[HDMan]

Quote:

My boards are done too - did you not get your transformer from SumR?  I was told that if it wasn't done by today, it would certainly go out Monday. 
 
Still... doesn't active cooling kind of defeat the purpose? 

 
 
Well I figured that my PC is running at the same time as my amp anyhow, I use it as my source. If I build it as quite as my PC, then no probs.
 
Yeh I ordered the SumR with non-priority mail, which I found out later meant by Sea

. LOL
 
$98 shipping Airmail Priority for a $91 transformer, dang I was like, what.
 
Its been 3 weeks now, prolly another 2 weeks.
 
 
Edit:
 
I ordered the CMF60 for the bias that was in the BOM here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?hl=en_US&key=0Aq_FzyStz20hdEE1SDR3Q3JWZU5ydGpjZ2xleDA3M1E&hl=en_US&f=true&noheader=true&gid=1
 
Apparently it's no good, rated a bit under voltage at only 500v, lucky RS Online have the 3.5kv 0.5w under a different part number with free delivery in OZ.

 

 

[jaycalgary]

Shipping wasn't much for me because I am in Canada. It has been very very expensive for shipping from USA so I wouldn't blame Sumr especially if your looking for some high dollar airmail service. I just picked up my transformer today and the quality looks great to me. I don't want to get in to my story but I can say without a doubt Sumr is about the best customer service you will get this day in age.

I hate getting stuck with having to use UPS for shipping from USA to Canada. They worked there way in with so bad that buying online they are the only option for shipping with so many company's. With what they do and how they charge these extra brokerage fee's it should be criminal. The worst/best example I have is I bought a 2nd hand pair of headphones before for $500 and it cost about $725 by the time I received them because of UPS fees.

 

[johnwmclean]

Quote:

I don't want to get in to my story but I can say without a doubt Sumr is about the best customer service you will get this day in age.

Totally agree, Richard is awesome to deal with, even for us southern convicts.

 

[Beefy]

 
Quote:

Shipping wasn't much for me because I am in Canada. It has been very very expensive for shipping from USA so I wouldn't blame Sumr especially if your looking for some high dollar airmail service. I just picked up my transformer today and the quality looks great to me. I don't want to get in to my story but I can say without a doubt Sumr is about the best customer service you will get this day in age.
I hate getting stuck with having to use UPS for shipping from USA to Canada. They worked there way in with so bad that buying online they are the only option for shipping with so many company's. With what they do and how they charge these extra brokerage fee's it should be criminal. The worst/best example I have is I bought a 2nd hand pair of headphones before for $500 and it cost about $725 by the time I received them because of UPS fees.

Yeah, cost me $12 to get three units sent to me in Canada. Richard just passes on what it costs him, and you can't blame him for Canada Post.
 
And I too hate UPS for USA sourced deliveries. Stupid brokerage fees, customs fees, and taxes. Terrible missed delivery practices. USPS and FedEx are both far more reasonable.

 

[HDMan]

She's a tight fit.
 

 
The Hifi2000 case was designed to have the vent holes at the back, had to do some mods to turn the top and bottom chassis plates around so the vents were up front for ventilation with the channel board heatsinks. This is really just a rough version, need to do some cable management when the transformer arrives.
 

 
I don't like the knob, I have ordered a bigger one, 51mm in silver color, cover up a couple of knicks to, . I took the front panel to a Metal worker, he put whiteout on the front to mark some spots to drill. He was taking to long getting around to it, so I had a crack at it myself, tough without pro tools, but it turned out alright except there are still some whiteout marks he put on there.
 
I read WD40 helps to lift it off, might have to try it on the backside first.
 

 
Anyhow, having loads of fun with the build.

 

[DaveBSC]

THL audio is a really great source for volume knobs. Ordering is a bit of a pain, but they have a ton of them.

 

[bcg27]

I think it's not a great idea to have a computer SMPS right in there next to the inputs to an amp with 60 dB of gain

 

[Beefy]

 
Quote:

I think it's not a great idea to have a computer SMPS right in there next to the inputs to an amp with 60 dB of gain

Lets be honest here, its a bloody terrible idea.

 

[bcg27]

Just trying to be a little diplomatic 

 
Also HDMan you know you need to be able to access the potentiometers with a small screwdriver to adjust offset and balance right? It looks like your fan assembly is blocking access.

 

[HDMan]

Quote:

Just trying to be a little diplomatic 

 
Also HDMan you know you need to be able to access the potentiometers with a small screwdriver to adjust offset and balance right? It looks like your fan assembly is blocking access.

Adjustment to the balance and offset can be done with the fan assembly removed first.
 

 

[bcg27]

Quote:

Adjustment to the balance and offset can be done with the fan assembly removed first.
 

That may be, but the final adjustment should be made at the operating temperature of the amp. So generally with passive cooling you will let it sit and run for an hour or so and then make the final adjustment. If you do your adjustments without the fans on then the operating temperature is going to be very different and your offset and balance may be significantly off. 

 

[HDMan]

Quote:

I think it's not a great idea to have a computer SMPS right in there next to the inputs to an amp with 60 dB of gain

Well I researched previously on diyaudio.com, no indication from them that any interference would cause problems, the SMPS is elevated above the PCB's and power entering the case and it is incased in its own metal housing. Some people are even using them to power 200watt amplifier's, this amp only does what 20-30watt. What reasoning do you have for this conclusion that it will cause any issues with interference?
 
 
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/56615-computer-power-supply.html
 
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/77007-smps-questions.html

 

[HDMan]

Quote:

That may be, but the final adjustment should be made at the operating temperature of the amp. So generally with passive cooling you will let it sit and run for an hour or so and then make the final adjustment. If you do your adjustments without the fans on then the operating temperature is going to be very different and your offset and balance may be significantly off. 

It's no problem with the fan rack installed, I can easily get a small screwdriver down there.
 
Thanks for trying to help though

 

 

[jaycalgary]

How many megs of ram does it have? What graphics card are you using?

I am building my case from scratch. I am hoping to post some pics soon. So far it is not working out for me. I'm over $300 so far in aluminum and material so far.About half is shipping costs. Many mistakes and change of designs wasted a good amount of material and now I am compromising. Mine is an off board design and I am on my 3rd try ordering heatsinks. first order was a pair at 10"x6" 1"fin to heavy for me. Second was a pair 10"x2" heatsinks that the whole unit would fit in a case that is 6" high, 9.25" wide and 13" deep. The heatinks would even be inside of this space.Amp boards would be still vertical but inside open area of the psu board eg one side the heatsink would run a little over top of the big psu heatsinks. Probably a really bad idea but that was my idea of how would Stax build it. I'm to much of an amateur so I changed back to similar to other builds but as compact as possible. The new build is 5" high 9.25" wide 13" deep. The new heatsinks will be 7.25"x5" 1"fin and mounted outside.. The psu is turned to the short side I hope this is all right? My toroid has an epoxy core and will be mounted vertically on an aluminum plate that also separates the psu from the toroid. Pics soon but am fishing for ideas if I will be in trouble with this so far?

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

That may be, but the final adjustment should be made at the operating temperature of the amp. So generally with passive cooling you will let it sit and run for an hour or so and then make the final adjustment. If you do your adjustments without the fans on then the operating temperature is going to be very different and your offset and balance may be significantly off. 

Yeah and those fans are a stupid idea of epic proportions.  If this is a 500V version then you will have major drift issues as the CCS will never settle down and this is an audio amplifier, it is supposed to get hot.