DIY audio: what are you building?

[playdough]

1 minute ago, wasabijim said:

DJ rig on the right there with fat slicks

Yea the NS Decade V2 Custom 26er. That's the local skatepark/pumptrack/urban assault rig, had it a few years and love it. Try to get it out a couple of times a week, keeps my eye in, and legs good nic for the Mountains, when I get time, good for the knoggin, being 55y.o. Can stand up wheelstand the thing for miles, crowd loves it.

[wasabijim]

Just now, playdough said:

Yea the NS Decade V2 Custom 26er. That's the local skatepark/pumptrack/urban assault rig, had it a few years and love it. Try to get it out a couple of times a week, keeps my eye in, and legs good nic for the Mountains, when I get time, good for the knoggin, being 55y.o. Can stand up wheelstand the thing for miles, crowd loves it.

 living the dream

 

I had a Tonka yellow NS Surge a few years back. single speed, doubling as commuter and trail bike. I would run those maxxis holy roller urban treads for dirt giggles and road speed. 

[playdough]

Little off topic, but hey  !!!!!! All works of art welcome here !!!

Will delete if necessary 

Iv'e got a yellow one as an operational spare  for biker visitors w/o a bike

Ol Yelloor it didn't happen

Edited November 20, 2023 by playdough

[playdough]

1 minute ago, wasabijim said:

maxxis holy roller urban treads for dirt giggles and road speed.

The Michelins are half the weight of the Holy Rollers. Pick up punctures regularly tho

[mwhouston]

You don’t see the paper tweeter any more. I cant even remember how they sound. Are they better sounding  - musically - or is today’s tweeters superior.

[mwhouston]

Slow burn, a lot of engineering in this build. Making the enclosure from scratch with two HSs I’d had for many years. All the tapping is done, still more drilling to go but getting near the end. Yet to decide colour.

 

PS will be external and two LJM Class AB modules to go inside. Should look good when finished with the solid brass gold plated cones/feet. 

[mwhouston]

Used these a lot in the past, 250K, 24 Step, carbon film 1/4W Rs. Reasonably priced and work well with my tube preamps. 

[andyr]

5 minutes ago, mwhouston said:

Used these a lot in the past, 250K, 24 Step, carbon film 1/4W Rs. Reasonably priced and work well with my tube preamps. 

 

Very noice Mark.  

 

Are they linear ... or logarithmic?

 

[mwhouston]

2 hours ago, andyr said:

 

Very noice Mark.  

 

Are they linear ... or logarithmic?

 

Im sure they have an Audio tapper. Additive resistance. You can adjust how hard the click is from light to heavy. 

[wasabijim]

6 hours ago, mwhouston said:

Im sure they have an Audio tapper. Additive resistance. You can adjust how hard the click is from light to heavy. 

that sounds fancy 

[mwhouston]

16 minutes ago, wasabijim said:

that sounds fancy 

Used them lots, work well. There is a premium version which used highend Japanese resistors . I’ve used them also. 

[andyr]

7 hours ago, mwhouston said:

I'm sure they have an Audio tapper. Additive resistance. 

 

I presume you mean audio "taper", Mark?

 

My question was ... are the 24 steps from 0 ohms to 250K ohms like:

• each step adds 10k ohms (ie. linear)
• or are the steps, like, 1k ... 2K ... 4K ... etc. (ie. logarithmic)?

 

[muon*]

I have a premium version that uses ARMS Antrams resistors, It's logarithmic.

 

If you don't mind series attenuators they are well made.

[MLXXX]

1 hour ago, andyr said:

or are the steps, like, 1k ... 2K ... 4K ... etc. (ie. logarithmic)?

 

The steps of this model potentiometer increase the resistance using a logarithmic scale.

 

This ad includes a close up picture of rotary contacts and discrete resistors of one of these EIZZ attenuator pots:

 

https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005001875265439.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2vnm#nav-description

 

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by MLXXX

[mwhouston]

1 hour ago, andyr said:

 

I presume you mean audio "taper", Mark?

 

My question was ... are the 24 steps from 0 ohms to 250K ohms like:

• each step adds 10k ohms (ie. linear)
• or are the steps, like, 1k ... 2K ... 4K ... etc. (ie. logarithmic)?

 

Yes, taper. Never put a meter to one but, if I remember, I measure tomorrow. 

[mwhouston]

Getting ready for assembly. Storage caps will go under the amp brds on their own brd. New much talked about Houston Finish by accident.  After final spray I handled the plates too early which left permanent marks. I re-sprayed to accidentally get a stippled finish which I like. The plates were meant to be black gloss but now a s*xy black stipple. I think a reaction between coats produced this.  

[muon*]

True basics, a passive pre to test out a power amp

 

Just have to work out the pin outs on the RK40 pot

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by muon*

[andyr]

I think to call your device a 'pre', Ian - as it only has 1 pair of input RCAs - is pushing it!  It's a volume control.  (Preamps have a source selector, as well as a volume control.)

 

[muon*]

On 14/12/2023 at 4:49 PM, andyr said:

I think to call your device a 'pre', Ian - as it only has 1 pair of input RCAs - is pushing it!  It's a volume control.  (Preamps have a source selector, as well as a volume control.)

 

 

It's obviously passive, and It's before the amplifier so it's "pre" amplifier.

Edited December 17, 2023 by muon*

[playdough]

Building an 8 channel DSP, set of interconnects. Unbalanced this time so 8 x Teflon/silver coax and Neutrik gold plated copper RCA's. Speaker cables in 4 core fine strand flex 4mm2/Neutrik silver speakon connectors x 4. Tinned wire termination at the amplifier binder post.

Getting set up for the build  have made a few over the years. 

 

[playdough]

This is on the other end of the table  might work if all the polarities are correct when powered up. I've been using smps for a long time to power amps and like the outcomes. Quiet and dynamic come to mind.

Building a hide away amp rack, will have a vertical stand and be on rollers. 

DIY'ing it because I don't want to spend any money trying to best my favourite sounding amps, just now. 8 channels is a big outlay and this stuff was laying about. Have been testing a similar (cobbled together) set up for a  while and it's fine, hasn't been any problem. The amp modules in the enclosures are quite nice PNP Transistors for the bass 4 ch and a 4 channel bi polar HF amp. These in their own right have SMPS power supplies in the enclosure. The external smps are 25A no fan, there is 3, the other is in service, just cheap LED Drivers with adjustable output actually work well for audio.

Posted and built for a giggle mainly, hating seeing good gear given away or lay in the dust. The 8 CH miniDSP is also smps Meanwell at 12v  

 

[mwhouston]

Who else has Xmas hols projects. I have a SS amp to finish and recently received a commission job (parts ordered and on their way). My Xmas is fully booked. 

[mwhouston]

Being totally transfixed by the performance of my DIY EL3N amp and not imagining it departing anytime soon I’ve ordered another pair of EL3Ns. I may make a Garber “Y” integrated amp with them or just keep them as spares. 
 

http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2023/09/la-technique-french-made-1957-el3n.html

 

[crtexcnndrm99]

1 hour ago, mwhouston said:

Who else has Xmas hols projects. I have a SS amp to finish and recently received a commission job (parts ordered and on their way). My Xmas is fully booked. 

My tube amp (uesugi u-bros junior 1, an el34 PP) dropped a channel yesterday, so I now have a Christmas project. Oh, also finishing the Tannoy cabinets. So between holiday schedules I’m booked as well. Happy DIY’ing

[RankStranger]

20 hours ago, mwhouston said:

Who else has Xmas hols projects. I have a SS amp to finish and recently received a commission job (parts ordered and on their way). My Xmas is fully booked. 

Altec rebuild. I’ve been putting it off because I don’t want to stop listening to them for that long