help solicited from DIY Community for an integrated project.

[subro99]

Hello everybody,

Thinking of taking up a DIY project. I am a complete "Dummy" having lowest possible knowledge and skill for DIY and electronics, however lately realised that unless i do it, it will keep disturbing me.... So what the hell...

Have some questions for which i am seeking answers.

The common understanding is all DIY kits for DAC on its own cannot be used directly by shoving an usb pen drive containing FLAC files. Hence even if one completes, say an O-DAC kit, it has to be fed from the USB-A slot of a PC/Laptop.

Cant we not have a DIY project which doesn't require a laptop/PC? Alternatively, is it possible that the USB-B slots usually seen on DAC Kits of e-bay can be directly operated by using a USBa->b cable and a thumbdrive containing flac files?

Thanks in advance for your support and understanding.

I am going to try my hands on the complete chain...speakers, pre & power, and source. Lets see how far i can go...with so limited resources that i have both in terms of time & money. Neverthless, i hope to take off very soon..

Cheers
Subro99.

 

[subro99]

Just to add to the above, had ordered a tube pre amp kit from e-bay; it just arrived.

6N1 6Z4 Tube Preamp w Volume Bass Treble Balance Adjust Tone Preamplifier Board | eBay

Dear Sirs,

I made a beginning - now your combined guidance will lead me to get the most out of my budget and efforts.

Cheers.

subro99

 

[gopib]

Well, I do not know how much of an audiophile you are, therefore my 2c.

You can have a source based on sd card, these kits are available in plenty on ebay, Alternatively you can get locally available usb players..around INR 500. Having said that the quality that comes out of these sources are bad..however in tru diy spirit you can have a chain of source - dac - preamp. Of course with your preamp kit in place you can start the journey. For an amp you could pick up some local kits...check with diyaudiocart.com .

Speakers...up to you...there is enough and more data on the forum..


hope this helps as starters...

 

[kroyin]

Hello everybody,

The common understanding is all DIY kits for DAC on its own cannot be used directly by shoving an usb pen drive containing FLAC files. Hence even if one completes, say an O-DAC kit, it has to be fed from the USB-A slot of a PC/Laptop.

Cant we not have a DIY project which doesn't require a laptop/PC? Alternatively, is it possible that the USB-B slots usually seen on DAC Kits of e-bay can be directly operated by using a USBa->b cable and a thumbdrive containing flac files?


Subro99.

You might want to look at Android/Linux USB streaming to DAC via phone (or) something like Raspberry Pi

 

[subro99]

Thanks everyone,

Now that the pre-amp kit has arrived, i am advised LM49810 monoblock kits as two separate power amps.

LME49810 - a new cousin for LM4702 - diyAudio

http://www.pansonaudio.com/Docs/Using LME49810 Power OpAmp - Part One rev1p0.pdf

http://www.connexelectronic.com/documents/LME49810_Audio_Amplifier_Module.pdf

Actually i just ordered two numbers of this item:

Wholesale Brand New - 300W LME49810 Mono channel Audio Amplifier Board, $41.8-57.0/Piece | DHgate

Couldn't find much in hifivision on this...just one thread.

Therefore requesting everybody to chip in. Dont you think this tube-chip combination will be a very good value for money solution?

@Kroyin - can u please elaborate on Raspberry Pi? are u suggesting to operate via an i-pad?

Cheers
Subro99

 

[kroyin]

Apple in your dreams

You know what easiest is to buy a 2nd hand netbook with USB 2.0 (no other fancy requirement). Install Linux,ALSA,MPD & enjoy (my netbook is 4 years old but perfect for this purpose)


Raspberry Pi ... Google it

If you are into CHIPAMPS contact linuxguru in the forum for MYREF...it is extremely nice amp

 

[anuragn]

Cant we not have a DIY project which doesn't require a laptop/PC? Alternatively, is it possible that the USB-B slots usually seen on DAC Kits of e-bay can be directly operated by using a USBa->b cable and a thumbdrive containing flac files?

A music file needs a media player for playing it. A DAC does not have a media player built in. DAC just accepts a digital stream which is output from a computer when a music file is played in a media player (like foobar for example) and converts it to analogue.
Hence the answer to your question is NO.

 

[quad]

Wholesale Brand New - 300W LME49810 Mono channel Audio Amplifier Board, $41.8-57.0/Piece | DHgate[/url]

Just in case you did not realize - pointing out that these boards need a good sized heat sink.

 

[subro99]

Just in case you did not realize - pointing out that these boards need a good sized heat sink.

Yes Sir. I did realise. In fact working on it. It is becoming a pain to get the right size here is Calcutta. But am close to getting a solution.

Just let me know on the compatibility side. stuffs like impedance matching etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[trittya]

I am going to try my hands on the complete chain...speakers, pre & power, and source. Lets see how far i can go...with so limited resources that i have both in terms of time & money. Neverthless, i hope to take off very soon..
Cheers
Subro99.

Hi there, Mate. Do help FMs to help you by mentioning 'budgeted' upper limit please.
FWIW, here are my two phooti kaudies for budget level audio solace:-

You will need 3 stereo or 6 mono amps(2+2+2 mono amps for each stereo channel) and an active 3way XO module. IMO, one does not need more than 15 wpc for tweeters, 50-60 watts for mids and 100 wpc for woofers(MAX). All rated at 8 0hms.
So many options around . . .

Contact FM Shaan fron your town by PM for his amp for your tweeters' section. He is also there on FB as also on our DIY group there
http://www.facebook.com/shaan.here.9?ref=ts&fref=ts

Other two stereo Amps and Speakers, we will talk about later.
More on hearing from you.
HTH
Regards

PS - I have nothing to gain but GOODWILL.

 

[subro99]

Hi Trittya,

Thanks. just finished sending copy-paste ur message to shaan's facebook id.

Are u saying one channel each 2 amps for tweeter, 2 for mid-range and 2 for woofers? well haven't heard of any such system.. all connected by active crossover? fascinating stuff......

 

[subro99]

Dear All,

Many thanks for your continued support and guidance. Saw the Myref as advised by kroyin. But by then i already had ordered my chip amp board. Moreover, somewhere i had read LM49810 generates more power than LM3886. Hope i dont end up making a PA system rather than what is intended !!

Regarding progress...well the ball has started rolling.

I immediately pounced uopn the tube preamp kit and extended the pots as the holes of the cabinet will definitely be in line with spacing as provided in the kit.

I also went to Chandni Chowk and got hold of a "transformer-wala" and ordered my power supply transformer for this pre-amp kit. The secondary is 230-0-230, 0-6.3, etc....so very typical of tubes. I thought at first the guy will deny it, but surprisingly he made it. And i checked it with multimeter - meter says ok.

Cheers and more to come...

subro99.

 

[subro99]

Just in case you did not realize - pointing out that these boards need a good sized heat sink.

Coming back to the heat sink issue :

What i could gather is the best shop in Calcutta for power electronics is railtron. So this is the best i could get. Since i had the chip-amp board dimensions, i immeditely realised for each board, two such heat sinks are required and they needed to be made one.

Went to a lathe machine shop. Got the two joined and 4 holes for fixing with the cabinet.

That reminds me - need to get hold of a scrapseller for a decent spacious cabinet...

 

[subro99]

Now i need some guidance.

This is the circuit which has come from the supplier from China. There was a long post in diyaudio where someone had made this and presented in ottawa meet, where it was appreciated decently. i cant find the thread now.

The point is, that person had modded it with some extra resistors in the input to refine it. May i ask all your collective intelligence to look at this diagram and suggest me how to better it.

But let me warn you : i will not understand much of what you will say, except what to do, where to do, and how to do. (Let's do it)

Thanks in advance.

subro99

 

[subro99]

Sorry....

Can't post any more pictures as my quota seems to be over. Unless you suggest me some website...

By the way, chipamps now sitting perfectly on heatsink. Please tell me what precautions should i take for the polythene/plastic divider and heat sink paste and what is the exact sequence/procedure like heatsink ->paste -> plastic -> paste -> transistor/ic body or some other chain...

And oh my God !! i need +65Volts, +40 Volts, 0, -40Volts, -65Volts for this chip. Looks like another visit to the "transformarwala" is due...

Cheers and thanks in advance.
subro99

 

[subro99]

Dear All,

The boards were delivered real fast !!

Hats off to chinese supplier. By the very look of it, it doesn't LOOK cheap at all. But who knows how they will turn out to be !!

Anyways, i am enjoying while doing it. They say journey is pleasurable than the destination....may be sometimes !!

With these pics, i finished my allotted quota.

Cheers.

 

[sachu888]

You can post more pics by using http://imageshack.us/

 

[subro99]

Dear Gurus,

C'mon say something....any suggessions on how to improve etc??

Knock Knock..Anybody home?

May be i am into something which is not a beaten path...but there is always room to impovise and improve, right?

Thanks in advance.

 

[subro99]

On to the next section : Power Supply.

Got the capacitors from Railtron Chandni chowk, Calcutta.

DSC_0022_zpsc1b54e91.jpg photo by subro99 | Photobucket

DSC_0025_zps9699e2a0.jpg photo by subro99 | Photobucket

Hope to hear from all of you......

subro99

 

[subro99]

Finally the "transformerwala" delivers the big giant size 40-0-40Volts 7.5 Amp transformer. Well, here is how it looks....

DSC_0030_zpsc5ac7611.jpg photo by subro99 | Photobucket

DSC_0029_zpscb4efc70.jpg photo by subro99 | Photobucket

I couldn't find a toroidal. not even in the internet.