Uh oh, let's not even start on beer! Talk about an embarrassment of riches. There are so many in the liquor store cooler I really don't know what to buy. And I bet they're almost all delicious.
Exact parallel: what a wonderful era we have begun, with so many choices of compact, relatively inexpensive amplifier circuits that efficiently produce such pure signal, such sweet sound, with no noise or distortion. It's all good, fellas; no need to argue. One designer listens and measures while another designer measures and listens, and both meet their goals. Buy 'em all, build 'em all. You can have two or three different amps now for what one decent commercial product costs, and any of the DIY will perform better. Just as one can get drunk with so many beer choices, let the amplifier festivities begin.
Peace,
Tom E
Exact parallel: what a wonderful era we have begun, with so many choices of compact, relatively inexpensive amplifier circuits that efficiently produce such pure signal, such sweet sound, with no noise or distortion. It's all good, fellas; no need to argue. One designer listens and measures while another designer measures and listens, and both meet their goals. Buy 'em all, build 'em all. You can have two or three different amps now for what one decent commercial product costs, and any of the DIY will perform better. Just as one can get drunk with so many beer choices, let the amplifier festivities begin.
Peace,
Tom E
No worries.
Some people disagree with my data driven approach and the pride I show in my products. Such is life.
Tom
Another gainclone option
See Pavel Dudek's super Gainclone at his WEB Site Sjöström Audio - Home. His board is based on the stereo
version of the 3886. Several threads exist describing his design
as well as group buys and build threads.😉
See Pavel Dudek's super Gainclone at his WEB Site Sjöström Audio - Home. His board is based on the stereo
version of the 3886. Several threads exist describing his design
as well as group buys and build threads.😉
Mmh, that one is a pretty different design, at the end is still a buffered gainclone and not a composite amp like the My_Ref or the Modulus.
Also both the FE and the Modulus, while developped from different viewpoints and approaches, use groundplanes, microstrips and other HF PCB design techniques which leads to superior EMI/RF immunity and performance.
Tom measured it, with a clear distortion advantage of such techniques.
Strictly IMHO, obviously 😉
Also both the FE and the Modulus, while developped from different viewpoints and approaches, use groundplanes, microstrips and other HF PCB design techniques which leads to superior EMI/RF immunity and performance.
Tom measured it, with a clear distortion advantage of such techniques.
Strictly IMHO, obviously 😉
Merry Christmas!
I want to build a Mod-86. My current Dac is balanced output. My current amps are balanced also.
Have a My_Ref Evolution A in the closet. This changed the feedback loop to second order, larger input coupling caps, and a couple other small improvements to the original Evolution circuit. Have a "full" Evolution (parallel LM3886) that drove B&W 801 Matrix II and Lowthers equally well. I think one original My_Ref, a pair of the Twisted pair monos, and some others. Lots of My_Ref.
It is Christmas time. Anyone have a Mod-86, hopefully V2.1, they would trade for any of my gear?
I need to go to the attic to see what I have. But a short list is.
1. Unused Evolution board with heat sinks and new chassis, maybe transformer.
2. TP mono Rev C. Built with a battery supply for the LM318. A four chassis affair. Both channels in one chassis, two power transformers, and one big rechargeable for the two opamps. There was a German amp like this.
3. Full Evolution with four LM3886. Should drive anything.
3. Original My_Ref with the Mauro sourced gold plated board. Uses matched S102 resistors.
I anyone has a Mod-86 they would trade PM me. I would order boards and build one. But really cannot spend the time anymore. As you get older it seems you have less time for yourself.
I want to build a Mod-86. My current Dac is balanced output. My current amps are balanced also.
Have a My_Ref Evolution A in the closet. This changed the feedback loop to second order, larger input coupling caps, and a couple other small improvements to the original Evolution circuit. Have a "full" Evolution (parallel LM3886) that drove B&W 801 Matrix II and Lowthers equally well. I think one original My_Ref, a pair of the Twisted pair monos, and some others. Lots of My_Ref.
It is Christmas time. Anyone have a Mod-86, hopefully V2.1, they would trade for any of my gear?
I need to go to the attic to see what I have. But a short list is.
1. Unused Evolution board with heat sinks and new chassis, maybe transformer.
2. TP mono Rev C. Built with a battery supply for the LM318. A four chassis affair. Both channels in one chassis, two power transformers, and one big rechargeable for the two opamps. There was a German amp like this.
3. Full Evolution with four LM3886. Should drive anything.
3. Original My_Ref with the Mauro sourced gold plated board. Uses matched S102 resistors.
I anyone has a Mod-86 they would trade PM me. I would order boards and build one. But really cannot spend the time anymore. As you get older it seems you have less time for yourself.
The name of the amp I was coping in amp 2 is the ASR Emitter. It was a four chassis design that used LM318 opamp and a battery supply for the input stage. The output stage for the Emitter is discrete and not a chip.
I have plenty of Modulus-86 boards in stock... They do occasionally come up in the Swap Meet section as well.
Note that Rev. 2.0 and 2.1 are electrically identical, so take any Rev. 2.x boards you can get. The difference is that 2.1 uses the TO-99 version of the LME49710 while the 2.0 uses the DIP version. TI discontinued the DIP version for about six months before bringing it back.
Tom
Note that Rev. 2.0 and 2.1 are electrically identical, so take any Rev. 2.x boards you can get. The difference is that 2.1 uses the TO-99 version of the LME49710 while the 2.0 uses the DIP version. TI discontinued the DIP version for about six months before bringing it back.
Tom
I will think about building one. The engineering looks first rate. The TO-99 version feels better to me. Always liked the metal can chips.
With the metal can, just beware that it's pin 8 that's marked by a small tab on the package. All other packages have pin 1 marked.
Tom
Tom
Thread revival!
I have 100db sensitivity speakers in a 9m by 4m (2.7m high) room, I like to listen at reasonable volume and sit around 3.5m from the speakers. I use a passive pre and 5w per channel SE EL84 amp, I'd like a little more headroom but don't want too much extra gain in the setup and lose fine control at lower levels. Which of these 2 amps will be best for my system, the pot in the pre is 50k but I also have a 100k hanging around.
I have 100db sensitivity speakers in a 9m by 4m (2.7m high) room, I like to listen at reasonable volume and sit around 3.5m from the speakers. I use a passive pre and 5w per channel SE EL84 amp, I'd like a little more headroom but don't want too much extra gain in the setup and lose fine control at lower levels. Which of these 2 amps will be best for my system, the pot in the pre is 50k but I also have a 100k hanging around.
What other amps did you try it against? I am using Bastanis Wildhorn which look similar to the speakers in the first picture apart from mine have feet to allow for the bottom firing horn to work.
Some details about the speaker used (first photo).
It is based on a kit, with further mods :
kit F151A of B&C Speakers
http://www.bcspeakers.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTMvMDIvMTIvMTYvMTMvNTYvNTMyL2ZpbGUiXV0.pdf
I've been a bit worried initially. A very revealing beast with high potentiality..
How high it can go - was demonstrated nicely by the little Penasa amp. (a modified, full version of it with double current pump) The dynamics you can imagine.. but it was yielding a very live, natural presentation with enormous sound stage.
Yes, I'm biased but still. It was a nice moment.
The full contest was very nice, open minded people and very nice organization. Beautiful place on the Tirrenic seaside.
The 'contest' was small, few partecipants. But we did confrontations with almost all the amps present. All kind of gear: single ended, push pull, the resident reference FET monster, some class D. The other resident amps were Spectral DM100 + pre.
The most beautiful sound was this room:
It is based on a kit, with further mods :
kit F151A of B&C Speakers
http://www.bcspeakers.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTMvMDIvMTIvMTYvMTMvNTYvNTMyL2ZpbGUiXV0.pdf
I've been a bit worried initially. A very revealing beast with high potentiality..
How high it can go - was demonstrated nicely by the little Penasa amp. (a modified, full version of it with double current pump) The dynamics you can imagine.. but it was yielding a very live, natural presentation with enormous sound stage.
Yes, I'm biased but still. It was a nice moment.
The full contest was very nice, open minded people and very nice organization. Beautiful place on the Tirrenic seaside.
The 'contest' was small, few partecipants. But we did confrontations with almost all the amps present. All kind of gear: single ended, push pull, the resident reference FET monster, some class D. The other resident amps were Spectral DM100 + pre.
The most beautiful sound was this room:
Attachments
The amp is the best sounding valve amp that I did hear up to now..
(and we contributed to the good sound with the little box on top, a modified Mirand dac driven in DSD256 from HQP)
Amplificatori valvolari hi-fi e trasformatori audio di Ferretti Feliciano, audio transformer, audio amplifier, vacuum tube, vacuum tube amplifier
Two 2A3 driven 211 ~single ended in a bridged configuration (for one channel)
Let's say the EVO amp gave in in a manly fight.. against a very noble competitor..
And not that disturbing distance.
Listening to these systems was an astounding experience, really. Not common.
(and we contributed to the good sound with the little box on top, a modified Mirand dac driven in DSD256 from HQP)
Amplificatori valvolari hi-fi e trasformatori audio di Ferretti Feliciano, audio transformer, audio amplifier, vacuum tube, vacuum tube amplifier
Two 2A3 driven 211 ~single ended in a bridged configuration (for one channel)
Let's say the EVO amp gave in in a manly fight.. against a very noble competitor..
And not that disturbing distance.
Listening to these systems was an astounding experience, really. Not common.
double current pump? So like 2 lm3886 parallel ?is this MY_REF EVOLUTION? If so can we see some pics?
photos -- With pleasure..
Loads of measurements with the double pump were already published in the FE build thread, but also here in this very 3D :
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/279458-modulus-86-fremen-edition-8.html#post4451246
I just notice my own sharp tone in the quote; I would be not like that today, sorry for the past.
photos: We had taken two units to the event. Our best efforts. They are not mine; propriety / under commissioning for friends of our little community. One is using the latest BOM and all other tweaks - but it's 'only' a 'standard', single pump unit; the other one was a little step behind (at that time) but was a full double pump configuration.
I only have recent photos of the first; the other photos of double pump are from the different periods of 'evolution of the Evolution amp'.
1.) the single version as taken to the contest, here on the test panel yet ;
2.) a double pump version with improvised pot (Noble) (mine)
4.) an older photo of the full assembled dual pump version;
3.) a close-in of that version
Loads of measurements with the double pump were already published in the FE build thread, but also here in this very 3D :
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/279458-modulus-86-fremen-edition-8.html#post4451246
I just notice my own sharp tone in the quote; I would be not like that today, sorry for the past.
photos: We had taken two units to the event. Our best efforts. They are not mine; propriety / under commissioning for friends of our little community. One is using the latest BOM and all other tweaks - but it's 'only' a 'standard', single pump unit; the other one was a little step behind (at that time) but was a full double pump configuration.
I only have recent photos of the first; the other photos of double pump are from the different periods of 'evolution of the Evolution amp'.
1.) the single version as taken to the contest, here on the test panel yet ;
2.) a double pump version with improvised pot (Noble) (mine)
4.) an older photo of the full assembled dual pump version;
3.) a close-in of that version
Attachments
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