Jds's pcb will probably be better long term vs a breadboard, but you won't learn as much.    

I wouldn't expect it to be cheaper or if it is it probably won't be worth the hassle.   Check Farnell, i believe they are the equivalent to mouser/digikey in the US.   Maybe avoiding taxes will make it worth it.

Quote: I would say don't overthink it.   Common recommendations for a first amp is a cmoy.  If you don't burn your house down making that, then you have a lot of choices in the $100-300 range.  Most established designs have a lot of X vs Y comparisons available of people comparing...

  There may also be the Objective Desktop Amp (ODA) from the O2 developer.  It has has similar goals as the O2 without the battery/portability requirement.  Something to keep your eye on...

I think you are talking about Sennheiser plugs.    There may be 1-2 sources for plugs, but this is the only one I can find at the moment: http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=oem&pagestring2=Headphone%20Connectors&pagestring=Headphone%20Connectors+%28closeup%29&content_id=33&part_id=178...

  I think this area is called chipamps / gainclones.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainclone.  I thought those were mostly speaker amplifiers.   I don't know if National makes a chipamp specifically for headphones, but I recall seeing some threads on using the  LM1875 or LM3875 by reducing...

  Are you looking at full amps or just opamp chips to build your own amp around?   Maybe link to what you are looking at you will get some feedback in that arena.    Typically in headphones lower impedance requires more current to drive, while higher impedance responds to higher voltage. ...

I believe beezar.com is the only distributor of the PCB's.   http://beezar.com/oscommerce2/catalog/index.php?cPath=25

I don't see markings on your individual cables you sure you have it wired the same internally on both end?  Maybe you mixed up the right channel and ground on one end?   Do you have a multimeter to check the connection?  You should get 0 resistance from tip to tip, ring 1 to ring 1 and...

  Sounds odd.   Try the normal things:   Rotate the transformer.   Check the grounding, including the pot.    If nothing else works you might need a ground loop breaker.

I don't recall there being an indicator.   R40 just below it is the current limiter, so I would guess the hole closest to it is the positive hole...  I had mine on a header and had to flip it.   Looking at the traces the -15v seems to go to the top hole, so pretty sure it is negative...

Usually there is enough room to twist them together and tie them to one point.   This thread/walkthrough might be helpful for you to look at: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/50729/how-to-make-an-interconnect-step-by-step-with-pics   I believe most of the wires in the pics are 22-24...

If your wire felt too thick for your connector you might get a bigger connector some companies make connectors with more/less room than others or smaller wire.   I looked up .75mm on a wire gauge chart and it is small, but a lot of 3.5mm cables use 22 or 24 gauge, which would be slightly...

What i think Zigis is getting at is while they may technically fit in the same spot and might have the same design... the tubes it lists as subs vary widely in their voltage and gain, so are not drop in replacements in an amplifier. 

    You found the name of the plug TRRS for Tip Ring Ring Sleeve.   You can just replace the plug on the end no need to replace whole cable.  If they used enameled wire you will need to get the enamel off the end to make a connection to your new plug.    Also, you might check online for...

    You can use simple rubber grommets to give hole a clean look and use heat shrink to fatten the cable at the entry.   The moon audio stuff look like a combined cable entry and grommet.   Something like this round grommet, but in a rectangular shape.   The non solid ones look like the...

Took a look at some screenshots and it looks like heatshrink tubing to me.   Maybe someone will know the heat shrink brand headphile uses.    If there is no built in strain relief on the inside you will still need to tie a knot/loop of some kind to keep the cable in place.    One of...

Most of the examples are in the DIY cable thread: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/71148/diy-cable-gallery   To protect the cable at the cups drill a small hole to get the wire in and tie a small knot on the cup side.   To protect the Y joint.  Qables sells a Y casing...

  In your budget isn't it basically: CK2III M3 PPA   Focus your search on comparisons of those.   I ended up with the CK2III and focused my research on it.  The sound on it can change with output transistors, so if you go with it also you might plan for output transistor swapping to...

  You can cut into the cable and pull out the two insulated wires in there to get the L and R line out.  Leave the other 5? or 6 intact and the remote will continue to enable the line out.    Would be ideal to get it down to just what is enabling it, but good luck figuring that out.  I...

  Thanks holland, I haven't heard of any CK2III having problems with TRS jacks, but I wanted to experiment with mine to see if the Beyers respond better to more output impedance and while I was at it understand why more powerful amps can damage themselves with a TRS jack. I have my eye on the...

  If the amp itself does not have much/any output impedance you can add output impedance.  In most designs if you use TRS jacks you should add at least a small output resistor to each channel to mitigate the TRS connector shorting on insert/removal.  If you want to get 120 ohm output impedance...

  Jeff @ Glass Jar Audio has a kit up for the Rev A of this amp.  I don't know how he does it.  Its like $20 cheaper than the project i have at mouser based off the latest bom.   Not sure i can buy and build this before a planned move next year, but thank you Jeff.  Probably should wait...

Quote: Who reads every sub-form?   I did a search for 'Joker', http://www.head-fi.org/user/ljokerl .   It appears he gives a lot of support in the IEM sub form.  If you want to take up a collection to get him some gear for his contribution to that community start a thread in...

  If you get serious about it you can turn birthdays/christmas into tool days and you will have everything you need eventually.   All you really need is a soldering iron, solder, flux, flux cleaner, and a multimeter (safely check your work).  I don't think there is one place to get things...