Hi all.
J am very interested in the comparison of the Symasym; DX; DX HR.... and RMI-FC100.
Thank.
J am very interested in the comparison of the Symasym; DX; DX HR.... and RMI-FC100.
Thank.
WHY IS THIS THREAD DEAD?
I have been building many amps, but I have been focusing on building lateral mosfet amps now.
I don't know, bipolar amps sound so strange to me. Everytime I build something like AKSA clones, DOZ, Pavel's Follower, P3A, they all sound... like JLH, like bipolar amps....
Le Monstre is a bit different. Many people love the sound of JFET-input amps. But I think I don't...
Actually I like the sound of the Sanken device as is used in the End Millenium. But I don't have it now and I don't want to invest on new output devices. My "latest" bipolar builds are based on 2N3773, 2SD341, 2SD641, 2SD556, A1516/C3907, B1317/D1975... Bad stuffs I know but most of them are original devices coming from the past.
So my desire is to build the best sounding lateral mosfet amp. In the last 12 months my work has been based on JLH A/AB 30W, Alephs, and Quassy complementary NMOS. There are these things that I want to build:
(1) Mark Alexander's amp clone. IGBT output to be replaced with lateral mosfet. Probably discrete opamp input stage.
(2) Stochino amp. Vertical output to be replaced with lateral mosfet.
(3) JLH A/AB 30W based amps. Now I'm focusing on using single ended input stage with DC servo like in the Mooly's Amp.
(4) Quasi N-Mosfet. Holton's amp, Quasi NMOS, Bora's Legend, Naim amps and even bipolar quasi-complementary amps seem to have merits (I guess p-channel devices are still not good enough?). The critical main objective in this NMOS project is to use 2SK2221 lateral mosfet in the output.
I have been building many amps, but I have been focusing on building lateral mosfet amps now.
I don't know, bipolar amps sound so strange to me. Everytime I build something like AKSA clones, DOZ, Pavel's Follower, P3A, they all sound... like JLH, like bipolar amps....
Le Monstre is a bit different. Many people love the sound of JFET-input amps. But I think I don't...
Actually I like the sound of the Sanken device as is used in the End Millenium. But I don't have it now and I don't want to invest on new output devices. My "latest" bipolar builds are based on 2N3773, 2SD341, 2SD641, 2SD556, A1516/C3907, B1317/D1975... Bad stuffs I know but most of them are original devices coming from the past.
So my desire is to build the best sounding lateral mosfet amp. In the last 12 months my work has been based on JLH A/AB 30W, Alephs, and Quassy complementary NMOS. There are these things that I want to build:
(1) Mark Alexander's amp clone. IGBT output to be replaced with lateral mosfet. Probably discrete opamp input stage.
(2) Stochino amp. Vertical output to be replaced with lateral mosfet.
(3) JLH A/AB 30W based amps. Now I'm focusing on using single ended input stage with DC servo like in the Mooly's Amp.
(4) Quasi N-Mosfet. Holton's amp, Quasi NMOS, Bora's Legend, Naim amps and even bipolar quasi-complementary amps seem to have merits (I guess p-channel devices are still not good enough?). The critical main objective in this NMOS project is to use 2SK2221 lateral mosfet in the output.
Great thread !
It would be interesting to hear how much the rankings from back then have changed. Maybe Carlos
(destroyer-x) and others can chime in about their previous rankings .....

It would be interesting to hear how much the rankings from back then have changed. Maybe Carlos
(destroyer-x) and others can chime in about their previous rankings .....

Is there anyway to setup an on going poll (voting system) so that people can easily vote and see the top 10 diy amps on the home page.
This would make a very handy reference for people wanting to try new designs.
This would make a very handy reference for people wanting to try new designs.
Is there anyway to setup an on going poll (voting system) so that people can easily vote and see the top 10 diy amps on the home page.
This would make a very handy reference for people wanting to try new designs.
Ahhh Yes ! ....

But that would make it 2 easy, logical and offensive to some, The powers to be would not go for it ... 😛
HI,
cause of finding the best diy amplifier i start this thread.
regards,
Ralf
Its highly unlikely that everyone has built every amp so judgements should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Also, what sounds good to one person sounds terrible to someone else.
The only real test is to listen to each amp yourself in turn and decide which one sounds best. Even then if you are going to use different speakers it will probably sound different again.
Its highly unlikely that everyone has built every amp so judgements should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Also, what sounds good to one person sounds terrible to someone else.
The only real test is to listen to each amp yourself in turn and decide which one sounds best. Even then if you are going to use different speakers it will probably sound different again.
OK........ and your ranking is ? ...................

OK........ and your ranking is ? ...................![]()
I cant rank as that would be spamming the group with my own designs !
Amps
1. TK2050
2. TDA7250 driver chip with TIPS
3. UCD180
4. two 3875 chips per channel running bridged/ balanced from balanced source
5....
7. Early AKSA
8...
11. single 3886 per channel
12. Arcam Delta 290
13 Creek 5050
14.Velleman VM100
15...
50. TDA7294
51...
99. Behringer A500
1. TK2050
2. TDA7250 driver chip with TIPS
3. UCD180
4. two 3875 chips per channel running bridged/ balanced from balanced source
5....
7. Early AKSA
8...
11. single 3886 per channel
12. Arcam Delta 290
13 Creek 5050
14.Velleman VM100
15...
50. TDA7294
51...
99. Behringer A500
Also, what sounds good to one person sounds terrible to someone else.
This maybe true, but I think if the amp made it in the top 10, it would at least be worth building, from the point of view of finding out what you like and don't like.
As opposed to 100th position which I think most people would agree would not be worth building.
It sounds good, until you have heard a better one, as they wickedly say 😀
Anyway, personally Im quite happy with just a minimum of quality
But to define that could be difficult
Anyway, personally Im quite happy with just a minimum of quality
But to define that could be difficult
I am curious to see how some of the early posters on this thread feel now almost 10 years later.
Where do the amps rank in 2012? SymAsym? Goldmund? SKA GB150? GB300? NAKSA100 ?
Amplifiers with balanced topology tends to be a winner, especially if the system is fully balanced.
From SKA simplified schematic, a latfet in CFP arrangement (even if the distortion is usually higher then EF) may have some cult followers. But from my experience, lacking drive, mosfet amps will sound boring. In a 3 stage amplifier with latfet CFP, the mosfet will not have sufficient drive to fulfill my taste.
Pass mosfet amplifiers have fanatic followers. You can live with any of Pass amp for a long time. Imo, one of the reason is because Pass amps have proper drive for the mosfet.
To build the best amp, parts especially the active ones, transistors, must also be the best. This is even truer when the topology play less role, such as in a single ended topology. Power JFETS is probably the best available, but only Pass amplifiers have it. I noticed also that Vladimirk has access to very good mosfet and power jfet.
To rank amplifiers, they are must be grouped, at least by power.
At 5W, I think Pass amp with its power JFET is the best. Haven't heard a F2J, but if it is times better than F2 then it must be good.
At 25W, again, I think Pass amp with its power JFET is the best. This has been proven in blind tests. My favorite (not necessarily the best) is my latest build, an AlephPJ with 2SK246 and 2SJ162, 5.5W (no schematic available).
At 50W-180W, my champion is a variation of TSSA (no schematic available).
At 200W and above, taste and knowledge (when building or matching with other components/speaker) is important, especially because high power class-B will not be perfect. My favorite goes to Goldmund, with selected parts.
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