Finished enclosure machining. I Added hidden set-screw attachment points/interface to the case, as will be machining out a billet rear panel for future upgrades/power supply migration to inner case (XLR inputs would be possible). The new TPA-3255 boards have a PFFB feature and upgraded inductors, but also have my eye on the new Purifi boards coming out....
Will finish the large dial this weekend... Decided it will mimic my favorite watch 🙂
Will finish the large dial this weekend... Decided it will mimic my favorite watch 🙂
There is some impressive and heavy-duty stuff going on here! Looks to be very well done, too. Absolute overkill, but that entirely misses the point; a DIYer having fun making something unique - because they can and want to do so. I hope the end result is all that you hope for! 🙂
Thank you. I designed it to test the dial mechanism.
I'm fine-tuning the dial interface/fitment. A couple thousandths each side is the key to smooth-as-butter operation. I'm elated. Happy New Year everyone.
I'm fine-tuning the dial interface/fitment. A couple thousandths each side is the key to smooth-as-butter operation. I'm elated. Happy New Year everyone.
The factory housing gets really warm and traps the heat coming off the heat sink fins.
I went ahead and added a fan port in case I upgrade boards or swap in a new Purifi board design. But the fan is definitely not needed with this particular unit now.
It is minimalist because there is no exposed hardware, the main design goal I had in mind besides the integrated dial....
Happy New Year everyone....
I went ahead and added a fan port in case I upgrade boards or swap in a new Purifi board design. But the fan is definitely not needed with this particular unit now.
It is minimalist because there is no exposed hardware, the main design goal I had in mind besides the integrated dial....
Happy New Year everyone....
Usually, people try to put the engine of a Ferrari inside the body of a Toyota.
You put the engine of a Toyota inside the body of a Ferrari.
Great metal work!
You put the engine of a Toyota inside the body of a Ferrari.
Great metal work!
You are right and I'm being mean. This chip raises the bar for a lot of crazy expensive stuff.
But I would have tried to fit the Topping PA5 Mk II Plus implementation in there. Much more expensive, but probably the best implementation of that chip to date.
I also feel it would have been awesome to find a way to use that hunk of metal to heatsink the chip somehow. Maybe some parachute/umbrella type heatsink design that mates to the body of the case internally.
But, I admire people who can do things with metal and your design is very nice.
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No apologies, as no offense taken. I designed it to "future proof" it as I have my eye on the new 3e-Audio boards with PFFB, or possibly the new Purifi boards coming out?
The base alloy plate is 1/4" thick 6061-T6 and easily swappable to one with a heat sink platform as well. This Aiyima module has the radiators mounted above the chip obviously.
The base alloy plate is 1/4" thick 6061-T6 and easily swappable to one with a heat sink platform as well. This Aiyima module has the radiators mounted above the chip obviously.
Been running the XS-8TL's with this amp for better part of the last week with my phone DAC and FLAC files.
Barely gets warm running them half volume on the dial.
I took the dial back off and reset it to 6'oclock being zero.
WAF is at 100% too as opposed to the amp and CD player in the living room.
Here's a pic where I removed the fan so you can see direct airflow path to heatsink radiator.
I also added 3/8" height rubber feet
Barely gets warm running them half volume on the dial.
I took the dial back off and reset it to 6'oclock being zero.
WAF is at 100% too as opposed to the amp and CD player in the living room.
Here's a pic where I removed the fan so you can see direct airflow path to heatsink radiator.
I also added 3/8" height rubber feet
Love this design and build! Just a question: Does the weight and diameter of that volume dial not offer enough momentum and / or torque to damage that potentiometer? Or did you make another mechanism to support it?
Can't give up all my design secrets, but viscosity can be your friend. It's precision machined and interfaced with 0.002" tolerance and the potentiometer plate and dial plate are lapped using lapping compound. It truly is smooth as butter with a slight resistance due to the lubricant's molecular weight I used.
Besides aesthetics, the large dial allows for very precision volume dial adjustment that the small factory dial couldn't accomplish.
Besides aesthetics, the large dial allows for very precision volume dial adjustment that the small factory dial couldn't accomplish.
Moved the amp over to another bedroom rig with passive Polk RM-1000 sub and modded B&0 CX100's this past week.
Absolute audio bliss. I'm not sure what load is being put on the amp, but its doesn't overheat at all playing 3/4 volume all day...
Absolute audio bliss. I'm not sure what load is being put on the amp, but its doesn't overheat at all playing 3/4 volume all day...
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Ordered a set of 4562's to swap out and have a listen. If the mids clean up on this bone-stock A07, I'll be tickled and leave the amp in this enclosure...
I have the Aiyima A04 bone-stock, and the mids are a little more clean on it...
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...MI9MaLqN6ChAMVakh_AB1HMg35EAAYASAAEgJn5fD_BwE
I have the Aiyima A04 bone-stock, and the mids are a little more clean on it...
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...MI9MaLqN6ChAMVakh_AB1HMg35EAAYASAAEgJn5fD_BwE
Color me impressed. More detail and separation of vocals/instruments with these little jewels...Is there a break-in time with those opamps? Hard to believe it get any better.
There shouldn't really be a break-in time for op-amps. But if we accept that you can hear a difference after the swap, then (because you are human) it will take some time to build your full impression/appreciation of the new characteristics - so in that sense one should expect some listening time to be required before reaching a final subjective opinion.
I'm often skeptical of op-amp swaps; unless the originals are old/nasty/cheap/inappropriate then the improvements in audio-signal handling ability should be so minor as to be nearly indistinguishable. Though if the replaced component interacts with the wider circuit differently then who knows; it could perform better or worse. Given how many people love things like valves over much higher performing semiconductors, better/worse might not even correlate well with how any one individual likes them.
I'm often skeptical of op-amp swaps; unless the originals are old/nasty/cheap/inappropriate then the improvements in audio-signal handling ability should be so minor as to be nearly indistinguishable. Though if the replaced component interacts with the wider circuit differently then who knows; it could perform better or worse. Given how many people love things like valves over much higher performing semiconductors, better/worse might not even correlate well with how any one individual likes them.
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I only go by ear when listening to equipment upgrades and do agree that the NE5532's could possibly not be OEM Texas Instruments from all my reading here about fakes/knock-offs. I only assume that the Mouser-suppled LM4562's are genuine. Is that the sonic improvement difference I'm experiencing?
I'm so surprised by this new addition/improvement that I have Karma'd-off my rebuilt, customised and restored Onkyo A8017 amplifier.
I'm so surprised by this new addition/improvement that I have Karma'd-off my rebuilt, customised and restored Onkyo A8017 amplifier.