[the_equalizer]

Just today I recovered my Beezar Millett "Starving Student" hybrid, as the friend I sold it to had to let it go. Since this was my first 'serious' DIY amp, I decided it had to come back home.

Some pics

 

[Lil' Knight]

Neat work.
The SSMH is indeed an excellent amp.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_equalizer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just today I recovered my Beezar Millett "Starving Student" hybrid, as the friend I sold it to had to let it go. Since this was my first 'serious' DIY amp, I decided it had to come back home. Some pics...

That's really pretty and professional looking. It appeals to me a lot more than the early messy-looking point to point wired SSH amps that came out, including the one I had someone build for my son. The MSSH is a great little amp, and the only other thing I would change in the rds kit that I bought is maybe a nicer volume pot that would have less channel imbalance at extreme low volumes (so it can be used with IEM).

 

[Lil' Knight]

What pot was that it your SSMH?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil' Knight /img/forum/go_quote.gif What pot was that it your SSMH?

In mine? It has whatever volume pot that head-fi user "rds" chose for the few kits that he put parts together for. He sold the parts kit for about $60 to several head-fi members, including me. I had -=someone=- wire up my kit for my son's 11th birthday, using a NASCAR candy tin that he supplied for me. If I recall Whiplash audio was selling completed rds kits at his cost for a little while. Maybe they know?

 

[the_equalizer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil' Knight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Neat work. The SSMH is indeed an excellent amp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's really pretty and professional looking. It appeals to me a lot more than the early messy-looking point to point wired SSH amps that came out, including the one I had someone build for my son. The MSSH is a great little amp, and the only other thing I would change in the rds kit that I bought is maybe a nicer volume pot that would have less channel imbalance at extreme low volumes (so it can be used with IEM).

Thanks guys! The Beezar PCB and custom Hammond case made it easy to make a neat, clean build. Though indeed, in keeping with the "Starving Student" spirit, the volume pot is nothing to write home about. Still, in a P2P build it would be easy to replace it with something better; I remember reading about a P2P build that used a stepped attenuator.

I clearly remember looking at pictures of your NASCAR amp when I was researching for my first P2P build. Your son must have loved his birthday present!

cheers!

 

[JamesL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif the only other thing I would change in the rds kit that I bought is maybe a nicer volume pot that would have less channel imbalance at extreme low volumes (so it can be used with IEM).

I added a 200k resistor to the input which really helped in this regard. Doing so effectively truncates the latter portion of the pot(the last 30% if I did my math correctly), but it gives better travel overall, and full attenuation when fully counterclockwise.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_equalizer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks guys! The Beezar PCB and custom Hammond case made it easy to make a neat, clean build. Though indeed, in keeping with the "Starving Student" spirit, the volume pot is nothing to write home about. Still, in a P2P build it would be easy to replace it with something better; I remember reading about a P2P build that used a stepped attenuator. I clearly remember looking at pictures of your NASCAR amp when I was researching for my first P2P build. Your son must have loved his birthday present! cheers!

My young "HeadFanatic" is indeed a lucky boy, and somewhat spoiled to boot, but I'm expecting him to take me in when I am old and poor.

He does love the MSSH, which he keeps in his bedroom with a CD player and iPod dock. He uses some Grado HF-2 and Senn HD25-1 II with it (which he paid for with his savings). I have an eXStatA hybrid electrostatic amp planned for him, to use with his SR-Lambda and SR-80 electrets. Wiatrob has the stuffed boards and agreed to case it up for me, so I'll give it to my son as soon as I receive it (if Bill can finish it). Right now my son uses a Stax transformer off the Nuforce Icon, which really does keep him happy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL /img/forum/go_quote.gif I added a 200k resistor to the input which really helped in this regard. Doing so effectively truncates the latter portion of the pot(the last 30% if I did my math correctly), but it gives better travel overall, and full attenuation when fully counterclockwise.

Thanks! I'll look into doing that.

 

[digi01]

recently building,6dj8 push 6L6G single ended poweramp/headamp.

look,

wiring,i made it p2p.

zang

 

[Ferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixeljedi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now that's what I call a real Stacker! ... I wouldn't mind seeing a close up pic of those chips stacked.

I'm not good in making close up but here is a try.
For a little chip based amp, it sounds pretty good to my ears.

 

[Beefy]

Nice. I really should build a Pimeta one of these days, just for shivs'n'giggles......

 

[pixeljedi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrari /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not good in making close up but here is a try. For a little chip based amp, it sounds pretty good to my ears.

Thanks Ferrari, very cool work.

 

[sandbasser]

Ferrari -

Beautiful...

Do those stacked BUF634 buffers really help enough to justify the added cost???
I'd like to see a photo of the bottom of the setup. I'm curious how the Sikorels connect (and the other stuff too).

Thanks for sharing - your work is inspirational to a noobie like me.

Regards,

 

[Ferrari]

The Sikorels are put in parallel, thick solid copper lead is used to keep parasitic inductance and resistance as low as possible.

Whether the stacked BUF634 buffers really help enough to justify the added cost is not easy to answer.
Most noticeable is going from a single to 2 stacked. The additional (3rd and 4th) stacked buffers are less noticeable.
However the sound improvement is also depending on what kind of OpAmp is applied in the first stage.
Going from OPA134 to AD 797BRZ makes a big different, in a good sense.

The stacked BUF634 buffers I’m using here are from a group buy organized by my students, the cost is therefore quite acceptable.

 

[MASantos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrari /img/forum/go_quote.gif Whether the stacked BUF634 buffers really help enough to justify the added cost is not easy to answer. Most noticeable is going from a single to 2 stacked. The additional (3rd and 4th) stacked buffers are less noticeable.

I also noticed an improvement when adding a second buffer to my pimeta. I used one smd on the bottom side and one dip8. I never added more to try since that would require soldering them up and possibly ruining the ic's.