Just enjoying the music…

I’ve started building a fair few new headphone amps for my dynamic headphones (old and new) lately, but I also took the opportunity to dig out my Stax SR-007a electrostatics from storage. I only had a basic amp for these which really worked (a small Stax SRM-252), plus of course a number of half-finished DIY-projects. However, my local Stax-vendor popped up with a great offer on an older ex-dem SRM727 mk. 2 amp, and I decided to buy that.

Reading online reviews of the Stax amps it seems like there is a world of difference in sound and many improvements to be had from moving to one of Gilmore-amps – and to be honest, there may well be. I’m just at a stage now (it happens from time to time) where I prioritise having equipment that simply works.

I’m still going to keep building amps (and finishing the projects I started). However, just being able to put the amp on the table, turn it on and then sit back to enjoy some music clearly has a charm of its own 🙂

For old times’ sake?

Part of my (ongoing) cleanup of old projects is this – a power amp I’ve been meaning to finish even though I don’t really need it. It’s not a new idea and based on a pair of leftover ICEpower 200AC amplifier modules (and a leftover transformer) coupled with my original A-series linear PSU board.

These modules are not exactly “state of the art” in class D terms given that they were launched nearly 20 years ago based on a class D implementation even older than that. Similarly the “hybrid” design with a class D amplifier and a linear PSU is also getting rarer these days (in favor of fully-switching designs with an SMPS either onboard or on the side). Looking at what I have added to the transformer and PSU to make it work (fuseboard and softstart) I can definitely understand why.

Not only are the 200AC modules technologically a bit long in the tooth, I also have to admit that sound-wise they aren’t really state-of-the-art anymore either. That said, considering how much space the actual amplifiers take up the sound they produce is still pretty impressive.

The transformer I’ve used is slightly undersized, but with separate PSUs per channel and the somewhat more forgiving behavior of a mains transformer compared to a switching supply and it should be OK – I don’t expect I’ll ever need to run this at full power anyway.

Alright, one project down – dozens more to go 🙂