First desktop amp..suggestions please

[eightbitpotion]

I've decided to build an amp for my K701s but I'm not sure what a good amp would be. I'd love to find an awesome amp that is available in a kit form...with a premade PCB and all. Would the quality of the Millett Hybrid do the trick? I'm open to any suggestions. I've built a cmoy...and am pretty good at soldering, but it was a pain to make my cmoy since it was so cramped (bigger = better kinda).

 

[MASantos]

You have quite a few options:

CK2III. an all discrete ( no opamps) amp with built in power supply section. boards available from www.amb.org and member jrossel has some kits for sale at www.glassjaraudio.com

DYNALO: an all discrete amp , but you'll need a separate PS board, which is also available. I'm not sure if and where you can get PCB for these.

PPAV2: check at www.tangentsoft.net. it's a opamp + discrete buffer output stage amplifier and needs a PS section such as the TEPS available at the same site. no kits available as far I know, only the bare boards

M3: from www.amb.org. opamp + mosfet output stage. needs a PS section such as the O11 available from the same site. I'm not sure if Jrossel has any kits for this on , but drop him a pm and he'll be able to answer you.

Millett Hibrid: low voltage tube + IC or discrete buffer design. needs a PS section and you can find more info at www.diyforums.org it may be hard to find pcb's for this one. I don't think they're still being sold by anyone.

Millett Hybrid MAX: a new variation of the millett hibrid design by members cetoole and tomb( sorry if I miss someone, I haven't been following the project too much). if now has a built in PS section, various options for discrete output stages an also a headphone protection section. I'm not sure if any PCB's are still available but drop a pm to tomb or cetoole and they'll help you out.


Now, there are plenty of threads about each of the amps above. search the forums for more info about difficulty, availability of parts, BOM's schematics, sound signature opinions, etc.

that is also a fun part of DIY!

Hope it helps,

Manuel

ps: these were all out of my head. I might have forgotten one or two amps.

 

[eightbitpotion]

Would a PIMETA or a PPA be a better choice than say a millett?

 

[MASantos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eightbitpotion /img/forum/go_quote.gif Would a PIMETA or a PPA be a better choice than say a millett?

if you base your choice on RMAA testings only and numbers, then the answer is yes. but tubes influence sound in a way that many people find good and apreciate. The best you should do is check the meets forums and se when there's one near you. Listening to different amps is the best way to form your opinion. Myself I tend to go more to the solid state side of things.

 

[tomb]

All good answers, Manuel!

Yes, to me, the Milllett MAX with the right components makes most - if not all - solid state amps sound very boring. There are MAX builders who've remarked that they think the MAX sounds better than several of those amps that Manuel mentions. That includes a few MAX builders that use K701's, too.

At the same time, there are many headphone amp afficionados who won't even listen to a Millett or Millett MAX because they don't test well by comparison - at all. That fact can't be argued, either.

The best advice is to listen for yourself. You might try to go to a meet in your area where some of these amps might be present. Or, if you are enterprising and have enough funds - just start building them all. The For Sale section on Head-Fi can keep you fairly solvent by selling the ones you don't want to keep.

 

[Bjornboy81]

there's also the SOHA that comes in a kit. I think I'm going to try this one when I have the money.

 

[Televator]

just to let y'all know that (while the PCBs for the MAX can't be bought right now) JRossel also offer full MAX-kits (including PCB) which work just fine... I'm currently listening to one

 

[MASantos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomb /img/forum/go_quote.gif All good answers, Manuel! Yes, to me, the Milllett MAX with the right components makes most - if not all - solid state amps sound very boring. There are MAX builders who've remarked that they think the MAX sounds better than several of those amps that Manuel mentions. That includes a few MAX builders that use K701's, too. At the same time, there are many headphone amp afficionados who won't even listen to a Millett or Millett MAX because they don't test well by comparison - at all. That fact can't be argued, either. The best advice is to listen for yourself. You might try to go to a meet in your area where some of these amps might be present. Or, if you are enterprising and have enough funds - just start building them all. The For Sale section on Head-Fi can keep you fairly solvent by selling the ones you don't want to keep.

Thanks Tomb.

I have one of the original millett hibrid PCB from the original group buy that n_maher organized. I am only lacking tubes and a case. I never got to finish it as I had so manyother projects as the PINT and the Alien DAC in between. From what I heard at headfest 07 the millett is a nice litle amp. I need to hear the MAX with those nice mosfets on the output.

This said, YGPM!

 

[eightbitpotion]

I can't seem to find much info on the SOHA...but I did find kits for it. The PIMETA seems to interest me the most right now...with the SOHA right behind it. I'm thinking tubes may compliment the K701's nature better than a SS.

 

[eightbitpotion]

Also, since I know nothing about tubes, about how long do they last? I listen to my music a lot and I wouldn't want to replace them every other week.

 

[gtp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eightbitpotion /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't seem to find much info on the SOHA...but I did find kits for it. The PIMETA seems to interest me the most right now...with the SOHA right behind it. I'm thinking tubes may compliment the K701's nature better than a SS.

The Pimeta is the usual (and logical) step up from the Cmoy in the DIY world. It is easy to build, very versatile, and sounds good for the price. It is overlooked a bit because it is a couple years old, but it is still a nice amp.

 

[slowpogo]

With discrete buffers and AD744 (comp. pin out) the Pimeta sounds "in the same league" as the PPA to me. I enjoy it more, actually. It is more fun and colored, while the PPA is fairly neutral and clinical. Just something to think about.

 

[villekille]

yes both PPA and Pimeta designs are great and I've built a couple of them. Pimeta or a PPA, with a bass boost and crossfeed filter is a wonderful amplifier and listening is very pleasurable.

 

[MASantos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtp /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Pimeta is the usual (and logical) step up from the Cmoy in the DIY world. It is easy to build, very versatile, and sounds good for the price. It is overlooked a bit because it is a couple years old, but it is still a nice amp.

The PIMETA is as logical as a Ck2, M3, PPA, dynalo, etc. It doesn't need transistor matching, biasing points and other little things, but none of those are hard to understand and do if you read a few threads and documents that are easily available. I build a cmoy and then a Guzzler USB DAC( previous version of the alien dac) only then a pimeta and steps. But you're right when you say that for the price its a great amp and very easy to build.

 

[gtp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MASantos /img/forum/go_quote.gif The PIMETA is as logical as a Ck2, M3, PPA, dynalo, etc. It doesn't need transistor matching, biasing points and other little things, but none of those are hard to understand and do if you read a few threads and documents that are easily available. I build a cmoy and then a Guzzler USB DAC( previous version of the alien dac) only then a pimeta and steps. But you're right when you say that for the price its a great amp and very easy to build.

My reasoning for the Pimeta being more logical post-CMoy:
-it is approx. half the price, and easier than M3 or PPA.
-it is more 'supported' than the dynalo.
-it does not involve 120V or transistor matching (as you say) like the CK2III.

In any event, whichever the OP decides to build, he/she will probably be happy

.