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Forceaudio > Home Audio > General Discussion > Upgraded my SS amp... Again..
 
Forceaudio > Home Audio > General Discussion > Upgraded my SS amp... Again..
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Author Topic: Upgraded my SS amp... Again..  (Read 956 times)
95Honda
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« on: January 06, 2009, 11:49:01 am »
So, I went ahead and cleaned up some of the crap I did about about a year ago converting my amp for 230V and adding grounding options...

I added a 5 position barrier strip with selectable jumpers on the input side for setting up the primaries of the power transformers for either 115V or 230V....  I also extended the primary wires about 10" to reach the barrier strip.

Next I added small toggles to select either chassis ground or float for each channel on the RCA jacks....  I haven't needed to use this feature, but it is always nice to have.  I also added a serious ground lug to the back and ran it to the star ground...  I doubt I'll ever need that also, but hell, who cares....

All politically correct audiophile wiring, of course....  I even used silver solder (total waste for power wiring but, hell, this is my statement amp so who gives a shit...)
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Forceaudio
« on: January 06, 2009, 11:49:01 am »
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todd.brust
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« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2009, 10:18:20 pm »
That thing is sweet.  How much power out are you looking at with that?

Just a question, why would you choose to float the grounds on the RCAs?  Just something I have not heard about doing.  nOObish question maybe.
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95Honda
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« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2009, 12:50:23 am »
Alot of inputs are floated, most of them may be tied to ground with only a 1K or 100 ohm or 10 ohm resistor.  Or no tie at all.  It can introduce noise if the inputs are not isolated in some cases, in others it increases noise.  Some very high end equipment has this feature.  Especially some phono preamps do to all the gain they have and succeptablitiy to noise...

That is why it is best to have a selectability...  Especially me traveling all over the world with differewnt power systems and step up/down transformers for my sound system...
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Forceaudio
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2009, 12:50:23 am »
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MikeS
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« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2009, 03:32:57 pm »
Mike,

IIRC....you mentioned that was Hugh Dean's 100W Aspen ASKA kitset amplifier?

The boards look rather similar.
http://www.aksaonline.com/products/products_aksa100.html

I know I've seen the amp in person, but I didn't really notice if those are the fullwave diode bridges up front next to each power transformer? I didn't recall how large the diodes are.

And are most the (metalized?) polypropelene capacitors bypass caps for the main electrolytic reservoir caps?

You post pictures, I gawk, and have questions.....sorry......

Terminal/barrier strip/blocks come in handy. They work well with a tube amplifer output transformer with multiple secondary taps.
I did that with my 2A3 SET amp, so I can switch between 8 and 16 ohm secondary taps without having to unsolder/solder anything.

Though I never use the 16 ohm taps, I can switch really quick.
I had thought of doing the same with the Altec EL-34 PP amp, but I have a choice of 8, 16, or 32 ohm secondary taps....why bother.....
Now if there was a 4 ohm tap in there instead of 32 ohms, I would have mounted a couple small barrier strips.
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95Honda
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« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2009, 07:54:08 pm »
Yep, Hugh deans AKSA 100... Mine has the "Nirvana" upgrade..

Full wave bridges, Hexfred diodes (that is why they look like transistors)

And a shit ton of film cap bypasing on the P/S...
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denim
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« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2009, 06:02:31 am »
You should see if there is demand for you to build a few of these and make it a side business. Smiley
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95Honda
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« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2009, 11:10:04 pm »
I had thought about it from time to time, but it is so much work that I doubt many people would want to pay the price...  

I think you could do it, but they wouldn't be the same as what you build for yourself....  It jusy isn't cost effective....

When I first built it, I posted the build on the AKSA forum of Audiocircle.  I got literally 20-30 PMs from people asking if I could build them a chassis just like mine.  When I said no problem, $750 each, nobody considered taking the plunge...  It is expensive to build gear like this...  There is a reason why Krell, Levinson, Macintosh cost what they do....  They are freaking expensive to build....

I think I'll hang on to this one forever, and build another for someone only if the price is right...
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Forceaudio
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2009, 11:10:04 pm »
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