Victoria - Canada

[shanemac]

Hi there;

My name is Shane MacLeod from Victoria BC, Canada.

I'm married with three kids - two girls, one boy ages 5, 2, and 7 months.

I work as an application developer for a Credit Union here on Vancouver Island.

I'm new to DIY - sorta - I've build my own pair of Lynn Olsen Ariel's (speakers) and I'm pretty handy with a soldering Iron - I'm looking for a first time project AMP... and I really don't know where to start.

Could someone post post a list of good first time projects.

Thanks a bunch

 

[chris ma]

Hi,

Welcome...
There are quite a few designs here in the forum but as usual like any users that I am sure you can provide them with applications but depends on what the user wants..
same here, what would you like sir? or just check the menu, or search and read within the forum.

I am sure you will have fun here.
Best Regards,
Chris

 

[planet10]

Welcome Shane... another Victoria boy 🙂

Which Credit Union?

Ever get down to the Hounds?

dave

 

[paulb]

Hi Shane. The ESP P3A is a popular amp, my buddy here (mercator) just built one and is very pleased with it. Do a search for pictures.
Of course, there is always a chip amp if you want something less interesting...

 

[JOE DIRT®]

welcome Shane!

a chip amp would be your best bet for starting out as it can always be used later on when you build something a little more intricate


Cheers!!The DIRT®

 

[shanemac]

more than one from Victoria?!? whoooa

Hi guys;

Thanks for the warm welcome - I'm sure I'll Waste many a fine hour on this forum - well... maybe not waste ...enjoy many a fine hour 🙂

I'm very intrigued with a tube amp or hybrid - but I think for a first time project - I'd like to keep it to a tried and tested design that has a medium level of complexity.

I don't want to jump with both feet forward into something that's beyond my abilities.

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

 

[shanemac]

..planet10 - in answer to you query...

I work at Coast Capital Savings - the Shelbourne Branch.

 

[planet10]

Re: more than one from Victoria?!? whoooa

but I think for a first time project - I'd like to keep it to a tried and tested design that has a medium level of complexity.

How about Joe Rasmussen's tube buffered chipamp?

I work at Coast Capital Savings - the Shelbourne Branch.

Been there :^) -- I don't have a Coast account anymore. I always liked the old Pacific Coast name with the Orca in the logo better.

dave

 

[shanemac]

Re: Re: more than one from Victoria?!? whoooa

How about Joe Rasmussen's tube buffered chipamp?

Thanks - I'll look into it...

planet could you PM me with some Victoria based suppliers.

 

[planet10]

Re: Re: Re: more than one from Victoria?!? whoooa

planet could you PM me with some Victoria based suppliers.

PM = prime miniter?

I don't do private messaging -- send me an email.

There aren't many decent sources for parts in Victoria (Queals, Pacific Coast, and one on Bay St -- they all tend towards hit & miss stock & high prices). Pacific TV is the best local source for tubes and i always have some stock of recycled stuff. If you need some bits maybe we can gang a couple orders.

dave

 

[BC108man]

Welcome aboard - there are a lot of smart people around here. And most of them are nice 😉

Rod Elliot has some nice projects which are pretty easy to put together. His P19 is a 50W IC Amplifier. I've built a few and they're pretty decent.

Cheers, BC

 

[hifiZen]

Always nice to see another new face on here!

I've heard the Ariels are much more suited to tubes than transistors. Based on that, I'd avoid the Rod Elliot projects, not that there's anything wrong with them. For your speakers though, you might want to consider a nice little tube amp... maybe a SE triode, or a small p-p. I've often considered building the Ariels myself, but never had the space or time. If I do ever build them, my personal amp choice would probably be a Williamson topology EL84 p-p amp (been wanting to build one for a long time now...).

Check out Lynn's recommendations here: http://www.nutshellhifi.com/Arieltxt2.html#asq

If you're not into the whole tube thing, a Pass design might do the trick too (like a low-powered Aleph or Zen amp). The Ariels won't require much power - a 10W amp may be perfectly adequate. Certainly you won't need more than 50W. There should be something in the range of Pass designs and tube designs to suit your level of circuit knowledge and assembly skill, whatever it may be. And, of course, let's not forget the increasingly popular 'gainclone' or chip-amps. You could build a quick-n-dirty chip amp in an afternoon...

Anyway, I'm sure whatever you choose, there will be plenty of help available here. Welcome! 🙂

 

[shanemac]

Always nice to see another new face on here!

If you're not into the whole tube thing, a Pass design might do the trick too (like a low-powered Aleph or Zen amp). The Ariels won't require much power - a 10W amp may be perfectly adequate. Certainly you won't need more than 50W. There should be something in the range of Pass designs and tube designs to suit your level of circuit knowledge and assembly skill, whatever it may be. And, of course, let's not forget the increasingly popular 'gainclone' or chip-amps. You could build a quick-n-dirty chip amp in an afternoon...

Anyway, I'm sure whatever you choose, there will be plenty of help available here. Welcome! 🙂

Thanks again for the welcome guys..

I think I'm leaning towards a project of this type - for a later date - I'm more interested in doing something for my home theater set up right now - I have a Paradigm set up for HT right now ...and I'm intrigued at turning them into active speakers via some GC amps - more out of curiosity than anything else - I'm never heard of these little guys before... ummmm interesting?!?

 

[purplepeople]

Check out Tom Lee Music or Long & McQuade - they should have some chip amp powered active monitors on demo. That'll give you a good idea of how HT might go with them.

Did you make it to the DIY meeting at RAW Acoustic in Surrey?

In any case, welcome to it!

🙂ensen.