21st Century Stereo Man

[tubehunter]

Hi.
I hadn't posted pictures of my diy system yet so....

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_4733.jpg

CSS FR125s fullrange drivers in bass reflex cabinets, made from solid Iroko hardwood reclaimed from the local high school science labs, outrageous what schools waste.
With 1/4in walled Aluminium tube ports on Atacama Nexus 6 stands.
Karen would like the speakers mounted on the wall either side of the Sony 40in Brava TV, I'm not sure they will sound as good on wall brackets.

Sony PS3 streams media from a server upstairs which has 8 1Tb drives for storage.
The server is a XP box with Tversity and PS3 Media Server installed which transcodes files the PS3 doesn't support natively. Works very well, fast.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_4723.jpg

The Copper Dac has a CS4397 Dac chip powered by three independent power supplies and its own transformer. This feeds into the grid of the first 6n3p-DR triode via paper in oil caps, this is configured as a common cathode triode amplifier and feeds the second triode in the envelope, which is configured as a cathode follower. Output is through Mundorf supreme caps, a very small amount of feedback is used to increase bandwidth and lower distortion.
The Valve power supply uses a large transformer which feeds an EZ81 rectifier then RCRC Obligato film smoothing caps, these really do improve the sound.
Case is made from sheet copper with stainless steel base and Iroko side cheeks.

http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/IMG_4724.jpg

The Power amp is a Naim 135/Avondale NCC200 clone but without the regulation and the crippling protection circuit.
Built totally monobloc with 500vac transformers and huge 10000uf 100v caps.
Case is 3mm Aluminuim with solid copper base with acrylic front panel.
Volume control is by a stepped attenuator using high tolerance smt resistors.
This has massive control and power. I have built various valve amps but still go back to this.
I do have a Nelson Pass F5 on the bench partly constructed with even beefer power supplies being a class A design.
So the future is....

[Marco]

Way hey, Dunc - looking good! :)

I recognise those rather large caps... :eyebrows:

Btw, I have a (serious) potential customer for one of your copper DACs who's requesting a visitation for a listen. I'll bell you tomorrow about it ;)

Are you in from work at the usual time? PM me if you like.

Marco.

[Alex_UK]

Nice - very nice, and nice touch with the TV picture!

[aquapiranha]

Fab looking kit there Duncan. I know a chap who has some of the CSS 125's also in BR cabinets that he brought to mine a while ago and I was very impressed. Also, I have heard one or two of the bits you have built at Ians and they were nothing short of fantastic.

[Spectral Morn]

Looking good indeed and no doubt sounding excellent too.

Love the Avatar The Flash...one of the members of the JLA (Justice League of America.)


Regards D S D L

[webby]

Nice kit. Where is the Bench from?

[Dave Cawley]

Love the wood!

Dave

[The Grand Wazoo]

Nice kit. Where is the Bench from?


Love the wood!


Surely that's not wood?
It's a photo of wood on Ikea veneering film.
No?

[tubehunter]

Yes you are correct, the bench is from Ikea.
I had previously been using a heavy duty steel rack with glass shelves but I wanted to get away from using any ferrous materials as I don't use any in my equipment.
One thing I have noticed is that where I had been using a pair of 7 meter speaker cables, I've now cut them down to a pair of 2 meter lengths as the equipment is a lot closer together. This has made a marked improvement to the quality and clarity of the higher frequencies??

[alb]

Interesting stuff. Any further details of mods to the DAC board.


I've now cut them down to a pair of 2 meter lengths as the equipment is a lot closer together. This has made a marked improvement to the quality and clarity of the higher frequencies??

I've just done the reverse by moving from 3m to 9m lengths. Sitting closer to the speakers definitely allows more detail to be heard. Previously i was 12 foot away and much was lost over that distance, but the bass was better.

[tubehunter]

Yes Steve, the CSS FR125s are something real special. I built these a few years ago, the first 50/100 hours on them was real hell, balance all to cock. I nearly gave up on them but if you persevere they develop into a fantastic sound.

Pin point images and the best midrange around with great insight too.

These have ousted Dynaudio Contour 1s, Acoustic Energy AE1s, Linn Kans, Rogers LS3/5as and World Audio KLS3 Golds and various other less distinguished speakers.

What is it that crossovers destroy?