Burning Amp BA-3b (Balanced)

The one and only
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EDITOR'S NOTE:
This thread has been split from the thread Burning Amp BA-3
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/195303-burning-amp-ba-3-a.html


For those who were not at BAF 2011, here are the bits of my talk on the
balanced version of the BA-3.

Here is the schematic. Note that the two input Source load resistors have
been combined instead of going to ground.

:cool:
 

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I have had some audiophiles tell me that more power helps performance at lower volume levels, helping the listener to hear deeper in to the recording without turning up the volume. Do you think this is nonsense or do you agree.
It entirely depends upon the dynamics in the recording. It also depends upon whether the amplifier design can sustain power continuously, or if it can only provide short bursts of power.

In the case of popular CD "music" which has had all of the dynamics squashed out of it, you probably would not receive any benefit from excess power. There simply are no dynamics in that world, so the headroom remains unused.

In another example, a weaker amplifier may be able to handle most low volume content, but a sustained bass note "hit" may drain the power supply capacitors and temporarily reduce the gain. This is not going to sound natural or transparent. A well-designed amplifier should be able to sustain the lowest frequencies indefinitely, which happens to also allow higher volume levels for shorter bursts. It's a matter of semantics as to whether this additional power is referred to as "excess power for deeper listening" or simply admitting that the amplifier needs that power to reproduce what you expect to hear.

It's all relative. There is no magical enabling to hear deeper into a recording - all audible differences at low levels are explained in terms of instantaneous power versus sustained power. I think the key here is that consumers prefer to think of an amplifier in the simplest terms, as if a given power rating were the only valid power output possible. The reality is that every amplifier puts out a different amount of power at each volume setting, with each speaker, and at each moment of time in the content material.

If you hear an amplifier that seems to have trouble reproducing a particular passage of music at low listening levels, then that amplifier does not have enough power. If you can hear a difference, then the additional power is not excess - it's actually being used.

Brian Willoughby
 
It was a joke. I always ask stupid questions so i figured i might as well continue. That being said, I have most of the first set of Ba-3 boards finished and the second will get filled next week. Two sets of F4 boards stuffed. Hope to hear F4/BA output with both 240/9240 and 1058/162 in outputs with BA-3 pulling the wagon.
 

6L6

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buzzforb - I know it was a joke... :)

The real problem lay in the fact that at this point I truly do want to build a number of the various topologies to see what they all sound like. That's why I'm building an Aleph... it should be a good contrast to my F5.

It would be a fantastic day to get a small bunch of people together in a good listening room with a bunch of different amps and 1 or 2 good speakers and mix n match and see what everybody thinks of the various topologies.
 
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:rofl: You're killing me ! :rofl:

It's all in the F5 article - common Source, common Drain, common Gate topologies, explanations and drawings...

Just remember that every FET with 2SJ prefix is a P-channel and every 2SK is a N-channel device.

Few simple things more:
- every N-ch device has its Drain more positive than the Source in order to work
- N-ch depletion mode device (f.e. JFET, like 2sk170) will not conduct the current only if its Source is far more positive than its Gate
- N-ch enhanced mode device (f.e. HEXFET, like IRF610) will conduct the current only if its Gate is more positive (few volts) than its Source

-With P-ch devices everything is the opposite

I know...!:D
 
buzzforb - I know it was a joke... :)
It would be a fantastic day to get a small bunch of people together in a good listening room with a bunch of different amps and 1 or 2 good speakers and mix n match and see what everybody thinks of the various topologies.

I could try and ask at the Telford Wharehouse

Is a realy nice Pub Hazel O connor there soon.
Food is preaty good as well
and they have Budwar (the original one) on tap.

Most days music room is not in use..

Ops. it is in Chester UK
 
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......

May I put on my image file format hat for a moment ....

may I put my Dunce Hat for a moment and say that any sort of file is good enough , when using it for good schematic ?

:rofl:

there are my two conversions , much neater in format , but I can't find them cleverer at all , than original one ........

:devily:
 

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