More tube projects on the starting block

3 brand spanking new CTHs tested and ready to be shipped to their new owners..









They all feature Janzten audio 0.22uF crosscaps for the coupling caps.
The middle one in the long case has preouts and a shunted ALPS RK27, while the leftmost small one has a mini out which is switched by the neutrik1/4 inch jack.
But these three are off by friday at the latest to their new masters. :beerchug:

Just finished testing another amplifier for my headphones. This is going to be my co-reference amplifier alongside the EHHA. I truly am privileged to be able to build this amp.

unlike the EHHA that only runs 30 volts on the plates this runs 320volts B+ and half that on the plates.
Fantastic is the only word to use to descirbe the sound. will post a pic later..am just enjoying the sound way too much right now.

and yes, this is the amp that can't be named...yet.

The EHHA taking shape..still missing the rose wood end panels.

I got a rack for 22$ from a local supermarket..works great honestly..real pine wood too.




The latest project is an Electrostatic headphone amplifier

The boards are almost ready..waiting for a couple of components..then the magic smoke test Looking forward to this.

just came across this site with tube data sheets.. maybe you folks already know of it
http://frank.pocnet.net/

You sure are keeping busy these days :-)

Enjoy

Manek

THanks Manek..yeah but I am winding down my DIY activities for a while..too much fun at the expense of too much time spent doing it.

One more amplifier to be cased up and one amplifier board to be populated and tested and am done.

MY latest and first electrostatic headphone amplifier. I used an old server case that i picked up at the local surplus store for 10$.

Good idea !

Amp chasis are difficult to find as I found out the hard way :-)

Its best to buy old non working amps from kabadiwalas I think and strip em for the chasis :-) in your case junk and garage sales would probably yield a few.

This hobby can be super addictive.

Manek

Manek schrieb:

Good idea ! This hobby can be super addictive.

heh no kidding..

I do love reusing chassis for m amplifiers.

Finally my main amplifiers are ready.. well the EHHA is under going some mods to convert it into dual use so it can power speakers. Once done it should be capable of 25 watts class A into 8 ohms though realistically it would be about 15 as it would be limited by the transformer.

My stacker reference headphone amplifier/preamp is complete as well, apart from a couple of wiring issues that need to be squared away.





First time did any wood finishing..walnut panels on the ehha and stacker. I can see this becoming another hobby and money sink

Now with the stacker up and running I find myself chasing after a matched pair of RCA 6CG7 cleartops and a pair of Tung Sol 6F8Gs with roundplates..Man this hobby is expensive..and the stacker being able to roll both 12.6 and 6.3 volt, octal and noval tubes and the crazy amounts the 6SN7s go for I can expect my wallet to find itself considerably lighter soon.
Right now have a pair of RCA 6GU7 that i got for 3$. But this being the best headphone amplifier i have heard in the $5-10000 range I want to get all that i can out of it.
Using Obbligattos for the coupling capacitors, PEC carbon pot shunt modded with Riken resistors (need to ground the pot body or something cause adding the rikens made the pot scratchy).

Lage raho ! Bhai...

Lage raho !

:-)

Manek

Manek schrieb:

Lage raho ! Bhai... Lage raho ! :-) Manek

haha..
seems like I can't get over the addiction...

6 hours got me this far today..
Need to make a couple of DC heater supplies on perfboard to get all the blocks together before I test and then case it up.

4 x EHHA amp boards, 2 x AMB S22 dual rail supplies.

Do let us know how it plays......


Manek

Looks LOVELY !

Thanks amp nutji...unfortunately when i tried to bring up one of the amp boards earlier today, it instantly took out one of the power supply rails. Need to investigate further. Just don't know if I have the time for it.

Anyways,at least got this done today. Just about getting ready to finish up the most expensive amp i have built thus far..900$ in parts alone.

A bit disappointed with the wiring..I know I could have made it neater if I had taken the time, but it works and I was trying to clear out the projects from my workbench. Too many wires almost made me go half mad making sure everything was supposed to be in its place.

The amp seems to be measuring perfectly but haven't been able to listen to it unfortunately as I sold off all my stat headphones.





Some final wiring stuff to square away and an LED to be installed.

THis is my 4th successfully built and tested eXStatA. I have one more Solid State version to troubleshoot..really not looking forward to that

By the way,

I will be in Bangalore from the 3rd of March til the 20th. Been 3.5 years now..figured it was time for a visit and have my teeth checked out..they want to charge 3500$ for something that would cost less than 200$ back home

Bringing a few stuff with me, including Abhi's digital cable :P, my Assemblage DAC 2.7, Fostex custom headphones, Grover SX (latest version) Interconnects.
Should be fun meeting up with the Bangalore crowd..will be passing through Mumbai but don't think the layovers are long enough to pop out and meet the bombay folks..

Hey, if you can spare a couple of hours in Mumbai, give us a yell. We could all meet up at someone's place...

Savyasaachi schrieb:

By the way, I will be in Bangalore from the 3rd of March til the 20th. Been 3.5 years now..figured it was time for a visit and have my teeth checked out..they want to charge 3500$ for something that would cost less than 200$ back home Bringing a few stuff with me, including Abhi's digital cable :P, my Assemblage DAC 2.7, Fostex custom headphones, Grover SX (latest version) Interconnects. Should be fun meeting up with the Bangalore crowd..will be passing through Mumbai but don't think the layovers are long enough to pop out and meet the bombay folks..

cool!!
say hi to all the BLR audio folks for me when you visit them yourself (even tho' I'm in touch w/ them thru this forum). It was my pleasure to meet many of them during my last visit there. Lots of enthusiasm amongst all of them for this (crazy) hobby/addiction!

Savyasaachi schrieb:

By the way, I will be in Bangalore from the 3rd of March til the 20th. Been 3.5 years now..figured it was time for a visit and have my teeth checked out..they want to charge 3500$ for something that would cost less than 200$ back home Bringing a few stuff with me, including Abhi's digital cable :P, my Assemblage DAC 2.7, Fostex custom headphones, Grover SX (latest version) Interconnects. Should be fun meeting up with the Bangalore crowd..will be passing through Mumbai but don't think the layovers are long enough to pop out and meet the bombay folks..

Sachi,

The stuff you keep making looks like a million $. I can see a hifi diy wizard in the making.

Do drop in a line once you are in Bangalore. I am sure you will be visiting Abhi's house to check out his ATC. I can join in. I stay somewhere closeby.

You need to listen to Siva's latest iteration too

square_wave schrieb:

Savyasaachi schrieb: By the way, I will be in Bangalore from the 3rd of March til the 20th. Been 3.5 years now..figured it was time for a visit and have my teeth checked out..they want to charge 3500$ for something that would cost less than 200$ back home Bringing a few stuff with me, including Abhi's digital cable :P, my Assemblage DAC 2.7, Fostex custom headphones, Grover SX (latest version) Interconnects. Should be fun meeting up with the Bangalore crowd..will be passing through Mumbai but don't think the layovers are long enough to pop out and meet the bombay folks.. Sachi, The stuff you keep making looks like a million $. I can see a hifi diy wizard in the making. Do drop in a line once you are in Bangalore. I am sure you will be visiting Abhi's house to check out his ATC. I can join in. I stay somewhere closeby. You need to listen to Siva's latest iteration too :)

Hey SW,

am in town. WOuldd love to listen to Siva's latest creations as well as your own setup. Abhi already popped by earlier to pick up his digital cable. I was at the dentist at the time

I have brought my best headphone with me as well as my main source to pit against the Remiyo DAP-777. A fact finding mission as to gauge how good the almost a decade old DAC is against its newer counterparts.

Oh, also get to meet you peeps
We can take this to PMs so as to keep the forums uncluttered.

Thanks for the very kind words on my builds, I am however just about done building amps for others. Takes too much of my time

Oh, here's the final product




Cheers,
Sachu

You are most welcome Sachi...there is even a dentist a few meters from my house

Bring ur DAC to my place too...

Savyasaachi said:

I have brought my best headphone with me as well as my main source to pit against the Remiyo DAP-777. A fact finding mission as to gauge how good the almost a decade old DAC is against its newer counterparts.

The Remiyo DAP-777 is a very good DAC. Would LOVE to read your report on a comparison.

I believe Sridhar of ARN might have an Reimyo for Sale....Amp_Nut, incase you are intrested

Thanks for the pointer, Siva.

However, not really interested in buying a non USB DAC. I suspect that this category ( USB DAC) should see a LOT of new products over the next 1 year.

I am also currently Very Happy with the sound of my CD player. My only regret is that it does not have an external Digital input.

Also, in my system, I have STILL to hear HDD playback beat my CD player....

stopped by SP road yesterday to pick up an RCA to BNC adapter so we can use my DAC in Siva's and Abhi's rigs. Was surprising that neither of you had an optical cable .

can't wait for this weekend.

Which shop had such a converter ?
Even I had been to SP road a week back to buy some IEC plugs and that place is all about computers and mobiles. Only the MX shop had some decent audio stuff to look into.

The adapter was at Samson Electronics on the entrabce of SP road which is the place for everything MX.
I don't know if MX has any IEC plugs, you might want to take a look at their catalog and they can most probably procure it for you.

The best of IEC connectors available in SP road would be ELCOM....do not buy anything else.

Abhi, why don't u come along with Sachi this weekend..

sivat schrieb:

The best of IEC connectors available in SP road would be ELCOM....do not buy anything else. Abhi, why don't u come along with Sachi this weekend..

Elcom is pretty good stuff..using their IEC inlet i think and their speaker binging posts in my ampliffier..places to get it are Cee Pee electronics and Amar radio corp..

Sivaji,

I have invited Abhi as well. The plan is Steviboy's and your place on saturday (stevieboy's is still tentative pending his confirmation on friday). Sunday, Vinny Arjun and myself meet up at Abhi's place. You are most welcome to join us there on Sunday too sir.

Thanks for the Sunday invite...but unfortunately, i have promised to take my wife to a concert..which starts early morning..

Regards
Siva.