The diyAudio Firstwatt F6

One very quick thing you can do.
Run the amp in parallel mono.
Report back.

Made a RCA-female-chassis connector to two RCA-male cables and paralleled the outputs. I'm not used to listen to only one speaker but it seem to improve the bottom end quantity somewhat.

Maybe i could just add another pair of outputs and keep the same voltage supply levels and up the bias, i think the chassis heatsinks could take at least 70% more bias but the 300VA transformer cannot.

I guess it's a question of output impedance/drive ability rather then just "watts".
These speakers are 3 way, 4 speaker elements after all with the complex impedance of the x-over and the reactance that comes with it. 😡

Any more ideas?

EDIT: The single channel sounds thinner and more shouty with more forward treble/upper mid
The dual/paralleled setup is more relaxed, darker with a more laid back treble/upper mid

I wonder it that is due to the paralleled amplifiers them self or that the PSU only have one speaker thus only have to deal with half the impedance load.
 
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try amp on some other speakers before making final judgement

Don't really have any other high end speakers.
Got a pair Von Schweikert VR-2 but i know they are even harder to drive properly then the Focals are.

I have tried a small pair of sony bookshelf speakers from one of those compact "all-in-one" stereo, but they really cheap and doesn't put out any bass anyway. But they did sound OK when i tested the F5 with them 😛

By the way, will the circuit i drawn in post #1459 work at all? Or maybe some cascode instead if possible?
 
I have both board stuffed and on heatsinks. Hope I could put them into the chassis tomorrow.
 

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I have a question I hope is not too dumb. In the F6 I understand the 1000uF cap feeds back some of the output signal. Why is a non polar cap not used? I noticed in the 6moons article a pic of the amp shows 4 caps instead of the 2 on the diy boards. Would this be because the 6 moons amp has the caps back to back to make up 2 non polar caps?
 
I have a question I hope is not too dumb. In the F6 I understand the 1000uF cap feeds back some of the output signal. Why is a non polar cap not used? I noticed in the 6moons article a pic of the amp shows 4 caps instead of the 2 on the diy boards. Would this be because the 6 moons amp has the caps back to back to make up 2 non polar caps?


There is an AC voltage through the cap, but also a polarising voltage across it, to the order of 4.5V. In such a case the difference between polar and non-polar will be minor. However if you wish, I guess it could be used.
 
Help

I thought I ran into some sort of problems. The PSU gives me good numbers and both sit at +24.74/-24.75 unload. I fired up one channel at a time and first on test was the channel on my right. I have the power turn on and checked closely on two meters. I didn't find any reading on bias, but instead the voltage at offset raised like crazy. I turned it off and back on again after serious checked. The LED was not on and again the reading at offset went over 2v but the bias had nothing. I turned off and disconnected all power so to recheck and found the LED was placed in wrong end. I took it for granted that it should be + to supply and - to ground. I turned the negative to the supply and + to ground and the LED back on.
I tried my luck to fired up the left channel by setting both trimmers in the middle and it fluctuated a bit but I could see readings on both meters. I then trimmed the offset close to 0 and let it sat at .5v for about 30 minutes. It was stable, the voltage without going anywhere.
I replaced both IRFP240s on the channel with problem and fired up after that. LED was on but offset voltage reminded the same, kept climbing and no reading on bias. What I have done wrong?? What else I should do to make it works ???
Thanks in advance

Albert