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DIY Amp kit?

post #1 of 43
8/19/07 at 8:21pm
Thread Starter 
I'm looking to build my first Amp. Is there anybody that sells a kit for a decent amp that includes everything needed to build it? pcb and components that is/ I'm not new to soldering so I wouldn't be intimidated by a complex build.

Thanks
James
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post #2 of 43
8/19/07 at 10:00pm
Jrossel sells a couple of kits.
http://www.glassjaraudio.com/main.sc
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post #3 of 43
8/19/07 at 10:16pm
this gets asked all the time and most responses go something like: There's alot more to building an amp than soldering. I'd recommend starting with a cmoy, because troubleshooting something more than that would really suck as a newb if it doesn't work perfectly the first time...which it very often doesn't. That said, if you are set on building something else first, the closest to a beginner's kit that I've seen is the CKKIII kit by fellow head-fier jeff rossel, Tho I'm not sure if he is selling them yet b/c he has it on http://www.geocities.com/jeffrossel/ that site but not on here http://www.glassjaraudio.com/main.sc yet

beware however that building the CKK3 requires working with AC line voltage, so it's probably a bad idea to try building it as your first amp unless you've done some electrician type stuff too
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post #4 of 43
8/19/07 at 10:30pm
I'd go for a jeffrossel kit. If you can ask him for a CKKIII kit then that would be a great start. It's pretty straightforward.

I helped my friend with a SOHA kit from him. I wouldn't recommend that as a first time without help because there are a number of configurations possible and we ended up making some mistakes along the way which would have been difficult to solve if it was the first time around.
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post #5 of 43
8/20/07 at 9:21am
Thread Starter 
Got an email out to jrossel concerning the ckk3. I'll let you know what I end up doing.

Thanks james
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post #6 of 43
8/20/07 at 11:09am
Hey there,
I also think that a CKKIII would be a great first amp kit. As you can see on amb.org it's a really nice discrete amp... I'll also build one myself at autumn holidays.

best regards,
bearmann
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post #7 of 43
8/20/07 at 11:32am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearmann View Post
Hey there,
I also think that a CKKIII would be a great first amp kit. As you can see on amb.org it's a really nice discrete amp... I'll also build one myself at autumn holidays.

best regards,
bearmann
Great It looks like there is a ton of helpful info on AMB's site. I'll be building a lod later this week so I can't wait to get started.

james
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post #8 of 43
8/20/07 at 12:04pm
I wish someone would offer a kit for the PIMETA. An ideal 1st or 2nd project after the CMoy, Tangent's design is so simple it's brilliant. A few resistors, a few caps, then some opamp sockets. Add a couple of batteries, connectors, and a case and you're ready to go. It kicks some serious butt, too - light years better than a CMoy.
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post #9 of 43
8/20/07 at 1:21pm
Yeah, i intend no slight against digi01, but his SOHA boards are Not For Beginners. For the CCS configuration alone.

The SOHA needs a new layout with a beefier output stage anyway. There's nothing wrong with the overall design, but opamp output is kinda . . . stoopid.
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post #10 of 43
8/20/07 at 1:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by user18 View Post
I would personally get the SOHA, they are nice, easy to build and they are fairly cheap.
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post #11 of 43
8/20/07 at 1:49pm
I got an order in too for the CKKIII after listening to it in the headfi meet a couple of days ago. Fantastic amp. Looking forward to building it.
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post #12 of 43
8/21/07 at 7:20am
btw: Does anybody know other discrete headamp projects, perhaps even for breadboard?

best regards,
bearmann
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post #13 of 43
8/21/07 at 9:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by user18 View Post
Jrossel sells a couple of kits.
http://www.glassjaraudio.com/main.sc
The SOHA would be tempting to recommend and I bought & built one of Jeff's kits and was pleased. BUT, as some suggest here, it doesn't make the best 1st build. The silk-screening on the otherwise excellent SOHA v3 board has some incorrect labeling & it begs for a muting delay (IMHO, info around) are just a couple concerns. As tomb & others suggest, maybe a simple SS project would make a better 1st build.

BTW, there's SOHA info scattered all over, but core links I found are the excellent mb3k site and here.

Good luck.
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post #14 of 43
8/21/07 at 9:14am
It seems to me the major difficulty for beginner getting involved in building is getting the parts. I don't know why this is such a big deal but it is. I don't really why I can't go to Radio Shack and buy all the parts, but I guess I can't. I can also understand why people don't assemble the parts and sell them as a kit, except for the more complex ones. The must be local parts suppliers that sell this stuff, but I for one don't like to look like a ninny, and a lot of the people at these stores are such uber geeks they make me feel even dumber. The only thing I can think of would be for some kind person to assemble a list/order form that I could copy and email to one or two of these specific online retailers. Something like mail this list to and mail this other list to if you follow me. Am I lazy, probably, am I just dumb, you bet.
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post #15 of 43
8/21/07 at 1:13pm
With a little reading, it's pretty easy to assemble the parts list on the "recommended for beginners" amps. Most people order online as radio shack definitely will not have all the parts. It's just very time consuming (at least a few hours) and I always factor that in when I build amps.
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