Hifiman has a long product line of amp module working for HM-901, HM-802, HM-801 and the coming mid-range HM-650. At this time, we want to move them forward, and we decide to take an amp design competition. If you are interested about it, please show your idea to us.
We prepare 6 prize to the winners:
1^st   1 HE560
2^nd   2 RE600
3^rd    3 RE400
 
Each amp will be tested by the professional engineer of HIFIMAN, and there is a chance to have business cooperation.
 
###New updates: you need to build a real amp card which works for hm901 hm802 to join this contest. sorry for the misunderstanding.
 
###update #2:
                       1. designers hold the rights of their amps
                       2. tell us you are ready to make an amp, and we will provide technique support to you
                       3. we will test the amps by the HIFIMAN engineers, and also we are going to invite head-fiers to test                                 together 
                      

Very interesting. but what exactly should we suggest?

Makes me wish I studied electrical engineering... kinda... a little... maybe.

Although I'm not qualified to participate, I think it would be a good idea to give measurement specifications (i.e. maximum thickness).

Maybe something akin to Dr Meier's active balanced ground?
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/grounds.htm
 
It's been a pet idea of mine that I've tinkered with in the past, and I've built working "proof of concept" amps out of it.
 

Who will hold the rights for the designs?

zelda said:

  Very interesting. but what exactly should we su

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you are build a amp card to join the competition

penmarker said:

  Who will hold the rights for the designs?

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you build the amp card to join the competition. If we decided to make it as a product, we could talk about it later.

All you lack right now is a simple high current amp card (I perfer opa2111/dual opa111s as the op amp(s)) that can be used to drive hard-to-drive low ohm phones such as AKG K701s or Grado GS1000s

So... is there a base design file with pinout/contact information from the mainboard or is this just a "show us what you've made" sorta deal?

teamhifiman said:

   
you are build a amp card to join the competition

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you mean from scratch?

http://www.head-fi.org/f/6/diy-do-it-yourself-discussions

gevorg said:

http://www.head-fi.org/f/6/diy-do-it-yourself-discussions

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Doesn't help in this discussion as I don't see a thread on how to construct a Hifiman amp card.
 
Are they expecting us to use their card format for the amp?
If so we will need full physical specs for said card including maximum allowable dimensions.
Also require power supply and input/output requirements.
As it stands it seems as though they are requiring the contestants to reverse engineer their existing design.
If that is indeed the case then I don't expect to see a lot of participation, though they may get a few.
If they really wanted lots of participation, making prototype boards available for purchase along with said specs would ensure it.

armaegis said:

  Maybe something akin to Dr Meier's active balanced ground?
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/grounds.htm
 
It's been a pet idea of mine that I've tinkered with in the past, and I've built working "proof of concept" amps out of it.
 

Spoiler: silly stuff

 

The board on the right is an AMB s22 power supply. The three boards on the upper left are AMB a20's. The magic stuff in the breadboard are some INA134/137 chips to create the unique L/R/G signals. I've also done a vastly simplified version of that using the INA134/137 with BUF634 in the feedback loops. Interesting since that basically created an amp with no resistors in the circuit.

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Wow!, gets my vote so far.
 
OK, I know we don't get votes, but still...

Every time I see an electrical board, I always wonder how human design such complicated stuff..............
Or it just look complicated to us =.=