THE ORRONOCO AUDIO DIY

I wish you have following this blog and you will aware that I am using a pair of DIY small full range speaker in my audio setup. This speaker is using a single driver from Vifa TG9. It is a 3.5 inch full range driver which the sound is surprisingly wonderful. You can read my review of Vifa TG9  here . As always, DIY audio is a journey. I wish I could have a bigger driver for the single driver full range speakers as the replacement for my current speaker using Vifa TG9. Naturally the bigger driver should have better bass response. That is why, from few days before, I really put my interest on this Visaton SC13, a 5 inch full range driver that I think it could perform really well for the full-range speaker project. So how good is this Visaton SC13 compare to the Vifa TG9? I will reveal in this post.

I make this post after I cleaned my storage room last weekend. I found this unique small car amplifier. It is Nakamichi PA-100. This finding is surprising me since I don't know that I still keep this old school amplifier until now. If I don't mistaken, I bought this small amplifier in the second hand condition around late 90's and I have no idea where is it now until I found it.  

Building an amplifier is fun. Like we are all into this hobby because it is fun. Especially when we can make something like this, we starting from the idea and planning, gather all components to make it a piece of, and when the result is beyond expectation, the excitement is deeper. Same like the background when I plan to build this amplifier. I tried to combine the First Watt B1 buffer pre-amp with the Gainclone LM1875 amplifier. First, I like sound of the LM1875 amplifier and I also like the idea behind the First Watt B1 buffer pre-amplifier, is to lowering the output impedance to feed to the amplifier. So how if they are combine in one box?

As you can see from my previous post and far before I create this blog, I have built many Gainclone amplifier using either LM3875, LM1875 or LM3886. The sound characteristic from each IC is all different. Let take the example LM3875 or LM3886 that perform more dynamic and open sound stage. Those IC's are also the latest production comparing with the LM1875. Speaking about the LM1875, this is the ancient IC from National Semiconductor. This LM1875 sound characteristic are so much different with its brother. It sound more warm and mid-centric amplifier. I also aware that this LM1875 is one of favorite IC. It has been around very long time before this Gainclone amplifier become popular like today. If I took the different production batch of this LM1875, I found different characteristic especially between the old production and the newer one. This is very interesting and I will talk about it in this post.

I am happy with the sound come from Gainclone amplifier. I using it in my home audio system and I wondering if I can have it on my car as well. I think it would be a lovely idea. What I knew that Gramond car audio, a brand, using the same Gainclone amplifier circuit on their amplifier line up. Gramond sell this car amplifier for around US$350 each. It is a car Gainclone amplifier with tone control. I think, in this post,  I will make one for myself. I want pure amplification from the Gainclone amplifier without any pre-amplifier or tone control. So here it is.

I recall my memory from the beginning I jump in this audio hobbies which I should follow to the general audio rules of thumb. Especially for the speaker, the best sound is always from multi-way speakers system. Then if the bass is not strong enough, so adding a sub-woofer or two will improve the low frequency gain. The music can be fine tune as the listener preference with tone control. I follow this rules for years and at the end it is very complicated. I cannot enjoy the music because I am too busy dial the tone control and adjusting the sub-woofer level. The music is mix with additional noise and dirty from the unnecessary equipment in the signal path. No matters how many times I dial the tone control or the sub-woofer setting, the music never presenting well to my ears. Until one day, I was thinking about changing my audio system in a simple way. This only the source, it is a CD player, a passive volume control and power amplifier. There is nothing else. The speaker also very simpl...

This is the part 3 of this Tripath TK2050 Class D amplifier built. I want to customize the amplifier casing and it is require the high precision tools which I prefer go to the professional workshop. This amplifier appearance will become my priority. I wish the casing result will be as clean and precise as possible compares if I do it by myself using hand tools. This professional workshop will do the milling for the input and output amplifier terminal.