[Seamless Sounds]

What DIY solid state amp pairs well with K70x? I like to hear everything in the music (I love transcribing music). I guess analytical would be the term. The only two DIY sites I know are AMB and tangentsoft. Also no B22, it's expensive.
 
Edit: Should this be in the DIY section?

 

[Asr]

The Dynalo and M3 work relatively well with the K70x. A CKKIII might also work ok but I haven't heard that amp.

 

[Seamless Sounds]

Do you know how much a M3 and σ11 cost (with and without the enclosure)?

 

[transient orca]

This might help.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/494429/total-price-for-an-m-3

 

[Seamless Sounds]

Thanks! I also searched headwize and found a lot of good information. Hmm I have this large, but old desktop case (not towers) in the basement. I think it has plenty of space for a PSU and the M3. Since my dad is an electric engineer, he has access to a lot of electronic components.

 

[Shahrose]

The M^3 and K701/2 go well together according to a few people I've talked to.

 

[fishski13]

it sounds like this is your first DIY amp?  if so, you should note that the M3 is a little more involved and expensive compared to the CK2III.  i've built a couple CK2III and think they ran around $150 with RK27 pot and chassis.  my M3 cost about $250-275.  add more $$$ if you want a better pot/attenuator.
 
as far as your wants/needs, the M3 is darker sounding and has a bit more bass and detail from top to bottom.  the CK2III is brighter, more airy, mid-range centric, and less "hi-fi" sounding.  you can roll op-amps easily enough with the M3 to tweak.  if transcribing music, the M3 would be my recommendation.
 
also, i would recommend http://www.amb.org/forum/.

 

[Seamless Sounds]

 
Quote:

it sounds like this is your first DIY amp?  if so, you should note that the M3 is a little more involved and expensive compared to the CK2III.  i've built a couple CK2III and think they ran around $150 with RK27 pot and chassis.  my M3 cost about $250-275.  add more $$$ if you want a better pot/attenuator.
 
as far as your wants/needs, the M3 is darker sounding and has a bit more bass and detail from top to bottom.  the CK2III is brighter, more airy, mid-range centric, and less "hi-fi" sounding.  you can roll op-amps easily enough with the M3 to tweak.  if transcribing music, the M3 would be my recommendation.
 
also, i would recommend http://www.amb.org/forum/.

Technically it's my dad's first build, and I'm going to need lots of help selecting the parts. I got lots of questions before the build. My dad is experienced in building electronics (he's an electric engineer), but has not done an amp build like this. I'm going to use the RK27 pot as well. $250-$275 seems like a great deal assuming everything was bought online or at a store. For this amp, I'm going to be salvaging many parts from other stuff at home and at where my dad works, which brings up a question. I'm looking at the parts list and I'm wondering what is considered "upgradeable" and what is considered "one and the same". ie. If a "multilayer ceramic capacitor 33pF" is just that, then I can assume ANY capacitor with that spec will work the same? I don't want to order parts online if it functions the same with what we have at home. I don't know anything about this subject 

 For one what I do know is that Pots and opamps are upgradeable. I don't know about transistors, capacitors, resistors, etc.
 
Also what's a "boutique" amp?
 
Off-topic: Can someone explain to me what a "group buy" is? It sounds like a money-saving strategy to me, but how does it work?

 

[diego]

I've heard the 701 with several amps and in my opinion the CKIII sounds very good for the money. Mine costed about $170 in parts.
 
Diego

 

[fishski13]

 
Quote:

 

Technically it's my dad's first build, and I'm going to need lots of help selecting the parts. I got lots of questions before the build. My dad is experienced in building electronics (he's an electric engineer), but has not done an amp build like this. I'm going to use the RK27 pot as well. $250-$275 seems like a great deal assuming everything was bought online or at a store. For this amp, I'm going to be salvaging many parts from other stuff at home and at where my dad works, which brings up a question. I'm looking at the parts list and I'm wondering what is considered "upgradeable" and what is considered "one and the same". ie. If a "multilayer ceramic capacitor 33pF" is just that, then I can assume ANY capacitor with that spec will work the same? I don't want to order parts online if it functions the same with what we have at home. I don't know anything about this subject 

 For one what I do know is that Pots and opamps are upgradeable. I don't know about transistors, capacitors, resistors, etc.
 
Also what's a "boutique" amp?
 
Off-topic: Can someone explain to me what a "group buy" is? It sounds like a money-saving strategy to me, but how does it work?

i would stick with the capacitor types in the BOM.  here's a good link describing the differences and their applications:  http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/capacitor/capacitor_types.php.  the caps in the CK2III are cheap.  i would work up a BOM from Digikey/Mouser and and compare it to what you have on hand.  the most expensive components of the build is the chassis, transformer, and pot. 
 
a group buy generally means a group pools money together to buy something in larger quantities to save on cost. 


 

 

[Seamless Sounds]

 
Quote:

 
i would stick with the capacitor types in the BOM.  here's a good link describing the differences and their applications:  http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/capacitor/capacitor_types.php.  the caps in the CK2III are cheap.  i would work up a BOM from Digikey/Mouser and and compare it to what you have on hand.  the most expensive components of the build is the chassis, transformer, and pot. 
 
a group buy generally means a group pools money together to buy something in larger quantities to save on cost. 


 

Thanks for the help and the link. Yes, I was going to use the BOM by amb as a guide before I start salvaging parts. I don't think brand name even matters as long as it's the same type.
 
I'd like a group buy for the M3 right about now. Mainly PCB's, Pots, and any other parts that is otherwise impossible to find through salvaging.

 

[MrSlim]

Group Buy's are generally for new PCB's that are not available elsewhere yet or hard to get/expensive parts where a wholesale order can reduce everyone's cost. 
 
It's very unlikely you are going to see a group buy for any of the established designs (i.e M3, CK2III, SOHA2, Millett Max, PPA2, Dynalo, B22, EHHA, Bijou (the list goes on)), since the components and boards are readily available.

 

[Seamless Sounds]

Alright that's fine. I can order the PCB from amb or buy from the FS forum (chances of that happening is slim) as well as the pot. The power transformer is expensive. Has there ever been a group buy for power transformers?

 

[Nebby]

As MrSlim said, it's very unlikely. Group buys are for items that are "not available elsewhere yet or hard to get/expensive parts where a wholesale order can reduce everyone's cost." If you can find 25 other people to buy that specific transformer then you each save $7. After factoring in the time and effort needed to coordinate and distribute them, $7 is not not a cost effective savings (esp if shipping would eat half of that). 
 
Btw, that transformer isn't really that expensive.

 

[stang]

Quote:

it sounds like this is your first DIY amp?  if so, you should note that the M3 is a little more involved and expensive compared to the CK2III.  i've built a couple CK2III and think they ran around $150 with RK27 pot and chassis.  my M3 cost about $250-275.  add more $$$ if you want a better pot/attenuator.
 
as far as your wants/needs, the M3 is darker sounding and has a bit more bass and detail from top to bottom.  the CK2III is brighter, more airy, mid-range centric, and less "hi-fi" sounding.  you can roll op-amps easily enough with the M3 to tweak.  if transcribing music, the M3 would be my recommendation.
 
also, i would recommend http://www.amb.org/forum/.

Really? I paid $210 for my M3 used with a basic external psu and AD8065 and OPA627 opamps. Guess I got a good deal