Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › Novo Headphone Amp - Full Kit by Graham Slee
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Novo Headphone Amp - Full Kit by Graham Slee

post #1 of 26
2/28/09 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
For those who might be interested Grahm is bringing out a full kit to build a Novo SS discrete headphone amp. You can read more about it at: diy-audio-kits for do it yourself audio

For us in the USA the cost will be 120 BP plus S&H. Not bad considering it includes all the parts including an anoidized case and psu. What do you think?
Reply
post #2 of 26
2/28/09 at 7:43pm
Ooh, interesting indeed.
Reply
post #3 of 26
3/1/09 at 9:09am
Now we're only waiting for the schematic to tell if it's worthwhile or not. The reviews of the Novo hasn't been very encouraging. If the circuit is sound, some slight modifications might turn it into a good amp.
Reply
post #4 of 26
3/1/09 at 1:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by NelsonVandal View Post
Now we're only waiting for the schematic to tell if it's worthwhile or not. The reviews of the Novo hasn't been very encouraging. If the circuit is sound, some slight modifications might turn it into a good amp.
I disagree w/ " ... reviews of the Novo hasn't been very encouraging ... ". If you are referring to the USA thread where two units were passed around I have to take the blame. Instead of sending back the two units to Graham to implement a tweak I did them myself, unfortunetly I messed up the soldering (bad eyesight) which caused the sound to be affected. Heck one channel in one unit stopped working, once back w/ me I found a couple of cold solder joints I made. Once re-flowed the amp worked and sounded IMO very nice.

I also think that people were expecting a fully discreet amp which sells for $300 w/ S&H to the USA to sound well above its price. Anyways here are a few pics of the instruction manual writeen by Graham to facilitated the construction.







Reply
post #5 of 26
3/1/09 at 1:41pm
Internal pcb looks like Pro-ject head-box one.
Reply
post #6 of 26
3/1/09 at 2:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by QQQ View Post
Internal pcb looks like Pro-ject head-box one.
Interest comment and I would appreciate a picture of the Pro-Ject Head-Box you are referring too. The only internal picture I have seen of the Pro-Ject Headphone amp is of the original:







As you can see by the pics I posted it utilizes 2 x JRC 4580D opamps. C33740 / C32740 transistors and 7815 / 7915 regulators. Nothing wrong w/ op-amps but the Novo is a discrete design so I am confused by your statement that they look alike. Unless you are referring to a newer model by Pro-Ject and thus why I ask for pics.
Reply
post #7 of 26
3/1/09 at 9:46pm
Looks like a great amp to me, simple can sound very good to my ears.
Can't wait to see what is "coming soon". Hope to see something with tubes, or at least maybe a hybrid.
I haven't read every single review on the planet, but I've never read anything bad about GS stuff here.
I look forward to reading what you think about it.
Reply
post #8 of 26
3/2/09 at 11:35am
If I was building an amp in that class, I would MUCH rather build a CKKIII.

Interesting decision to sell the Novo as a kit though. Is there much precedence for a manufacturer releasing a commercial product as a kit so soon after release?

[EDIT] And I'm desperately trying to make out the schematic...... is there an electrolytic capacitor in series with the output? The parts list has 2*470µF 35V electrolytics, so I think there must be.
Reply
post #9 of 26
3/2/09 at 12:07pm
It looks like a single end amplifier with two stages and an emitter follower, but I might be wrong. Both input and output seem capacitor coupled. I suspect an amp such as this is very sensitive to parts selection. There are better transistors to use than BC327/337. I think the Novo would sound a lot better with transistors from Sanyo or Toshiba and capacitors like BlackGate or Silmic. LM317 is usually a better choice than L78xx as regulator.
Reply
post #10 of 26
3/2/09 at 3:07pm
I think I would prefer to buy a Novo 'clone' from Graham Slee, than a faceless merchant on eBay. Also having read the effort that Graham went to to get the very best resistors and capacitors, for a given price, this amp will sound as good when built as the ones that Graham makes himself. He has made sure they make music together, not spec matched.

And lets face it, it'd be nice for the guy who designed the kit to actually get the financial benefit.
Reply
post #11 of 26
3/2/09 at 4:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilf View Post
I think I would prefer to buy a Novo 'clone' from Graham Slee, than a faceless merchant on eBay. Also having read the effort that Graham went to to get the very best resistors and capacitors, for a given price, this amp will sound as good when built as the ones that Graham makes himself. He has made sure they make music together, not spec matched.

And lets face it, it'd be nice for the guy who designed the kit to actually get the financial benefit.
The best small signal transistors in the world cost less than 0.30 USD each, and of course those used in this amp costs a tenth of that. With regards to how much money people spend on fancy cords and connectors to hook the amp to the source (probably with only imaginary improvements), I think the price of HiQ transistors is peanuts and money well spent.

Two very good electrolytic capacitors (for the output coupling) like ELNA SilmicII are 5 USD and Blackgate N-type 10 - 15 USD.
Reply
post #12 of 26
3/2/09 at 8:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilf View Post
I think I would prefer to buy a Novo 'clone' from Graham Slee, than a faceless merchant on eBay.
...... or, you could build a better DIY amp for the same price or a touch more. CKKIII, PPAv2, MMM, Millett Max.....
Reply
post #13 of 26
3/2/09 at 10:57pm
Thread Starter 
I posted this as a heads up on something a DIYer could get interested in building. Could better parts be used? Of course but in GB the price of parts are not as inexpensive as it is in the USA or in other countries. FWIW, I do not know of any other manufacturers who lately have come out with kits.
Reply
post #14 of 26
3/3/09 at 2:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beefy View Post
...... or, you could build a better DIY amp for the same price or a touch more. CKKIII, PPAv2, MMM, Millett Max.....
Where's a good place to get all the parts for those amps in Australia mate?
Reply
post #15 of 26
3/3/09 at 2:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nsx_23 View Post
Where's a good place to get all the parts for those amps in Australia mate?
For quality DIY gear? Nowhere

IMHO, it is cheaper to buy from Mouser in the US for orders from ~US$100 even after paying for international shipping. The bigger the order, the more cost effective it becomes. You can try Farnell and RS Components, but the range, availability and pricing is generally poor. I only use these local sources for small one-off orders or bulky items.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › Novo Headphone Amp - Full Kit by Graham Slee