Explendid amplifier designed by Michael Bittner, our MikeB

Hi Sheldon !

Looking to your pictures it seems to me that you are very good with metal works !
About the trimpot, yes, you can/should keep it, it's normal to keep it,
and as you used a high quality trimpot that is sealed that is no problem !

Your inputcap, what a monster ! What kind of cap is that ? It is so BIG !
I am anxious about your evaluation with the stereoversion !

Mike
 
Thanks Mike,

I've always enjoyed taking pieces of material and making something. Now I have some time to do it. If I had more room, I'd get a bunch more tools. Can't ever have too many tools.

The audio input cap you see there is a 4.7uf 250V MPP. I got it from the same electronics surplus place that I get many of the components. Or did you mean the blue power supply input caps? Got those from the same place. They are Sprague Powerlytic 24000uf-40V. Cost $3.00 each.

I expect it will be a couple of weeks before I get the last bits and have time to put it all together, but I will report back.

Thanks for the nice design Mike, and Carlos thanks for the inspiration to build it. Thank you both for the help.

Sheldon
 
You very welcome Sheldon, as i usually welcome friendly guys, and you are special.

Because the kind of life you have, my respects Doctor Sheldon...you know how to leave!

But wait till you have full 37, or even 38...or even 39 volts...hehe.... wait two channels and big speakers...put them in the corners...yeah!

Find a music with dinamics..... alike that one, music theme of the Scotish warrior...... "Brave heart" music theme.

Adjust your pré amplifier to flat, no filter , no loudness...nothing..or better, use an small CD player...can have bass boost....no problem, Symassym can hold inputs with big bass without saturate...yeah.

Lay down.... have some cushions and go to touch the floor... find a confortable position.... close the windows...beeing alone... increase the pré amplifier to 70 percent the total volume.....around 700 milivolts...or do the same in your CD portable player.

Ligths off...close your eyes and feel it.... carefull with glasses in your hand as suddenly you can move fast as response of impact of dinamics...there are enormous dinamics... some sound that seems a cut of flesh will turn you feeling afraid.... the drums and storms will let you feel how is to be prepared to battle, and will feel vibration into your insides when the music search it's mid part....if you have not good digestion.... be prepared to run to WC,as i had this problem...so afraid i felt...i have watched the movie, and i know what represented those sound...having problems with tooth...do not open you mouth... hi frequency will let you feel some problems inside mouth!...hehe!... do not believe?...checkit!

If you have Tchaikowski... 1812 Overture...use it also.

Also sprach Zaratustra is very nice too..... 2001 Space Odissey movie theme.

Wagner.... receiving invitations to a party... observe the voices, they are young guys, one of them is out of tone...i could perceive thisdetail,first when i listened Aksa, and them, could heard with GEM and Symassym...not, they did not woke me up to perceive..i continue not to listen with other amplifiers...those amplifiers i told are very good, and they are full range, but, having their more strongest qualities in some audio band, i think they are very complementary.

Bass punch will hit your stomach... they will reach 5 hertz and bibelôt will vibrate over the furniture.....things will move over your furniture, speaker may reach the dead end and produce the 'Clak" sound.... treble is alive as a razor cutting...hard, precise, wonderfull...the only defective part of this amplifier, is that he was made for one special German, very different from others in his country...this one is Kraut!...the other not!

I am his friend, Michael friend...MikeB friend, we use to go kidding one each other all the time... we have this permission to joke without offenses....a good friendship we made...but he is Kraut (some kind of vegetable that is used to create problem with Germans...call them Kraut may be offense)

Only this one guys!....not all Germany guys...only this one!

regards,

Carlos
 
Thanks Carlos,

For the kind words and suggestions. I'll do that. But now I have a more complicated question (maybe). Is the design philosophy of the amp posted here or somewhere? I'm curious about the idea behind Symasym. I think I understand the symetrical part as being the input and output sections, with the middle section (second differential, cascode, current mirror and BD135) being asymetrical. Why that topology?

Sheldon
 
Now the perfect moment appeared, if Michael want to talk, he has room to a book

But i am afraid Michael are not capable to spend so many words, as he is too much busy.

Also i have doubts if he has competence to talk a long conversation...ahahaha!...provocations...may work with him.

We will see.... do not know exactly if he will make enormous efforces, as he will work saturday and sunday, and he use to work 14 hours a day...having small time to sleep and to have his meals, normally sandwiches and fast food.... he is running against the watch.

I could follow him since the begining, and the first design was not this one.... was Cascvas if i can remember...Cascode Vas.... was sligtly different...and he constructed many models, simulating and discovering many things related distortion, speed, biasing, Miller capacitors, oscilations and problems in waveforms....many models were made...all them listened and evaluated...compared to other amplifiers and comparisons were sent to many friends, all them telling their own ideas related the one win, related the one that had harshing sound...the other one that had no dinamics. the other one that had mufled trebles...and he go researching till found this circuit...considered by him, better than the others he used to compare, and the one gave him entire satisfaction.

I remember he goes erasing many things.... Miller cap he killed the one, he said awfull things about sound results and waveforms, distortions and more details that i cannot remember.... triple darlington output was tested but he discovered that have enormous tendence to oscilate during the reproduction.... induced oscilation caused by some frequencies... triggered oscilations...so...he abandoned the triple darlington...things was done this way...not working good...erased!

Well, this is a story of subjective things, and also A to B comparison, but using a media recordings. and human evaluations... was used 4 key guys...all experienced, all them with white hairs... and 4 world sides...5 different cultures and different musical tastes evaluating.....those CD recordings were made with professional microphone and digital recorder.... the sound source was Graham Maynard super test CD and the amplifier under test, making pair with some amplifier to A to B.... JLH was used, Yamaha was used and Harman Kardon was used...they were switched A to B during recording under controled sittuation.

But i think Michael have knowledge enougth to transfer those informs that i'm sending you to ; distortions, harmonics, frequencies and all kind of data that usually is prefered by the ones that often use Simulators and Mathematics calculation and analisis.

This depends on him...i really cannot do that, it is impossible for me, for a while, because my know how that is not enougth...but i remember very well how hard was to compare, to evaluate some recordings...others was very fast and easy...but...when differences was very small...very difficult to find one instrument, or something wrong, to have decisions.... i used headphones...speaker have colourations and was very hard, even to perceive some small differences.

He can show you details.....as he is not someone that use to spend too many words, i suggest you to put your needs written in clear and multiple questions...this way you will have the answers need....organized man he is.... this way, i am sure you will have the return you need, and i am sure he will not perceive you as something doubting his competence, as is already clear to us that you are a positive guys, different than others that enter only to dennie, to say opposite things, only to detonate...the ones that are serving the smelling to sulfur red guy that leave downstairs...very deep in the hell.

I am concerned that it is difficult to him to wrote a book...he is a sinthetic guys, and his informs are clear and plenty of logics..he is a programer, those guys leave in another kind of world, and they have interesting language.

If this is inside the limits from 0 to 5
It is clear that no other numbers will be accepted
Input X
Let X = real numbers
For X= y+ 2, let X plot 43, 23
Next X


Those things he understand... normal Englander conversation i could see he has some troubles...he is little bit shy and humble, those ones do not apreciate to show themselves..he will never put an watermellow over his head, will never put spot ligths on him, will not use a microphone to talk loud and will never say some words during one birthday.

Let's see, now, after read clear my criticism about his behavior, it is possible, that he decide to try the opposite, as he is a enormouslly competitive guy!

I apreciate this guy very much...but i think his voice may be awfull, alike a hunger goose, because he never had courage to send me audio communications, the way i use to prepare to my close friends...his voice may be worst than Donald the Duck.

Quaaaaack!

regards,

Carlos
 
Carlos, Grrr ! Hehehe, this was the revenge for the "decent camera"... 😀

Hi Sheldon,

I will try to explain a little, but this is not my best talent... 🙁
(And Carlos is right, have not too much time right now...)

SymAsym, because the inputstage is asymetrical using no complementary
transistors, but the vas is still symetrical, forming a pushpull-vas, still
not needing any complementary matching. Pushpull-vas means, that
the upperdevice lowers it's current in the same ratio as the lowerdevice
increases its current and viceversa.
So, this topology is a mixture of symetrical and asymetrical amp.
The designphilosophy... Principally an amp showing low distortions
for higher frequencies, or nearly same THD for 1khz and 20khz, and
having not much high order harmonics. I also spent much attention
to such details like having no turn-on/off thump, good resistance to
powersupply variations, thermal stability.
I chose this topology as it gave me "all" i wanted !
(And, after having tried many, this seemed the best one)

Principally i prefer the fully symetrical circuits, but the matching of
complementary transistors never really suceeded. For some reason
i do not understand, pushpull-vas always showed the stronger/tighter bass...

Mike
 
I am surprised..my dear Michael may have eated one entire parrot, as he really wrote

But really Sheldon, if not entirelly satisfied with the informations posted, needing more details, please, post direct questions in sequence.

Maybe that transistor with base to ground...hummmm, was my doubt.

Well Sheldon, let's talk directly, frankly, in the most true way...you did our biggest desires.... Michael and I were suffering as not so many guys constructing his amplifier, was a hard work, for me too, but my side was more pleasure than work, the A to B comparison testing.

As you made us a good thing, constructing it, now it is time to return the good thing you have done for us, taking care of you, and helping you wherever you need...we are very happy you decided to construct this amplifier.

The need we had was to share, to show a good thing, to scape from the selfish situation to be the only one, a very small group that have it....nothing Comercial, nothing is to sale, this is real diy, a hobbie in a pleasant way, Michael has not time to product this as kits, and i think those equipments do not sell here in my country, as no one will pay the price amount when they can have much more in benefits, as CD players, Equalizers and Speakers.
The ones wealthy here want tube equipments, a Macintosh brand and no chance to introduce nothing... unless cost more than Macintosh and appear to have more fame...the word is vain...if you prefere, ridiculous...i can accept too...those guys, use the most expensive cars, and they use to go out in groups, Ferrari and Lamborghine are their cars.... spitting dirty smoke into the poor guys faces.... they have not my best feelings, i ensure you.

So, we have to thank you, and to all guys that already started to produce Symassym, and as i told you, if one....only one, decide to construct...we will feel as we were paid by the effort....you did it!

But you can talk clear, be true to say what you perceived of it, when ready and deeply tested, we have any fear, as the amplifier is really very good.

regards,

Carlos
 
Re: I am surprised..my dear Michael may have eated one entire parrot, as he really wrote

destroyer X said:
But really Sheldon, if not entirelly satisfied with the informations posted, needing more details, please, post direct questions in sequence.

Maybe that transistor with base to ground...hummmm, was my doubt.

Carlos

No, that was fine Carlos. As I said, I need to chew and taste the concepts a little first before I can even ask good questions. I did learn one basic thing; namely, the meaning of symetrical in this context. I was thinking that the differential would be considered symetrical (sort of like balanced), but now understand that the term refers to npn/pnp pp pairs. So, time for a little thinking now on my part, as my main purpose is to learn and keep the grey matter working.

Sheldon
 
Something from your country-brasil

Carlos simply amazing!.........

Yesterday we purchased 12 X Selenium 15WP3 250W 15" woofers "made in brasil" and after powering up them with our amp the speakers were just blasting the whole arena into movers & shakers with punching bass. we enjoyed the brasilian product very very much...

cheers,
K a n w a r
 
Selenium is very good Kanwar, and the tweeters, the ones with aluminium case, silk

dome units sound very nice.... they do are not loud, as have some oil to cool the coil, but reproduce with quality.

Thank you Kanwar, i feel good to see our products giving satisfation to you...in special someone good as you are...i feel very good with this.

Palesha was interested to import some speakers from Brasil, i tried to put him in contact with our main factory, called Bravox...but they are so busy selling to United States that did not gave me atention...i could not present Palesha for them...well, they lost enormous Market.... their problem, i done my job.

People here, use to say that Bravox is a little bit better than Selenium...i do not know, as i love them all.

There is another good brand, Novik...and hundreds of "special" speakers to use in automobiles, those i really have not knowledge.

So the old brand Selenium...more than 40 years producing speakers in my country, serving India..... wonderfull....just wonderfull!..... this weekend i will feel twice times happy.

Your country have importance in world history, not only because of Ganges and Bramaputra, but also because you oppose enormous resistance, the biggest resistance Alexander the great faced in their intention to conquest wide ancient world, your peacefull resistance against the British Empire are also something we all know, Mahatma Ghandi...i feel proud Kanwar...really proud, to see my country products serving India.

This is very good...really good...thanks that you let me know.... i will be singing as a happy bird in the morning that will arise very soon.... that new made me more happy...proud!...inflated as a ballon...having efforts not to start to fly away.

Internal market price is 1/2 of the International price (maybe the crazy export taxes..we may be the only world country that do a great jog to create problems to export....aaaaagh!) ..their price policy is not clever Kanwar...this could reach you having more competitive price....here you can have them for 120 dollares each one, and factory is giant, not difficult to produce 3K speaker each day.... minimum income here...around 100 dollares (our shame!) result in cheaper production costs.

great!

Carlos
 

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A small brake, waiting news from Sheldon and others...brazilian speakers Kanwar

Bravox was founded in 1953 by German Engineers that arrive our German towns .

Now 4 enormous factories and producing thousands units a day, as all cars made here, goes out of production with Bravox waterproof units installed.... full warranteed...never burn or damage...can work under watter...very good units, i never had news that someone had to replace a Bravox car speaker... made to accept watter and enormous temperature variations...from 60 degrees celsius to less 5 degrées environment for long years.... having conditions to support less 40 and plus 80 for some years only.

We go making cars that are beeing exported to wide world, not only our Latim American Partners but also to Europe, United States, China and i think also India (not sure)...inside.... a bravox already installed.

Now a days, it is difficult to contact them, so busy they are to face their agreement of exportations with many countries... United States is sucking our production alike Vaccuum Cleaners.... thousands goes to ship everyday. Volkswagen, Ford, Chevrolet,Fiat, Toyota,Nissan,Renault,Peugeot and many others ordering enormous amounts for daily use.

I think they are a little bit better than Selenium, and the more important, they are cheaper....those small 5 inches units will cost less than 8 dollares...holding 20 watts RMS (really!).... continuous....... when many "zilion" watts units...having constant 20 watts melt their coils (reality).

I will show you images...asking moderators not to split to Speaker forum...this is only a temporary, small break....do not want troubles with Dave.... this thread is Symassym amplifier...that can use Bravox speakers or Selenium speakers too.

Observe the site adress in the image!

regards,

Carlos
 

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CARLOS [SANTANA]

Hi Carlos,

Great to read your information on Selenuim and Bravox...& INDIA
We also had JBL 2242 18" woofers and along side Selenium 18WPU 18" 800W but after 5 hours of continuous operation Selenium wins as it shows only 1dB of compression whereas JBL shows 1.4dB of compression in power output....

regards,
K a n w a r