[BobSaysHi]

So I've been wavering between several different amplifier designs over the past week or so, and I've remembered several older articles on the Dynalo. Is it still worth building, or has it been outdated by newer designs?
 
I think it's still a viable design, otherwise it wouldn't be stocked by AMB, but I was hoping for some input. It's going to be used with grados, and I quite like the price of this amp.
 
Also, is a gain of 11 too much for grados?
 
Thanks for your time.

 

[ujamerstand]

Soon to be outdated with updated versions of dynahi and dynafet.

 

[revolink24]

Gain of 11 is WAY high for Grados. Ideal gain for Grados is around 3-4. 11 is K1000 territory.
And yeah, I still love the dynalo, but you knew that already.
In regards to being outdated.... electronics haven't changed that much in principle since the introduction of the MOSFET. In electronics years, the dynalo was designed yesterday.

 

[jezz]

The Dynalo isn't an outdated design; the Dynahi and the DynaFET are two much larger, harder to build amps, where the transistors have had availability issues for a few years. The Dynahi and the DynaFET certainly outclass the Dynalo, but that doesn't mean it's obsolete.
 
With Grado's, I wouldn't go past a gain of 2. 11 would destroy your hearing. I had a pair of AKG K340's and a gain of 5 was more than loud enough for them, and they're significantly harder to drive than Grado's.

 

[revolink24]

Perhaps 2 may be a good gain for Grados, but it isn't for anything else (except, perhaps, Denons). Anything 5 (14dB) or less will give you decent room to adjust volume, and be somewhat versatile.

 

[ujamerstand]

Okay I guess outdated is the wrong word to pick. What I'm trying to say is that bigger and more badass amps are coming.

 

[revolink24]

They're already here, silly. We've got the Beta 22 for that job. :rolleyes: Heck, if we're going all out here, might as well build a dynamite.

I think it's time for a new meme.

 

[ujamerstand]

Aww, common, beta22 is one of the alternatives. I'd say the EHHA with sigma22 counts in there as well.

 

[cobaltmute]

I would say that the Dynalo is a very viable design, that is currently somewhat out of fashion with the trend towards speaker amps to drive headphones.

 

[nullstring]

It's still a good option for certain things.
 
It can be built nice and small. Might be good for the office.
I've considered building one for this multiple times.
 
 
It's possible that there are better amps the succeed it in general..
Or it's more likely, the it's just gone out of style.
 
 
Headphone community is certainly not without their trends.

 

[revolink24]

There are so many great older designs that are ignored simply because people have forgotten about them over time.

 

[El_Doug]

The dynalo is still fully discrete, complimentary, symmetric, and differential, with no caps in the signal path. This will never change.  Unless you want to build a Beta22, not only is the dynalo still good, but it is still cream of the crop. 
 
Yes, the design is old.  No, the design didn't "deteriorate."  No, the dynahi and dynfet are not "better," they are simply capable of way more power with slightly different flavors, which may or may not be to your liking.  
 
 
Indeed, these days, everyone wants MOAR POWER!!!!  This has overshadowed truly amazing amps like the dynalo, but very few amps are as clear, focused, and fast. 

 

[revolink24]

The dynalo is still fully discrete, complimentary, symmetric, and differential, with no caps in the signal path. This will never change.  Unless you want to build a Beta22, not only is the dynalo still good, but it is still cream of the crop. 
 
Yes, the design is old.  No, the design didn't "deteriorate."  No, the dynahi and dynfet are not "better," they are simply capable of way more power with slightly different flavors, which may or may not be to your liking.  
 
 
Indeed, these days, everyone wants MOAR POWER!!!!  This has overshadowed truly amazing amps like the dynalo, but very few amps are as clear, focused, and fast. 

You're absolutely right. This obsession with power reminds me of the general consumer audio mentality, especially in car stereos.

Person A: Hey dude, my new amplifier puts out 1.2 GIGAWATTS of power!
Person B: Holy smokes, Batman! That must have cost, like, 12 grand, right?
Person A: Nah, man, it was on sale for $99 the other day!
Person B: Awesome, dude!

I'm so tired of seeing craptastic amps in the speaker world that put out 500W to 1000W. People buy them because of the big numbers, but that doesn't make them good.

Case in point: http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PLA2378-Channel-Bridgeable-Amplifier/dp/B002RU92WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305315360&sr=8-1

A 2000 watt 2 channel amp for $70? No thanks.

 

[BobSaysHi]

Yeah, the design is solid, and not very expensive. I only listen to music at around 60 dB, so I don't think a b22 or other higher powered amp is necessary. In fact, I'm trying to avoid building a very costly amp, since my headphone's cost is significantly less than the rest of my gear.
 
Quote:

The dynalo is still fully discrete, complimentary, symmetric, and differential, with no caps in the signal path. This will never change.  Unless you want to build a Beta22, not only is the dynalo still good, but it is still cream of the crop. 
 
Yes, the design is old.  No, the design didn't "deteriorate."  No, the dynahi and dynfet are not "better," they are simply capable of way more power with slightly different flavors, which may or may not be to your liking.  
 
 
Indeed, these days, everyone wants MOAR POWER!!!!  This has overshadowed truly amazing amps like the dynalo, but very few amps are as clear, focused, and fast. 

I understand. It's a shame FOTM exists in the DIY world. 
 
I think I'll go with a gain of 3. IIRC I've gone with that before with good results.
 
I still have some reading to do before I decide, but I quite like the feature set of this amp. 

 

[KnightOfAwesome]

I highly suggest reading the construction guild, and all the edits along with with the current guide.
 
Try investing in building a better PSU rather then a simple LM3xx bipolar supply, which allows it to be up and above the commercial counterparts. Or you could build it for the sake of DIY, whatever reason works best.
 
May I suggest you stick with the default gain of 11, I remember someone said that despite the high gain, it still was quite quiet. You could also use the default gain for the possibility of using a crossfeed.
 
Anyways,
Have fun!