Just find some old PSU or rosak radio or something, solder desolder solder desolder...practice...computer mother board is useless..robotic solder to fine to solder or desolder...



This post has been edited by metalmania: Oct 8 2008, 09:30 PM

Hey March05, Your amps are in dire need of a solid chassis, maybe a quality volume and its all good2go...State of the art DIY amp! Its singing well and flawless operation as far as I can hear.

March05: Bro, what model of Hakko u using? mind to tell me how much is it?

i planning to get a new gun, since my Goot is not working properly. Wonder why the gun worn out so fast.

plan to go JP this friday morning if possible, need get some parts for t-amp and other project.

Oh dear, I just realised that I may have sounded like I'm against Vincent's analogy. Please let me say comprehensively that I'm not, as I do see some correctness in parts of it.

The problem is, I have this uneasy observation that Audiophilia is getting impossible to rationalize. Everyone seems to have different points of entry; some people are easy to please, while others wouldn't touch a 5 figure sound system with a ten foot pole.

Most of us (actually, speaking of meself the most), just muddle along hoping we're heading the right way! I mean, how many ppl have the opportunity to properly audition every piece of audio equipment and combination at all price levels in the market before deciding what to buy?

---

Added on October 8, 2008, 10:21 pmIt's a Hakko Presto. Priced ~RM60. Marvellous quality....improves and upgrades my soldering to no end. Can't imagine why I was using those el cheapo made-in-china Hakko look-alikes before this.

bsl, thanks for that brutally honest opinion (sounds familiar!) of my T-amps. Yes, the new plan is to find a great chassis to put them in, and a volume pot so I can pull the Yulong DAH1 out of the system once the CA640P comes along. Now, the Law of diminishing returns means I musn't spend more than another RM800 for the chassis and v. control, so I'm kind of limited in choices, right?

This post has been edited by March05: Oct 8 2008, 10:21 PM

March,
I made the invitation so you could join us in having fun and enjoy ourselves together (not with your more expensive T-amp but with a RM55 board); it was never meant to doubt your soldering ability.

Do not worry about it; audio was never about pure science and all of us do have very contrasting views. IMO, we should not even impose ours onto others.








Jazzy,
The T-amp’s ancillary parts do have their share of costs too – SMPS, casing, RCA connectors, speaker binding posts, internal wires and a knob plus potentiometer/attenuator (for those of us not having a pre-amplifier to go along with it).

And like you, I have also kept my costs of discrete components within the RM60 MAX budget. Yes, the invaluable 'learning experience' we gained from our 'upgrade' exercise' is the best part... no amount of money could buy that.

True, at end of the day, it is our ears which determine what gears we buy and keep in our system.
We bite the bullet and sell off those which don't mean much to us and life moves on.

Y.C., I have been tempted from day one of this thread! But my current limitation in free time, a distinction shortage of loose change (yes, I'm going through a lean time because I have over spent my AV budget this year by a mile), and the worry that I will go DIY crazy made me pull back. The last time I did some DIY..that was with jazzy's DIY variable PSU thread, I actually lost my mind...started thinking I could repair other equipment like my Audio Alchemy DAC....and would have killed it except for bsl's timely interference. Now, I think it is safer for me to sit back and take delight in your delights.

And so, let us not forget about that TT Session.....when, when?

bro March,
I recently bought the Hakko Presto too! About the same price
The pistol grip does helps in the soldering works.. So now you're up to some major jobs eh?

I am wondering what was bsl's comments on your T-Amp..
Hey, when will your CA640P comin'? I wanna listen to it too! A separate TT Session on that?

Oh yeah.. the T-Amp TT Session! when?when?

bro March...mind to share what is this (the one in the pic)? Look interesting huh

This post has been edited by ongbs: Oct 9 2008, 12:15 AM

March05 : 10K is a normal setup

RM3K for a pair of speakers
RM1.5k for CD Player
RM3.5K for AMP
RM2K for cables and accessories, stand, racks

you can argue whole day why buy a 3k speaker, why 1.5k cd player, i'm not gonna continue on that

a normal PC-> amp -> speaker will cost ~ RM4k
PC -> RM 3k
amp -> beloved t-amp
speaker -> RM 1k

1K system, all in one out of the box a nice Sony boom box

the figure used is based on my personal experience and it is someone who told me about this which i found it true that i share with u guys. I won't even conclude that as a law as it might not apply to others if they hear no difference between a 10k setup and a 20k setup

many other factors will come into play, a 10k system in a sound proof room vs a 100k system on a school hall. I won't continue on that either.

However, i do agree with you that you should start as cheap as possible, when you realise the weakness in your system, fix that. If it's not broken, why fix it ?

Y.C: i think you hit the point right, you can't have too crappy setup/component, at the same time, there is no need for premium audiophile grade components also as it might not be matching to your system.

one point to note, the quality of a system is not only justify based on amount of money spend, but the amount of time and effort the owner put into it, that answer the DIY portion of a better sounding system

---

Added on October 9, 2008, 12:55 amI have gone through my days of DIY. I won't say i built cause most of those i get it from internet, so i would say i buy the parts and assemble it according to the circuit i got.

and i have assemble my own CD player (with remote) mod from a PC CD-ROM, assemble a NON OS TDA1541 DAC, T-amp (TA2022), valve pre-amp, all sorts of cables mod job. But the experienced learn on reading those circuit is worthwhile. The thing that's still buzzing in my mind is... GROUNDING is very very important ! It gave me sleepless nights !

Oh ya i missed out, i built my own speakers. Yeh this one i built cause i do the cross-over myself. i'm still in the mist of completing my pair of watt puppy clone. That stop after i saw the ProAC 2.5D clone project hahaha. Actually no, it's mainly due to now i'm spending less time 'improving', but more time listening

there you go, so guys, don't give up on t-amp, i can tell u it's a great amp

This post has been edited by Vincent Pang: Oct 9 2008, 12:55 AM

Vincent,
It is really nice having you around in this thread and to post a detailed and long comment like what you have just did; you should come in here more often.

Generally speaking, I share your view. However, I would think a 30%-30%-40% allocation to CD player–amplifier–loudspeakers would be a better bet and the system more balanced.

I would not spend that much on cables and accessories but only approximately 10% of total system costs.


Ongbs,
The question you posed to March – it is transformer in PSU to a Michell GyroDec turntable, if I am not wrong.




This post has been edited by Y.C.: Oct 9 2008, 01:49 AM

hey guys,

why is everyone starts comparing prices? i think we are missing the point here. as a diyer you do not really bother about specs, blueprint what can what cannot. what you want is something you enjoy designing, building or modifying and breaking all the rules ending with a good or bad job/product. of cos this comes with what budget you want to put in. at the end of the day it is the experience and satisfaction that matter most. agree? not something we want to compare between a rm10 vs rm 100k system. as they say, there is no perfect system. we got to be more realistic. a t-amp that cost say rm200 (all in after mod etc) vs rm50/100k system? get my drift? more over with rm55 (t-amp) plus another rm55-100 (parts etc) i say it is fun and enjoyable to play/mod. i am sure if you buy a shelf branded unit rm1000, you would not want to mess with it. right?

I spend 2K on a used Richard Gray's Power Conditioner... the power at home is really bad

i don't think i'll buy 'snake oil' cables i think i spend less than RM500 on cables... i still have a bunch of silver cables i brought for my interconnector. Properly terminated, it just sound as good as a pair of fm Acoustics on my system and on my friend's 80K system (tested A-B by me and the owner of the fm acoustics, swap done by his wife)



Iso trans 180deg out of phase ? great stuff this is one step after the EMI filter on common equipment.


This post has been edited by Vincent Pang: Oct 9 2008, 02:08 AM

This is meant for sharing:
I already owned a decent sounding system at home, at least to my ears. I enjoy listening to it immensely and it has always managed to put back a smile to my face whenever I am feeling a little down from work pressures. The individual equipment are 'exotic' enough to some folks although in reality not so. I have actually owned equipment double/triple the price of what I am having now but fact is I do not enjoy them as much as I do now.

I have indicated from day one even before I received my first T-amp board that I am not expecting it to sound as good as the resident amp in my system else I would be 'screwed'. My first T-amp fitted with a discrete attenuator actually sounded very good and far exceeded my expectation. However, I would need to replace the Panasonic FM 1000uF 16V caps in the power rail section with lower value ones if I hope to attain what I seek from music playback.

I am only pairing a pair of 86dB/1W/1m Q Acoustic 1010 to my T-amp although I also owned another better and mint pair of audiophile loudspeakers in Epos m5 (88 dB/1W/1m). If I could buy the JVC SX-WD1KT wood cone single driver loudspeakers cheaply, I would go for them and sell off my Q Acoustics after that. T-amp + JVC SX-WD1KT wood cone loudspeakers + Teac midi PD-H300 mk3 CD player would be just perfect for my bedroom cum study and probably be the only system I would need to accompany me to my sunset years if the gears could last me that long. I believe that I would still keep the T-amp even if it has 'kaput-ed' and beyond repair, reason being I took great pain to assemble it together.

Now that I have commenced the replacement of SMDs with full discreet components, I shall end up with two units of T-amps whereby I need another casing plus its other ancillary parts. The lesser looking/sounding unit would end up in my office later.


Ekool,
You've hit the bull’s eyes. There should not be any restriction or comparison on costs to be spent on our T-amp mods. If one so wishes to spend RM5,000 onto a RM55 T-amp board so be it; whether or not there is any sound improvement is entirely up to its owner to judge.

However, I must say we do need to observe some basics of audio electronics sorely missed by some of us here, especially myself.


Vincent,
Noted that your RM2K goes to just Richard Gray Power Conditioner alone.




This post has been edited by Y.C.: Oct 9 2008, 02:22 AM

haha nice reading guys...

but one thing i use to do when im pairing speaker and amp is pair those from the same region easiest way, after tht slowly get wat i need.

vincent wah you are cloning watt puppy nice, proac 2.5 nicer then watt puppy?

i agreed tht if i break t-amp i wont cry over night, if i break a 1k intergrated, might not cry but feel really bad for burning money

so tt session, this saturday im not free.....ill bring my father diy tube pre-amp along

so 1st week we make it at Y.C. place then 2nd week jazzy place hows tht?

This post has been edited by xtorm: Oct 9 2008, 02:17 AM

We're moving fast into page 102. good work guys!
Looks like we're back in action!

xtorm,
good proposal! only I am NOT free this weekend ler.. next weekend better chance. Anyhow, Y.C. is yet to complete the mods/upgrade. So we'll let our first host be ready
How big is the crowd ler?
What about ongbs? When are you coming down?
mysghooi, I know you're in Perak but do you keen in joining us?

The anticipated attendees would be:
1. xtorm
2. Y.C.
3. ME
4. march05
5.(ongbs)
6.metalmania(?)
7.gabanyayaya

Did I missed anyone or is there anybody else that like to join us?

xtorm: could i join u the session? car pool mah since we stay in same area
where is Y.C. staying btw?
most probably i will bring my 'stock' T-amp

Yes Vincent, I just took another look at my current working setup.....extrapolated back to the prices when they were new, my CDP/Integrated Amp/Speaker Combo interestingly adds up to just slightly under RM10K. Coincidence?

We seem to have quite a number of things in common.

T-amp = TA2022!

I did a DIY speaker in my early days as a white collared newbie...built my boxes out of 18mm chipboard, Isophon KK10/8 tweeters, PSL265 10" woofers and Isophon crossover parts purchased from a DIY shop in Taman Melawati (Total cost = RM350; I still have the receipts!) and promptly sold it to a friend who loved the sound. The megre profit went into a pair of new Heybrooks which are still around, and the T-amp today drives them wonderfully too...hehe. If the TA2024 can drive them just as well.....hmmmm!

And, bsl also suggested putting a `power conditioner' in my system....guess what? His indicated figure to invest in was ~RM2K! That's smack-dab in line with your Richard Gray expenditure! Are you sure you guys are not in cahoots?

Hey, hey hey, next week TT!

yea so next week it is

wui23 why not? but im not hosting the tt, jazzy and Y.C. is, im just a thread starter i think every1 is invided unless not wellcome by owner of the place

i'm referring to this, it's a basic card, i still need to build my power supply 30v-0-30v and dedicated 5v





i'll see if i can get an initial photo of that thing singing with cable all lying on the floor

yes i do have the Sonic Impact T-amp, unmod. i don't want to do nasty thing and i love the small little casing. Althought my speaker terminals are broken

i'm sorry if i confuse you as i categories all those as T-Amp, just that we are working on different model

This post has been edited by Vincent Pang: Oct 9 2008, 10:07 AM

Vincent, my TA2022's almost an identical twin to yours.





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