My Gainclone (and associated pieces)
Dec 18, 2014 23:44:21 GMT
Post by joethearachnid on Dec 18, 2014 23:44:21 GMT
Long time no post! I've been out of the hifi scene for a while, since I've been very happy with my current headphone setup, having covered a breadth of styles and sounds with my usual HD 600/C.H.AMP being really rather splendid for most everything. On top of all that, what I would consider a true upgrade from what I've got would cost in the realm of £700+ for the LCD-2/HD 800 level. What I have been hankering for though is something in the speaker area for when I want to entertain other people or when I just don't feel like headphones.
Originally I was going to go full DIY with an A/V-1 kit from GR Audio, but given the prohibitive import costs and my lack of confidence in cabinet building I decided to go with bought speakers in the end, settling on the relatively new Wharfdale Diamond 220s after a demo. They're a bit shiny for my liking but I'm sure I'll live with them when a certain F. Christmas brings me my pair.
So that leaves amplification. I didn't really spend much time looking around at amps because I basically knew I wanted to do a Gainclone. From what I'd heard they were relatively cheap, simple and sound very good. I bought a Gainclone kit about six months ago and populated it, but then went back to university and haven't done anything with it since. Well now I'm back with a vengeance! I ordered a Modushop case and all the necessary fittings and got to work:
Apologies for the sub-par photo quality.
Components laid out to get an idea of how to fit things in.
Rear inputs, panel sadly got a bit scuffed up when I was milling out the IEC inlet hole.
Bottom panel drilled and PCBs test fitted.
Firing her up with my mother's Mission Model 70 Mark IIs.
Some cables I made up using some (thicker than I realised) copper wire from eBay and Nakamichi spades. I'm quite happy with the result, though I found out that the spades are the wrong way around for most pole configurations and require a bit of twisting.
Except for one hitch with a bad solder on the PSU board she worked with no problems and very little noise out of the Model 70s. It really blows the old integrated amp my mother normally uses out of the water as well, so I can't wait to hear it with the Wharfdales. Really articulate, very solid accross the whole spectrum, though honestly I'm usually pleased when DIY things work at all. Only tasks left to do are on the front panel. Originally I found a nice pushbutton switch that I thought was latching but turned out to be momentary, so that's out. I also have a nice 10mm LED in a mount but I don't have a 14mm bit to drill the hole for it with, and I'm pretty nervous about drilling 10mm thick panel as it is. So tomorrow is a trip to town to hunt down a large HSS bit and a switch I can be relatively happy with. Somehow for a power amp with no volume knob already protruding a simple toggle just feels wrong, but I'll have to see what I can get.
Originally I was going to go full DIY with an A/V-1 kit from GR Audio, but given the prohibitive import costs and my lack of confidence in cabinet building I decided to go with bought speakers in the end, settling on the relatively new Wharfdale Diamond 220s after a demo. They're a bit shiny for my liking but I'm sure I'll live with them when a certain F. Christmas brings me my pair.
So that leaves amplification. I didn't really spend much time looking around at amps because I basically knew I wanted to do a Gainclone. From what I'd heard they were relatively cheap, simple and sound very good. I bought a Gainclone kit about six months ago and populated it, but then went back to university and haven't done anything with it since. Well now I'm back with a vengeance! I ordered a Modushop case and all the necessary fittings and got to work:
Apologies for the sub-par photo quality.
Components laid out to get an idea of how to fit things in.
Rear inputs, panel sadly got a bit scuffed up when I was milling out the IEC inlet hole.
Bottom panel drilled and PCBs test fitted.
Firing her up with my mother's Mission Model 70 Mark IIs.
Some cables I made up using some (thicker than I realised) copper wire from eBay and Nakamichi spades. I'm quite happy with the result, though I found out that the spades are the wrong way around for most pole configurations and require a bit of twisting.
Except for one hitch with a bad solder on the PSU board she worked with no problems and very little noise out of the Model 70s. It really blows the old integrated amp my mother normally uses out of the water as well, so I can't wait to hear it with the Wharfdales. Really articulate, very solid accross the whole spectrum, though honestly I'm usually pleased when DIY things work at all. Only tasks left to do are on the front panel. Originally I found a nice pushbutton switch that I thought was latching but turned out to be momentary, so that's out. I also have a nice 10mm LED in a mount but I don't have a 14mm bit to drill the hole for it with, and I'm pretty nervous about drilling 10mm thick panel as it is. So tomorrow is a trip to town to hunt down a large HSS bit and a switch I can be relatively happy with. Somehow for a power amp with no volume knob already protruding a simple toggle just feels wrong, but I'll have to see what I can get.