HI all,
I would like to modify a professional amplifier in order to make it "hi-end" (is it possible?)
I will use it with THIEL c5si, (2 ohm minimum).
there are many pro amp in the budget 1000-3000USD but I don't know which one could be the best to modify and make it sound very well..
any help will be appreciated...
regards
I would like to modify a professional amplifier in order to make it "hi-end" (is it possible?)
I will use it with THIEL c5si, (2 ohm minimum).
there are many pro amp in the budget 1000-3000USD but I don't know which one could be the best to modify and make it sound very well..
any help will be appreciated...
regards
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Power supplies would be the place to start. Is there room in the amp's box for more capacitors and inductors (both being fairly bulky kinds of components) ?
Try something like this, it already has space inside the box - https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.27.EizbEQ&id=524875672918&ns=1&abbucket=13#detail
Something class AB with a linear power supply, and plenty of online schematics available. You don't want to try modifying high-power switch mode devices, but something simpler will be fun. There's usually plenty of thermal capacity, so you could wind the bias up and get 10w or so of class A output.
FWIW, I've got a QSC USA-850 here. Schematics are available, plenty of room inside, and they're cheap if you can find them. 450w/ch into 4ohm, and slightly more into 2, though that's the edge of what this amp will take.
Chris
FWIW, I've got a QSC USA-850 here. Schematics are available, plenty of room inside, and they're cheap if you can find them. 450w/ch into 4ohm, and slightly more into 2, though that's the edge of what this amp will take.
Chris
The advantage of starting from a Pro Amp is that the case/chassis, heatsink and hardware come cheap, but serviceable.
If you can also use the PSU then that's a big bonus.
Change the PCB and you get a potentially better amplifier.
But you may have to buy a new PSU to suit the lower voltages required for a non pro duty.
If you can also use the PSU then that's a big bonus.
Change the PCB and you get a potentially better amplifier.
But you may have to buy a new PSU to suit the lower voltages required for a non pro duty.
My aim is to re-built an amp that can sound good and drive the thiel that are a very hard load (2 ohms minimum impedance) starting from a pro amp in order to have the pcbs, the final transistors and the trafo.
No budget limit, i will buy mundorf mlytics on power supply and will change all the caps with elna silmic and mkp ones where possible. Also will change the resistors with metallic ones and emitter r with caddock.
But my guess is whic amp to start from.
I saw the t.amp proline 3000...700 eur for 5kw trafo and 30 devices each channel (mjl2113 and cmplmtry if I remember well).
2000w on 2 ohms. But i have no idea about the sound
No budget limit, i will buy mundorf mlytics on power supply and will change all the caps with elna silmic and mkp ones where possible. Also will change the resistors with metallic ones and emitter r with caddock.
But my guess is whic amp to start from.
I saw the t.amp proline 3000...700 eur for 5kw trafo and 30 devices each channel (mjl2113 and cmplmtry if I remember well).
2000w on 2 ohms. But i have no idea about the sound
I fear you have a high voltage PSU.
A 4ohms speaker that goes down to ~2ohms and needs lot of Hi Fi current will not require a high voltage PSU.
A 4ohms speaker that goes down to ~2ohms and needs lot of Hi Fi current will not require a high voltage PSU.
A high voltage PSU stores more energy per unit volume than a low voltage one. Just use an output transformer and choose its turns ratio according to how many watts you really need. The lighter the load the amp sees, the better its dynamics, IME.
Why start with pro amp if you don't need pro power? Pro amps are designed for sustained high power, high reliability, and moderate cost, but probably not for optimum low distortion.
In the $3k price range you would build from scratch, numerous designs on this forum that would beat many commercial amps. $500 gets you a very nice case, $400 is about all the psu trafo and big caps that you will need for dual 500VA design, the rest is PCB and parts pieces, maybe $500 if you go to town with the top of the line designs with expensive outputs like Sankens.
Btw, no compromise hifi designs by members vzaichenko and jwilhelm are available fully built as a commercial turn-key amp with custom CNC case, with options for higher power, monoblocks, etc. Valery's designs are very good sounding. You can even choose VFA or CFA topologies.
http://www.vzaudio.com/ns-modular
In the $3k price range you would build from scratch, numerous designs on this forum that would beat many commercial amps. $500 gets you a very nice case, $400 is about all the psu trafo and big caps that you will need for dual 500VA design, the rest is PCB and parts pieces, maybe $500 if you go to town with the top of the line designs with expensive outputs like Sankens.
Btw, no compromise hifi designs by members vzaichenko and jwilhelm are available fully built as a commercial turn-key amp with custom CNC case, with options for higher power, monoblocks, etc. Valery's designs are very good sounding. You can even choose VFA or CFA topologies.
http://www.vzaudio.com/ns-modular
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Makes perfect sense to me - trade off quantity for quality with a step-down trafo between amp and speaker. The downside is having a trafo which contains more iron and copper than strictly necessary, but the considerable upside is buying it all together nets a very attractive price. The now overly-sized heatsinks can be put to good use by upping the bias in the output stages.
The reason for starting with pro is that I cant print the pcb from zero, no time and wish for doing this.
500va are really a few...the amp should substitute a metaxas soliloquy amp which is 20.000usd.
So please can you indicate some reliable pro amp?
500va are really a few...the amp should substitute a metaxas soliloquy amp which is 20.000usd.
So please can you indicate some reliable pro amp?
Normally pro amps are fan cooled, you're not worried about fan noise? If not then plenty of cheap amps available on Taobao - here's a Crest-clone with ample space inside for a couple hundred dollars : https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.56.38u7Do&id=22137871993&ns=1&abbucket=13#detail
I agree that a case, heatsinks, and big trafo for a couple hundred is a bargain. But not sure if the OP's idea of "modding" the pro amp PCB will result in a sound on a par to the high end hifi amp.
Although the specs of the Metaxas Soliloquy are already bested by many amps in this forum. 1MHz bandwidth, 0.05%THD, 100w into 8R and 117dB SNR is not all that impressive.
I think a simple and low cost Apex FH11 could give this amp a run for the money.
I did - well not pro but fully built and reliable from vzaudio.
Although the specs of the Metaxas Soliloquy are already bested by many amps in this forum. 1MHz bandwidth, 0.05%THD, 100w into 8R and 117dB SNR is not all that impressive.
I think a simple and low cost Apex FH11 could give this amp a run for the money.
I did - well not pro but fully built and reliable from vzaudio.
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$20,000 only buys 100W per channel?😱 I would agree, that's a very large number of $$$ per Watt however the spec numbers don't guarantee how its going to sound.
this is the amp that many people recommended to me.
do you know where I can buy it brand new?
I think you can buy special editions brand new, but the majority of the Macrotech line is 20-30 years old.
Chris
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