Complete chip amp kit with enclosure, etc ?

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invaderzim

invaderzim

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Joined 2015
I second the Akitika vote; depending on your size and price requirements. I built one a couple months back and it was really nice having all the parts and enclosure from one source.
I really enjoyed listening to the finished product. It was a gift for someone else so I don't have it anymore but I'm getting close to ordering another kit to build for myself because I really miss it.
 
Sadface

Sadface

Member
Joined 2012
Definately the Akitika if you don't want to do the chassis work.
That is the only kit I know of that provides the chassis.
Bonus points for USA supplier also....

There are various other providers around that can provide most of everything except the chassis.....
 
xrk971

xrk971

Founder of XSA-Labs
Joined 2012
etsy.com/shop/XRKAudio
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The TDA7297 is an excellent sounding chip amp in the power range you seek. There is a whole discussion in the “Lunch Money Amp” thread. Fully built is $3 and $1 as a kit. Yes, the low price is mind blowing. But with a few cap upgrades as discussed in the thread it can sound excellent. Uses a simple 12v SMPS wall wart for power. I have used as high as 19v laptop brick and 3v drop cap multiplier for 16v supply with a larger heatsink and that will squeeze a few more watts out of it.

TDA7297 Amplifier Board Module 12V DC Excellent Grade 2.0 Dual Audio Encoding Electronic Diy Kit Output 10 30W|electronic diy|diy kitelectronic diy kit - AliExpress

Add a small enclosure and knobs and connectors. Very easy project to do without it being a full kit.

For more power along the lines of the very excellent Akitika amp, this could be done as well for less but maybe not a full kit.

This amp module is available as a kit (or assembled $5 more) but doesn’t have chassis or trafo. But that’s most of the “fun”.
CIRMECH LM3886 Stereo high power amplifier board OP07 DC servo 5534 independent operational amplifier Shen Jin PCB KIT|lm3886 stereo|power amplifier boardamplifier board - AliExpress

Add a 200VA 25v trafo for $32:
AS-2225 - 200VA 25V Transformer - AnTek Products Corp

Add a suitable CNC aluminum chassis and some connectors...
 
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jbau

jbau

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Joined 2009
linearz.com/stuff/
First test of the build on the above board. The headphones this will be driving present a nominal 12 Ohm load, and 10V peaks are louder than I can stand for very long. So that's the load and level I used for the test. Power supply voltage need not be very high for this: +-12V is just fine.

I do not need the recommended 26dB of gain for this amp, so I set up one channel for 20dB gain, and the other for 10. The amp is very stable at both gains. With identical output levels, there is an interesting difference in harmonic distortion makeup vs gain. The attached plot shows the case at 1kHz. Even harmonics are lower at 10dB gain; odd ones are lower at 20dB.

amp1020.jpg
 
jbau

jbau

Member
Joined 2009
linearz.com/stuff/
Did some listening last night and, needless to say, the sound quality of this amp as initially configured was very disappointing, sounding very much like the distortion plot would suggest: thin, edgy, and "electronic". Removing the fuses on the ps rails, and the 4.7uf film input capacitor, improved things substantially, but it is still underwhelming.

The heatsinking and gain is just about right, but I'm going to bump it up 6dB to allow for a volume control on the input. I'll continue to tweak on it a bit, but I'm having my doubts... I don't think the distortion spectra pattern is going to change very much, and these headphones deserve a much better amp than this.
 
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