You can make it sound anyway you want.
You can build it exactly like the original circuit or any of the variations in the F6 article or even with 40V rails if you wanted, that's the reason for adding nitrous.
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Thx. Received today from McMaster (4x12x0.01") impeccably packaged, $74 delivered. Now in hand I see that it's a special material and worthy of doing it right. Will update with results. M2 primarily, maybe also F6 (clones).
BK
bk856er, did you get to try this on your F6? I am troubleshooting some buzz and wonder if shielding the input transformers might something to go for, so would be curious to hear what your results were.
Sorry, the sheet material is still sitting on the bench waiting to be cut and shaped into a cute little box, so can't speak from experience here!
BK
Hi all,
I finally give my F6 some nice almost perfect matched IRFP240 , and here are the distortion numbers that came out , using an UCA222 calibrated sound card .
test made at 1 Watts , with 8.0 ohm non inductive load , 0.500 v bias , R1 and R2 0.47 ohm
.
I finally give my F6 some nice almost perfect matched IRFP240 , and here are the distortion numbers that came out , using an UCA222 calibrated sound card .
test made at 1 Watts , with 8.0 ohm non inductive load , 0.500 v bias , R1 and R2 0.47 ohm
.
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Hello,
Has anybody tried Turbo version proposed by Zen Mod? I would like to know if it is feasible and how it sounds...
It would nice a similar approach for M2 😉
Thanks.
Attachments
Hello everyone.
I would like build an amp diy, it will be my first achievement so i'm looking for a relatively simple amp to build. This would be to power Klipsch RF7-MKII speakers. These speakers require an amp sound rather soft and warm, or at least not aggressive in the medium-high frequencies.
I think to realize the Firstwatt F6 or F5. Do you think that these amp would make a good association with Klipsch RF7-MKII.
Thanks for your advices.
Thierry
I would like build an amp diy, it will be my first achievement so i'm looking for a relatively simple amp to build. This would be to power Klipsch RF7-MKII speakers. These speakers require an amp sound rather soft and warm, or at least not aggressive in the medium-high frequencies.
I think to realize the Firstwatt F6 or F5. Do you think that these amp would make a good association with Klipsch RF7-MKII.
Thanks for your advices.
Thierry
practically no setting involving voicing ......... as is the case with F6
not that F6 is bad in any area , just ....... M2 is Swiss Knife of Pass Realm
The sound of amp M2 is that comes closest to a tube amp.
I think I will build the M2. I will inquire if the printed circuit boards are still available here....
I think I will build the M2. I will inquire if the printed circuit boards are still available here....
Contact member Tea-Bag, he might have boards and transformers still for sale. There are also the new M2x from Mark Johnson, which gives you flexibility in terms of jfet choices.
I built the F6 a few weeks back and have been using it for music, movies etc. on my Altec A5s. Its a great amp and worth every penny in parts, transport fees, VAT and free time. 🙂
I could probably live with it for many years to come, but after hearing what the F6 kan do my interest is awoken 😉 . I have now also ordered M2 boards (M2 and M2X) and Edcors (actually also a F5 kit for my son 🙂 ). Im going to build and compare which FW flavour is the better fit for my Altec A5s.
I will also keep one FW for a second system (high WAF) in our living room powering more conventional although wall mounted speakers (Carlsson OA-51LE2).
Having had Lowthers (in MAU IV) for a very long time and various Altecs the last 6 years, I have for over two decades been uninterested in transistor amps. I never heard any transistor amps I thought could be used in my revealing systems, other than megabuck class As. I came close to buy a Pass Labs 30 some years back, but it was not logistically feasible to get a loner, at the time, to try in my system. I have assembled a some Class-Ds and e.g. the hypexes are not bad, but my tube amps have been better on most points. The F6 has changed that, its not like a tube amp but does its things in a way that I dont miss the tubes. It has more resolution than my tube amps and makes it possible to enjoy late night low level listening on my A5s. A possibility I have not had since I sold the Lowther horns.
My tube amps have been kt88/el34 PP, 2A3 PSE and 300B SE, and both active tube preamps and passive (simple pots and the hugely better alternative Dave Slagle autoformers). I currently have the Slagle autoformers and an Aikido pre.
I might also take a peek at ZMs pumpkin-variations in the near future or at least try a B1>Slagle autoformer>Sowter 1465 combination. The Sowter 1465 is from a DAC project and is a 1+1:5+5 high quality transformer.
This is a dangerous forum 😉
I could probably live with it for many years to come, but after hearing what the F6 kan do my interest is awoken 😉 . I have now also ordered M2 boards (M2 and M2X) and Edcors (actually also a F5 kit for my son 🙂 ). Im going to build and compare which FW flavour is the better fit for my Altec A5s.
I will also keep one FW for a second system (high WAF) in our living room powering more conventional although wall mounted speakers (Carlsson OA-51LE2).
Having had Lowthers (in MAU IV) for a very long time and various Altecs the last 6 years, I have for over two decades been uninterested in transistor amps. I never heard any transistor amps I thought could be used in my revealing systems, other than megabuck class As. I came close to buy a Pass Labs 30 some years back, but it was not logistically feasible to get a loner, at the time, to try in my system. I have assembled a some Class-Ds and e.g. the hypexes are not bad, but my tube amps have been better on most points. The F6 has changed that, its not like a tube amp but does its things in a way that I dont miss the tubes. It has more resolution than my tube amps and makes it possible to enjoy late night low level listening on my A5s. A possibility I have not had since I sold the Lowther horns.
My tube amps have been kt88/el34 PP, 2A3 PSE and 300B SE, and both active tube preamps and passive (simple pots and the hugely better alternative Dave Slagle autoformers). I currently have the Slagle autoformers and an Aikido pre.
I might also take a peek at ZMs pumpkin-variations in the near future or at least try a B1>Slagle autoformer>Sowter 1465 combination. The Sowter 1465 is from a DAC project and is a 1+1:5+5 high quality transformer.
This is a dangerous forum 😉
if you need gain , just feed with signal on lower autoformer tap ........ same as I'm doing with Iron 
no need for additional xformer just for gain ....... except in case if you try it and like it
no objections , in that case 🙂
no need for additional xformer just for gain ....... except in case if you try it and like it
no objections , in that case 🙂
Thanks ZM, my Slagle autoformers are the ones that are already wired to 2 selectors per per side for crude and fine volume adjustment. As such it is a great volume adjustment thingy 🙂 and therefore I was thinking of using the Sowters for gain.
The dynamics are good with the Slagle autoformers as a passive pre, compared to volume pots, but I also feel that my Aikido preamp with GlassWares stepped attenuator, although less transparent that the autoformers alone, gives more authority and slam.
Anyhow I will try with the Slagels after the B1 once i have built the B1 (I got the pcbs and jfets only a few days ago) as I may have enough gain in my system now. I now have a DAC with normal output.
I used over a period (while I was gathering courage and cash to fix one of my 300B monoblocks 🙂 and before I built the Aikido pre) a cheap Chinese dac where I took the output directly from the chip (I/V resistor) to the passive autoformer pre and a 30watt hypexamp that had no input buffer, just a sowter (rc -> balanced) as a form for buffer. Sound was fine but level too low for serious rock, prog, classical. The Sowter 1465 after the DAC chip fixed that 🙂
The dynamics are good with the Slagle autoformers as a passive pre, compared to volume pots, but I also feel that my Aikido preamp with GlassWares stepped attenuator, although less transparent that the autoformers alone, gives more authority and slam.
Anyhow I will try with the Slagels after the B1 once i have built the B1 (I got the pcbs and jfets only a few days ago) as I may have enough gain in my system now. I now have a DAC with normal output.
I used over a period (while I was gathering courage and cash to fix one of my 300B monoblocks 🙂 and before I built the Aikido pre) a cheap Chinese dac where I took the output directly from the chip (I/V resistor) to the passive autoformer pre and a 30watt hypexamp that had no input buffer, just a sowter (rc -> balanced) as a form for buffer. Sound was fine but level too low for serious rock, prog, classical. The Sowter 1465 after the DAC chip fixed that 🙂