Well, so all you want is an AX-100? That dosn't require all this 🙂
Just to answer your question as to how I ended up wit the number of 3.000 to 4.000 EUR.
As I expected you were aiming to go all the way, respectable PSU caps would set you back a lot more than you suggest. You will need a CLC filter, so you need 8 caps and 2 inductors. those 8 caps (Rifa PEH200, 100.000uF, 63V) are like 100UER a piece. The inductors will set you back some 80 to 100 EUR a piece as well (2.2mH, 1.2kW, air core).
Now add 1000 EUR for two respetable 2.5 kVA trafos, and a tube of MUR3020WT (rectifiers) will also not come cheap. All this is just the PSU....now you see what I'm saying?
About the approach to slowly add devices...that's all good and fine untill something acts up...just ask Steenoe (and just about anybody else whom have built an AX), after that things turn sour, that's kinda tolerable if sour means measuring and scratching the back of your head, but not the least bit ok, when sour means things blowing up and letting out blue smoke all over the place.
Now I am aware that your idea of the learning curve is that you can handle something like this as a first project, but if you take a look around you, you will find litterally hundreds of dead AX projects lying around all over the globe. They all started out like you, and have by now wasted a considerable amount of time and money...and they still got nothing but a box of parts in the garage (ok some may have blown theirs up, in that case it's a box of junk instead).
As far as I know this is your first DIY project?
Magura 🙂
Just to answer your question as to how I ended up wit the number of 3.000 to 4.000 EUR.
As I expected you were aiming to go all the way, respectable PSU caps would set you back a lot more than you suggest. You will need a CLC filter, so you need 8 caps and 2 inductors. those 8 caps (Rifa PEH200, 100.000uF, 63V) are like 100UER a piece. The inductors will set you back some 80 to 100 EUR a piece as well (2.2mH, 1.2kW, air core).
Now add 1000 EUR for two respetable 2.5 kVA trafos, and a tube of MUR3020WT (rectifiers) will also not come cheap. All this is just the PSU....now you see what I'm saying?
About the approach to slowly add devices...that's all good and fine untill something acts up...just ask Steenoe (and just about anybody else whom have built an AX), after that things turn sour, that's kinda tolerable if sour means measuring and scratching the back of your head, but not the least bit ok, when sour means things blowing up and letting out blue smoke all over the place.
Now I am aware that your idea of the learning curve is that you can handle something like this as a first project, but if you take a look around you, you will find litterally hundreds of dead AX projects lying around all over the globe. They all started out like you, and have by now wasted a considerable amount of time and money...and they still got nothing but a box of parts in the garage (ok some may have blown theirs up, in that case it's a box of junk instead).
As far as I know this is your first DIY project?
Magura 🙂
I appreciate anyways your interest for my project...what i would have appreciated more....it would have been some usefull upbuilding comment and expecially i don't think that your reply has anything to do with my original thread....but it's ok!!
[/B][/QUOTE]
That comment had a lot to do with your original thread, it was just not a reply to your liking....
What I and a few others have tried to tell you is basicly that you should get your feet wet with a project that you can handle, and more important, learn from. After that you can go on with something like this. The AX-100 as designed by GL is already a pretty difficult project, many have broken their necks on exactly this project. In Denmark alone, I have ended up trouble shooting 3 AX-100 projects that people couldn't make work....and some were actually very experienced builders.
Magura 🙂
[/B][/QUOTE]
That comment had a lot to do with your original thread, it was just not a reply to your liking....
What I and a few others have tried to tell you is basicly that you should get your feet wet with a project that you can handle, and more important, learn from. After that you can go on with something like this. The AX-100 as designed by GL is already a pretty difficult project, many have broken their necks on exactly this project. In Denmark alone, I have ended up trouble shooting 3 AX-100 projects that people couldn't make work....and some were actually very experienced builders.
Magura 🙂
If I may share with you my own experience, I think 3000 Euro for 2 monoblocks with 1.2kW dissipation is a realistic estimate.
Mine (2x monoblock, 450W dissipation each) cost more.
Patrick
Mine (2x monoblock, 450W dissipation each) cost more.
Patrick
I'm really curious how Stefano intends to handle so much heat.
My livingroom is 40 feet, but with excellent thermal insulation. Even during winter months it can't cope with half of Stefano's intended 2.5KW, in summer months the power amps would be headache garantees if placed inside the auditing room.
Someone residing in Italy should have even bigger problems with dissipation levels of such magnitude.
My livingroom is 40 feet, but with excellent thermal insulation. Even during winter months it can't cope with half of Stefano's intended 2.5KW, in summer months the power amps would be headache garantees if placed inside the auditing room.
Someone residing in Italy should have even bigger problems with dissipation levels of such magnitude.
Magura--interesting post.
What were the particular problems on these 3 projects the builders could not overcome?
Were any of these projects based on KK's boards--I saw another post somewhere that perhaps no-one had successfully built an AX based on KK's boards.
Also, did you mean GR or GL?
Thanks,
JJ
jupiterjune said:
I meant GL 🙂
They have had stability problems, calculation errors, insifficient heatsinking, and a number of just plain **** ups. Trouble is that most first time DIY'ers can't figure what's wrong if s circuit like the AX dosn't work just like that.
All the AX projects I have had something to do with were based on the Hifizen boards, whenever I see somebody trying his luck wuth a KK project, I do whatever I can to help him get something else 😉
Magura 🙂
I have some boards I bought from KK. I have both mini-aleph and aleph X boards. The mini-aleph I listen to all the time. The aleph X boards are sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to decide if they will be built up, or if it will be the aleph X version two that will go in the chassis I am working on.
Since I keep hearing about all these problems with the KK boards, I am tempted to build them up just to see if I can get them to work.
well, if your offering, please send me a set of Aleph X boards with a folded cascode (single ended) front end, and an improved variable current source that doesn't produce that high frequency distortion at high levels......
JJ
Since I keep hearing about all these problems with the KK boards, I am tempted to build them up just to see if I can get them to work.
well, if your offering, please send me a set of Aleph X boards with a folded cascode (single ended) front end, and an improved variable current source that doesn't produce that high frequency distortion at high levels......
JJ
EUVL said:
Really?
May you share with me the different expence?
I dont know if i'm not considering or underconsidering something.
I still don't see how i can reach 4000euro for 2 monoblocks, but maybe you guys can be right, i don't know till i don't actully put everything together ....obviously.
In my previous post, i have tried to write down the different sublclassed with the the relative price.
Could you outline for the sake of the curiousity, the expences that you had to make for your project in order to compare them?
By the way, i just got back an answer from toroidy and they quoted a 3KVA tranformer for 216 euro
😎
Magura said:
That comment had a lot to do with your original thread, it was just not a reply to your liking....
Magura 🙂 [/B][/QUOTE]
Maybe you just like to think that it had to do with it.
I believe that you are able to see that you were the only one starting this subject/argument and that it didn't have to do with theme, since i believe the original 3d was "a thread on Transformer quality".
This is a public 3d so you can reply whatever you want......but if you do....next time......please think an up-building comment to say.
and in case you don't have anything up-building to say ...or....usefull for the sake of the subject......it's much better to not say anything!
That's my idea!
Best.
I'm sorry I ever tried to help you, I promise you it won't happen again!
With that attitude of yours, I'm sure you can get rid og Jaccolina's and EUVL's help as well.
Magura😀
With that attitude of yours, I'm sure you can get rid og Jaccolina's and EUVL's help as well.
Magura😀
Sometimes in life, it is better to go through the experience and learn things the hard way ......
It gives one a different perspective next time round.
Patrick
It gives one a different perspective next time round.
Patrick
EUVL said:
With that in mind, I estimate that I am approaching Einstein's intelligence, Solomon's wisdom, and Buffet's financial stature.
Not so?
Hmmm.
Don't worry, at the rate that I make mistakes, I'll be there by the end of the month.
Grey
Maybe like MOSFET's Id vs Vds, your intelligence has long gone past the linear region and has reached saturatiuon ??
🙂
Patrick
🙂
Patrick
No...unfortunately....... I have never finished nor ever started the AX100 project I got side tracked with preamps....but please read on 🙂
That is so funny...thank you for asking I really, really appreciate your interest!!
Strange enough, I was just looking back at old posts, including this one, and laughing at them for the following reasons:
1) my basic English
2) my provocative attitude
3) my lack of knowledge and totally not understanding level of difficulty and cost related with very complex projects.
4) my complete reckless and bold attitude towards things that were much larger than my me.
To answer to your question: a lot of things have happened and a lot of things have been accomplished in the past 10 years.
I have, thanks to a very good friend of mine with decades of experience on high level audio design who had the patient to train me significantly over the several past years, probably designed and built the biggest audio gear money can buy at the moment.
For example the latest evolution of my power amplifier is a huge 4 chassis 700lbs monster which has 420W power on 8ohms which 300W of those are pure class A.
It has top notch parts, from Texas resistors, V-Cap by pass caps, to custom power transformers by Plitron...and many more premium parts all around...which took probably over 25K of material to build it...but worth every single penny sound-wise.
Also finish as we speak the build of a matching preamp and phono (3 cassis design) which is probably costing me in parts around 15K (it has special batteries and transformer both for power options and premium part throughout) which I have been working on it for the past 3-4 years to perfect and complete.
I am very glad to give after over 10 years an update to what was the beginning of all this.
I am really happy and at the same time surprised that somebody asked about this which was buried down on very old archived threads.
yes...lot of time needed to pass before I could actually develop what I have now and looking back....when 10 years ago I wanted to take on the AX100 project with no experience on building audio gear and in particular power amplifier...honestly made me laugh quite a bit!!!
Thank you again for inquiring an update if has been a beautiful and intense journey.
That is so funny...thank you for asking I really, really appreciate your interest!!
Strange enough, I was just looking back at old posts, including this one, and laughing at them for the following reasons:
1) my basic English
2) my provocative attitude
3) my lack of knowledge and totally not understanding level of difficulty and cost related with very complex projects.
4) my complete reckless and bold attitude towards things that were much larger than my me.
To answer to your question: a lot of things have happened and a lot of things have been accomplished in the past 10 years.
I have, thanks to a very good friend of mine with decades of experience on high level audio design who had the patient to train me significantly over the several past years, probably designed and built the biggest audio gear money can buy at the moment.
For example the latest evolution of my power amplifier is a huge 4 chassis 700lbs monster which has 420W power on 8ohms which 300W of those are pure class A.
It has top notch parts, from Texas resistors, V-Cap by pass caps, to custom power transformers by Plitron...and many more premium parts all around...which took probably over 25K of material to build it...but worth every single penny sound-wise.
Also finish as we speak the build of a matching preamp and phono (3 cassis design) which is probably costing me in parts around 15K (it has special batteries and transformer both for power options and premium part throughout) which I have been working on it for the past 3-4 years to perfect and complete.
I am very glad to give after over 10 years an update to what was the beginning of all this.
I am really happy and at the same time surprised that somebody asked about this which was buried down on very old archived threads.
yes...lot of time needed to pass before I could actually develop what I have now and looking back....when 10 years ago I wanted to take on the AX100 project with no experience on building audio gear and in particular power amplifier...honestly made me laugh quite a bit!!!
Thank you again for inquiring an update if has been a beautiful and intense journey.
Never mind mate.
There's probably better bang for the buck in spending money on good speakers that don't need such amounts of class A power to start with.
Um, did ya read his full reply 😱
I like seeing the 'over the top'.
So now you really gotta share some pics and more info on your whole system !!!!!
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