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Advice on first DIY headphone amp

post #1 of 15
9/24/09 at 8:23pm
Thread Starter 
I would like to get a kit (or get the parts as per someone's instructions from here) to build a heaphone amp. I would like to keep cost down, but at the same time I would like sound quality (of course!) so it will be a tradeoff between the two.
I would like to get this project started because it will help me get my feet wet with circuit design, etc. I'm an electrical engineering student so I have some basic knowledge of electronics. I also have access to our labs which contain oscilliscopes, power supplies, good DMMs, etc.
Lastly I can get help from any of my teachers if need be, and they have doctorates in EE
Any advice on parts, schematics, or kits is greatly appreciated!

Also this will be used on Sennheiser HD555 headphones (I know they're not super expensive, but I plan to get better ones eventually) adn an Auzentech Prelude X-Fi (with the default opamp)
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post #2 of 15
9/24/09 at 8:40pm
I am currently building the PPA v1.1 for my first and enjoying every second of it. Today was the first day of the build and things are coming together.

So far: (sorry, crappy cell phone picture)


I am not the brightest tool in the shed when it comes to electronics but I do know a bit. I also have a friend helping me. I've learned a lot so far, but I'm not there yet.

Edit: Re-sized image.
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post #3 of 15
9/24/09 at 8:47pm
Budget?
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post #4 of 15
9/24/09 at 9:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FallenAngel View Post
Budget?
I really have no idea............I guess under $150, but I don't really know how much I would save from doing it myself. If I could do it for under $100 that would be great, but I wonder if that will greatly reduce the end results.
Thoughts?
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post #5 of 15
9/24/09 at 11:41pm
A Cmoy would be super cheap, and a Starving Student could probably be had for around $100, tubes would be the most expensive part. If you're looking at specific kits, Glass Jar Audio has some nice ones to choose from.
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post #6 of 15
9/24/09 at 11:59pm
For under $100 ($88 usd I believe) you can get the mini3 kit from glass jar audio. That's what I'd recommend for a budget that is aimed at under $100.
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post #7 of 15
9/25/09 at 1:07am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rds View Post
For under $100 ($88 usd I believe) you can get the mini3 kit from glass jar audio. That's what I'd recommend for a budget that is aimed at under $100.
That looks very promising............very nice price. This should be fun
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post #8 of 15
9/25/09 at 1:36am
Can the CKKIII be done for ~$150? I haven't heard it but I would've thought it would top the mini3 (which I have heard and is certainly very impressive).
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post #9 of 15
9/25/09 at 1:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daveze View Post
Can the CKKIII be done for ~$150? I haven't heard it but I would've thought it would top the mini3 (which I have heard and is certainly very impressive).
I would go $150 if it's worth the increase in price. Are my headphones (Sennheiser HD555s) good enough to benefit from the difference between the 2 amps?
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post #10 of 15
9/25/09 at 1:47am
I'm not sure, I have neither HD555s nor a CKKIII

My vote is often: bigger = better. If the HD555s aren't good enough, I'm sure you can find an upgrade pair in the second hand forum...
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post #11 of 15
9/25/09 at 1:51am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daveze View Post
I'm not sure, I have neither HD555s nor a CKKIII

My vote is often: bigger = better. If the HD555s aren't good enough, I'm sure you can find an upgrade pair in the second hand forum...
True....true. I actually love these headphones, and while they weren't exactly expensive, I'm not so quick to throw them away. I'll go ahead and build the amp, then think about upgrading these babies
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post #12 of 15
9/25/09 at 11:58am
Another great little amp that you can build for about $150 is the CTH.. Check out the thread here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/ver...id-amp-398839/.
Spruce Canyon Labs sells kits of parts, options etc.. I built one of the prototypes(listening to it now on K601's) and am just about finished a second one for home. It keeps surprising me with the detail and dynamics it is capable of.
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post #13 of 15
9/28/09 at 12:32am
I'm the exact same boat as OP (budget $200ish, also an engineering student with access to labs, and I have an HD555 lol), so I'm also open to any suggestions . I don't mean to hijack your thread or anything...but any ideas for a Amp/DAC combo w/ Optical IN?
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post #14 of 15
9/28/09 at 1:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dshankar View Post
I'm the exact same boat as OP (budget $200ish, also an engineering student with access to labs, and I have an HD555 lol), so I'm also open to any suggestions . I don't mean to hijack your thread or anything...but any ideas for a Amp/DAC combo w/ Optical IN?
Mini3/gamma1.
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post #15 of 15
9/28/09 at 1:54am
The CK2III is a very nice little amp. Since you've got access to a lab and (presumably) a few geeks that build stuff, you should be able to pull it off. A CK2III will scale nicely with other headphones, too.
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