I used a Par-Metal chassis on my latest amp (http://www.par-metal.com/). It was the 14 series in a 2U height and cost about $98. It is very thick and did not flex like some chassis I've used despite my putting in it about 30 pounds of transformers. The clear alodine finish is rather nice looking; not quite in the same league as some of boxes show on the THL site, but shipping from New Jersey is much less.
Two options for the Volksamp heatsinks:
1) Turn them vertically. Who says amplifiers have to be flat?
2) Cut them in half and run them side by side, vertically. Your objection is: But, Grey, then you've got one end of the heatsink that's silver and the rest is black. My response: Magic marker. The old standby for a heatsink with a ding in it. Works wonders. If you're still self conscious about it, put that end down and the pretty end up.
Grey
1) Turn them vertically. Who says amplifiers have to be flat?
2) Cut them in half and run them side by side, vertically. Your objection is: But, Grey, then you've got one end of the heatsink that's silver and the rest is black. My response: Magic marker. The old standby for a heatsink with a ding in it. Works wonders. If you're still self conscious about it, put that end down and the pretty end up.
Grey
Please don't!
NP,
IMVHO, it is not necessary for you to start offering heatsinks by themselves. There are many standard profiles available be they fairly priced or not. The problem for many is achieving a package which has high enough finish to be acceptable in the long run.
There is one company in particular which makes heatinks that are relatively cheap and easy to build into boxes (since they are so big) and that is http://www.r-theta.com/indexf.html (check out the fabfin types). I had a fabfin with approximate dimensions (from memory) 60 cm deep 40 cm high, 6 cm fabricated efficient ribs, 1 cm base plate, black anodized with talk of about $100 a piece. I never got to purchase the pair, though since the engineer I was placed was so keen on simulating the damn things (which I did not want anyway) that I gave up after about 5 weeks. Would be nice, though, vertical fins and all.
I think very fair pricing on good boxes (meaning with vertical fins) such as an Aleph 3 clone would be about $250. The problem with the 3 case is that it is a little small for the amateur designer, and so a slightly larger unit would be better, perhaps topping out at $300 if thermally efficient.
Nobody offers cases these days that I would touch. There MUST be a market out there! I guess the alternative is to buy myself a milling machine (or get friendly with the guys at the local metalwork school) and start making monolithic enclosures like others before me.
Petter
NP,
IMVHO, it is not necessary for you to start offering heatsinks by themselves. There are many standard profiles available be they fairly priced or not. The problem for many is achieving a package which has high enough finish to be acceptable in the long run.
There is one company in particular which makes heatinks that are relatively cheap and easy to build into boxes (since they are so big) and that is http://www.r-theta.com/indexf.html (check out the fabfin types). I had a fabfin with approximate dimensions (from memory) 60 cm deep 40 cm high, 6 cm fabricated efficient ribs, 1 cm base plate, black anodized with talk of about $100 a piece. I never got to purchase the pair, though since the engineer I was placed was so keen on simulating the damn things (which I did not want anyway) that I gave up after about 5 weeks. Would be nice, though, vertical fins and all.
I think very fair pricing on good boxes (meaning with vertical fins) such as an Aleph 3 clone would be about $250. The problem with the 3 case is that it is a little small for the amateur designer, and so a slightly larger unit would be better, perhaps topping out at $300 if thermally efficient.
Nobody offers cases these days that I would touch. There MUST be a market out there! I guess the alternative is to buy myself a milling machine (or get friendly with the guys at the local metalwork school) and start making monolithic enclosures like others before me.
Petter
I have pricing!
Everyone watching this thread may be pleased to know that THL Audio has quoted me pricing on the PWAD-01 and the PWAD-A100 cases. I saw no information saying this pricing is specific to me, so it is reasonable to assume that I was quoted general pricing.
Everyone watching this thread may be pleased to know that THL Audio has quoted me pricing on the PWAD-01 and the PWAD-A100 cases. I saw no information saying this pricing is specific to me, so it is reasonable to assume that I was quoted general pricing.
- PWAD-01 is NT $4800, or $136.95 US dollars
- PWAD-A100 is NT$7800, or $222.54 US dollars
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I did not inquire about the other cases shown on their site. If you want quotes for any of the others, please email THL directly. If you would like to find a conversion rate for your currency, you can go to a nifty web calculator here.
These prices sound very good to me for the quality of case you get. THL also says that they will ship internationally (at least to the US), and will charge an additional 2% fee if paying with credit.
Chassis with integrated heat sinks
The cases I used for my 20 watt Son of Zen monos was Fischer Elektronike's SKE 5 400 ($243.30 USD each). The chassis are as good as any high end solid state amp manufacturer. They come with massive integrated heat sinks. The SKE 6 400 has even bigger heat sinks. I think the prices are reasonable because the heat sinks they come with could cost you a lot of money to order by themsleves. In a sense your getting heat sinks with the chassis for free. I would order a ventilated bottom plate instead of the solid plate they come with. The price I quoted was with the standard bottom plate. The only draw back for some is that you will have to drill your own holes for connectors. But for me that was fine because I never liked the location of the connector holes in any off the shelf chassis I have seen. This is because I use very short leads to connect the circuit to the connectors. The web site is not user friendly. You will have to locate the main site index and look for "19 inch plug in box with integrated fins". The web address is fischerelektronik.de
Note: The best way to drill any metal is with a drill press. I would not attempt to drill these chassis with out one. You can buy a quality 9 inch Sears Craftsman drill press for $120.00 USD. Worth the money if you want professional quality appearence and your going to build a pre amp and speakers as I am. www.sears.com
The cases I used for my 20 watt Son of Zen monos was Fischer Elektronike's SKE 5 400 ($243.30 USD each). The chassis are as good as any high end solid state amp manufacturer. They come with massive integrated heat sinks. The SKE 6 400 has even bigger heat sinks. I think the prices are reasonable because the heat sinks they come with could cost you a lot of money to order by themsleves. In a sense your getting heat sinks with the chassis for free. I would order a ventilated bottom plate instead of the solid plate they come with. The price I quoted was with the standard bottom plate. The only draw back for some is that you will have to drill your own holes for connectors. But for me that was fine because I never liked the location of the connector holes in any off the shelf chassis I have seen. This is because I use very short leads to connect the circuit to the connectors. The web site is not user friendly. You will have to locate the main site index and look for "19 inch plug in box with integrated fins". The web address is fischerelektronik.de
Note: The best way to drill any metal is with a drill press. I would not attempt to drill these chassis with out one. You can buy a quality 9 inch Sears Craftsman drill press for $120.00 USD. Worth the money if you want professional quality appearence and your going to build a pre amp and speakers as I am. www.sears.com
Re: Original Aleph/X-Cases
Not happy with this (very generous offer) we get:
Asking Nelson for original cases for his commercial amplifiers IS NOT a reasonable request
If Nelson does decide to do this, then I will stand in-line, fall to bended knee and pay homage to a non-mortal (along with my order)... however, to ask this of the man when he has already shown support for the DIY community "above and beyond" is simply taking advantage of his generous nature.
I have heard you can't make a case with a "professional" and acceptabe finish ....... well, you simply haven't tried hard enough ...... or, you are not willing to spend the money. Any machine shop worth their salt can follow any diagram you wish to give them .... the only question is price.
Donning asbestos suit and returning to the trenches .....
Mark ........ (also known as the boring "stick-in-the-mud")
Following which NP hinted at offering the X-series stereo case sinks (the horizontal angled type) .....Petter said:
Not happy with this (very generous offer) we get:
I said this once in a very tame and polite voice, which seemingly fell upon deaf ears, or the ears of people with self-interest above all other things!
Asking Nelson for original cases for his commercial amplifiers IS NOT a reasonable request
If Nelson does decide to do this, then I will stand in-line, fall to bended knee and pay homage to a non-mortal (along with my order)... however, to ask this of the man when he has already shown support for the DIY community "above and beyond" is simply taking advantage of his generous nature.
I have heard you can't make a case with a "professional" and acceptabe finish ....... well, you simply haven't tried hard enough ...... or, you are not willing to spend the money. Any machine shop worth their salt can follow any diagram you wish to give them .... the only question is price.
Donning asbestos suit and returning to the trenches .....
Mark ........ (also known as the boring "stick-in-the-mud")
Re: Uhm..
Has the price of aluminium skyrocketed overnight?
Here in the UK about a year ago I was enquiring about the stuff and found out that 1Kg would cost about £1.70 ($2.6 roughly) - If $100 covers just the raw aluminium your case would weigh almost 77Kg!!
What kind of amp are you making!! Some kind of Behemoth
arnach said:
Has the price of aluminium skyrocketed overnight?
Here in the UK about a year ago I was enquiring about the stuff and found out that 1Kg would cost about £1.70 ($2.6 roughly) - If $100 covers just the raw aluminium your case would weigh almost 77Kg!!
What kind of amp are you making!! Some kind of Behemoth
They sent me a quote
Said the price is 8,000 NT$ (New Taiwan Dollars). That's roughly $270 US. Then there's the shipping cost on top of that. You could probably do something pretty nice with 17" rack parts for that kind of money. But it sure looks pretty in the photo.
Anyone actually seen one in the flesh?
Said the price is 8,000 NT$ (New Taiwan Dollars). That's roughly $270 US. Then there's the shipping cost on top of that. You could probably do something pretty nice with 17" rack parts for that kind of money. But it sure looks pretty in the photo.
Anyone actually seen one in the flesh?
Taiwan-Chassis
Yes, I have one...
-actually several of the chassis you see at this page...:
http://www.thlaudio.com/casebpwrE.htm
And if they were not so expensive, I would have bought more.
(Hey, Taiwan-goods are supposed to be cheap?).
But quality and finish is fine.
Note that on the "PWAD-A100 All Alum. Chassis for power amp."
chassis, the side-ribs are made of several small ribs, and
they are a bit thin for a class A amplifier...
Arne K
NORWAY
Yes, I have one...
-actually several of the chassis you see at this page...:
http://www.thlaudio.com/casebpwrE.htm
And if they were not so expensive, I would have bought more.
(Hey, Taiwan-goods are supposed to be cheap?).
But quality and finish is fine.
Note that on the "PWAD-A100 All Alum. Chassis for power amp."
chassis, the side-ribs are made of several small ribs, and
they are a bit thin for a class A amplifier...
Arne K
NORWAY
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