[Othello3]

I've been looking into a commercial headamp for around $300 but it seems that the general consensus is that a considerably cheaper DIY amp will provide a better sound. I am not terribly experienced in audio DIY but I am an engineering student so I A) like to put stuff together and B) have lots of friends who are far more competent in dealing with electronics than I am. As such I think I would like to take on a moderately difficult project instead of spending time and money "cutting my teeth" on a small project amp I'll never use.

As for my needs...
I do NOT need an ultra portable amp so I would like to make a nice big desktop amp that will work with my Adcom pre-amp and power amp. I do not have a perfect source however (mostly my laptop, iPod or an inexpensive NAD cd player) so I don't need the world's most perfect or most high-powered amp. I've been looking at the AMB website and Glass Jar Audio (among others) and really liked the look of the M cubed, Cavalli and Millet hybrid. Any thoughts on which DIY amp will best fit my needs and how they compare to more expensive DIY amps with separate power supplies (ie Beta22 or Dynahi)?

 

[pabbi1]

If you want SS, go for m³. For tube (hybrid), check out the SOHA II, which is, imho, the best of breed in that price range.

This is all said without knowing any of your preferences, or what you might be looking at down the road, or what phones you are using.

 

[Othello3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want SS, go for m³. For tube (hybrid), check out the SOHA II, which is, imho, the best of breed in that price range. This is all said without knowing any of your preferences, or what you might be looking at down the road, or what phones you are using.

Point taken. I do apologize. I am an ardent jazz fan but I also listen to a fair amount of acoustic and classic rock. At the moment I am using Shure SE530 (dorm life = noise that is not conducive to enjoyment of music) but I intend to buy a pair of AKG 601 or 701 down the road. Hope that helps and thanks for the input. Also, with the M3, any thoughts on whether I'm better off with a separate power supply (and what is a STEPS psu?)?

 

[pabbi1]

Look at the two m³ in my sig - the 1st has a STEPS psu, and the 2nd has a linear 24v bought off of eBay - perfectly fine. The Millett Hybrid in my sig (NOT a Millett Max) also has a STEPS.

Generally speaking, the psu, really is the Mom & Apple Pie of amps. Good, clean power is job one.

The m³ is also very easy to case, but the SOHA II is a bit easier, made for a standard Hammond case.

There are all sorts of other possibilities, like the Millett Max, or Millett Starving Student, all of which are excellent in their own rights, but I just think the end result of the SOHA II, with it's tube rolling possibilities, and higher voltage, is the pick, were I choosing.

That said, you cannot make a bad choice here, within your stated budget - all are known topologies, with help available at all stops along the way.

 

[smeggy]

there's also the Cavalli EHHA hybrid amp with AMB S22 PSU.

Less than $300

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smeggy /img/forum/go_quote.gif there's also the Cavalli EHHA hybrid amp with AMB S22 PSU. Less than $300

It is an excellent amplifier and if you can strech your budget then don't look any further.

This is a tougher build for someone starting out. The price would be more like 350 unless you used a surplus case or can make one of your own using wood.

But yes, it would be oh so worth it.

 

[Uncle Erik]

You should be able to pull off the CK2III or the Dynalo with your budget. Both are excellent.

 

[MisterX]

Hmmm, I'm just not feeling a < $200 M3

I suppose you could replace the OPA627s with OPA604s but even if you do that your parts cost is still over $200

 

[srserl]

All of the amps suggested are nice and would be fine projects. I would suggest the Millett Hybrid Maxxed when the new rev comes out; then you could add an onboard usb dac and have a really fine system that you could continue to use somewhere even after you ultimately end up upgrading to something nicer. I built my first max about a year ago for about $160 (have since built 2 others).
The Cavalli CTH is also nice, but with all the tube rolling that can be done, I am now passing the $200 mark with no end in sight. It can be built for about $180 if you choose a decent tube up front, and resist the urge to try all the other tubes. It runs hotter than a Millett max and seems to pull a very slight amount more of detail and timbre out of the music than the max (but is tube dependent). The Millett max however sounds cleaner and more transparent, so it's a matter of taste.

 

[Billyk]

The CTH would be nice, if as stated you could resist the "tube fever" associated with it. But you don't have to get all crazy up front. Then you could put some of the $$ saved into a DAC; I would say though from what you said your sources are that a DAC would be a must have. It would certainly pull better sound out of your laptop and the CD player if it had a digital out. Check out the nice one on AMB's site, or for USB the Bantam at Beezar.

 

[BobMcN]

Tom at Beezar is expecting to put out a complete, optomized Millet Max kit - all parts included - sometime in the next month or so. Hard to pass this up (I'm waiting for this kit myself). It will probably be priced less than $200 as well.

Then again, I have HD600's that I will use this with, which is a pretty optimal match in this price range. You have to see what others with your cans are using to make the best decision for your needs.

Enjoy,
Bob

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm, I'm just not feeling a < $200 M3 I suppose you could replace the OPA627s with OPA604s but even if you do that your parts cost is still over $200

Agreed - he said $200 in the title, then upped to $300 inside. nothing I mentioned was less than $300, and, in reality, tends to cost more once you go boutique, from multiple vendors. Shipping adds up quick when ordering from 10 places.

 

[Othello3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Agreed - he said $200 in the title, then upped to $300 inside. nothing I mentioned was less than $300, and, in reality, tends to cost more once you go boutique, from multiple vendors. Shipping adds up quick when ordering from 10 places.

My budget is admittedly somewhat flexible. My hope had been that if I was going to build the amp myself I would lower my budget to account for tools and misc supplies but it also seems that I am not the only one to have set a budget that I will likely surpass very quickly

With regard to MisterX... I am by no means disagreeing with you but AMB put up a spreadsheet on his M3 page that sets the rough subtotal at $150 without power supply, enclosure (which I will be fabricating myself anyway) or input/output jacks. Since I lack the ability to compare parts on an individual basis I would be interested to know how your subtotals are so different from his.

Also, as a general question... For how many of the aforementioned amps is it possible to use a wall-wart psu or a DIY psu (ie AMB s22)? From what I have seen it is beneficial to have a separate psu but I'm just not sure I have the time to build both an amp and a psu right now so I would like to have some options. Also, any thoughts on the Dynahi versus the M3? Is one better than the other or are they just different?

 

[MrSlim]

I'd give another vote for the CTH. It's a very nice little amp. Just because you can roll tubes, doesn't mean you have to... I like the cheap and cheerful ones anyway... I might might have spent $50 total on tubes and that's gotten me a 12BH7A, 6DJ8. 2x ECC82's and two 6np1's.

The CTH Powersupply is built in, with an external 24V AC wall wart..

 

[pabbi1]

The TREAD is wallwart based, so have a look.

The Dynahi / beta22 is really another level up in complexity of board / psu / caseing, all of which are harder, and with potential disasters for the mortal builder (Mr X, Nmaher, et all aside), so here the recommendation really has to be that those are in no way intermediate projects.

The Dynahi has some VERY difficult parts to source, but, you could get close to it's performance by building two m³ in a balanced configuration. It would be a far simpler build, but something approaching the quality.

Beta22 is top of the heap in SS, save for the elusive Dynafet, which is a different conversation.