[Carterr]

Hello there,
 
I just got my first pair of headphones.. the Sennheiser HD-580's... I am running them out of an headroom total airhead right now. They sound fantastic, but I am up for the challenge/fun to construct my own amp. I just don't know how to start. Like would I buy a kit, or would I just buy the parts that I need? I was just looking for someone to point me in the right direction. 
 
Thanks,
 
Carter

 

[fortney]

Consider this: Check the Tangent site-audiologica.com-and read about the CMoy amp. There are building instructions elsewhere also. This is a good introduction to DIY soldering, parts layout and identification, grounding, etc. Set the gain to 3. It is a good amp. Consider buying your parts from Mouser, et. al. so you get practice with using catalogs. Tangent has a number of construction tutorials at his site also, the last time I checked.
 
 
The CMoy is fun, educational, and not too expensive. If you think you want to use headphone amps you can build any number of projects discussed here and at Headwize.com. library. If the build fails to work initially then that will be a "teachable moment" (not my grammar) and not a failure...
 
F

 

[Carterr]

Thanks I'll check it out 

 

[Seamless Sounds]

 
Mouser and Digikey are the two major electronic vendors. I prefer Mouser, but you'll most likely have to order from both if it's an elaborate project. You'll also have to order the PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) and a couple parts from AMB, Tangent, or Beezar.
 
Firstly what is your budget? Portable or desktop? Tubes or Solid State? There is a lot of planning and asking involved before you dive into building an amp. If you have Excel, you can create your own BoM (Bill of Materials) to keep track of everything you need, and I mean everything (nuts, screws, wires, heatshrinks, solder, and many tiny misc items that are not usually included in BoM)! You want to avoid Radioshack as much as possible and buy everything in one go from Mouser and/or Digikey.
 
If you've never soldered before, get some breadboards to practice on before you attempt the real thing. If you don't have any of it, include it in your BoM.
 
Electrolytic aluminum capacitors, Integrated Circuits, Transistors, and Diodes are the most common components that gets fried so order spares! Include a "Spare" sheet in your BoM like I do.
 
Take precise measurements before drilling holes into your chassis. You have power tools right? Always read datasheets!
 
Would you like to spend a little extra money on practice amps like the CMoy or do you want to skip all that and build your dream amp?

 

[Carterr]

That was a lot to take in... but thank you....
 
 
I am not looking to build a super expensive amp.. I just want something to work on and to listen music out of... I'm not in any hurry, and I know how ordering goes when you want to build something... buy it all in one shot. I do have soldering experience, and I do have lots of misc items around. I just want someone to lead me in the right path building an amp for around 100-150 dollars give or take 20 bucks... The website that forteny posted was not a running website.. so at the moment I have nothing to read, and get learning. 
 
Thanks,
 
Carter

 

[QRomo]

I think the site he meant was http://tangentsoft.net/. Lots to read there. Be sure to check out his videos.
 
You might also check out amb's site, in particular the Mini³ as it fits into your price range. It's designed to be portable, but even if you won't use it on the go it's a nice little amp in its own right.

 

[jcx]

Headwize is inactive but archived at http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/projects/
you can still read/search the design/build threads for several popular diy projects
 
 
[since it took some effort to find these and then the thread was deleted I'll post this to appropriate threads to keep it from getting lost again:]
 
some diy project collections - now getting dated but useful links:
 
http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/ubb/showpage.php?fnum=3&tid=6339&&action=seekpost&pid=51081
 
and
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/136005/diy-projects-kits#post_1600278