Nice job troubleshooting
BTE, I like that chassis a lot. Where can they be had? Thanks!
BTE, I like that chassis a lot. Where can they be had? Thanks!
I bought the chassis off ebay in 2016.
My account only goes back 5 years so I don't have any record.
I believe their name was Watchara.
My account only goes back 5 years so I don't have any record.
I believe their name was Watchara.
Gents, I'm rebuilding my F6 mono amps into better chassis and upgrading a few parts. I'd like to get some better chokes wound however I am unsure of the actual current these chokes will see as I'm a relative newbie with this stuff. As these are mono amps I'm using 2 chokes per channel.
Currently I'm using Hammond 159ZJ which are rated for 5 amps
Currently I'm using Hammond 159ZJ which are rated for 5 amps
To all the good folks out there: How does the F6 sound compared to the other Pass power amp constructions?
A subjective statement is fine.
I have a standard F5 I build years ago, and it sounds very good, open detailed and smooth. The only thing I changed was
to put chokes in the power supply. I used Jantzen thick wire 1 mH as far as I remember. And I used Toshiba output transistors.
A subjective statement is fine.
I have a standard F5 I build years ago, and it sounds very good, open detailed and smooth. The only thing I changed was
to put chokes in the power supply. I used Jantzen thick wire 1 mH as far as I remember. And I used Toshiba output transistors.
it really depends - for comparison sake, how your F5 is made/set
it can be, roughly formulated, either sort of romantic or sort of clinical
it can be, roughly formulated, either sort of romantic or sort of clinical
ArthurDK:
The primary amps in my main system are F5 Turbo V3 mono blocks but I also have a dual mono F6 in reserve. I recently built an F6 "Diamond" for a friend and posted a comparison of the three amplifiers at https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/the-f6-revisited.405444/page-29#post-7702408
You might find that assessment helpful.
Regards,
Scott
ArthurDK,
I like my F6. But if you have a preamp that can swing about 20V RMS, you should consider the F4. The F4 is a power buffer. It has plenty of current, but needs to get its voltage from a preamp. I prefer the F4....very little sonic signature. Basically, it will sound like your preamp. I'm using it with a Bottlehead Moreplay. I want to build a more powerful preamp so I can get the full 40 watts per channel into my 4 ohm speakers. The F4 controls the low end very nicely. I'm using it with Arendal 1723 tower speakers.
@ArthurDK : I have DIY F5 and F6 builds though I haven't used them in a while. Both are 'standard' without any exotic parts. (F5 with Fairchild mosfets without P3 tuning). With my speakers/sources/room, I found the F5 to be a bit more exciting but less forgiving compared to the F6. For me, the preference of one over the other often boils down to mood and choice of recordings.
This is directly from one of the Moreplay designers, Paul Birkeland.
"... a Moreplay will put out somewhere around 32V or so RMS of signal at maximum. Most sources aren't going to be able to drive the preamp hard enough to make that happen, but it's possible."
Link to quote
That's more than enough voltage swing to drive an F4 to clipping into 8 ohms, and you'll run out of ooomph into 4 ohms before you get to around 13V input.
If your source isn't capable... or if you want more gain from the Moreplay... OK, but it's got plenty of "power" for your needs.
Cheers
@jminassi : Following up on IAIMH's comment, the gain of the Moreplay is 9dB (~2.8x) (per the description here: https://bottlehead.com/product/moreplay-preamplifier-kit/ ) which is pretty reasonable for a modern line stage. Unfortunately with a standard 2VRMS CD/DAC output level, you'll be limited to less than 4W into 8 ohms with an F4. Your Moreplay can swing the voltage but only if your source has a very high output.
If you like the Moreplay as is, maybe you can try adding a 'gain stage' between it and your source. It could be as 'simple' as a buffered signal transformer (same idea as IronPre) configured for 6 or 12dB of gain.
If you like the Moreplay as is, maybe you can try adding a 'gain stage' between it and your source. It could be as 'simple' as a buffered signal transformer (same idea as IronPre) configured for 6 or 12dB of gain.
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for the suggestion, but I wouldn't have a clue how to do that. I'm an implementor, not an engineer. I look at it as an opportunity to build another preamp that satisfies my requirements. I would just move the Moreplay to another system.
John
Thanks for the suggestion, but I wouldn't have a clue how to do that. I'm an implementor, not an engineer. I look at it as an opportunity to build another preamp that satisfies my requirements. I would just move the Moreplay to another system.
John
That’s about the last place I’d choose to try to improve sound. (As you already have chokes in the PSU)
YMMV, of course. Looking forward to hearing your impressions.
😎
YMMV, of course. Looking forward to hearing your impressions.
😎
Ladies 'n gents, I present, Smolf6.
Conservatively biased at around 1A per side, the little heatsinks along with the Noctua fans seem to do a good job.
Also, I've used the Cinemag transformers that are supposed to be an "upgrade/replacement" for the Jensens. Not sure how much of an upgrade they actually are, but they seem to be working just fine! (RE-123FLPC)