• These commercial threads are for private transactions. diyAudio.com provides these forums for the convenience of our members, but makes no warranty nor assumes any responsibility. We do not vet any members, use of this facility is at your own risk. Customers can post any issues in those threads as long as it is done in a civil manner. All diyAudio rules about conduct apply and will be enforced.

The SLB (Smooth Like Butter) Active Rect/CRC/Cap Mx Class A Power Supply GB

Member
Joined 2014
Paid Member
@xrk971 ; Would the SLB be suitable for ZM’s XA252 amp? I plan on using 30v rails.
Absolutely, SLB would work very well with XA252. There is no need to alter the onboard CRC components, build as per schematic. Adding straight capacitance at the output of the SLB is a different story. After several builds utilizing dual mono SLB psu’s, my most recent Class A (Scryer) has added cap banks at the output, 22,000uf per rail.
Scryer is one of the best amps in my stable, does the added capacitance help? Who knows, I guess I could disconnect the cap banks and compare, but I’ve been reluctant to go back in because of the grin on my face after power up. 😉
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Founder of XSA-Labs
Joined 2012
Paid Member
Without anodization measured temp is a bit colder than actual. Usually 55C means you can touch for 2 seconds. Enough time to react and pull hand away before burns. Probably about 60C. Add piece of masking tape or Kapton tape to heatsink to get closer to true temp since emissivity of tape is closer to 1.0.

60C heatsink is not a problem for transistors but probably means it is too small. Get a bigger heatsink if it bothers you. Also for safety so you don’t get burned.
 
Member
Joined 2010
Paid Member
Hi X and other builders,

I am thinking of using a single dual rail SLB for the Alpha Nirvana build along with a suitable single transformer. Want to get away from dual mono for awhile. Can I use 10mfd caps (rather than 15mfd) for the SLB? I have a bunch I would like to use up.

Also I am thinking of using my other dual rail SLB for the psu on the F3 clone build. I do believe that one SLB can handle the bias current of 1.7 amps for each channel. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks for the help
 
Myles,

From post #1584 above:

SLB can be used for almost any Class A amp up to 5A bias current and voltage up to safety limit of the CRC caps.

The 10mF caps should be fine. If you measure the ripple to be a little high, it’s an easy fix, but I bet you’ll be fine because I’ve personally built one up like that instead of using 15mF caps. My ripple voltage was definitely under 10mV. Worst come to worst, you can replace the 10mF caps with 15mF if need be or add a cap bank downstream. The Alpha Nirvana standard build is biased at 1.7A/ch. It uses a dual rail supply (~+/- 26 to 28V). So the total draw is about ~3.5A. Review the 1st post of this thread where X has posted a scope result showing <5mV of ripple from a circuit drawing > 4A. That’s definitive data.

Now for the F3.

The F3 uses a single rail supply at +46V, at least from the schematics I’ve seen on diyaudio. Do you have a single rail SLB? Or do you have two single rail SLB’s, one for each channel? Or are you building a different F3 that uses a dual rail supply? Can you post a schematic of what you are planning on building?

Best,
Anand.
 
Or perhaps Myles, you have another dual rail SLB, (but you won’t be populating the negative voltage rail) and power both channels of the F3 from that SLB’s positive voltage rail.

X has posted the tested results of a single rail SLB on the 1st post of this thread. He has tested it up to 4A and the results showed <10mV of ripple at the current.

Best,
Anand.
 
Last edited:
Member
Joined 2010
Paid Member
Hi Anand,
Being a newbie, and getting ahead of myself with a lot of projects on the go, I just assumed that I could use the + part of each side of the SLB for each channel of the F3. I have pcb's for is the F3 clone project from member csample. I only purchased the 2 amp boards and the cap coupling board from the GB, because I have Project 16 psu's, CRCRC psu's, LT4320 psu's, and the SLB's. I figured one would work for powering the F3 clone.

Thinking I will cool my jets as far as the F3 goes and finish my work on the preamps and the Nirvana. When I get around to building the F3, I will immerse myself in the thread and go from there.

From your last post 1594, it sounds like the F3 can be powered by 1 SLB, correct or not correct?

Thanks,

MM
 
Founder of XSA-Labs
Joined 2012
Paid Member
F3 is single rail so you will want to use a single rail SLB. One SLB can handle up to 5A and so can power a stereo amp if each channel is under 2.5A. I would recommend two SLB’s each powered by their own trafo secondary winding. Could be single trafo though.

However, powering two stereo channels from a single SLB supply will have some crosstalk due to power rail sharing modulation. This crosstalk can be reduced by adding a separate CRC bank for each channel to help “stiffen” the rail for each channel and introduce more isolation, but fed from a common SLB. This will improve stereo separation for better imaging and sound stage.
 
Member
Joined 2010
Paid Member
Hi X,
Thanks for chiming in. So here is the situation:
I have 2 SLB dual rail pcbs. My plan was to use 1 of them for the Alpha Nirvana build, using 1 large transformer as you built. So this would leave me with 1 dual rail pcb in the stable for a future stereo build , or, I use both SLB for the Nirvana and build a dual mono. Mucho dinero for dual mono, but maybe well worth it.

For the F3, it would make sense to use 2 single rail SLB and make a choice between 1 or 2 transformers. This is in the future, as I have other projects in the que.

Recommendations and comments are appreciated,
 
Myles,

Personally with that choice, I would go with two dual rail SLB’s for the Nirvana and build it with either a large single toroid or dual toroids.

And for the F3, I would do the same, except use two single rail SLB’s.

Anything less, and I would be tearing it apart and upgrading the build anyway, so why bother?!

If anybody has F3 blank pcb’s hanging around, send me a pm! Last night, I perused the circuit and it’s pretty cool with cascodes, LU1014 Jfets and such.

Best,
Anand.
 
Founder of XSA-Labs
Joined 2012
Paid Member
Myles,

Personally with that choice, I would go with two dual rail SLB’s for the Nirvana and build it with either a large single toroid or dual toroids.

And for the F3, I would do the same, except use two single rail SLB’s.

Anything less, and I would be tearing it apart and upgrading the build anyway, so why bother?!

If anybody has F3 blank pcb’s hanging around, send me a pm! Last night, I perused the circuit and it’s pretty cool with cascodes, LU1014 Jfets and such.

Best,
Anand.

The LuFo amp has cascodes and LU1014 JFET plus an inductor for more output swing. I have plenty of LuFo PCBs available.

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/lufo-amp-39w-se-class-a-from-28v-rail.372679/

Here is a basic LuFo build (by Vunce) with SLB, power trafo, and MOT for the inductive load. You can also use many of the Hammond options like 193V etc.

7a850f46-9d48-493b-8521-32a5d2da0194-jpeg.961586


13edfc1a-733e-41ba-bb0c-875b701dbc37-jpeg.962669