Most of these home devices have a weak power supply. Sometimes this contains amplification channels of different power and circuit.So my ideea was to transform the 5.1 or 7.1 (digital obsolete) receivers in mono 300 - 700 W amplifiers with just input and output and give them a new life.
Radiators have insufficient surface area.
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I have dismantled several of these 5x65W multimedia contraptions and recycled their transformers and heatsinks to build decent quality stereo amps with pairs of Elliott's P101, notably.Most of these home devices have a weak power supply. Sometimes this contains amplification channels of different power and circuit.
Radiators have insufficient surface area.
Maybe so, but Elliott´s P101 requires +/-70V rails to put out rated 180W, I very much doubt those "5 x 65W" amps use much more than +/- 35V, if that much.dismantled several of these 5x65W multimedia contraptions and recycled their transformers and heatsinks
Fed from those rails, powerful P101 become plain vanilla 60-ish power amps, not bad but nothing to brag about.
Of course, driving an humble pair of 60W amps is an easy peasy job for original transformers.
+/-72 V is a whole lot more realistic than +/-81 at this power level, and especially with just an EF2. Probably within the capability of the drivers you have now - the S/B breakpoint is under 40, so 80 volt supply is iffy. I’d still upgrade the stock heat sinks, unless they are sharing the output heat sink already because full-pack TO-220’s are already at a disadvantage compared to the bare tab versions.
Those 5x65 POS’s probably use +/-50 or 55 volt supplies and drop like a stone.
Those 5x65 POS’s probably use +/-50 or 55 volt supplies and drop like a stone.
Thank you so much for the excel ! Its people like you that make this forum so much better. I have learnt a lot here... Again much appreciated, both you Olddiy and Wg_skiYou are welcome ! Thank you for sharing results and schematic !
You know how people have different ideas at different moments in life ? One of mine was related to all the receivers that get thrown away in the landfill (defective or not) because of the obsolete DSP or digital features while the audio power amplifier part in receivers let say sold in the last 10 or maybe more years are as good (except maybe some electrolitic capacitors) in terms of performance and schematic as a new one. So my ideea was to transform the 5.1 or 7.1 (digital obsolete) receivers in mono 300 - 700 W amplifiers with just input and output and give them a new life. Even if I never really pursued the idea (I was not sure if anyone will be interested in buying those) I have thought about this process before.
Now that you have provided the values we can calculate; I wrote the formula as
Ivas = (Supply Voltage - Vbe17 - Vbe21 - Vcp1) / (R33 + R31) so
a) with no signal (_)
Vcp1 = 40mA x 0.25 ohm = 10mV
Ivas_ = (72V - 0.7V - 0.7V - 0.01) / 17.3 kohm = 4.196mA
b) at max power on 4 ohm (M4) you say V clip 39.6vrms that's 55.8 Vpeak
peak current trough speaker I= U/R = 55.8 / 4 = 13.95 A
Divided trough the 4 Q21 transistors, each get 3.49A
Vcp1 = 3.49A x 0.25 ohm = 0.87V
Considering a hq21=88, Ib21 = 3.49A / 88 = 39 mA
Voltage on 27 ohm resistor = 27 ohm x 39mA = 1V (this is resistor voltage drop as CP1 ) so
IvasM4 = (59.3V - 0.7V - 0.7V - 0.87V - 1V) / 17.3 kohm = 3.2mA
b) is an approximation of worst case scenario (because h could be different and changes with the current, at 3.49A Vbe is probably something like 0.8V instead of 0.7V used in formulas, there is one more 10 ohm resistor in Q17 base, some millivolts on that, and so on).
I will attach an excel file with calculations; fields with border around are user inputs.
Optional, with low importance: You can remove all transistors from unused channel ("nothing else will be cooking") and you can increase bootstrap capacitor C15; if you don't have any, remove and put C16 (from the unused channel) in paralel on C15; attention to polarity!
+/-72 V is a whole lot more realistic than +/-81 at this power level, and especially with just an EF2. Probably within the capability of the drivers you have now - the S/B breakpoint is under 40, so 80 volt supply is iffy. I’d still upgrade the stock heat sinks, unless they are sharing the output heat sink already because full-pack TO-220’s are already at a disadvantage compared to the bare tab versions.
Those 5x65 POS’s probably use +/-50 or 55 volt supplies and drop like a stone.
The drivers are indeed plastic over metal types, they had no heatsinking... so I installed smallish clip on heatsinks that almost triple the radiating area. I have a 65C thermal breaker also installed on the outputs that cuts out the input signal if the sinks go over 65c. Also replaced the 4.7uF input electrolytic cap with a PP film type. Sounds more open and less constrained. Thanks again for your help and thoughts!
You are welcome ! Thank you for sharing results and schematic !
You know how people have different ideas at different moments in life ? One of mine was related to all the receivers that get thrown away in the landfill (defective or not) because of the obsolete DSP or digital features while the audio power amplifier part in receivers let say sold in the last 10 or maybe more years are as good (except maybe some electrolitic capacitors) in terms of performance and schematic as a new one. So my ideea was to transform the 5.1 or 7.1 (digital obsolete) receivers in mono 300 - 700 W amplifiers with just input and output and give them a new life. Even if I never really pursued the idea (I was not sure if anyone will be interested in buying those) I have thought about this process before.
Already done this for a couple of receivers... one got fitted with amp modules form Sonance, bridged gives me about 300w/8e stereo. Used a larger Onkyo DS-696 chassis for this and forced air cooling. The transformers were 2 from similiar sized Kenwood M1A (with those IC outputs), so its a dual mono set-up. The other one was fitting a Chinese A60 kit into a Rotel RSP-1056 receiver chassis, this runs the mids / highs on my PC speakers, the former runs the 8" subs for it... I got these KM-206's at a decent price hence wanting to up the power and use them as HF amplifiers in my Home theatre.
Thanks for appreciation, hope some moderator sees this; my posts are delayed (I think hours ?), invisible until a moderator see and approves them: "After a few quality posts you will be able to post freely" not as encouraging as intended...Its people like you that make this forum so much better. I have learnt a lot here...
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Hey Guys: for the second unit, since I have options, I think considering leaving the Sanken outputs (2sa1216/c2922) in there, and running them from one channel's driver like we did before with one exception (I will give my reasons later), I'd like to convert this to an EF3 from the existing EF2. So I will insert "super" drivers ahead of the existing drivers (which then become pre-drivers), these would feed the Sanken outputs. The question is what drivers... I have a few 2sb817/D1047's lying around that could be used. The pros are, they are free to me, they are smallish in size, they have good gain linearity (even at 5A they are over 50hfe ), they have been used as drivers in the Adcom GFA-555ii power amp which has rails of +/-84vdc , they also have a cob of 150pf which is easier to drive. The only con I see is the vce of 140v which makes is close to the Peak rails of 144vdc (+/-72v) in the KM-206 , however they worked just fine in the Adcom with +/-84v rails. They just used a 33ohm emitter resistor across to load them. Do you guys the same could be used ie. Adding drivers 2sb817/2sc1047 with 33R on their emitters?
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I might consider building some “modules” with two Sanken pair with emitter resistors and the D1047/B817 drivers on them, and wiring the whole works to the main PCB, driven by the existing drivers. It might be less of a kluge. Making your own STK Darlington Power Packs out of real transistors.
In Reality, I am just lifting the bases off the existing outputs and feeding them from the new drivers from a build/ install perspective. The Sanken's ER's can remain installed as is, this helps me use the existing LED outputs as well since they are already wired to the outputs today, and also the speaker switches on the front panel. It will be a kludge either way.I might consider building some “modules” with two Sanken pair with emitter resistors and the D1047/B817 drivers on them, and wiring the whole works to the main PCB, driven by the existing drivers. It might be less of a kluge. Making your own STK Darlington Power Packs out of real transistors.
I am curious though, do u have a schematic on these power packs you refer to?
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