Audio Analogue Puccini

Hi!

Has somebody any experience with the Audio Analogue Puccini amp???

I read about a lot of good things and test and the amp is also very well documented. It has only one "problem": the bass is not enough punchy and dynamically.... (even the S.E. version)

if you're looking for a punchy and dynamically involving amplifier please DON'T buy the Puccini. But if you're looking for a sweet and smooth Music lover...look no further

Maybe we could cure this problem with some more bias:)

Greets:

Tyimo
 
diyAudio Member
Joined 2002
Please do avoid posting identical posts in different threads. When you think an earlier post of yours is relevant to the current topic being discussed, please just post a link to that particular post (like you have done now), not the entire post.
Most importantly, please do not post deliberately offtopic content in the future.

Regards,
Milan
:cop:
 
hello

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

A very special power amplifier,
by the clever Italian Federico Paoletti.
Audio Analogue amps and Puccini has got very good reviews in the Audio press.


Some info of Puccini.
Puccini uses dual supply.
Uses NE5534 Op-amp input.
NE5534 power supply is bootstrapped and so following the OUTPUT voltage!
This technique is not unknown and Paoletti was inspired by the work of another circuit designer.

This way the op-amp can help put out higher power.
Much more voltage peak, than ~+-20V which is max voltage supply for NE5534.


More info at Federico Paoletti audio pages.
http://www.pi.infn.it/~federico/unofficial.htm
Article about Puccini:
http://www.pi.infn.it/~federico/puccini.htm


lineup
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I attach schematic of Puccini SE ( special edition version )
 

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Hi Lineup!:D
It seems that only you are writing here!:)

Thanks for the infos, but I know it already. I also posted you about this Opamp tuning method in the Power DAC thread. You know what I mean.....:)

The first question is:
-Is the bass not enough punchy and dynamically or not???
I know the overal sound is very sweet.

Why nobody cloned them yet?

Greets:

Tyimo
 
How do you know about the bass sound of Puccini?
We should be a bit careful to judge ,
what somebody says after listening, as the plain truth - or regard this is a fact.
Somebody else may say another thing.
It is a bit personal taste, that can make us say things.

------------------------------------

Yes a clone of Puccini!
There are plenty of improvements I can think of by looking at schematic.
To me it looks like a very old amplifier, if looking at the components.

Already with those 'old-fashion' semiconductors, it has got very nice reviews, even here in my country.
I have an audio magazine in my archives, with great review of Puccini!

Think what good amplifier it would be, if with an upgrade!


I mean:

Power supply:
+-33.5 VDC Without Any Load

Power transformer:
this is a toroidal 150VA, with dual primary (115+115Vac) and
dual secondary (2x50Vac, each one center tapped).
Gives each channel 75 VA, 2x25 VAC.

Input capacitor:
1uF into 39kohm. ( = 39 kohm x uF )

NE5534 ... okay it is not a bad Op-Amp .. but sure are better now!

VBE multiplier:
BC517 a simple darlington TO92

Output:
TIP142, Two TIP147, Darlington Switch transistors 125 Watt/per device
with Storage & Fall time 2.5 uS and rise time 0.55 uS
Only one pair in standard Puccini.
Two pairs! in SE Special Edition

After the selector switch there is a buffer stage, with a decoupling filter (C10/R12) and another low pass filter (R46/C48): the first sets the -3dB point at 1.6Hz, the second at 1.6MHz; the input impedance is 50k.
The out of the buffer (half of a dual TLE2072 op-amp) goes to the tape-out (via R42) and to the volume pot.
Here we have a story: at the beginning (first two or three hundred Puccinis) the pot was a Phier type, but some people reported an unsatisfactory tracking of the two channels; we made some tests, even with some Iskra types, and we decided to change to a more expensive, but more reliable ALPS pot.

---------------------------------------
some data:
Damping factor >100@1kHz/1W/8Ohm
S/N ratio >80dB for Line input
-3dB points are at <10Hz and >100kHz


########################################


Well, anybody thinks could be any improvements? :D

But would these improvements make a good amplifier be a n even better sounding amplifier?

I think so.

lineup
 
AA Puccini SE

I have used the Puccini SE before and found it very good musicaly and designed almost to the taste of valves.

One mod I did was changing the output fuses with good quality ones and found to be more dynamic.

If you look at Federico's site, there is an amp called Aria which he designed the same as Puccini but with little changes in resistors to suite a different presentation. Perhaps you could write to him(as I have before and he is such a nice person) and ask him of his opinion on how to further improve the amp.

Cheers.
 
Tyimo said:



Maybe we could cure this problem with some more bias:)

Greets:

Tyimo


Tyimo said:

What about to crank up the bias?!? Getting closer to class A??

Tyimo

Hi,

Cranking up the bias only ever improves things if its too low.

For most amplifiers there is an optimum bias point, too much is bad.

The bass quality of an amplifier is affected by the details of
its layout and the way it is built, not just the circuit diagram.

Describing a circuit as not having tight bass - not sensible.

:)/sreten.
 
Hi Sreten!

The bass quality of an amplifier is affected by the details of its layout and the way it is built, not just the circuit diagram.

Yes, you are right, but I didn't say it has not enough bass. I was asking about it, because I read some tests where the author wrote the "bass not enough punchy and dynamically..."

Greets:

Tyimo :)
 
hello

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

A very special power amplifier,
by the clever Italian Federico Paoletti.
Audio Analogue amps and Puccini has got very good reviews in the Audio press.


Some info of Puccini.
Puccini uses dual supply.
Uses NE5534 Op-amp input.
NE5534 power supply is bootstrapped and so following the OUTPUT voltage!
This technique is not unknown and Paoletti was inspired by the work of another circuit designer.

This way the op-amp can help put out higher power.
Much more voltage peak, than ~+-20V which is max voltage supply for NE5534.


More info at Federico Paoletti audio pages.
Audio Analogue UNOFFICIAL page !
Article about Puccini:
Puccini Integrated Amplifier


lineup
-------------------------------------
I attach schematic of Puccini SE ( special edition version )

what is the best currently available op-amp in this unusual application ?
Are here to observe other rules when choosing, as is the case with common applications such as gain stages ?
If not, I would try the AD797.
 
From reading the website article about this amplifier (written by the designer) I remember he mentioned a few ways to improve performance. One that I remember simulating in LTSPICE was increasing C133 and C134. Wima MKS2 capacitors at 10uF would probably be a good choice. You could also swap the darlingtons for a standard EF output stage and use better drivers and outputs.
 
Hi Folks,

Instead of opening another thread about the AA amplifiers I just put that info here so it's easier for anyone in the future to find it.

I have just received a Puccini SE which has had a previous repair on one of the output channels but that works more or less fine.

I can confirm some lack of authority in the bass, the mids and ups on the contrary sound pretty bright and forward (think cymbals).

I contacted Federico (VERY nice guy btw) and he told me I should perform the cap upgrade as indicated on his website.

So the caps are on order, and just for the heck of if I ordered a tube of Sanken 2SD2390 / 2SB1560 each.

I might give the Powersupply some uF as well as modern capacitors with the same pitch and diameter are available in higher values.

The designer upped the uF in the Poweramp design, so should not hurt.

Schematics attached for those interested.
 

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