Hi everybody.
As you may or may not know, the SSA(Simple Symmetrical Amplifier) by Andrej Lackner aka LazyCat is rockin' the diyAudio. I build one and would like to share my experience through the following quote from diyAudio:-
Although not a groundbreaking new topology, the SSA has something unique to offer, both technically and sonically. Follow the link below to get the big picture in a nutshell.
20 Reasons To Go For SSA
Tested and recommended by many diy-ers and some of the masters of audio tech, this amplifier is one of the new hotties in the diy ramp.
I built mine in a dot board and it went like a piece of cake and the sound it produces is incomparable to any CFB amps I have built or heard. Yes SSA is a split-current-feedback power amplifier, currently having at least 4 versions having different output configs and devices that will suit almost everybody's needs.
Below is some shots of my build and the schema I followed. There are more schematics of different versions in the original thread in diyAudio.
Links:-
Nico's SSA
SSA Balanced IGBT Basic
Shaan's Lateral MOSFET SSA and PCB.
Cheers.
shaan
As you may or may not know, the SSA(Simple Symmetrical Amplifier) by Andrej Lackner aka LazyCat is rockin' the diyAudio. I build one and would like to share my experience through the following quote from diyAudio:-
Hello everybody!
Glad to see this great thread moving forward(which it should).
I'm here to share the story of my re-incarnated SSA which I built a week ago.
As the pictures show I built the front end and the VAS+cascode on different boards and interconnected them with 7 wires. BC550C/560C as input, same as cascodes, BD139/140 regulars as VAS, 1N4148s for bias setting and 1058/162 Laterals as outputs. The diodes set the bias to a nice 150mA through the FETs with +-25VDC supply. Total Iq is 180mA. 5pF silver mica caps as bandlimiters in the VAS and 5.6pF(Old Philips ceramic) as input RF filter. Offset control with two 10K small pots from +-15V zeners, filtered with 1uF siemens MKT. Power to the VAS and the front end is supplied through two 1N4007s with 1uF before them and 1uF+1000uF after. 100ohm gate stoppers and no Zobel at the output.
The amplifier worked like a charm the very first time it was turned on and after setting the offset I was listening to music within 5 minutes of the first run.
No hum, No noise, No offset problem, No overheating, No bias drifting, No nothing!!!!! What is this amplifier!?
Music didn't stop for two hours. And people, what dynamics, what purity, what bass, what mid and overall, what sparkling treble! The speakers were singing!
Honestly, I think my fullrange drivers are not truly full-range at all. But I didn't realize what they were capable of until they met SSA! I have found the holy grail of amplifiers!
Great vocals, both male and female, sitar, sarod, tanpura, mridangam, sarangi, guitar, piano, drums, flutes, violins, cellos, saxes, kicks, claps, cymbals, crashes, snares, bells, synthetics... EVERYTHING sounds JUST RIGHT... what a pleasure!
Tonal character unchanged from very low volume right upto very high! How does SSA do this? No other amp I have built or listened can successfully show this characteristic and SSA does it with ease, even with my 4" $2 drivers! How, where's the magic?
The sound is absolutely non-disturbing for long listening trials. I live with my mom and sis. And they are excellent and sensitive natural scopesP) for the testing of this very parameter. In the past they have helped me accurately decide an amp's "obstructive" or "intrusive" or "artificial" or "just bad" character. They say that when I play music through a good amp it feels like someone else is present in my room and is singing or like there are real musical instruments being played in my room, feels real from outside. For the SSA, their remarks are "NATURAL" and "LOVELY".
All these with a 5 meter coax from an AC'97 sound card and an input cap which is, ahem, a cheap bipolar 10uF electrolytic.
SSA is a milestone for its simplicity, a benchmark for its speed, a crown jewell for its music.
Although not a groundbreaking new topology, the SSA has something unique to offer, both technically and sonically. Follow the link below to get the big picture in a nutshell.
20 Reasons To Go For SSA
Tested and recommended by many diy-ers and some of the masters of audio tech, this amplifier is one of the new hotties in the diy ramp.
I built mine in a dot board and it went like a piece of cake and the sound it produces is incomparable to any CFB amps I have built or heard. Yes SSA is a split-current-feedback power amplifier, currently having at least 4 versions having different output configs and devices that will suit almost everybody's needs.
Below is some shots of my build and the schema I followed. There are more schematics of different versions in the original thread in diyAudio.
Links:-
Nico's SSA
SSA Balanced IGBT Basic
Shaan's Lateral MOSFET SSA and PCB.
Cheers.
shaan
