Hi,
How about looking for spare parts from recycled centre in your place.
If you are lucky, you can find big enough case with decent heatsink from old amplifiers (they usually have big, heavy heatsinks). You can also salvage components like resistors, caps, knobs, pot, power plugs, audio inputs, speaker outputs, relays, whatever you can find useful for your project. Power cables, cat5 which can be used as internal connect wires, speaker cables. All are zero budget, you just need to spend time.
You can safe your budget for PSU caps and especially the matched transistors which I think are the most important parts that make your amp sounds Pass- way. But as the other members suggested, you can somehow find from members who spare their parts here.
Hardly lower to 200EUR but very close, I think!
I am also doing this way.
How about looking for spare parts from recycled centre in your place.
If you are lucky, you can find big enough case with decent heatsink from old amplifiers (they usually have big, heavy heatsinks). You can also salvage components like resistors, caps, knobs, pot, power plugs, audio inputs, speaker outputs, relays, whatever you can find useful for your project. Power cables, cat5 which can be used as internal connect wires, speaker cables. All are zero budget, you just need to spend time.
You can safe your budget for PSU caps and especially the matched transistors which I think are the most important parts that make your amp sounds Pass- way. But as the other members suggested, you can somehow find from members who spare their parts here.
Hardly lower to 200EUR but very close, I think!
I am also doing this way.
"Hey mister, got a dollar?"
2Pcs Gold Plated Female RCA Phono Jack Panel Mount Chassis Socket Connector New | eBay
10x M3*4 - M3*20 Brass Female Hex Hexagonal Screw Nut Pillar Standoff Spacer PCB | eBay
1pc Gold plated stereo Volume potentiometer PCB for ALPS 27 16 | eBay
1pc 6-Position 600V 15A Double Row Barrier Block Screw Terminal Strip WT | eBay
[2 pcs] Rubycon 10000uF 35V series VXG 35x30 Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors | eBay
2X Amplifier Speaker Terminal Binding Post Banana Plug Jack Socket Connector JX | eBay
2Pcs Gold Plated Female RCA Phono Jack Panel Mount Chassis Socket Connector New | eBay
10x M3*4 - M3*20 Brass Female Hex Hexagonal Screw Nut Pillar Standoff Spacer PCB | eBay
1pc Gold plated stereo Volume potentiometer PCB for ALPS 27 16 | eBay
1pc 6-Position 600V 15A Double Row Barrier Block Screw Terminal Strip WT | eBay
[2 pcs] Rubycon 10000uF 35V series VXG 35x30 Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors | eBay
2X Amplifier Speaker Terminal Binding Post Banana Plug Jack Socket Connector JX | eBay
Yeah Patrick, not for E200 unless you patiently scrounge for recycled parts, deals, etc
Many cheap builds seem to end up on the shelf gathering dust - we have quite a few of these cheap F5 amps here (the china 'Jim's Audio' ones in particular) and passed onto unwary new owners for about A$600 (about E300) - very few are still in service - and such a disappointment and wasted effort
Yes, Horny, lots of cheap parts
The cheap phono plugs can be quite tricky - on the same page as your link, there's some sintered finish CMC plugs and (IMO!) a better plug all over.
Similar thing with the O/P 'jacks' - the dual ones on the single plastic mounting strip (used to be called Baker jacks or something) are excellent - often used in good power supply terminals
... and so it goes
Mind you, one person opinion (mine) is just that, an opinion -the fun of diy is making your own
Many cheap builds seem to end up on the shelf gathering dust - we have quite a few of these cheap F5 amps here (the china 'Jim's Audio' ones in particular) and passed onto unwary new owners for about A$600 (about E300) - very few are still in service - and such a disappointment and wasted effort
Yes, Horny, lots of cheap parts
The cheap phono plugs can be quite tricky - on the same page as your link, there's some sintered finish CMC plugs and (IMO!) a better plug all over.
Similar thing with the O/P 'jacks' - the dual ones on the single plastic mounting strip (used to be called Baker jacks or something) are excellent - often used in good power supply terminals
... and so it goes
Mind you, one person opinion (mine) is just that, an opinion -the fun of diy is making your own
Some are using old Mac G5 cases (a lot of those around for some reason) with good results.
They are very nicely built aluminum, with handles and an easily removable side panel.
I saw that thread and it sparked a thing or two. I'm still advocating scrap Al tho for pure tightwad-edness. I have a couple wholesale/retail outlets here that toss their "drop" or scrap metal to a certain corner to be combed over by scrupulous diy'ers like myself.. $4usd a pound. I say this knowing that where I live is not indicative of the rest of the world, but seriously you don't need a fancy extruded piece to invoke eye candy. Just be creative... its all kitsch.. enjoy the journey. Throw a fan on it lower cost. I mean, who doesn't have a 12V computer fan sitting around somewhere in an old computer.. I don't even look at my equipment after I turn it on..
Last edited:
I'm still advocating scrap Al tho for pure tightwad-edness.
The two mono amps that I'm working on use scrap Al material cut to size.
The cost for the two chassis, nothing.
If you have enough time, you can find a toroidal transformer on ebay:http://dict.leo.org/ende/index_de.h...oc=0&resultOrder=basic&multiwordShowSingle=on
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Ringkerntrafo-PRI-230V-AC-SEK-2-x-18V-2-x-11-11A-400VA-/262275657384
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Ringkerntrafo-PRI-230V-AC-SEK-2-x-18V-2-x-11-11A-400VA-/262275657384
Sure it is possible to make F5 with 200e budget, but it is surely difficult.
First of all it assumes most of your parts you will buy used on ebay auctions, or local flea market, or so... You may find somewhere good 400-600W EI xformer with 230V primary, and then on your own calculate and wind secondaries.
This kind of heatsink (from Pass PLH article as res mentioned):
can be much cheaper than same in store.
PCB can be done in raster one...
Go with 6 of these as absolute minimum for PSU: Vishay Kondensator 22000uF 25V 35x50mm 85°C Neu | eBay
The other parts are cheap ones... the biggest problem can be input Jfets.
Anyway, best advice can be to spare some monies and be patient, and build A class amp with decent parts
200-300e is tight, but from 400 and a little up you can make it be perfect!
First of all it assumes most of your parts you will buy used on ebay auctions, or local flea market, or so... You may find somewhere good 400-600W EI xformer with 230V primary, and then on your own calculate and wind secondaries.
This kind of heatsink (from Pass PLH article as res mentioned):
can be much cheaper than same in store.
PCB can be done in raster one...
Go with 6 of these as absolute minimum for PSU: Vishay Kondensator 22000uF 25V 35x50mm 85°C Neu | eBay
The other parts are cheap ones... the biggest problem can be input Jfets.
Anyway, best advice can be to spare some monies and be patient, and build A class amp with decent parts
200-300e is tight, but from 400 and a little up you can make it be perfect!
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
- Home
- Amplifiers
- Pass Labs
- Average cost of a Pass F5