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,…
Tag: amplifier
Rod Elliott ESP P88 Pre-amplifier
I’ve been impressed by the ESP projects by Rod Elliott, they work well, are simple for novices but with plenty of scope for modifications. The projects come with extensive documentation, including construction advice if you buy the PCBs. I decided to try his well regarded Project 88 preamplifier to go with my Nelson Pass ACA….
Chipamp.com LM3886 PCB
This is the original chipamp.com board for the LM3886 amplifier, generously released into the public domain by its designer Brian Bell. The board size is 30x74mm so comes in really cheap when ordering. Although the schematic is provided below, it is also worth having a look at the datasheet for more information. Click here to…
Ray Samuels Audio XP-7 Headphone Amplifier clone
I bought a mixed bag of boards recently and came across this one knowing nothing about it, apart from it appearing to be a headphone amp. I finally found out that it is a clone of a commercial project – the Emmeline XP-7 which has been around for a number of years. A cursory search…
LM3886 Amplifier Build Files by 00940
A thread on DIYAudio was concerned with creating an open source PCB layout for the LM3886 amplifier. Although initiated and largely designed by user 00940, there has been some input from others, including advice from Tom Christiansen of Neurochrome, resulting in this implementation. Gerber files, the set of files necessary for a PCB lab to…
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…
PeeCeeBee V4 Class AB amplifier
This latest build is the PeeCeeBee, a discrete Class AB amplifier, now in its fourth iteration. It was designed and made available by Shaan through a group buy over at DIYAudio. He has recently designed a very nice PSU as well and so I ordered a couple, one of which powers this amp. Although Shaan…
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.
CMoy Mark IV – preamplifier
Whilst many modern sources provide enough voltage to feed a reasonable signal to amplifiers, some, such as the Pass ACA, may benefit from a boost in gain, particularly if paired with inefficient speakers. As I had most of the parts, I thought I would try a variation of the CMoy headphone amplifier as a preamplifier…
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…