Nothing fancy... C21 will probably go and R11 orientation will be fixed, will be updated also orientations for Z-Foils, things like that.
Hello, i finally completed my build, you can see below:
Very good sound. extremely detailed!
Lacked a bit of dynamics, something damped, but it's improving very much as times passes: absolutely needs some hours of burn in to start sounding really good.
No hum, no hiss, crystal clear!
Sorry for my low-quality pics...
Very good sound. extremely detailed!
Lacked a bit of dynamics, something damped, but it's improving very much as times passes: absolutely needs some hours of burn in to start sounding really good.
No hum, no hiss, crystal clear!
Sorry for my low-quality pics...
Nice build
I would not have used such big cans outboard, though.
Absolutely, the amp needs a few tens of hours to settle.
Nice build
I would not have used such big cans outboard, though.
I had them from a previous build, so i thought it would be interesting to prove them on My_ref FE. They sound good for now, we'll see after burn in...
But it's getting better fast! After nearly 10 hours it has got to an higher quality level yet.
New build tutorial
I've finally completed the updated Build Tutorial which covers all boards up to 1.6 and will be valid also for next revisions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-qKRBuaKtzYYkt3c2VJdndxSmM/view?usp=sharing
I've finally completed the updated Build Tutorial which covers all boards up to 1.6 and will be valid also for next revisions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-qKRBuaKtzYYkt3c2VJdndxSmM/view?usp=sharing
Errata Corrige
Re-reding the new tutorial I've found a couple of glitches, now fixed:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-qKRBuaKtzYVHJyT1ZaR292MFk
Re-reding the new tutorial I've found a couple of glitches, now fixed:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-qKRBuaKtzYVHJyT1ZaR292MFk
Good Job!
And perfectly clean boards, nice
Let us know how it sound
With PTF56 in R101, R201 it's possibile that it will sound a bit 'bold', the last BOM specify RN55 for those positions.
The other day I completed upgrades 1-6 per Dario's numbering and put about 12hrs on the system.
This involved replacing C9 KZ with Cerafine and replacing RN55 at R7, R12 with Z-foils. All the others upgrades I already had in place. C32 is still in the original orientation.
The overall build is shown in post #2405. It's now the current BOM but with PTF6 in two places and R11 still KOA.
The sound is good and the timbre is nice. But I find the bass a bit boomy and heavy-handed. I changed my room and setup a bit, so this is not an A-B comparison.
Would replacing R101, R201 and R11 with RN55 type help my situation?
What are the sonic differences with the My_Evo Rev. A compensation? Would that take me in the right direction?
Are ebay Cerafines from asia a safe bet?
BK
Fine
I don't know if your room and setup made a difference but you can reduce and improve bass response replacing the PTF56 and KOA.
PTF56 have been replaced in BOM because they have too much and too hard bass and a somewhat 'milky' coloration.
KOA in R11 also boosts bass.
If replacing those 3 resistors doesn't fix completely the problem it's possible that you would replace also C1 and C2, as I've said sometimes they can sound hard if the rest of the setup doesn't match well.
I've finally found a very good neutral souding cap for those positions, Vishay/BC 038.
Sadly they're not available from Mouser and not low ESR as it would be best.
Tomorrow I should be able to test their low ESR counterpart (Vishay/BC 136) and if they will sound similar to 038 they will replace Nichicon PW in BOM.
My_Evo Rev. A compensation sounds sweeter but bass response is similar.
If you bought them from Alice-Green-Tree on eBay, absolutely.
I've bought mine from that shop and they're the real thing.
" I changed my room and setup a bit, so this is not an A-B comparison."
As with sub-woofers, you can place your speakers in the center of your room, or even better at your normal listening location (Sweet Spot), and point them toward the wall where they will eventually be located. Move along that wall and you will hear varying amounts of bass. You may be able to find places that will give the response you seek when the speakers are in those spots.
DIY Bass Trsaps are also easy to build at low cost. Mine were constructed with scrap wood, three layers of home insulation sandwiched between chicken wire, then covered with the same grill cloth I used on my speakers.
As with sub-woofers, you can place your speakers in the center of your room, or even better at your normal listening location (Sweet Spot), and point them toward the wall where they will eventually be located. Move along that wall and you will hear varying amounts of bass. You may be able to find places that will give the response you seek when the speakers are in those spots.
DIY Bass Trsaps are also easy to build at low cost. Mine were constructed with scrap wood, three layers of home insulation sandwiched between chicken wire, then covered with the same grill cloth I used on my speakers.
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Put everything in the room back where it was before the mods. Resistors have nothing to do with boomy bass. Caps might have an effect, but mostly your room and speakers' position in it makes bass good or bad.
Peace,
Tom E
I'll make the resistor changes to be inline with the current BOM. Thanks for the detailed reply.
I bought my Cerafines from ebay store PC Motherboard Capacitors Store. No obvious indication that they are not authentic.
Here's my deal. I have an area where I assemble and test. I also have a final location that's been fixed for a number of years. My current application is as a full-range "desktop" speaker so placement is extremely limited. I have 4-5 speaker amps that I rotate through - it's a quest. I recently shuffled some gear. Been a while since I listened to this amp. Will report back after I come to some sort of conclusion.
The suggestions for room treatment and resetting to the former location are sound!
BK
I bought my Cerafines from ebay store PC Motherboard Capacitors Store. No obvious indication that they are not authentic.
Here's my deal. I have an area where I assemble and test. I also have a final location that's been fixed for a number of years. My current application is as a full-range "desktop" speaker so placement is extremely limited. I have 4-5 speaker amps that I rotate through - it's a quest. I recently shuffled some gear. Been a while since I listened to this amp. Will report back after I come to some sort of conclusion.
The suggestions for room treatment and resetting to the former location are sound!
BK
You're welcome
You will hear the difference.
It's perfectly possible that you have 'borderline' room problems, I have too.
Those problems could be exacerbated by an excessive bass response, in this case the resistors swap should help, it did in my case.
Just wanted to add moving to the M-Lythic AG from Panasonic at C101, C201 gave a noticeable improvement to low end accuracy in my system. Don't know what bk856er is using there and I have never heard the Vishay caps. In the BOM Dario notes the AGs as " a worthwhile upgrade for the ultimate FE ....." . IMHO, essential to and well worth the cost in a HQ build.
First impressions on Vishay/BC 136 RVI (Mouser 594-2222-136-51471) with only 1 IsoTek pass and 4 hours of use and no sanity check yet (comparison with no caps).
Simply incredible!
Superbly musical and neutral
A definitive improvement over PW for timbre, neutrality, all residual midrange and bass hardness gone and wider and deeper soundstage.
If they'll resist time proof (and burn in) they will replace Nichicon PW in the industrial BOM.
First impressions on Vishay/BC 136 RVI (Mouser 594-2222-136-51471) with only 1 IsoTek pass and 4 hours of use and no sanity check yet (comparison with no caps).
Simply incredible!
Superbly musical and neutral
A definitive improvement over PW for timbre, neutrality, all residual midrange and bass hardness gone and wider and deeper soundstage.
If they'll resist time proof (and burn in) they will replace Nichicon PW in the industrial BOM.
Dario if I well understood this cap should be better of Nichicon but worst than Cerafine. Correct?
