DIY amp

[FNG212]

LOTR suggested I post this here instead: Has anyone ever build their own amp, stereo or otherwise? Someone mentioned it in passing on another forum and I just thought I'd ask here.

Is it possible to get the same performance out of DIY amps as it is DIY speakers/subs?

At what point is DIY not feasable? I can't imagine someone could build their own receiver, or even a CD/DVD player? (More of an academic question than one of practicality)

 

[Loren42]

LOTR suggested I post this here instead: Has anyone ever build their own amp, stereo or otherwise? Someone mentioned it in passing on another forum and I just thought I'd ask here.

Is it possible to get the same performance out of DIY amps as it is DIY speakers/subs?

At what point is DIY not feasable? I can't imagine someone could build their own receiver, or even a CD/DVD player? (More of an academic question than one of practicality)

Building amps probably is easier than designing a good speaker system, in my opinion.

Tube amps are popular and there are many circuits that can be picked off the web for both solid state and tube that can provide a foundation for a great sounding amp.

There are also many books available on the subject that are worth looking into. Having a good understanding of basic electronics is helpful. From there there should be a wide selection of books and articles on the web that can flesh out your knowledge.

Express PCB is a good place to get boards made (they have free layout software).

I would give it a whirl and start by reading everything you can, then the path will seem a little clearer.

 

[lsiberian]

Building amps probably is easier than designing a good speaker system, in my opinion.

Tube amps are popular and there are many circuits that can be picked off the web for both solid state and tube that can provide a foundation for a great sounding amp.

There are also many books available on the subject that are worth looking into. Having a good understanding of basic electronics is helpful. From there there should be a wide selection of books and articles on the web that can flesh out your knowledge.

Express PCB is a good place to get boards made (they have free layout software).

I would give it a whirl and start by reading everything you can, then the path will seem a little clearer.

No thanks. I see no fun in building an amp and find it far more challenging than building a speaker. But if your Electrically inclined than have fun.

 

[WmAx]

Building an amp is not difficult, just time consuming (it can take tens of hours just to source and buy all of the parts needed). You don't need any real knowledge to do it if you just copy a proven design - though it's still very useful/good ideal to have an oscilloscope to test for ultra-sonic oscillation, verify bias, etc.

There is nothing to be gained performance wise or money wise by building amps. Keep that in mind. You can buy amps for cheaper than you can build them, in so far as comparable power to dollar ratios are concerned.

Try to build an amp comparable to the EP2500 by Behringer for less than it's retail price of $350. I would be surprised if you can even build it for $350; you'll probably spend more.

Amp building is for fun and education, not for saving money.

-Chris

 

[s162216]

LOTR suggested I post this here instead: Has anyone ever build their own amp, stereo or otherwise? Someone mentioned it in passing on another forum and I just thought I'd ask here.

Is it possible to get the same performance out of DIY amps as it is DIY speakers/subs?

At what point is DIY not feasable? I can't imagine someone could build their own receiver, or even a CD/DVD player? (More of an academic question than one of practicality)

It technically is possble to build a reciever as DD and DTS decoder IC's are availaible, but it is mostly pointless as you will end up spending proberly 5 times the cost of buying one. Plus most features such as DSP's, DPLII and calibration options are unlikely to be able to be easily built.

I have however found several projects on the internet for building a CD player as most of the parts are fairly common.

Building an amp is not difficult, just time consuming (it can take tens of hours just to source and buy all of the parts needed). You don't need any real knowledge to do it if you just copy a proven design - though it's still very useful/good ideal to have an oscilloscope to test for ultra-sonic oscillation, verify bias, etc.

There is nothing to be gained performance wise or money wise by building amps. Keep that in mind. You can buy amps for cheaper than you can build them, in so far as comparable power to dollar ratios are concerned.

Try to build an amp comparable to the EP2500 by Behringer for less than it's retail price of $350. I would be surprised if you can even build it for $350; you'll probably spend more.

Amp building is for fun and education, not for saving money.

-Chris

+1

As WmAx says, building an amp is fun and good for learning, but it ends up being way more expensive and time consuming.

If however you are serious about building one, I would get a decent oscilloscope like WmAx says. They usually go cheap on Ebay. Last year I got a dual channel, 50Mhz Philips scope for only £17 (~$28) off Ebay and it works great.

The most expensive part of an amp will likely be the power supply, as an at least 300VA transformer is needed for a typical very powerful (i.e 300W and above) amp. That will proberly be the most expensive part of the lot. Also for dual volatge rail designs, big capacitors (4700uF upward) are needed and these are not cheap either as you will need high volatage versions because of the supply voltage of the amp is usually from 40V - 80V, so be careful. Plus you will need a big heatsink to mount the amp on as well as a proper metal case which is earthed and cables going into are properly restrained with grommets or cable glands. All of that plus the rest of the amp = a big bill.

Bottom line, think what you want: learning and fun or ease and low cost?