DIY Power Amp kit - complete novice!

[Utterchaos]

Hi all ..... is there a kit out there that will result in a power amp that will rival my NADc350’s main stage?

I’m sure there must be some fantastic kits out there but that are all comparable to amps I’ve never heard...


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[Bksabath]

Pass F5

In any flavour you like

[Puffin]

The Pass F5 is a Class A amp and requires large (often expensive) heatsinks. They are about 30w per channel and sound pretty good. A few years ago a couple of mates built one each and I built an F2 (5w per channel) as I had full range horns at the time. However over the years I have built many solid state amps and a good place to start is a Gainclone (based on either LM3886 chips or LM3875) The parts count is low and there are a lot of kits out there. However, there are a lot of fake chips and you may find that if you buy a kit from ebay they may not be the real thing. Best place to get them is Farnell or RS Components (even if you get the PCB and other bits off ebay) get some proper chips.

I have also built a couple of Mosfet amps with boards from LJM Audio (see link) these were recommended here as a good kit with good sound.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Assembeld-LJM-L12-Ver2-Stereo-amplifier-board-FET-output-100W-100W-8R/123547197184?hash=item1cc3fc9f00:g:MZwAAOSwjrFcFhY H:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

A very good site dealing with Gainclones.

http://www.decdun.me.uk/gainclone.html


I have to say that all the amps I have built have been as good as the commercial stuff I have bought over the years (IMO), but I have not spent mega amounts on them.

[ianlenco]

Have a look at Neurochrome. https://www.neurochrome.com/. I built the Modulus 86 amp and power supply a few years back and they worked extremely well. Tom Christiansen is extremely helpful and tolerant of novices as I was at the time. Buy one of his kits and you get a very nicely made PCB plus a bill of materials which you can order as a pre-made list from Mouser making sure you get the right parts! There are several threads on DIY Audio covering his products, some of them very long but they do show lots of very satisfied customers.

[paulf-2007]

I built a gainclone some years ago, it's sitting in my office unused now. Robbed some rca sockets from it so needs a bit of sorting. Has a stepped attenuator and 4 way selector and pre outs and main in so could be used as power or integrated. I must get around to using it again.

[sq225917]

I use a brace of bridged Mod86p from Tom, very good amps utterly silent, offensively so.

The diyaudio.com honeybadger is a very good class AB design and far less demanding than the Pass F5 in terms of component matching and chassis metalwork

[Bksabath]

Quite agree whit all the previous post's
F5 is going to be the last amplifier you can and ever will DIY probably the last you are ever going to need or buy as well :D

Kit include IRF mosfets and such soft start and speaker protection is another set of board Case is a bit pricey but Modushop supply a fully drilled one

Only thing missing are the Jfets but there are ways around that and I am sure you can find same one here willing to help ;)

Yes is a class A but not just 30 W you can have much more depending on how much you can spend I got a 100W turbo on the work bench

One thing no mater what you are going to build. Get a super decent transformer from Toroidy not cheap but that is money you will only spend once

[sachu888]

Discrete Dynamics Class AB modules
https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=30648.0

Regards
Sachin

[Gregje]

F5 might be a bit daunting (the heat!). ACA is nice and easy Pass class A design. It is 2x6W but with right speakers 6W is enough.
Well documented.

[glaringanomaly]

Peter Daniels (Audiosector) has recently revived his website and his Standard and Premium Gainclone kits are listed on there at https://audiosector.com/lm3875

I have recently put back into my system the one I built years ago and have been again pleasantly surprised at the bang per buck you get from these.

[sachu888]

Discrete Dynamics amp, preamp designed by my friend are very easy to put up. It comes as modules, the user has to connect only transformer and other hardware. It sounds very good too. I have built so many amps including F5, Amp camp, Jean Horaha etc, but this one is superb, exceeds expectations. You can pair it with any kind of speakers. Price is also very reasonable.

Regards
Sachin

[Pepperamip]

What did you go for in the end James or are you still debating?

My brother built a gainclone recently and found it pretty easy with minimal electronics experience other than building an bartop arcade :)

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[Batty]

Recently built an M2X from DIYAudio, based on a Nelson Pass First Watt M2

[337alant]

Have a word with Les Wolstenholm owner of Avondale Audio
http://avondaleaudio.com/amplifier-modules/ phone number at the bottom of the page
His NCC200, NCC220, NCC300 amplifiers are excellent and well and truly tried and tested by many over on PFM, they have given me a lot of pleasure over the years and my NCC-300 mono blocks still remain as my best amplifiers.
Les doesent advertise kits as such but will certainly supply you with the building blocks for a great amplifier

My current NCC-300 Voyagers

https://live.staticflickr.com/785/41374538482_664a31aef9_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2638jPL)IMG_3318 (https://flic.kr/p/2638jPL) by Alan Towell (https://www.flickr.com/photos/69508926@N05/), on Flickr

Alan

[337alant]

Some F5 Turbo boards available over on PFM DIY classifieds from a member who built NCC-300s
https://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/nelson-pass-f5turbo-v3-pcbs.213872/

Oops just notice no longer for sale
Alan