When I first started with DIY audio, I had to use the desk in my garden shed/office for projects. This was never ideal as I frequently work from home for my job at this desk and had to keep packing equipment and components away. After Idiot Child No.2 left home, I moved my electronics to…
Category: Hardware
All together now….building an integrated DAC/streamer.
A while ago, when building my friend’s chipamp, I had the intention of incorporating an internal DAC and streaming capabilities into the enclosure. Nothing special, just a Pi Zero and DAC HAT. Noise problems that I didn’t have the time (or knowledge) to troubleshoot meant the amp was just built as standard. The idea of…
Akitika 1kHz Oscillator
In a previous post I detailed the setup I’ve begun to use to learn about measuring the distortion of some of my amplifiers. Acknowledging this setup is rudimentary, for those wishing to tinker further there are of course many options. As ever, improvements can be made by the utilisation of better (read more expensive) equipment…
A DIY approach to distortion measurements for audio amplifiers
I imagine I am typical of many DIY audio enthusiasts in that I build something and hope that subjectively it sounds good. However, I am also curious about the objective measurements of the equipment. I thought this level of analysis would be beyond my ability and budget, but an interesting thread appeared on DIYAudio.com recently,…
An open source LM3886 chip amplifier.
I decided to build an amplifier for a friend. There are a number of good chips for amplifiers and I managed to purchase a pair of LM3886 opamps new for £5 from a seller on DIYAudio a few months ago. With the chip decided upon, a suitable layout was sought. As much as I would…
Do digital players have their own sound? An internet blind test
Following a poll on the Steve Hoffman hardware forum which concluded that CD players have their own signature, Archimago, a respected audio blogger, has developed a blind test to see whether listeners can hear a difference between different types of digital players. The original poll asked for subjective opinions, with the majority (>89%) of respondents…
Workspace listening setup
For this short post I thought I’d just show the setup I’m using for the spare bedroom now that both Idiot Children have left home. The room still has a bed but I’ve managed to have a desk for my electronics.
Attack of the Clones
What does a $3300 amplifier sound like? I suppose I’ll find out soon when I finish building a Gainclone amplifier. A Gainclone, as its name suggests, is a clone of an amplifier which first appeared in 1999, the Gaincard built by 47Labs. Heralded for its sound by Stereophile magazine, people were nonetheless surprised to discover…
A comprehensive introduction to computer based audio
Computer-based audio can be overwhelming when going beyond a simple pair of desktop speakers plugged into the output of the computer. The Well-Tempered Computer offers the best introduction I’ve come across. For measured, thoughtful thinking of topics relating to computer based audio (including measurements), have a read of Archimago’s Musings. For questions, discussion and often…
CMoy headphone amplifier version 3
After building my Mark II CMoy headphone amplifier I decided to make a version which resembled more of a desktop model.