[Mr Headphone]

I am keen to see what headphone amp designs people have come up with. Most of the stuff you purchase from shops can readily be built by electronic enthusiasts at a fraction of the price of commercial units.

My avatar is a picture of one I have built (using an old Yamaha CD burner case with a brushbox fascia - left over floor board from a house extension) that incorporates a Silicon Chip designed headphone amp (March 2007), complete with a fully shielded power supply and a digital remote controlled volume control - Silicon Chip (Feb 2007) (uses a Burr Brown PGA2310AP volume control chip - no wiper brush noise, no wear and tear, no noise and precise channel tracking - just brilliant!).

Frequency response - flat from 10Hz to 150kHz, Harmoinc distortion typically 0.002%, signal to noise ratio -120dB, channel cross talk -126dB, volume step size 0.5dB or 1.5dB (adjustable).

What have you built that sounds fantastic and can be duplicated by others?

 

[FallenAngel]

Look at the DIY section and my entire signature.

 

[chris_ah1]

1. Beta22
2. Dynahi
3. Dynalo
4. M^3
5. Cavalli Kumisa for cool factor because full discrete is just plain cool to me.

They are all stunning and immensely fun projects.

 

[Leny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Headphone /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... (uses a Burr Brown PGA2310AP volume control chip - no wiper brush noise, no wear and tear, no noise and precise channel tracking - just brilliant!). ... Frequency response - flat from 10Hz to 150kHz, Harmoinc distortion typically 0.002%, signal to noise ratio -120dB, channel cross talk -126dB, volume step size 0.5dB or 1.5dB (adjustable). ...

I am pleased for you that you have reached your sonic heaven. The recyling seems a good idea too. However, regading PGA2310 I have tried it in two preamplifiers and always heard improvements when they were removed and replaced with step-switched transformer volume controls.

Also, I gather that the specs you provide are copied from a magazine / datasheet and not actually measured from your own build. Perhaps you realise that some people infer performance from specifications and then go on to predetermine how good something is before they even listen to it! I hope you did not fall into that self-supporting psychological trap.

The DIY section here seems a good place to find out what can be built, and also consider taking a wonder over to diyaudio.com .

Cheers,
L

 

[krmathis]

Never built one myself, but the β22 certainly is a stunning amplifier.

Example pictures:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02267a.jpg
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02254a.jpg
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02215a.jpg

 

[pabbi1]

There are a few options in my sig.

 

[chris_ah1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Never built one myself, but the β22 certainly is a stunning amplifier. Example pictures: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02267a.jpg http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02254a.jpg http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02215a.jpg

Pure electronics prawn! those beauties need to get some clothes on and then have male plugs thrust into both their input and output holes....

It really is beautiful though inside. Still, there is nothing as relaxing as the glow of tubes when you're sleepy and listening to music.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Never built one myself, but the β22 certainly is a stunning amplifier. Example pictures: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02267a.jpg http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02254a.jpg http://www.head-fi.org/forums/attach...-dsc02215a.jpg

Looks like a balanced class d? amp?

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_ah1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pure electronics prawn! those beauties need to get some clothes on and then have male plugs thrust into both their input and output holes....

Like this?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Check the DIY plans over at Headwize. I liked the Brute Force enough to build one, that I'll finish if I ever get out of this office. Also have all the parts for Ciuffoli's SESS with the 417A, even all the case parts. It's just that I've been stuck in the office 80-90 hours a week lately and it's rained the few days I've had off.

With any luck, both will be operational and present at CanJam '09.

 

[craiglester]

Krmathis, is there anyway to turn off all the blue lighting.. that would bug the heck of me. Nice amp otherwise, by all accounts.

 

[Rednamalas1]

'nuff said.

 

[sentinl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rednamalas1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif 'nuff said.

WOW WHAT amp is that

 

[Rednamalas1]

Selexus' PPA.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craiglester /img/forum/go_quote.gif Krmathis, is there anyway to turn off all the blue lighting.. that would bug the heck of me. Nice amp otherwise, by all accounts.

No easy way that I know of. At least there are no external switch...
Then again I am found of blue LED's and they don't bug me at all.