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…
Category: Hardware
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.
Nelson Pass ACA v1.5 DIY build
When I first started searching online for information about DIY audio, I came across the DIYAudio forum, as I expect most people do. Feeling bewildered, I clicked through to the store and saw what seemed to be the answer to my problems, the Amp Camp Amplifier, designed by Nelson Pass. This is a complete kit…
CMoy Headphone amplifier version 2
After building my first CMoy amplifier, I wanted to have another go and correct some of the problems i had with the first build. Specifically, I wanted to see if I could get rid of the hum and find a better case.
Building the Objective 2 headphone amplifier
Anybody who looks into building their own headphone amplifier will come across the Objective 2 at some point. It was designed by the anonymous electrical engineer known as NwAvGuy as an experiment in high quality, well designed and engineered equipment, but crucially at low cost.
Streaming music around the house with a Raspberry Pi 3
There appears to be a proliferation of streaming devices coming to the market, catering for all price-points. It was, however, the Chromecast that really brought this technology to the mass market, providing a simple setup with acceptable audio sound quality at £30 or cheaper with one of the regular sales. It really is hard to…