doesn't matter, this is just some plausible crossover for such system.
system-wo-tilt.png

Angle calculations, the room setup and simple right angle triangle calculator to get how much I need to increase tweeter Z coordinate with the Tilt angle in simulator. On the calculator B was set to driver c-c distance of 10cm and desired angle to alpha. This is not too accurate do it like so but accurate enough to zone in the tilt for listening experiment.
angles.pngtriangle-calc.png

Here is the angles visible illustrating zig zag. Bottom graph shows -30 angle towards floor, direct sound and +50 angle towards ceiling. The zig zag happens roughly between 2-5kHz in this example, when ceiling reflection is relatively louder than floor reflection ( I think these graphs don't include attenuation due to path length ). Same graphs are also in power and DI window as light blue and light brown, these are default in VituixCAD so one doesn't have to setup the user defined angle if you are checking the stuff out in your project.
without-tilt.png

Now with small 10 degree tilt we can align the floor and ceiling reflection responses better so that dip due to lobing on both reflections happens roughly at same frequency. The hypothesis was that now both floor and ceiling reflections are about as loud through the whole frequency spectrum keeping the vertical image more stationary, stable. Alignment is not perfect but there is about no zig zag. 15 degrees would work fine as well but in the example listening axis response suffers already quite much. I don't know how bad this would be with your speaker, perhaps affects perceived sound or not.
with-10deg-tilt.png

Here is also 15 and 20 degree tilts. 20 degrees is too much in this case, zig zag is worse.
with-15deg-tilt.pngwith-20deg-tilt.png

And here is completely another kind of system a three way with waveguide based on real measurements, not sure what kind of crossover slopes are, symmetric enough at least to make the zig zag. See the ER lines, light blue and brown. The first image is system adjusted before checking out this stuff, for basically power and DI and that kind of stuff. The second image shows that if I was to sacrifice some of the other lines and just adjust delay of the system to get tweeter back some and steer the nulls toward reflection angles the zig zag is gone. Not much of a sacrifice because the response can be adjusted for this new delay. Third image also tilts the waveguide little, now there is relatively more sound through ceiling on high frequencies than through floor, similar thing than perhaps a thick rug does as well. As frequency goes up more from above and less sound below listening axis. Here the 10 degree tilt works just fine.
real-system-measurements-optimized-for-other-stuff.pngreal-system-measurements-optimized-for-other-stuff-adjusted-for-ER.pngreal-system-measurements-optimized-for-other-stuff-adjusted-for-ER-and-tilt.png


I suspect your speakers and listening setup are suitable for the test. If you try tilting your speakers I suggest you to concentrate on vocals when listening for the effects of tilting but anything goes. What do you hear or is there any difference at all on sound image?

Here are some quick rough numbers to tilt your speaker roughly 10 degrees, put some Lego (a standard block is ~1cm high) or something else under front edge of your speaker. You could try more or less tilt if you wish. Careful not to tip over your speakers, I don't want to be held responsible for broken stuff! 🙂 If you have DSP you could just delay the tweeter (driver closest to ceiling) some extra to tilt the nulls instead of physically tilting the speaker.

Box depth affects how high the front edge needs to be lifted to achieve 10 degree tilt. Here is few for starters:
20cm deep speaker box use ~5cm riser on the front, 5 lego blocks.
30cm deep speaker box use ~7cm riser.
40cm deep speaker box use ~10cm riser.
50cm deep speaker box use ~13cm riser.

ps. I'm sorry we have people coming in for visit so I might not be able to comment extensively too much until weekend. I hope the text is extensive enough to get an idea and comments flowing 🙂
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For Sale AE TD10m X2

New TD10m Pair In UK. As per title.
Unused as project never built.
Silver pole piece.
£800 ONO for the pair.

1 pair of old speakers out of pinewood studios about 15 years ago.
Volt B250.2 12 inch bass drivers
Audax TW034. (Troels gravesens favourite tweeter until they became unobtainium.)

Cabinet is solid, but needs painting.
£offers.

Thanks.

Question about speaker SPL

I am unclear on speaker sensitivity. My desire is to build a new set of speakers for my 6LU8 amp. My current speakers are rated at 89db, I presumethis is the 1w 1m spl.

Now here is my question. If a driver has a rated SPL of say 90db, that means that my speaker build with that driver will not have appreciably more spl that my current speakers regardless of the box I put it in?

Or, another way, if I want double the "loudness" of my current speakers, I think I need an additional 3db of sensitivity (?), and I need a driver rated at at least 92db spl?

Roger

For Sale Najda DSP, XOVER, DAC, Preamp

I'm selling my well served WAF audio Najda.

Here are some details of the build:
-Full aluminum cnc machined and polished (polishing is not perfect though) enclosure
-Latest Nadja board, including control board and display
-JLSounds USB to I2S board v2
-LT3045 based voltage regulators
-Toroidy Audio grade toroidal power transformer (230v primary)
-Burson audio discrete Opamps on every output channel (2x V6 Vivid Dual and 2x V6 Classic dual)
-Some of the electrolytics have been relocated because the Burson's would not have fitted otherwise

For those who do not know what Najda is, it originates from here with several revisions:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/dsp-xover-project-part-2.215379/
There was also a WAF audio website (waf-audio.com), but it does not exist anymore for some very unfortunate reasons, RIP. But luckily Wayback machine helps: https://web.archive.org/web/20190630120625/http://www.waf-audio.com/products.php?pos=1&lang=en

Highlights shortly:
-DSP with super easy to use user interface in Windows software
-Crossover, DSP, IIR/FIR, DAC, Preamp
-up to 192kHz/24bit out each channel
-Inputs: 2ch in analog, Coax, Toslink, USB (through JLSound board)
-Outputs: 8ch analog, 6ch I2S

I have used this as a main DAC and crossover for many sets, including Linkwitz LX521.4. Also I have used this as a crossover simulator for diy speaker projects. It really does it's job well.

Latest Windows configuration software (Najda Under Control) and manuals will be provided for the buyer.

The unit will be resetted to factory settings prior to selling.

The price is 500€. Can be shipped to almost anywhere. Shipping to be added.

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Hello internet I’m Leo and recently I have been enjoying building both headphones and speakers :)

I guess I’ll include some photos of finished projects and what I used. Feel free to ask any questions or make fun of me.

First larger speaker was built using an old speaker box I gutted out. Used a 12v battery and 24v step up converter to a bluetooth amp that supposedly puts out 100w per channel, all from aliexpress. I had a pair of 2 way alpine 6x9’s I removed from my car when I upgraded my sound system, I inserted them on a new baffle I cut out of plywood to fit the old speaker box. As you can probably guess it doesn’t sound great for a multitude of reasons but at the end of the day I’m happy it worked and is listenable to.

Next is a smaller speaker, again using a 12v battery and bluetooth amp putting out an advertised 50w per channel. This time I purchased a pair of dayton audio rs100-4’s and implemented the plans of a build I found here on diyaudio utilizing the 8ohm version of the rs100’s for a slotted vent box. The build went as smooth as the sound it produces, although it is missing some high end for my taste, maybe I go back and attempt to install tweeters?

The next one was sort of a joke, harbor freight ear muffs with cheap aliexpress drivers. Obviously sound really really good!

Last but not least headphones built with a pair of tymphany HPD-50N25PR00-32. Wood cups tuned to the best of my ability and again headband from aliexpress (surprisingly nice)

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Behringer B2092A Sub Amplifier issue

Hey guys, can anyone, just based on their experience, tell me where should I start in trying to identify the following issue. Sub worked normally prior to this and nothing specific happened in between (like loss of power or something). It worked in the evening, turned off on a switch, then when turned on the next morning it started doing this.
I believe that the video is the best way to describe what's happening: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7vkc...nger.MOV?rlkey=yi8w2lbpc242or2b4rb7h1etn&dl=0

I obviously don't have a schematics and I would simply like to try to fix, won't die without it. I have some experience with electronics so I believe I will be able to test/remove/replace any component that can be tested with a UNI-T UT70B.
What I figured out so far:
- 1 component was missing, 47nF Capacitor next to the 4 'big' diodes, diode bridge? I've marked it in one of the photos. Capacitor was broken from it's pins, probably fell off from the sub at some point. I have replaced it (new one is on the image), but nothing has changed, same buzz before and after.
IMG_0464.jpeg

  • All other components LOOK normal, no blown capacitors or burned resistors, visual inspection is good.
  • I believe buzzing is not related to the input module because it behaves the same with or without it (I've disconnected it in the video)
  • I can see a red LED next to transistors light up, it's on the board itself, could that mean something? Maybe that diode is a 'debug' info on some amplifiers?

I would like to know where would a repair expert start? Could have that 1 Capacitor, while missing, caused damage to some other component? Should I replace all 4 'large' diodes or test them while removed from the board? Replace big capacitors? Should I somehow test the transformer?
Without any extensive experience, I would start by replacing all 4 big diodes and their capacitors, and while ordering components, I would also order these 4 largest capacitors and replace them as well, but I would get stuck if that doesn't do the job.
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Any idea is highly appreciated! Thanks!

Workbench Audio Processor

Hey guys, I have a desire for an audio processor for the work bench, but I have been unable to find a suitable device. The closest are some old school type car audio processors, but again there is always a feature or two missing from unit to unit

I'm interested in something that gets me as close to knob per function as practical. Maybe I can DIY this. Have come up with a some plans that may achieve an analog or digital device

As best I can understand, for a 2.1 system, the output needs to be a set of three responses that can be shaped for lower and upper cut, boost at any point and over any width and be able to change the phase of the .1 channel

This is the outline of the plan

DIY machined and lasered chassis
Internal battery system linked to a USB port
Knob per function with easy visual reference
Balanced and unbalanced I/O
Tuby colouration with defeat
Clear protective cover

What I want to try to experiment with are
Main channels, taken from the input connector and run through two banks of 15 band graphic eq, one for each of the stereo channels. Using off the shelf prebuilt boards. These are stereo boards, so that means I will have to use one board per channel. I will need to learn how to best implement the unused channel on each of those boards. Whether to leave unconnected to the audio, shorted or maybe even cascaded to increase the range of cut or boost. I wonder if it works that way

As best I can understand it, let's say if the lowest fader was 60Hz just for random number, pulling that down would start sloping up from there and to whatever shape I set the rest of the faders. I need to learn if this would set the lower cutoff point or does the response come back up beyond this point. In other words, I have to learn if that fader just creates a dip there or a cut for everything below. If it is only a dip, then I would need to locate a single filter module to insert there as a switchable cut

This bank would be repeated in the next row to allow for active 2-way mains processing. I have to learn if I can use the 15 band eq to correctly set a bandpass here

The last bank would be for the bass. I won't call this a subwoofer channel as since the boards are stereo, which would be useful for stereo bass for active 3-way or stereo subs. I think I know how to sum that output for a mono sub. What I would need to learn is how to create a phase change knob at that output. For this bank, I have selected an easy seeming 5 band design from YouTube. This is a thru-hole type board, and I am hoping to learn to mod this to suit five dedicated bass bands. Also have to learn if this would defeat everything upper band or needs a further upper cut applied

So made up of some standalone filter modules, 4 banks of prebuilt graphic eqs and one DIY graphic eq

Thinking along the lines of a Pass H2 on each output for the tuby effect, switchable

Options
Can use 31 band graphic eqs but this would double project costs

Would be nice
If I could learn to DIY the board for the mains so that I can split them up into mono boards per channel and use lit faders alongside a dedicated level meter alongside each fader

Analog/digital hybrid option
Using digital graphic eq modules instead of the analog and having any extra filters needed in DIY analog. The problem with this is the multi action encoder that is used to select each band and to change it. I can't tell the impact that would have without trying it. The benefit is much more immediate access than using a usual DSP processor with menu diving or app control

Digital/PC option
Looks like I may be able to house a mini PC, a USB sound card and a touch screen in a custom enclosure. Finding the right program that can have the eq and filters up on the touch screen would nail it.

Digital/Android option
Here I can see another related android option. A car touch screen head unit will have touchable on screen faders for eq and all filters, as well as two pairs of stereo outs and one or two sub outs. The Pioneer in my car can do this via touch, but is only a small screen and non Android. I can see some cheap options to 10" display head units on Ali. All the eq and filters are done with DSP using the CPU and the only other thing that could take up runtime is the media player part playing back any test tracks or tones. I can create a custom housing for this and if I can find or make a USB powerbank that has a 12v out, then can be fitted inside the housing. Such a head unit has an analog input referred to as 'aux' and Bluetooth pretty standard but can also have built in power amps that could suit bench use together with a dedicated external sub amp

Compass
At this point, I can't find direction with this. The analog graphic eq and the head unit seem to be the best value options when it comes to the desired knob per function accessibility. While the digital eq hybrid seems like the more pro option. The Android head unit has some menu diving with having to bring up eq and filters in turns, but not too bad. The needed screen can be left up while in use. The mini PC option on the other hand can have multiple windows up on the touch interface

I am inclined to start with the Android head unit option to get a quicker start with projects and then take my time to learn and work towards making a completely hands on option. Thoughts?
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