Hi guys.
I am currently doing a lot of trolling and reading regarding DIY audio.
My main interest is in diy loudspeakers. I ultimately intend to build three way speakers and probably augment these with subwoofers at a later date. My main inspiration for these is Troels Gravens Jensen 1071 and the Focal designs that use separate boxes for the tweet, mid and woofers. I would like deep, full bass that is tight and fast, powerful and accurate mids and sweet highs (wouldn't we all?). I would probably use scanspeak revealator drivers throughout (as Troels design but with the revealator ring radiator tweeters) but know that changing any aspect of the design will affect the crossover (something which I don't have the ability to design myself in passive format). They will be made using the cnc translaminate method.
As I am currently on a limited budget and realise that throwing a huge wad of money at a project when you are just starting out is foolish, I am first going to build a similar design with more traditional boxes and using the Peerless CSX-176H (800122) mids, Scanspeak 2905/9000 (sticky dome) tweeters and the odds and sods I already have (things like speaker wire, binding posts etc). This leaves me needing woofers, which will probably be the Peerless SLS-263 as they are cheap and seem like good drivers for the job.
To get over both the cost and the immense difficulty of building passive cross-overs for such a design, I want to use two minidsp modules in 4-way advanced crossover configuration. This leads me into needing 6 channels of power amplification - hence this (seemingly rambling!) post......
I have been looking at the BK electronics Mosfet class A/B amp modules they sell. These have a good reputation and for a complete electronics novice (with a mechanical engineering degree, for what it is worth!) like myself, little required expertise. I would simply need to box them, add power and input/output plugs and away I'd go. I am still a little confused about gain structure but I am getting there..
In my quest for cheap, quality amplification I have begun to look at your class-d projects.
I would like to build something along the lines of: One large, or three middle sized Hi-Fi width boxes containing 2 * 50-100 watt, 2 * 100-150 watt and 2 * 200-300 watt power amplifiers. These would need to accept input from the MiniDSP boards (either rev 1,2 or balanced, whichever would suit me best). I would want that much power not for absolute volume, but for head-room and upgradeability. A bit less certainly wouldn't be the end of the world as I do have neighbours on both sides!
I intend to use the pre-amplifier on my Dennon AVC A-10SE (old, but an awesome AVR) so attenuation will be done before the DSP units. I know the DSP modules can be fitted with a pot to control the output so this too is an option.
Now you have my back-ground I would like to ask a few questions: I am slowly getting there but need to ask some basic questions as A: I have very limited knowledge of electronics, and B: there is HUGE ammounts of info out there and I am having trouble finding answers to my simple (noob) questions. Apologies for the basics:
Am I right in thinking I stand a chance of DIY building class-d amps that will sound very 'hi-fi' with modules and kits? (ie, a bit of soldering, machining, matching)
Would this be cheaper than buying the BK electronics complete amp modules? (though obviously not as simple)
How would the performace (in terms of sound quality) compare between a cheap-ish class-d kit and the mosfet BK modules? (I like what some would call a 'clinical' sound, in my mind the idea of hi-fi is to reproduce the source material, not colour it)
Can you point me in the direction of any resource?
Can you make suggestions and point me to similar projects that are documented?
Can you forgive the up-coming barage of basic questions that I will have as I start to purchase parts for my 'winter project' (mu summer project is always my E30 BMW fitted with an E36 M3 Evo engine and MCoupe running gear....).
Kind regards,
Jai Stanley
I am currently doing a lot of trolling and reading regarding DIY audio.
My main interest is in diy loudspeakers. I ultimately intend to build three way speakers and probably augment these with subwoofers at a later date. My main inspiration for these is Troels Gravens Jensen 1071 and the Focal designs that use separate boxes for the tweet, mid and woofers. I would like deep, full bass that is tight and fast, powerful and accurate mids and sweet highs (wouldn't we all?). I would probably use scanspeak revealator drivers throughout (as Troels design but with the revealator ring radiator tweeters) but know that changing any aspect of the design will affect the crossover (something which I don't have the ability to design myself in passive format). They will be made using the cnc translaminate method.
As I am currently on a limited budget and realise that throwing a huge wad of money at a project when you are just starting out is foolish, I am first going to build a similar design with more traditional boxes and using the Peerless CSX-176H (800122) mids, Scanspeak 2905/9000 (sticky dome) tweeters and the odds and sods I already have (things like speaker wire, binding posts etc). This leaves me needing woofers, which will probably be the Peerless SLS-263 as they are cheap and seem like good drivers for the job.
To get over both the cost and the immense difficulty of building passive cross-overs for such a design, I want to use two minidsp modules in 4-way advanced crossover configuration. This leads me into needing 6 channels of power amplification - hence this (seemingly rambling!) post......
I have been looking at the BK electronics Mosfet class A/B amp modules they sell. These have a good reputation and for a complete electronics novice (with a mechanical engineering degree, for what it is worth!) like myself, little required expertise. I would simply need to box them, add power and input/output plugs and away I'd go. I am still a little confused about gain structure but I am getting there..
In my quest for cheap, quality amplification I have begun to look at your class-d projects.
I would like to build something along the lines of: One large, or three middle sized Hi-Fi width boxes containing 2 * 50-100 watt, 2 * 100-150 watt and 2 * 200-300 watt power amplifiers. These would need to accept input from the MiniDSP boards (either rev 1,2 or balanced, whichever would suit me best). I would want that much power not for absolute volume, but for head-room and upgradeability. A bit less certainly wouldn't be the end of the world as I do have neighbours on both sides!
I intend to use the pre-amplifier on my Dennon AVC A-10SE (old, but an awesome AVR) so attenuation will be done before the DSP units. I know the DSP modules can be fitted with a pot to control the output so this too is an option.
Now you have my back-ground I would like to ask a few questions: I am slowly getting there but need to ask some basic questions as A: I have very limited knowledge of electronics, and B: there is HUGE ammounts of info out there and I am having trouble finding answers to my simple (noob) questions. Apologies for the basics:
Am I right in thinking I stand a chance of DIY building class-d amps that will sound very 'hi-fi' with modules and kits? (ie, a bit of soldering, machining, matching)
Would this be cheaper than buying the BK electronics complete amp modules? (though obviously not as simple)
How would the performace (in terms of sound quality) compare between a cheap-ish class-d kit and the mosfet BK modules? (I like what some would call a 'clinical' sound, in my mind the idea of hi-fi is to reproduce the source material, not colour it)
Can you point me in the direction of any resource?
Can you make suggestions and point me to similar projects that are documented?
Can you forgive the up-coming barage of basic questions that I will have as I start to purchase parts for my 'winter project' (mu summer project is always my E30 BMW fitted with an E36 M3 Evo engine and MCoupe running gear....).
Kind regards,
Jai Stanley