AudioSector-chip amp kits, dacs, chassis

[Peter Daniel]

For acrylic I like to use Forstner bits: http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=10615&cookietest=1

You need to be careful with regular drill bits as sometimes they tend to pull the material (it's good to clamp the piece).

 

[karma]

thanks ill see if canadian tire sells em. if not ill order them.

im just warming up for the summer im going to need em

and yes it did stick a few times. but my cheap drillpress just stalled out

i finished it off with wetdry sandpaper and some dish soap
smooth like glass

 

[edjosh23]

Karma,

The chassis looks great.

Good work always comes from a good inspriation. That is one reason why I appriciate it when Peter and others post some of their work. Although I may not be able to think of the designs myself, I may be able to modify their design in some way.

Josh

 

[karma]

well this time i got the idea from a commercial dac. but i made a few changes aluminum is nice but im more into wood.

the project only cost me $10 for a cutting board from canadian tire
the plexyglass was from dead 20 inch lcd tvs off ebay. if you open the lcd there a nice source of soft plexyglass thats thick and easy to work with


there link http://www.wavelengthaudio.com/Cosecant.html

 

[karma]

all the parts

cheers

 

[edjosh23]

Peter,

I was wondering whether or not you prefer a seperate PSU to a single chassis.

I'm going to build a new GC this summer before I go to College and have decided to use premium compnents, but I can't decided whether or not not to build/buy another chassis to go along with an extruded case I already own.

Karma,

Any more pictures?
reviews? Are you still using batteries for the tube?
Are you moving the input and outputs to the back?

Josh

 

[Peter Daniel]

There are certain advantages to use a single chassis as power connections can be really short, but not having a transformer in a same chassis gives probably even bigger advantage, as the amp's chassis can be built better now, with attention to proper layout, shorter signal connections, balanced mechanically better with much smaller size.

However, if you already have the amp chassis that can accomodate transformer, I wouldn't be adding another box just for the transformer.

 

[Destroyer OS]

New question.... Solid buss bar of copper or how about like 4 quarter inch thick ones of copper? This would be for inbetwee channels and transformer, not necessarly the heat sink, just shielding.

 

[karma]

Karma,

Any more pictures?
reviews? Are you still using batteries for the tube?
Are you moving the input and outputs to the back?

Josh

yes im moving the input and outputs to the back
and making another case for the psu and batteries
not sure about any review. but theres still lots of work to do on it.
if theres anymore pics ill post em on my webpage.



cheers

 

[edjosh23]

Peter,

Ever since my first GC, when I was 16, I learned that wires need to be as short as possible. And In my recent designs I have sacrificed convenience for shorter signal paths.

I have 1 large extruded chassis that can fit a torroid and the rectifier board very confortably, but could probably bit 2 amplifier boards in there as well, but a bit more unfomfortably.

If using 1 chassis, one end would have the AC connection and the opposite end would have the RCAs and binding posts. It would not be as pretty, but it would sound good.

I would probably purchase another (smaller) extruded chassis for the amplifier boards, the chassis only costs about $12, so purchasing another chassis is not an issue. I would set the compnents similar to that of the Patak into the chassis.

Which reminds me... you have changed your umbilical cords. Do you like your lastest umbilical cords the best?


Thanks,

Josh

edit- I just looked at the extruded chassis that I have, I don't think it can fit the amp boards and the PSU in there together.

 

[Peter Daniel]

The boards can be trimmed, they are a bit bigger than neccessary.

Ever since I tried Cardas 20ga chassis wire for umbilical, I'm not looking for any changes here.

 

[edjosh23]

The umbilicals I was refering to were the XLR here

and the computer cable (don't know the name, parallel maybe) here

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

Basically the difference between having an 8 cable umbilical vs a 3 cable umbilical.

Josh

 

[Peter Daniel]

I used computer connector only in a first Patek amp (in the picture above). All the other units had 4 wires permanently attached to the amp and PS terminated with either 4 pin XLR (SE version) or 3 pin XLR (regular version), below.

 

[Destroyer OS]

No recommendation on buss bar?

I was just thinking that if you had several smaller ones they may not induce signal they catch onto the next one as easily, and be better at shielding.

 

[Peter Daniel]

I'm not sure about bass bars, I prefer to use wire, (for common ground, 10-12ga solid core copper)

 

[Destroyer OS]

Oh I just ment using some for shielding, not grounding. You know like the solid blocks you have inbetween the transformer and components in the Mono Blocks 6moons reviewed?

 

[Peter Daniel]

Something like that will never hurt.

 

[karma]

heh no way around it the psu is bigger than the dac

 

[jleaman]

heh no way around it the psu is bigger than the dac

Look's good now all you need is a few ultraviolet led's * purple glow ones * and you will be set.

 

[karma]

these batterys are good for a few days


cheers