Garage1217 DIY Headphone Amp Kits

Garage1217 gets a reasonable amount of love for the likes of the Ember, Sunrise, and Horizon. However, they're not mentioned too frequently in the do-it-yourself realm. That might be because the markup on the assembled amps is minimal, so the DIY kits aren't super cheap compared to the real deal (and Jeremy is an amazing builder, so it's hard not to buy them pre-built).

That said, the Sunrise and Horizon in particular are some of the best headphone/preamps below $1000, and especially under $500. I decided to do my part in service of the DIY community by putting together a video of the build process for the Sunrise III. It was great fun to build!

YouTube

Garage 1217 Project Sunrise III DIY Build Guide | Basshead.Club
 
Member
Joined 2008
Paid Member
Just assembled a Project Sunrise III and am VERY impressed. Amazingly well packaged as a kit, too. One of the nicest diy kit I've ever seen/done in terms of design, parts, and manual. Can't believe I didn't know about these sooner. They should be way more popular than they already are. Especially here.
 

6L6

Moderator
Joined 2010
Paid Member
Why? Measurements don't often correlate to sound. Particularly THD.

(That said, there are some measurements that do seem to have a fairly direct correlation to subjective sound quality, the presence of high-order harmonics less than 80-90db down, and TIM artifacts at similar or louder levels, etc... but a single THD number that low? Doesn't worry me in the least.)
 
I'm interested in building the Ember II. I'm a pretty noob diyer only having some modding experience changing caps and resistors. Is the building process relatively easy for newbies like me?
Go for it! Only one way to learn - just do it. If I look at the Sunrise build guide in the first post it looks easy and I am sure the supplier will support and answer questions. I was a complete noob 3 years ago, but with the incredible help and support on this forum (and Dr Google) I have built many amps since. And there is no stopping once you started - it is so rewarding. :D
 
Just assembled a Project Sunrise III and am VERY impressed. Amazingly well packaged as a kit, too. One of the nicest diy kit I've ever seen/done in terms of design, parts, and manual. Can't believe I didn't know about these sooner. They should be way more popular than they already are. Especially here.

Wushuliu i just read your review and was very impress with both the review and the Sunshine itself...i am in the process of pulling the trigger on one of these Garage 1217 amps and i was wondering if you are familiar with the Ember version also....i do understand that different tubes do impact the sound but how would you compare the Ember to the Sunshine in terms of overhaul sonics and did the Sunshine you built had any excessive heat build up?
 
Member
Joined 2008
Paid Member
Wushuliu i just read your review and was very impress with both the review and the Sunshine itself...i am in the process of pulling the trigger on one of these Garage 1217 amps and i was wondering if you are familiar with the Ember version also....i do understand that different tubes do impact the sound but how would you compare the Ember to the Sunshine in terms of overhaul sonics and did the Sunshine you built had any excessive heat build up?

A wha' gwan. I haven't heard the Ember, but Luckbad has so hopefully he will chime in. The heat buildup isn't bad at all, especially compared to other Class A projects I've worked on. You would have to put hand about an inch or lower from the fets to feel it.
 
Lol! big up!I had a Bravo Ocean and did the mods Solderdude recommended and i am impress to say the lease..it doesnt even bust a sweat..the basic 12117 amps seems to me iterations of the Bravo...i only use the preout to drive a Maya amp a Hugh Dean australian amp into a pair of Monitor Audio G20 speakers....really sound good..give thanks on the heads up on the prp resistors and muse nichicon caps...in fact i just order some muse for the Bravo to see the difference in sound..
 
Thanks for replying guys. I really like Garage1217's concepts and I too also benefited greatly from the mods provided by Solderdude (mine was a Bravo v2 look-a-like). I don't know about the Muse caps I just tried Panasonic FM and Nichicon KA. I'll experiment some more and see which caps I like most. Now am just waiting for ebay's 15/20% off coupon and I'll be off to building my amp!
 
Totally agree about the Garage 1217 amps. I have the Project Polaris, solid state amp, but I bought it assembled. Great amp. The build quality is one of the best I’ve ever seen with a headphone amp. I’m thinking about their DIY kits as well. It would be challenging to build one.
 
Last edited: