[mewrei]

Quote:

cool, i'm all for it! i'm assuming you did the mini^3.... now i haven't built a beta22, but i really don't see how its much harder than a m3 or mini3... sure it has a higher component count, but big deal.... no smd to deal w/ cf m3 (if you go ad8610 and other soic designs) or mini or gamma projects etc.
 
through hole... and everything is marked - big deal.
 
I would be far more cautious about something like a bijou with 520v ac flying around...
 
but still even with the b22 u are playing with a mains transformer, so caution applies, make sure u really understand the wiring.
 
 
i'm planning ona  2ch beta22 myself, i also don't think it will be that much more expensive than the m3... that cost me around $220-40 (excl casing) and i had the wall wart already... I anticipate the 2ch beta to cost in the region of $320-50 including trans @ $45 (but i will be double wiring it for use with a speaker amp as well, so it wont be wasted on just one amp)...
 
I think its more of a false economy to be building amps that are more side-grades than upgrades... if you're confident, go for it!!

Personally I kind of have to agree with the building up aspect though.  The boards are actually the least of the concern.  What becomes a big concern is your ability to deal with problems and the complexity of the amplifier.  Once you start air-wiring components and having to design your own case, things start getting much more complicated.  The simpler the amp, the simpler problems are to deal with as well.  There is a lot you learn in between step A and B.  I've started planning my B22, but I won't actually put solder to iron until after I finish my CTH and y2.
 
Keep in mind that some of the more experienced builders on this forum say you should budget around $1k for the B22 for a good configuration (not massively spectacular) and be happy if it costs less.  There are a lot of do-overs and such and you definitely want to make a good one.
 
What I'm basically saying is make sure you feel confident to move up.  There's a big gap between portable amps and desktop amps IMHO, and you're probably better off going with something like a CKKIII for the time being, especially since you don't intend to upgrade your headphones for a while.  It sounds great and has a lot of room for customization in build.

 

[wankski]

... i get what ur saying and caution is great, but these things are as hard as you want them to be...
 
i agree that a 6ch fully balanced would be a wiring nightmare, but a 2ch is much easier... apart from inputs, jack, and pot what is there to wire over that any other desktop amp wouldn't require?
 
OP has stated that mini3 is not his only project mind you....
 
i agree that we may look at transformers, ps boards and not think twice about it, whereas others may be What? but its all about the learning process.
 
additonal costs: casing. that is the big one, but how much did mine cost? $5-10. some people are quite inventive and can use things lying around... myself for my m3 i made my own wooden box for zilch. yup zilch. my old man has the tools and was doing a renno so materials and varish just laying around... but there are other options...
 
if you want a alu cut out case for a 3-4ch, then yes, casing gets expensive real quick due to the large size of the b22 boards... again, it can be as simple or hard as you want... The OP has 2x b22 boards, i suggest they start with that!
 

 
above is the hardwood case w/ varnish i made for the m3 amp. cost to make - $4 for the rubber stoppers. negligible cost. will feature a 2mm clear glass top and will look nice when its finished (i hope)
 
 
 
 

 
 
above was my original intention for my m3's home. A gutted broken vcr. the vinyl leather look covering cost $5 at a crafts store. glue it on and you're done. Nice thing is RCA connections already installed at rear, and the now removed other connections now provide ventilation (plus u can easily drill some more holes at rear if required). It was intended to fit a single varnished piece of wood for the front panel.
 
Like i said u can get creative and still be very cheap.

 

[mewrei]

Quote:

see that's what i call overstating... i get what ur saying and caution is great, but these things are as hard as you want them to be...
 
i agree that a 6ch fully balanced would be a wiring nightmare, but a 2ch is much easier... apart from inputs, jack, and pot what is there to wire over what any other desktop amp would require?
 
OP has stated that mini3 is not his onloy project mind you....
 
i agree that we may look at transformers, ps boards and not think twice about it, whereas other may be What? but its all about the learning process.
 
additonal costs. casing. that is the big one, but how much did mine cost? $5-10. some people are quite inventive and can use things lying around... myself for my m3 i made my own wooden box for zilch. yup zilch. my old man has the tools and was doing a renno so materials and varish just laying around... but there are other options...
 
if you want a alu cut out case for a 3-4ch, then yes, casing gets expensive real quick... again, it can be as simple or hard as you want... The OP has 2x b22 boards, i suggest they start with that!
 
 
 

Keep in mind I'm also a systems administrator during my day job, meaning I'm VERY jaded and cynical

 
I just tend to err on the side of caution rather than rushing into projects as that's gotten me into trouble before.
 
But I guess I'm also kind of wondering why would you go for a B22 if you're not going to put together a good solid configuration.  For a 2 channel amp with cheap parts in it, and without a higher end set of cans, I'd argue that there are cheaper amps that sound just as good from that build perspective (not that I'm implying that you have a somehow "bad" setup though)
 
But that's just my opinion, take it for what you will

 

[wankski]

figured. heh.

 

[KnightOfAwesome]

 
Quote:

But I guess I'm also kind of wondering why would you go for a B22 if you're not going to put together a good solid configuration.  For a 2 channel amp with cheap parts in it, and without a higher end set of cans, I'd argue that there are cheaper amps that sound just as good from that build perspective (not that I'm implying that you have a somehow "bad" setup though)

I can't understand why i wouldn't have a solid configuration. You can't assume that I'm going to stick "cheap" parts in it, Well you could, but clearly all parts are "Cheap". These multitude of cheap parts in the correct topology will create something amazing. I can always upgrade my headphones, and if i get what has become proclaimed as the "best" solid state amp before i upgrade, I guess i won't need to upgrade that too. The point is (Like i said before), I want to learn from this, and i can learn from both failure and success then so be it.
 
Thanks, Both of you. I don't mind criticism, I prefer it.

 

[mewrei]

Quote:

 

I can't understand why i wouldn't have a solid configuration. You can't assume that I'm going to stick "cheap" parts in it, Well you could, but clearly all parts are "Cheap". These multitude of cheap parts in the correct topology will create something amazing. I can always upgrade my headphones, and if i get what has become proclaimed as the "best" solid state amp before i upgrade, I guess i won't need to upgrade that too. The point is (Like i said before), I want to learn from this, and i can learn from both failure and success then so be it.
 
Thanks, Both of you. I don't mind criticism, I prefer it.

Well, I'm not specifically stating you in particular are going to have a substandard B22,but I was just looking at your estimates being in the sub-$400 range and remembering when I went through to calculate costs I was looking at $400 for just the boards, not even including any other add-ons.
 
So I'm not attempting to be critical of your goals, but considering every piece of advice I've received over the past couple years from highly experienced builders state that the B22 is a hard build and costs a decent hunk of change, I tend to believe them.  Last thing you want is to be neck deep into the project and not have the funding to proceed further.
 
So basically I'm playing the devil's advocate and saying be careful

 

[compuryan]

To chime in, I have built the β22 and although it will take time, it is as straightforward as any other AMB project. A two channel build will make wiring and casework much easier. I agree with mewri that you should be cautious, especially with the AC sections! And also it is a bigger project than the mini3, so there are more places to make mistakes. Lastly, if you stick with the parts recommended on the AMB website you will not have a substandard build.
 
Budget ALL costs before you order, then you will know whether you can afford it. Finding locally or fabricating a professional-looking chassis will save money, and drilling your own holes will also save some change. Good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[KnightOfAwesome]

I'll defiantly budget all costs, but the budget wont be a strict one. Cost will be no object, but that being said, i won't be excessive.
 
I'll design a case prototype, but I'll test everything on a wood board with standoffs and worry about the requirements of a case. But i can tell you one thing, the front panel need to be wood!
 
I'll keep you guys posted on my progress, I'll make plenty of notes and I'll upload the notes (Hopefully) for the benefit of others.

 

[mewrei]

Quote:

I'll defiantly budget all costs, but the budget wont be a strict one. Cost will be no object, but that being said, i won't be excessive.
 
I'll design a case prototype, but I'll test everything on a wood board with standoffs and worry about the requirements of a case. But i can tell you one thing, the front panel need to be wood!
 
I'll keep you guys posted on my progress, I'll make plenty of notes and I'll upload the notes (Hopefully) for the benefit of others.

Good luck with your build.  Hope it all goes well.

 

[Professor00179]

Just a little comment from my side - Millett Hybrid MiniMAX synergises very well with my SR80i. Especially the soundstage improved very nicely and I have to admit I was very surprised by the overall improvement. I expected some slight change but the difference was very clear and I always prefered to listen to these headphones with the MiniMAX since I tried the combo. This would be also a good learning project since unlike the Mini3 it's a hybrid AMP not SS. You can also buy a whole kit for it from Beezar website so you do not have to spend time searching for parts when you would like to focus on soldering and building the AMP.