Hopefully they work on fixing the existing links. It would be good to have inline viewing on Youtube vids and Soundcloud audio.
How's everyone doing?
Been working both on the breadboard and on sims for a little headphone hybrid amp. Got some great THD reduciton last night in one sim, but forgot how and also didn't save that one apparently, ha!
Gearing up with one of the most gripping sports week-ends ever: UFC + Formula 1. Go Max!
In the meantime, sent a couple of small orders to local Tube DIY suppliers but I don't need to wait for them to arrive to continue working of my circuits
Checked an old CD/DVD player form Samsung because that's a candidate for hacking in a custom output stage. However, this one has a CD loading issue. Doesn't matter much, I have around 4 additional ones from various manufacturers to choose from, all given away to me for free.
Currently an Awai CD/DVD player with a Linear Regulated Power Supply and speaker outputs is playing a 3-CD collection of a Chinese singer on the now installed 4 driver (1 passive), 3-way Stereo set, together with a so-so Logitech Subwoofer at low volume while I am eyeing the F1 Free Practice 2 and while I am also trying to find out what I did to get that THD reduction in sims.
How's everyone doing?
Been working both on the breadboard and on sims for a little headphone hybrid amp. Got some great THD reduciton last night in one sim, but forgot how and also didn't save that one apparently, ha!
Gearing up with one of the most gripping sports week-ends ever: UFC + Formula 1. Go Max!
In the meantime, sent a couple of small orders to local Tube DIY suppliers but I don't need to wait for them to arrive to continue working of my circuits
Checked an old CD/DVD player form Samsung because that's a candidate for hacking in a custom output stage. However, this one has a CD loading issue. Doesn't matter much, I have around 4 additional ones from various manufacturers to choose from, all given away to me for free.
Currently an Awai CD/DVD player with a Linear Regulated Power Supply and speaker outputs is playing a 3-CD collection of a Chinese singer on the now installed 4 driver (1 passive), 3-way Stereo set, together with a so-so Logitech Subwoofer at low volume while I am eyeing the F1 Free Practice 2 and while I am also trying to find out what I did to get that THD reduction in sims.
Try getting an old VHS HiFi deck for cheap or maybe you have one. Check out the audio specs for an analog recording medium. Spinning helical scan heads and FM modulated signal combine to give superior performance to linear straight path analog tape. It beats reel to reel but is not as sexy. It beats vinyl by orders of magnitude but is not as tactile of a user experience. Looks too compact and cheap to be considered as “serious audiophile” equipment but it sounds great. Tear one apart and put a modern OPA1656 etc opamp in it for the tape head readout amp.
A couple of my HIFI VHS decks (Panasonic made) are honestly fantastic audio recorders, something most people have no idea about.
Nevertheless, my Akai reel-to-reel deck looks "more pretty" when in use.
Neat stuff there, XRKaudio.
Been up since 1 am after that humongous sports week-end but I still had some purchases to do for Christmas.
I had an idea of getting some tubes for cheap but it necessitated separating extra tubes from a little tubed DAC should the store agree to let me have them.
Him (after some online verification): '$20'
Me: 'For one tube?
Him: 'All three.'
Me: 'That's a good deal!'
See for yourself:
That's three 6DJ8 or equivalent, including a Russian and a West German RCA for USD 15.61. The third one is an 'Adzam'. Never heard of it. [EDIT: a quick search shows that these are made by Philips!]
#WinningLikeMax&Checo
Been up since 1 am after that humongous sports week-end but I still had some purchases to do for Christmas.
I had an idea of getting some tubes for cheap but it necessitated separating extra tubes from a little tubed DAC should the store agree to let me have them.
Him (after some online verification): '$20'
Me: 'For one tube?
Him: 'All three.'
Me: 'That's a good deal!'
See for yourself:
That's three 6DJ8 or equivalent, including a Russian and a West German RCA for USD 15.61. The third one is an 'Adzam'. Never heard of it. [EDIT: a quick search shows that these are made by Philips!]
#WinningLikeMax&Checo
Attachments
I believe they are interchangeable in that DAC: it's an Aune T1.
I tried fishing for these tubes on eBay and found some huge prices sometimes. Not sure how exactly he did his evaluation. The first tube has a Rocket logo on it and 6H23P, so that should be a Vokshod. Since it was the first from the left in the box, he might have plugged that into eBay and stumbled upon a cheap one or something like that. The label on the invoice line says '12AX7' too, no idea how.
The RCAs don't seem to be cheap.
The Adzam (Mazda in reverse?) seem to be expensive. Markings show E188CC I think.
Not sure which tube was still in the DAC itself. Maybe I would have gotten an even better deal had I swapped, say the Adzam, for whatever tube was there - imagine a Telefunken for example (!).
Been checking here and there for circuits to go with them.
After having checked a datasheet, the heater requirements are not too far off 12A*7s, so I might just plug them in my current breadboarded amplifier stage and have a listen. Might be too tired to do that today though.
There's one tube hybrid heaphone amp planned and there's my preamp/line stage which has a tendency to balloon into a mixer and also a guitar distortion preamp, but there's also a Tube output DAC (standalone or from a CD player) in the line somewhere.
In the meantime, one of my local suppliers is giving me a hard time because their bloody website can't show proper stock for their own items...
I tried fishing for these tubes on eBay and found some huge prices sometimes. Not sure how exactly he did his evaluation. The first tube has a Rocket logo on it and 6H23P, so that should be a Vokshod. Since it was the first from the left in the box, he might have plugged that into eBay and stumbled upon a cheap one or something like that. The label on the invoice line says '12AX7' too, no idea how.
The RCAs don't seem to be cheap.
The Adzam (Mazda in reverse?) seem to be expensive. Markings show E188CC I think.
Not sure which tube was still in the DAC itself. Maybe I would have gotten an even better deal had I swapped, say the Adzam, for whatever tube was there - imagine a Telefunken for example (!).
Been checking here and there for circuits to go with them.
After having checked a datasheet, the heater requirements are not too far off 12A*7s, so I might just plug them in my current breadboarded amplifier stage and have a listen. Might be too tired to do that today though.
There's one tube hybrid heaphone amp planned and there's my preamp/line stage which has a tendency to balloon into a mixer and also a guitar distortion preamp, but there's also a Tube output DAC (standalone or from a CD player) in the line somewhere.
In the meantime, one of my local suppliers is giving me a hard time because their bloody website can't show proper stock for their own items...
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Late night in the lab. On the bench was the pre-production EP 600.2SE amp pathfinder. Trying to see if the new HyperSET tube buffer works and if the smart logic turn/off signals work with the 1200AS2 amp. So far so good. A few minor issues - mostly having to deal with the crazy supply shortages. I have found that designing around any specific DCDC converter chip adds huge risks to a project successfully making it to production.
This is when linear trafos, diode bridges, bulk cap banks, and linear discrete regulators have a better immunity to supply chain disruptions of unique parts.
Initial wiring is to check functionality. Now work on making neat tidy wire assemblies with 90 deg bends etc. all eye candy really. Sometimes “as-the-crow-flies” wiring is quieter and better in performance.
This is when linear trafos, diode bridges, bulk cap banks, and linear discrete regulators have a better immunity to supply chain disruptions of unique parts.
Initial wiring is to check functionality. Now work on making neat tidy wire assemblies with 90 deg bends etc. all eye candy really. Sometimes “as-the-crow-flies” wiring is quieter and better in performance.
Attachments
xrk971,
https://www.acrytech.com/duratex-announcement-weve-upgraded-our-formula/ How did Acry-Tech Duratex paint get started? Watch.
https://www.acrytech.com/duratex-announcement-weve-upgraded-our-formula/ How did Acry-Tech Duratex paint get started? Watch.
Another small noval tube arrived today. I ordered a 12AU7, got a 5963 instead. Apparently people don't care for its sound.
I tried it in my circuit and I'd say the same. This tube is supposed to be used in computers, not audio. My supplier shafted me on this one and it doesn't help that I wanted this for a Christmas gift.
Although people say the 12AX7 isn't good at low voltages, with the handful of tubes I have, it's the one that sounds best. They're marked 'Behringer' though so must be some white label / relabel.
Yesterday I tried the 3 new tubes of the 6DJ8 variety I scored for cheap and in my current circuit I found the highs too harsh, so I'll either try with other topologies or stick to the 12ATX. This occured with all three: the Vokshod 'Rocket Logo', the RCA and the Adzam.
I tried it in my circuit and I'd say the same. This tube is supposed to be used in computers, not audio. My supplier shafted me on this one and it doesn't help that I wanted this for a Christmas gift.
Although people say the 12AX7 isn't good at low voltages, with the handful of tubes I have, it's the one that sounds best. They're marked 'Behringer' though so must be some white label / relabel.
Yesterday I tried the 3 new tubes of the 6DJ8 variety I scored for cheap and in my current circuit I found the highs too harsh, so I'll either try with other topologies or stick to the 12ATX. This occured with all three: the Vokshod 'Rocket Logo', the RCA and the Adzam.
From this to the production version above:Production samples of the crossovers for the LSA Signature 80’s arrived. They look super - heavy suckers. All MKP film caps.
