[Nisbeth]

Lately I've come to the harsh realisation that there is just too long between I actually finish anything (complete with case and everything). However, as I have plenty of projects wating to be completed, so I figured I'd show a little of what's lurking in the corners of my desk

Millet hybrids:
Not one, but two millet hybrids are completed and waiting for suitable enclosures (I'm still thinking about what that is)

Close-up of the "red" one with Wima and Cerafine caps.

Close-up of the "blue" one with Rifa MKP and Panasonic FC caps.

The tubes used in both amps are GE 12FM6s which I happened to get cheap on ebay.

I might do some tuberolling later on, but for the time being these are just fine

My last Millet-board might very well end its life as a preamp for my class-D poweramp but I haven't really decided on that yet.



The Zen headphone amplifier (Digi01-version)
I bought some boards for the Zen amp from Digi01 a long time ago and I've assembled one pair of boards.

Apart from matching and fitting the FETs, these are complete. I have a suitable enclosure but the PSU is not ready yet.

I'm really looking forward to hearing this with my SR325s (sometime

)


The Non-Oz III non-oversampling D/A-converter:
Some of you might remember me building the Non-Oz II DAC by Fedde Bouwman some time ago (those that don't can take a look at my website)

Shortly afterwards, Fedde published the schematic for the Non-oz III which had an improved I/V-stage. I swore at little at that because I had just finished the Non-Oz II, but decided to lay out a PCB for the -III as well (one of my first "real" Eagle pcbs - the previous one was done in Photoshop!)

The DAC is based on the CS8412/8414 SPDIF-receiver and the TDA1543 non-oversampling converter IC from Philips. This combination has been all the rage for a couple of years over at diyaudio.com with more and more elaborate versions showing up. This one is quite simple (the schematic is available from www.fedde.tk), but still manages to sound excellent and it easily beats the built-in DAC in my H/K DVD-player.

The board I've laid out measures 63 x 45 mm (2.5" x 1.8") and will even fit in the smallest Hammond 1455-type enclosure (provided the voltage regulators are "adjusted" a bit in height, they are normally too tall to fit).

This is my first prototype of the PCB which i've wired up with plugs for testing. (The connectors are so heavy that the board tips over, which is why my finger managed to make its way into every picture

)

I am building another board at the moment, it just needs some voltage regs to be complete. I am think of partnering this with one of Guzzler's USB-SPDIF converter boards.

Now that I've confirmed that the layout is good, I've fitted the BlackGate output caps which the original schematics called for. The first prototype used much cheaper Jamicon non-polars just in case it blew up in my face when power was applied

Balanced linedriver and receiver:
These converters convert from single-ended to balanced signals and vice versa. They use TI's DRV134/INA134 chipset.

The on-board Neutrik XLRs were used because I could get them at a much lower price than the normal panel-mount versions. I'll probably regret that when they finally find their way into an enclosure....

The main reason for building these were that my poweramps now have balanced inputs and also because I wanted to experiment a bit with using balanced signal transfer. The idea is to eventually convert my my entire system to XLR connections which I greatly prefer to RCAs.



4-channel "GainClone" amplifier:
Not strictly "head-fi related" but still an interesting project - a four channel "Gainclone" poweramp based on the LM3875 IC from National Semiconductor and PCBs from www.chipamp.com.

I had the big heatsinks lying around anyway, so they were a natural choice for the enclosure. I also decided that they were big enough for four channels, which means that if nothing else, the amp will be great for experimenting with active crossovers.

I've had these PCBs ready and wating for quite some time now and I am getting more and more curious as to how they sound, so at the moment I am giving priority to this amp. Unfortunately I need a friend's help to finish the front and rear panels (bead-blasting), so I am not entirely in control of when this will be finished

Oh, and if anyone is still unsure about the value of a stepped drill (unibit) for doing casework, let me put all your doubts to rest: YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ONE!

Now, this is by no means everything I have tucked away in storage awating better times (or just more time

) and I'll bet I am not the only one. So, I'm giving the ball up: Show us what you have "brewing and stewing" on your desk!

/U.

 

[PinkFloyd]

[size=medium]Niiiiiiiiice![/size]

You've certainly been busy

 

[Twombly]

Very nice builds, but did you see the stickied thread up top for this purpose?

 

[bhjazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nisbeth Not one, but two millet hybrids are completed and waiting for suitable enclosures (I'm still thinking about what that is)

I'm finding that the casework for my Mint is taking longer than the actual build. Oy!

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nisbeth Millet hybrids: Not one, but two millet hybrids are completed and waiting for suitable enclosures (I'm still thinking about what that is)

Well, since you mentioned Millett projects, here's a preview of something that I've just completed. It's a maxed out Millett, boutique parts everywhere, STEPS power supply, 3 switched inputs, line-out/preamp feature and was custom built for a member of these boards. I'll let him show you the final pictures, actually he hasn't even see those yet.

And Nisbeth, my project list goes a bit like this, two unfinished Milletts, a PPA V2, ZEN, DIY DAC, finish casing my M3, and a couple others that I'm sure I'm forgetting

. Great look projects you've got going there!

Nate

 

[DaKi][er]

Some might remember a dac I designed and was working on a few months back now, well I’m still going

I’ve encountered (far too) many problems along the way, but I’ve been slowly making progress

Here is the assembled board so far, many tweaks to it to get it to work including getting the digital side regulators working after getting the Vin and Vout pads around the wrong way

The casework of it is all done, so once it is working, just plugging it all in it will be finished

What has to be done is replace the pcm1704 chips, I’ve put it all on a scope and traced the digital signal through the DAC and everything clocks right and data flows right up to the input pins of the pcm1704's where it stops and nothing comes out the other end. Just that these chips are nearly $100AUS to replace them and I haven’t wanted to jump right into it when there is a chance that it doesn’t work if I do that

One day I’ll finish it

 

[myself, aka me]

Not an amp, but definately a work in progress. Fretting sucks.

 

[Garbz]

Well since completing my Dynalo and buying my speaker setup i've just lingered around these boards, offering help and bouncing ideas off people without actually doing anything.

Well for thoes who were paying attention to the balancing threads will know something bounced back and I built a DRV134 based Balanced line driver.

Since then it's balance this, balance that, move mycdplayer to the opposite side of the room, making 20m interconnects, upgrading headphone cables, and my current works in progress:

A Balanced line driver which is transformer based instead of using the DRV134. No pictures to offer since all the parts are in the mail.

Gilmore Dynamid Well the dynalo just wasn't ... balanced. I'm building a dynamid which takes single ended signals and runs it through a drv134, or switches to fully balanced inputs. The powersupply was upgraded to a dynahi psu which I haven't transfered the heatsink from. While this is fine it needs to share a standard case with transformer, a powersupply for the control board, a control board, a remote control receiver, input controls, 2x RK27 volume controls mechancially coupled together, and 2x output protection relays.

So with a physics book on my desk i'm working through how much matter can be compressed into a small space

Worst comes to wost i'll stack the channels ontop of each other which will also look very pro

. Also the top pannel needs to be recut for better airflow, and to get rid of the Dynalo logo.

 

[robzy]

I hate to say, but your missing a couple of components on one of your Dynalo boards Garbz.... you might wanna look into that...

(oh gosh im lame... )

Rob.

 

[Garbz]

This was a post your current projects not your finished stuff. That's another thread. And take a guess why one board is nearly fully populated? And I'll give you a hint, there's no amp board in the old dynalo

 

[Voodoochile]

Quote:

Lately I've come to the harsh realisation that there is just too long between I actually finish anything (complete with case and everything).

Oh man is that ever sad but true.

That's especially nice panel work on the back of your GC, Nisbeth!

 

[Little Nisbeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd [size=medium]Niiiiiiiiice![/size] You've certainly been busy

He even fixed my HD495s in just FOUR MONTHS! Bless 'im

 

[Nisbeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Nisbeth He even fixed my HD495s in just FOUR MONTHS! Bless 'im

Maybe if you complained more these things would go faster

(EDIT: or maybe not...)


/U.