I hope this post isn't too long.....but...... While shopping for my first Class A power amp these last 3 months, I was impressed by several pre-built models from Coda Technologies, Musical Fidelity, Sim, Monarchy and Clayton. But in the end, like all of us, I much prefer Nelson Pass’s approach to power amp design, as he’s made plain in numerous First Watt owners manuals: Two stage, single-ended, Class A amplifiers, with little if any feedback, using no eletrolytics in the signal path and lowest distortion gain devices with enough output to drive reasonably efficient speakers.
Ironically, however, I came to diyaudio.com partially out of great curiosity but mostly out of desperation, since at both Pass Labs and First Watt, I came very close but ultimately failed to find a pre-built power amp I could live with.
If only they would have issued a “new and improved” Aleph 30. No doubt it would have been a higher powered version of the Aleph J-plus including a standby mode, as in the XA30.5.
But I though I read here that someone makes separate kits for the Aleph J and Aleph 30 and where after assembly you feed the AJ’s outputs to A30’s inputs? That is, like
a preamp and power amp with separate chassis and supplies?
Or is there also a kit that hybridizes the AJ and the A30 together into one chassis,
with or without a separate power supply?
If yes, which Aleph J/30 kit formats are most said to achieve the best sound quality?
Again, First Watt never mass produced an Aleph J (nor the superbly low distortion F3) front end with the 40w/channel or more into 4 ohms output that I need. That would have made my life a whole lot easier.
I looked at Peter Daniel’s http://www.audiosector.com/ and Brian Donegan’s http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/ but found no such kits. I'm still waiting for a reply to my questions about Aleph kit availability and inquires on other matters.
Though you probably have already seen this or the like, I was lucky enough to have bumped into it while googling [aleph 30 schematic pdf ]: http://www.zen183332.zen.co.uk/Aleph/aleph30.htm
Generously posted free by Mr. Pass himself, it appears to be all the plans that any experienced builder needs to construct and test an authentic Aleph 30.
I also lucked out finding this: http://www.diyaudio.com/oldwiki/index.php?page=Aleph-30 which may have at least some of the information for hybridizing the Aleph 30 and Aleph J circuitry into one power amp.
By web posting the above info, I can only conclude that they are Nelson’s IP gifts to all for obtaining the best of the Aleph J and Aleph 30 built into one power amp, by whatever means open to the audiophile. Unfortunately, I have neither enough knowledge nor anywhere near enough time to build anything. So I need to find someone to build me an Aleph J/30 (or F3/30) hybrid power amp.
And I really need to have it done ASAP for auditioning a great pair of 90db/watt/meter speakers that I can get for a good price-if it won’t take too long to get the amp built. Having them with my DAC and computer will finally give me an audiophile grade system.
Therefore, with things as they are, will someone please offer or recommend someone to build this Aleph J/30 hybrid for me? Thank you.
Ironically, however, I came to diyaudio.com partially out of great curiosity but mostly out of desperation, since at both Pass Labs and First Watt, I came very close but ultimately failed to find a pre-built power amp I could live with.
If only they would have issued a “new and improved” Aleph 30. No doubt it would have been a higher powered version of the Aleph J-plus including a standby mode, as in the XA30.5.
But I though I read here that someone makes separate kits for the Aleph J and Aleph 30 and where after assembly you feed the AJ’s outputs to A30’s inputs? That is, like
a preamp and power amp with separate chassis and supplies?
Or is there also a kit that hybridizes the AJ and the A30 together into one chassis,
with or without a separate power supply?
If yes, which Aleph J/30 kit formats are most said to achieve the best sound quality?
Again, First Watt never mass produced an Aleph J (nor the superbly low distortion F3) front end with the 40w/channel or more into 4 ohms output that I need. That would have made my life a whole lot easier.
I looked at Peter Daniel’s http://www.audiosector.com/ and Brian Donegan’s http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/ but found no such kits. I'm still waiting for a reply to my questions about Aleph kit availability and inquires on other matters.
Though you probably have already seen this or the like, I was lucky enough to have bumped into it while googling [aleph 30 schematic pdf ]: http://www.zen183332.zen.co.uk/Aleph/aleph30.htm
Generously posted free by Mr. Pass himself, it appears to be all the plans that any experienced builder needs to construct and test an authentic Aleph 30.
I also lucked out finding this: http://www.diyaudio.com/oldwiki/index.php?page=Aleph-30 which may have at least some of the information for hybridizing the Aleph 30 and Aleph J circuitry into one power amp.
By web posting the above info, I can only conclude that they are Nelson’s IP gifts to all for obtaining the best of the Aleph J and Aleph 30 built into one power amp, by whatever means open to the audiophile. Unfortunately, I have neither enough knowledge nor anywhere near enough time to build anything. So I need to find someone to build me an Aleph J/30 (or F3/30) hybrid power amp.
And I really need to have it done ASAP for auditioning a great pair of 90db/watt/meter speakers that I can get for a good price-if it won’t take too long to get the amp built. Having them with my DAC and computer will finally give me an audiophile grade system.
Therefore, with things as they are, will someone please offer or recommend someone to build this Aleph J/30 hybrid for me? Thank you.