[n_maher]

I don't get it. You start a thread asking for advice and then ignore all the advice you get. lol? I learned a decade or so ago to listen to MisterX. So if he's taking the time to offer advice you should probably heed it. All of the questions that you're asking about how to hook things up show a basic lack of understanding of the rudimentary concepts necessary to get you a working amplifier and not hurt yourself or your equipment. Rather than worry about the $70 that you have invested in the Ventus kit you should worry about whether or not you're going to kill yourself or your headphones when you don't understand that the LCBS doesn't run off of a wall wart or another critical step. So either start listening to the good advice that's being given or stop asking for it and immediately ignoring it. That's my advice anyway, you'll probably ignore it. lol

 

[DutchGFX]

I don't get it. You start a thread asking for advice and then ignore all the advice you get. lol? I learned a decade or so ago to listen to MisterX. So if he's taking the time to offer advice you should probably heed it. All of the questions that you're asking about how to hook things up show a basic lack of understanding of the rudimentary concepts necessary to get you a working amplifier and not hurt yourself or your equipment. Rather than worry about the $70 that you have invested in the Ventus kit you should worry about whether or not you're going to kill yourself or your headphones when you don't understand that the LCBS doesn't run off of a wall wart or another critical step. So either start listening to the good advice that's being given or stop asking for it and immediately ignoring it. That's my advice anyway, you'll probably ignore it. lol

I respect his advice and MisterX himself too, especially since he built my Gamma2 which I love! It's just I shelled out $140 for the Kit and LCBS and don't really want to waste that. I am pretty confident that I can build this other than my general lack of understanding lol. I sorted out all the wires, I really just need to figure out the power supply and I'll be good to go

I do really appreciate all your advice honestly I do, it just wasn't exactly what I was looking for in particular as I do want to build the Ventus EZ.

But I do honestly appreciate you all taking the time to answer, and I think after I build/attempt to build a VentusnEZ, I'll build the amp MisterX suggested.

Thanks!

 

[bootdsc]

"Using a National Semiconductor LME49710 in place of the Ventus' discrete circuitry" so this is nothing more then two mono cmoy type amps. For $70 there should at least be some good directions haha.
 
I have no problem reading circuit diagrams so if you still cant figure it out just ask. Do you have a +/- psu?

 

[frankty]

I'll take some pictures for you - I think they will answer all of your questions.  My Ventus is NOT a beauty but purely functional.  I did not put it in a case as the Placid HD power supply runs so hot (as designed) you can burn yourself touching it.
 
Frank

 

[DutchGFX]

Quote:

I'll take some pictures for you - I think they will answer all of your questions.  My Ventus is NOT a beauty but purely functional.  I did not put it in a case as the Placid HD power supply runs so hot (as designed) you can burn yourself touching it.
 
Frank

That'd be awesome! Thanks!
 
EDIT: Questions got answered, but pics for reference would still be fantastic!

 

[frankty]

Check these out:
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5kdkippjxbb9v6w/Whole-Ventus.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dqet3ovmui0nsef/Signals.jpg
 
Let me know if these make sense to you.  It's all pretty easy fundamental audio circuitry - like how to wire a Potentiometer, etc.
 
Enjoy - Frank

 

[frankty]

I responded to a pmail discussing potentiometers or "pots."  Although really basic, I figure someone else following along might want to understand this piece of the Amp.
 
Here are a couple of good links:

1. http://sound.westhost.com/pots.htm
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer

 
And some rambling from Moi:
 
 
The wiring of a potentiometer or "pot" may be non-intuitive.  The picture plus the verbiage below (and links above) should help.
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ysrel9ttye8stxk/potentiometer.jpg
 
The signal coming from your DAC is "full power" or technically "0 db" - you want a much reduced signal to control of the amount of amplification, so you need to
reduce the power of the signal.  The signal is basically driven into a resistor (a short) - the potentiometer surface.  The type of "pot" you need is what they
call "audio taper" or sometimes "logarithmic taper" - a "linear taper" will still work, but power is non-linear and the results are poor.  i.e.: 3 db, up or
down is double (up) or half (down) the power.
1 dB up/down is considered the "desirable" change in power that works well with Human perception/hearing.  So essentially the taper of the resistor should be
1db for any given length, say 1 db per 1 mm.  So if you plot the amount you turn the pot vs db, it should be linear (a straight line), but since the db function
is non-linear, the actual amount of resistance is non-linear, or a curved plot line.
 
Which power supply are you going to build?  The one in my Ventus (Placid HD) is more difficult/complicated.  However the quality of the power supply has a large impact on
the quality of the audio!
 
Note also that there are much better quality volume controls than an old potentiometer.  You can spend a large amount of money on just this one component!
The pot in my Ventus based Amp came out of my "junk box" and is > 30 years old.
 
Cheers,
Frank

 

[DutchGFX]

Hey so I started working on the amp. So I soldered all the components onto the board. This is stupid question but, now I use the schematic to wire all the parts together right?

I ask this only because, I have no clue how to solder to the tiny ass OPAmp in the middle, so it got me thinking, maybe the traces are in the board or something. Because I don't know how any1 short of superman can solder to those tiny pins without touching any.

 

[Avro_Arrow]

The traces on the board wire all the components together for you.

 

[DutchGFX]

The traces on the board wire all the components together for you.

That just made my weekend 10x better

 

[DutchGFX]

I have constructed both boards, and so I was thinking, If I connect FROM a balanced DAC, the - to -, + to +, and gnd to gnd, then the output will be balanced correct? The inverted signal and the non-inverted will cancel or whatever the word is, and the output will then be balanced right?
 
http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/docs/linestages/ventus_ez_schematic.pdf is the schematic. So for what I was planning on doing, I was just going to use the IN+ and GND for input. But, if I also use IN-, will that signal be inverted, and then the output be balanced. So I can then connect the left output to 1 pin, left GND to 1 pin, right output to 1 pin, and right GND to the 4th, for a balanced output?
 
Obviously only fo a balanced DAC, it wouldn't matter for SE input.

 

[Avro_Arrow]

The output will always be single ended.
The Ventus serves as a balanced to single ended converter.

 

[DutchGFX]

Quote:

The output will always be single ended.
The Ventus serves as a balanced to single ended converter.

Oh alright, and also, where does the power switch/fuse go? Does it go on the Nuetral, or Hot wire of the AC Power?

 

[duncan1]

If AVRO doesnt mind -In normal power supply circuits= the "hot" wire will go to the switch and the fuse will be in series with that.
               I do not have the circuit so I dont know if it is transformer isolated from the AC power supply or not.
               If it is and it is a surge protection fuse it would go at the INPUT to the transformer.
               If it is a fuse to limit a fault condition in the amp it would go at the output of the power supply.
               Maybe if you buy some basic electronic books it would help you.
               US forces have great instruction books for electronics from the ground up.
 

 

[MisterX]

While I prefer to put the fuse between the IEC and switch the ESP article should explain the rest for you....
 
http://sound.westhost.com/psu-wiring.htm