The Akitika is definitely the modern Heathkit. The instructions are very detailed and every part fits together perfectly. There is no additional expensive chassis to buy or part you forgot to order or anything like that. They are a true joy to build.
Absolutely but at the moment: Mouser: 0; Digikey: 0; Reichelt: 0
https://www.tme.eu/en/katalog/?queryPhrase=LM3886 a pinch will arrive and available soon.
And also about 5500 pieces are arriving at Mouser: Expected date 10/13/2023.
However, it is always worth following up, these Mouser dates are generally just placeholders there. I've been waiting here for components and looked at it arriving in a year, a few weeks later looking at the same thing it was already there and I was able to order.
And it's also not smart to 100% avoid large Asian online stores - talks that only fake products are sold there is not true.
I have bought from there couple of times also LM3886, last time a few years ago I bought 2 used (soldered out) LM3886TFs for 3 euros with "free" shipping and they are still in working order, they work on a supply voltage of about +-31V and sometimes they get quite a lot of abuse.
Also Sure Electronics store, never received anything fake from them. The prices were higher, but the LM3886 arrived in a cut factory tube package, which was also vacuum-packed in an anti-static bag.
Chaoxin Electronic Store (in Ali) just sells LM3886TF, at price of 5.31eur each or wanjiadianzi Store LM3886T for 3,3eur, and I absolutely do not doubt for a second that they are original.
It must be said that somewhere around 3 euros is the price for a piece if you should no longer feel this fear - look at the reputation of the seller and decide accordingly.
You can be cheated anywhere - in my local store in a "developed" European country, bipolar transistors in the long obsolete Sankens are also on sale, which are as far from the genuines as the Earth is from the Moon, but they charge a quarter of a day's salary here for each such fake, although you can buy a similar fake in Asia for 2 euros.
How can these Asian prices be cheap?
Just as I have bought components thrown out of large factories at the end of their "storage period" - parts that are in full factory rolls with labels and whose Mouser prices are in hundreds and thousands of euros per roll, let's leave aside the piece prices altogether...
Apparently, in Asia, these "suspiciously" cheap prices are the result of a similar activity - parts are thrown out of factories in containers and they are bought cheaply and resold in small quantities with markups, so we can engage in our hobbies.
I just bought KAM32KCG3A102JU NP0 capacitors, a whole full roll, 10 euros, same thing at Mouser 333 eur+taxes. A roll of Vishay Draloric resistors 7500 pieces, for 10 euros, Mouser's price at the moment is almost 480 eur+taxes (and in addition, even Mouser does not have same product in stock and expected delivery in about a three month), a handful of Ti 24 bit ADC converters a strip, some dozens, 2 euros together, their Mouser price for one piece is 15+eur+taxes.
And we only have a couple of outsourcing companies here with half a thousand employees who are constantly emptying their warehouses.
I myself have worked as an operator of SMD placing machines, also communicated with a warehouse employee who is interested in electronics and who showed the real purchase prices of components - they are colossally different from what is shown to us, ordinary citizens.
And finally, I seriously doubt that there is no one in France who has an LM3886 that he is willing to sell at a fair price and that is not a fake.
And also about 5500 pieces are arriving at Mouser: Expected date 10/13/2023.
However, it is always worth following up, these Mouser dates are generally just placeholders there. I've been waiting here for components and looked at it arriving in a year, a few weeks later looking at the same thing it was already there and I was able to order.
And it's also not smart to 100% avoid large Asian online stores - talks that only fake products are sold there is not true.
I have bought from there couple of times also LM3886, last time a few years ago I bought 2 used (soldered out) LM3886TFs for 3 euros with "free" shipping and they are still in working order, they work on a supply voltage of about +-31V and sometimes they get quite a lot of abuse.
Also Sure Electronics store, never received anything fake from them. The prices were higher, but the LM3886 arrived in a cut factory tube package, which was also vacuum-packed in an anti-static bag.
Chaoxin Electronic Store (in Ali) just sells LM3886TF, at price of 5.31eur each or wanjiadianzi Store LM3886T for 3,3eur, and I absolutely do not doubt for a second that they are original.
It must be said that somewhere around 3 euros is the price for a piece if you should no longer feel this fear - look at the reputation of the seller and decide accordingly.
You can be cheated anywhere - in my local store in a "developed" European country, bipolar transistors in the long obsolete Sankens are also on sale, which are as far from the genuines as the Earth is from the Moon, but they charge a quarter of a day's salary here for each such fake, although you can buy a similar fake in Asia for 2 euros.
How can these Asian prices be cheap?
Just as I have bought components thrown out of large factories at the end of their "storage period" - parts that are in full factory rolls with labels and whose Mouser prices are in hundreds and thousands of euros per roll, let's leave aside the piece prices altogether...
Apparently, in Asia, these "suspiciously" cheap prices are the result of a similar activity - parts are thrown out of factories in containers and they are bought cheaply and resold in small quantities with markups, so we can engage in our hobbies.
I just bought KAM32KCG3A102JU NP0 capacitors, a whole full roll, 10 euros, same thing at Mouser 333 eur+taxes. A roll of Vishay Draloric resistors 7500 pieces, for 10 euros, Mouser's price at the moment is almost 480 eur+taxes (and in addition, even Mouser does not have same product in stock and expected delivery in about a three month), a handful of Ti 24 bit ADC converters a strip, some dozens, 2 euros together, their Mouser price for one piece is 15+eur+taxes.
And we only have a couple of outsourcing companies here with half a thousand employees who are constantly emptying their warehouses.
I myself have worked as an operator of SMD placing machines, also communicated with a warehouse employee who is interested in electronics and who showed the real purchase prices of components - they are colossally different from what is shown to us, ordinary citizens.
And finally, I seriously doubt that there is no one in France who has an LM3886 that he is willing to sell at a fair price and that is not a fake.
Sure but the tendency is there @TI is to end production of AB chips in favor of D. Look at the TI-recommended replacements for LM3886...
Do you remember what happened to the excellent LME498xx ? Gone.
But look for the topic of the thread. Yes they may disappear soon, but they are still there (pretty much like bc560c in TO-92), so still a good place to start from.
I agree: I built a LM3886 gainclone amp back in 2012 and it sounded quite good. If LM3886 chips come back on the market, I'll buy a few and add them to my stash before they vanish again, like I did for the LME49810/830.
Thank you for the suggestions but after reevaluating I think I am going to start with something simple and less expensive to dip my feet into the DIY world. As then I can create something simple enough for me to wrap my head around and then move onto something a bit more complex and repeat the cycle!
Cheers!
Thank you for your reply good sir, you have asked some good questions there. As for heat and energy usage, I don't mind that much, although the least heat and energy the better, but I suppose that comes with more complex and new technologies. The only thing I can recall which really stood out to me, was the aesthetics of some non-diy speakers (Wharfedale Laser series). As for how long I would be using the gear I cannot say, but it would be cool to keep them for my (hopefully) future children. I am also not really interested in buying second hand diy although I don't doubt it would work out more cost effective, I feel as though that would take out some of the fun and satisfaction!
Cheers!
At the moment I think for a pre amp the Zen Mod Iron Pre could be a good option (@twocents thanks for the suggestion) any idea how much this would roughly cost to source parts (I am being lazy). As for an amp I am thinking to start off with JLH-10 and LM3886 as they both seem cheap enough to build both although it seems it may be a hassle trying to get a hold on some LM3886 chips. And for speakers well I don't know.... How well would the LM3886's be able to drive my current speakers (Eltax Monitor 3 supposedly 89db) .
Chipamps ? , this is solid state.
Lets talk ksa992/Ksc1845's , NJW0281/0302's. Real discrete amps.
Lets talk ksa992/Ksc1845's , NJW0281/0302's. Real discrete amps.
These are the speakers that I use every day with different amps and believe me that with 10w, you'll have enough.
One of the best value for money I know these speakers.
Hey @Sgt.Elias, I have had lots of good experiences with Rod Elliot’s pcbs. I have built his preamps, some P3A power amps and all his chip amps as well as crossover stuff etc. Instructions are excellent. All my boards have worked first time without exception and all met or exceeded my expectations.
Just a quick note, as you are in the UK you may like to look at https://wilmslowaudio.co.uk/stand-m...ce-kit-c/w-mdf-flat-pack-cabinet-painted-ends
For example as a compact bookshelf speaker. I haven’t bought their kits, but I have bought lots of drive units from them over the years. Falcon acoustics also do kits IIRC.
Just a quick note, as you are in the UK you may like to look at https://wilmslowaudio.co.uk/stand-m...ce-kit-c/w-mdf-flat-pack-cabinet-painted-ends
For example as a compact bookshelf speaker. I haven’t bought their kits, but I have bought lots of drive units from them over the years. Falcon acoustics also do kits IIRC.
Thanks for the suggestion @Jeffh01, they look beautiful in my opinion and would fit the aesthetics of my current bedroom perfectly. Although they seem a bit expensive? The drivers from my findings would cost £160, and mdf is dirt cheap, + whatever crossovers would be (would a crossover for something like this be expensive?). I wonder if I could conjure up something similar to these.
That's great for me! They do sound very decent don't they. I don't have anything to compare them to but I think they sound really quite good.
Some "fake" LM3886 are genuine, you need to check thread in Chip Amps part of the forum. https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/whats-going-on-with-lm3886-availability.386577/page-28
Difficult for me to estimate – I’m on another continent with different suppliers and currencies. You will have to enquire from @ItsAllInMyHead if there are still some basic kits available, but they should be available at the diyAudio Store soon. My SE kit cost me around $150 USD shipping included. Then the toroid transformer another $35, and the rest of the parts around $50. I save a lot by making my own cheap enclosures from mdf and acrylic (perspex) offcuts. I don’t care for the looks, but my Iron Pre sounds the same as any other in a $300 enclosure. That’s the beauty of diy, you have the freedom to do anything.
What you will find with building your own amps and preamps is the cost of the power supply and enclosure (with all the connectors and switches) is normally much more than the pc boards and components.
Attachments
Try LM2876 then, still available, the sound would be more or less same, but at litlle more than half maximal power of 3886. Then, when you obtain a real 3886, just replace with 3886, the pinout is the same.
Yes. Scrapping power supplies and heatsinks from old electronics saves a fortune. Lots of things can be used as enclosure. One guy here builds Riia into tinboxes for coughdrops I think is was.
Cheers