In my test set up... ACA Mini set up for 2nd order THD sounds less forward and has better bass. Voices via the Zenductor are a bit more forward. Either one requires reasonably efficient speakers. My test speakers were 86 db/w so they were a cruel load.
Sunday videos from Burning Amp '23 are now up. Saturday to follow shortly. https://burningampfestival.com/videos/
Thank you Chris Dollar (duck552) for spending the many, many hours recording and editing them.
-Tom-
Thank you Chris Dollar (duck552) for spending the many, many hours recording and editing them.
-Tom-
I'm thinking of adding a ready-made bluetooth preamp on the front end of the Zenductor and mounting everything inside a gutted Sansui R-505 enclosure.
https://www.parts-express.com/5-VDC...o-Preamp-Board-with-Remote-320-347?quantity=1
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3348091582...9P8lETwNfKjbDy0jOsqFEItQ==|tkp:Bk9SR-7nrLj5Yg
https://www.parts-express.com/5-VDC...o-Preamp-Board-with-Remote-320-347?quantity=1
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3348091582...9P8lETwNfKjbDy0jOsqFEItQ==|tkp:Bk9SR-7nrLj5Yg
Been late to a party. Just read the whole thread. What can I say: Zen never dies! 
Yet, I got an itch. PSU. I am sometimes wondering, did anyone object, or noticed a noise from the switchmode power supply?
We all know, back in 1994, with the original Zen amp, the problem was the 50-60 Hz PSU noise (hum). Then it was ameliorated by a PI filter, then in Zen V3 via capacitance multiplier, which definitively took care of the issue (without resorting to big caps = $$)
Many years later, came the MoFo. (Which I built and use now). PSU noise was no longer an issue. Hi-freq, but is was not voltage amplified.
Now we see it again (as with ACA), but this time the noise from the PSU is amplified as well. Still acceptable?
On another note, I was wondering to do a bit of rearrangement and transform a MoFo into a Zenductor.
One possibility is to use a 19V SMPS (like MoFo), or,
Insert a Cap Multiplier (and burn 4 V, and come down to 15 V or so, but reduce the PSU noise as well)?
Did anoyne bother to compare the Zenductor to a MoFo?
An SMPS powered vs big 12V SLA battery?
Yet, I got an itch. PSU. I am sometimes wondering, did anyone object, or noticed a noise from the switchmode power supply?
We all know, back in 1994, with the original Zen amp, the problem was the 50-60 Hz PSU noise (hum). Then it was ameliorated by a PI filter, then in Zen V3 via capacitance multiplier, which definitively took care of the issue (without resorting to big caps = $$)
Many years later, came the MoFo. (Which I built and use now). PSU noise was no longer an issue. Hi-freq, but is was not voltage amplified.
Now we see it again (as with ACA), but this time the noise from the PSU is amplified as well. Still acceptable?
On another note, I was wondering to do a bit of rearrangement and transform a MoFo into a Zenductor.
One possibility is to use a 19V SMPS (like MoFo), or,
Insert a Cap Multiplier (and burn 4 V, and come down to 15 V or so, but reduce the PSU noise as well)?
Did anoyne bother to compare the Zenductor to a MoFo?
An SMPS powered vs big 12V SLA battery?
From what I’ve read EasyEDA is easier to learn. After 2 evenings you’ll be able to create simple PCB. Give it a try, it’s fun and really relaxing once you get the basics figured out.
Eric
I couldn't sleep. Not because I was thinking about Zen, but I was hungry.
In the middle of the night, I sneaked into the kitchen. Opened up the fridge, took a piece of dried meat. Then, took the wooden board and slowly, silently cut some tiny pieces.
Ta-da!I had a "lightbulb" moment.
I had just realized that I have all the neccesary parts to build the Zenductor
This morning, opened up the junkbox. Some heatsinks (too small for "normal" amps, but may be just ok for the Zenductor)
Two 12V switchers that just sat idle.
Two 90mH 0.8 ohm inductors, and a fistful of parts.
So, do I need yet another amp? My reason says NO.
But...
And so it goes
Ah, the lightbulb. It serves nothing, but it would look really nice to have a lightbulb (a real one, not LED) instead of the inductors. But then, would need a much higher power supply voltage, and then I couldn't leave it naked...
But hey, I might mount two big, dim leds, just to know that the amps are on.
Why not?
In the middle of the night, I sneaked into the kitchen. Opened up the fridge, took a piece of dried meat. Then, took the wooden board and slowly, silently cut some tiny pieces.
Ta-da!I had a "lightbulb" moment.
I had just realized that I have all the neccesary parts to build the Zenductor
This morning, opened up the junkbox. Some heatsinks (too small for "normal" amps, but may be just ok for the Zenductor)
Two 12V switchers that just sat idle.
Two 90mH 0.8 ohm inductors, and a fistful of parts.
So, do I need yet another amp? My reason says NO.
But...
And so it goes
Ah, the lightbulb. It serves nothing, but it would look really nice to have a lightbulb (a real one, not LED) instead of the inductors. But then, would need a much higher power supply voltage, and then I couldn't leave it naked...
But hey, I might mount two big, dim leds, just to know that the amps are on.
Why not?
Attachments
What's the big LED lightbulb for?
What kind of "dried" meat? Is that the lighbulb that turned on when you ate the dried meat?
Perhaps if you had been eating some bread, cheese, mayo, dried meat, a few truffles, an apple and a glass of Bourdeau, you might have turned on an incandescent lightbub and might be on your way to building a Babelfish SIT...
What kind of "dried" meat? Is that the lighbulb that turned on when you ate the dried meat?
Perhaps if you had been eating some bread, cheese, mayo, dried meat, a few truffles, an apple and a glass of Bourdeau, you might have turned on an incandescent lightbub and might be on your way to building a Babelfish SIT...
Hi
It seems that according to the Output power vs THD that the Zenductor can produce 1W@8ohm at 1% THD.
I’d like to get slightly more power, either with using the commonly available 19V laptop supply or 24Vdc supply.
Which components would need to be modified and to approximately what value in order to get about 2.5-3W or more at 1% THD ? My heatsink is not the recommended one, it will be much bigger.
I did a PCB to suit my needs but figured I might ask before ordering all the components.
Thanks a lot for your help.
Eric
It seems that according to the Output power vs THD that the Zenductor can produce 1W@8ohm at 1% THD.
I’d like to get slightly more power, either with using the commonly available 19V laptop supply or 24Vdc supply.
Which components would need to be modified and to approximately what value in order to get about 2.5-3W or more at 1% THD ? My heatsink is not the recommended one, it will be much bigger.
I did a PCB to suit my needs but figured I might ask before ordering all the components.
Thanks a lot for your help.
Eric
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Hi Gents,
NIce to see this thread still has activity as of this week.
I was at the Amp Camp event this year and built up two of the Zenductor amps. I'd like to mount them on a Bud or Hammond chassis as Zen Mod and Michael Rothacher have shown so I can also install speaker cable binding posts to the chassis so that I can connect the amp's speaker connectors to standard binding posts (my Shunyata speaker cables' banana plugs won't fit into the speaker connections on the circuit board). Looks like 6-32 screws will mount the circuit boards to the top of the Bud chassis; is that correct? I don't see any screws or fasteners holding the boards onto to the Bud or Hammond chassis, so just wondering how the circuit board is affixed to the chassis.
Thanks, Stephen aka PC
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