bluegti said:
Two troubleshooting sessions going on at the same time, I hope this doesn't get confusing.
I re-wired my transformer last night, same results and same voltages as before. 🙁
Yellow/Black - Common
Red - AC1
Blue - AC2
Since I have two boards completed and two transformers, I am going to try the other board tonight and see if I get the same results. They look exactly alike to me but I guess we will see.
pinkfloyd4ever said:
Nothing wrong with your tester EXCEPT that nic in the mains wire!
That needs to be taped or Heat Shrunk...
Everything else is good. <All wire is stranded, the box is earthed and the cables are clamped / secured on the ends. All standard connections and up to code.>
bluegti said:
Like I said, pictures please.. I can compare component placement / value, wiring, everything at once.
udailey said:
ahhh I bet that's it.
anyway, a pic: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NYBaAaAn6jWTv6J6NinZBg?feat=directlink (click the magnifying glass to the right of the top corner for a full size view)
let's see here...
yup, I swapped the two blue wires in the pic you linked to uriah, and the bulb doesn't light at all now...
I just realized that this could easily happen, and as far as I can see, there's nothing to distinguish the secondaries from each other. Why in the world would a manufacturer use the same color pairs for both secondaries and both primaries?
I will clean up the bulb tester too
ahh, now getting 117V on the primaries and 25.5 on the secondaries...
the 1.5 and .3ish I was getting before had me stumped
I just realized that this could easily happen, and as far as I can see, there's nothing to distinguish the secondaries from each other. Why in the world would a manufacturer use the same color pairs for both secondaries and both primaries?
I will clean up the bulb tester too
ahh, now getting 117V on the primaries and 25.5 on the secondaries...
the 1.5 and .3ish I was getting before had me stumped
If the light tester hadnt been in there we would have had even more trouble figuring out why your amp AND toroid were having trouble 🙂
Thanks again so many times to AndrewT for always bringing the Poor Mans Variac/DimBulb Tester/etc to our attention. Not only does it save amps and DIYers but it gives clues to.
Glad you got that part working right, now for some music!
Uriah
Thanks again so many times to AndrewT for always bringing the Poor Mans Variac/DimBulb Tester/etc to our attention. Not only does it save amps and DIYers but it gives clues to.
Glad you got that part working right, now for some music!
Uriah
YEEAHHHHHHH just listened to comfortably numb on my one of my Insignia bookshelfs (its first use too). Oh baby, now for the other channel
!
And yes, thanks again Andrew and Nuuk for insisting we use a light bulb tester!!
!And yes, thanks again Andrew and Nuuk for insisting we use a light bulb tester!!
pinkfloyd4ever said:YEEAHHHHHHH just listened to comfortably numb on my one of my Insignia bookshelfs (its first use too). Oh baby, now for the other channel
Contratulations!
Enjoy your brand new MyRef! 😎
Shhhh. He is on the "Dark Side of the Moon" right now... 😀
pinkfloyd4ever-
I am VERY happy that you got it working!
I am also very happy that the kits were correct and the parts turned out to be dead on in the GB.
Thanks guys.
ClaveFremen and Madisonears-
I really appreciate the work on parts optimization!...
I can't wait to make my second set with the mods and compare the difference!
pinkfloyd4ever-
I am VERY happy that you got it working!
I am also very happy that the kits were correct and the parts turned out to be dead on in the GB.
Thanks guys.
ClaveFremen and Madisonears-
I really appreciate the work on parts optimization!...
I can't wait to make my second set with the mods and compare the difference!
So who wants to do a ridiculously crazy over the top group buy with BlackGate electrolytics, Mundorf input caps, Caddock, Mills or Riken resistors, MUR860 rectifiers, Plitron transformers, Wima .22uf caps or whatever the guys suggest here? Silver plated boards of course. Do you think it would be worth it? Any discussion on that is invited. It wouldnt need to be big. Maybe 10-20 stereo kits.
Seriously 🙂 Its run through my head a few times and while I dont think more than one or two people would be into it, maybe I am wrong.
Uriah
Seriously 🙂 Its run through my head a few times and while I dont think more than one or two people would be into it, maybe I am wrong.
Uriah
troystg said:
Thank you troystg, you're welcome!
I can't wait too to read your impressions 😉
udailey said:
Wow, Uriah!
I've already R-Cores, MUR860, Nichicon KG big caps, Mundorf Zn input caps and Takman and Dale RN55 resistors and, of course, all my mods...
I think I'm fine... 😎
I really don't know if resistors, MUR860 and R-Cores makes any difference, someone else has to try 😉
I suspect that caps makes the biggest difference...🙄
PS
Mundorf Zns now sounds better without bypass, burn-in?
I dont know if they sound better or not as I have never had them in my system. And my system broke during our move then I shipped my boards off to a friend and am running a $35 TAmp from PartsExpress. I need something new. Maybe this idea, maybe F5. I am not fighting for it, but if a few people think its something they want to do then its worth a try.
uriah
uriah
I read the parts and said "wow, r cores"... Then read further and had to comment.
There has been enough discussion on R-cores to make me think that they do help.
I wish they were more widely available around here.
But yes I do agree that the caps prolly make the BIGGEST difference.
There has been enough discussion on R-cores to make me think that they do help.
I wish they were more widely available around here.
But yes I do agree that the caps prolly make the BIGGEST difference.
udailey said:
After owning Bryston, Levinson, Jeff Rowland and McIntosh amps I can safely say I am perfectly content with the sound from these little giants.
I struggled with the assembly of the 41Hz Amp 32 and I have not yet built my UcD 180's to listen to Class-D but I doubt they will be a HUGE revelation to make me abandon Mauro's design.
He did so much with common parts to PROVE that the whole can be greater than the sum of parts..
troystg said:
I'm pretty sure R-Cores are better than toroids (I've bought them for that reason... 😉 ), less loss, less HF noise, less voltage drop and so on...
but in a Class A amp their influence is big, in a Class AB one probably is bigger the one of 10000 uF caps...
I think I wouldn't spend 55€+VAT on a Nuvotem encapsulated toroid (the one that Mauro suggests) to confirm that my R-Cores sounds better 😉
TeaBag has been trying RCores on his F5 but claims they make to much noise. He has only tried one though so it could be a cheapie. I dont know the make of it. I guess there are a few guys including him that are sound testing transformers on the F5.
Uriah
Uriah
I once ordered R-core and O-core samples, which the manufacturer claimed to be of same rating and same core material. It turned out that the O-core produced much more bass than the R-core.
So transformers CAN sound different !!
Thats pretty cool. It seems like the power supply is one of the most important parts of good sound.
My best chip amp with LM3886TF was with Antek toroid and Nelson Pass F5 power supply of 120kuF, but many people, including me have built them with only 20kuf. It had more punch to the bass and mids.
Never even heard of an O core, unless you mean toroid. Is that what you mean?
Uriah
Thats pretty cool. It seems like the power supply is one of the most important parts of good sound.
My best chip amp with LM3886TF was with Antek toroid and Nelson Pass F5 power supply of 120kuF, but many people, including me have built them with only 20kuf. It had more punch to the bass and mids.
Never even heard of an O core, unless you mean toroid. Is that what you mean?
Uriah