Amp Camp Amp - ACA

I would keep input and output separate. For what reason do you want input and output in one Cat-6 cable?

Maybe more experienced audio people can chime in here and point out the drawbacks of having input and output together. To me it just sounds wrong.
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Initially i have taken out the separate twisted pair strands from the cat-6 cable and thought to use them independently for each input and output points..
later thought may be if i could use the whole cat-6 cable instead of taking the individual strands out as it looked more protected and secure inside, when used cat-6 cable as a whole.. so as we had 4 pairs available i used used one cat-6 cable for each channel (mono block)..

So shall i take individual twisted pairs from the cat-6 cable outside and twist 4 strands together and out of those 4 strands use 2 for input positive and other 2 for input negative.
And similarly take another 4 strands and twist them together and out of those 4, use 2 strands for output positive and 2 for output negative (so here all will be individual wires without outer protection layers as in whole cat-6 cable)?
 
Hi all, I can't seem to find what this means on the above amp build, could someone explain that to me please?

"Just solder a few more wires to turn it into a single-ended or fully balanced monoblock with twice the power of the standard ACA!"

I've built a T class amp and a chip amp, but was attracted to the class A designation and simplicity of this amp but wondered if there was a way of getting more power.
Regards to all.
This makes reference to the fact that you can build either a stereo amp, or evolve it into Monoblock, be it balanced through an XLR connector, or balanced through a small 'jumper' cable with resistance that you build.

The options are:
- Stereo RCAs, one channel to each channel (default build)
- Mono Balanced XLR where one cable from the XLR feeds one channel and the other cable (the inverted signal) feeds the other channel. This requires an XLR connector and soldering a few cables to from the XLR chassis connector to the RCA chassis connectors and the ground to the common ground. This produces a twice-the-power AMP with even less distortion due to the balanced configuration
- Mono RCA which requires a 'jumper' cable from the output of one channel to the input of the other. This produces a mono amp with twice the power, but hasn't the advantage of the balanced design.

All the instructions as to how to achieve this are nicely detailed and photographed here:
ACA V1.5 Illustrated Build Guide
 
Initially i have taken out the separate twisted pair strands from the cat-6 cable and thought to use them independently for each input and output points..
later thought may be if i could use the whole cat-6 cable instead of taking the individual strands out as it looked more protected and secure inside, when used cat-6 cable as a whole.. so as we had 4 pairs available i used used one cat-6 cable for each channel (mono block)..

So shall i take individual twisted pairs from the cat-6 cable outside and twist 4 strands together and out of those 4 strands use 2 for input positive and other 2 for input negative.
And similarly take another 4 strands and twist them together and out of those 4, use 2 strands for output positive and 2 for output negative (so here all will be individual wires without outer protection layers as in whole cat-6 cable)?


Can't offer up experience but the thoughts that struck me when I read about using ethernet cable were what are the issues (if any?) with voltage drop and current rating?


POE applications could offer guidance, e.g. something like this:
http://www.superioressexcommunicati...-guidelines/TG77-Cable-Selection-PoE-Apps.pdf
 
Official Court Jester
Joined 2003
Paid Member
In one of my set-ups I use Quad '57s, Townshend Super-tweeters and 2 x REL subs. Will it be risky to try bridged ACAs (when built) with these? The long-term plan is to use either VFET monoblocks or a Meridian G57, but curiosity (+ pride in a diy build!) is inevitable.

no risk , if you still have some ears and something between them :)

(but that's true with any amplifier you connect to them)

though, 57s are not easiest load , so bridged ACA maybe will not shine completely

but , fun guaranteed !
 
Very good advice!
fyi - I ended up preferring mono for most listening, maybe worth exploring this option for a longer time period and see how you like it ? no need to to sit in the sweet spot, it's more like a hi-end kitchen radio with the ambience coming from the natural room reverberation
 
fyi - I ended up preferring mono for most listening, maybe worth exploring this option for a longer time period and see how you like it ? no need to to sit in the sweet spot, it's more like a hi-end kitchen radio with the ambience coming from the natural room reverberation

Yeah, we can all tune in to Leave It To Beaver, and pretend it's the 1950's again.:D

jeff
 
Switches things on and off again
Joined 2000
Paid Member
One thing we will be adding very soon is an additional two emails (when you place your order and when FedEx receives your shipment), letting people know that their chassis is insured right up until the point at which you receive your package. Once it has been handed over, FedEx considers its job done and the insurance is now invalid and there is no way to claim back any damage.

I know that when I receive packages I usually sign sign away and the delivery guy is gone the next moment. However we need to make a big deal out of this because that transaction actually marks the end of the insurance process!

It appears that my post (and subsequent emails to ACA purchasers) contained quite incorrect information, and I do hereby apologize for that misinformation. I made this post based on the information I had at hand, and over the last 2 days we've discussed this issue with our FedEx account representative and found that, in the very rare case there is a problem, you should sign anyway and just make a claim (please note there are still some very important caveats!).

As such, we've now implemented an automatic email with the correct information, that is sent as soon as the FedEx shipment ships. This email reads:

Automatic email sent to you from our store when your FedEx package starts to ship said:
There are special requirements for us to be able to replace missing or damaged items. We kindly ask you to...

  1. Open your package within 10 days of receiving it
  2. Check the contents thoroughly
  3. Do not throw away any packaging
  4. If anything is damaged or missing, visit this page for step-by-step instructions: Report a problem with your order – diyAudio Store
In our experience shipping damage or missing items are extremely rare but accidents do happen. Please help us help you by following the three steps above so that we can ensure your total satisfaction.

If you have any questions, just reply to this email - we'd love to help you in any way we can.

I hope that all sounds a lot more reasonable and I do apologize for the mis-information. I'll be sending a followup email to anyone who was previously sent the incorrect information.
 
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A simple solution.
 

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