Dead quiet.
5mV of offset at the speaker binding posts.
Will drive me out of the room with the Benchmark DAC3 at 12 o'clock. Need to set the gain jumpers.
Ugly as hell at this point. Next is to perma-wire the I/O then finish the other monsterblock.
Right now, sounds very relaxed, effortless even. Lots of detail that seems naturally there. Listening to Mahler's 8th, Abbado conducting the Berlin on DG. Can't wait to get the other one running so I can see how the imaging is.Really hoping for some depth to go with the breadth.
This Memorial Day weekend is going to be a hoot.
@6sX7
Thrilled for you man! Enjoy it, it might the first set of balanced F6 monoblocks I have seen. What speakers? Hopefully easy load since the output impedance of each monoblock is double what a regular F6 is. Maybe in the future you can replace the MOSFETS with some SemisSouth’s!
Best,
Anand.
Thrilled for you man! Enjoy it, it might the first set of balanced F6 monoblocks I have seen. What speakers? Hopefully easy load since the output impedance of each monoblock is double what a regular F6 is. Maybe in the future you can replace the MOSFETS with some SemisSouth’s!
Best,
Anand.
Hiya Anand,
Speakers are Curt Campbell's Halcyons. http://speakerdesignworks.com/Halcyon_1.html
So far, the bass is more pronounced (this is with a monsterblock on the right channel and a SE monoblock on the left channel) but doesn't sound underdamped akin to the ACAs in balanced mode. For the first time, I feel the organ pedal tones on Mahler's 8th (Abbado/Berlin on DG).
Agreed. The output impedance had me cautious on expectations. I was contemplating going straight to the F5s but figured since I already had the single channel F6 monoblocks running, to try the F6s in balanced mode.
I have a couple strategies I could try if I don't like the bass once I get these done:
1. go back to single-ended mode, have 4 channels of amplification and add an active crossover.
2. design a new bass section around the MarkAudio Alpair 10Ps with either the Alpair 12PW or Dayton Audio RS225s. Thinking a sealed WW configuration but will model a few different ones to see if one bubbles up as more optimal.
Fun, goose-bump inducing hobby!
Will post pics and more listening impressions once I get them fully wired. Also, need to pull out the o-scope and learn how to look at things. Maybe get back in touch with @6L6 to see if he wants to throw them up on his bench.
Speakers are Curt Campbell's Halcyons. http://speakerdesignworks.com/Halcyon_1.html
So far, the bass is more pronounced (this is with a monsterblock on the right channel and a SE monoblock on the left channel) but doesn't sound underdamped akin to the ACAs in balanced mode. For the first time, I feel the organ pedal tones on Mahler's 8th (Abbado/Berlin on DG).
Agreed. The output impedance had me cautious on expectations. I was contemplating going straight to the F5s but figured since I already had the single channel F6 monoblocks running, to try the F6s in balanced mode.
I have a couple strategies I could try if I don't like the bass once I get these done:
1. go back to single-ended mode, have 4 channels of amplification and add an active crossover.
2. design a new bass section around the MarkAudio Alpair 10Ps with either the Alpair 12PW or Dayton Audio RS225s. Thinking a sealed WW configuration but will model a few different ones to see if one bubbles up as more optimal.
Fun, goose-bump inducing hobby!
Will post pics and more listening impressions once I get them fully wired. Also, need to pull out the o-scope and learn how to look at things. Maybe get back in touch with @6L6 to see if he wants to throw them up on his bench.
Those SB NRX woofers on that speaker are supposed to be pretty good. If you are going to go with RS225's for a new bass section, have you given any thought to going with one of Jim and Curts statement type designs?
Maybe a sub to assist the lower frequencies would work as well. Thanks for sharing the progress!
Maybe a sub to assist the lower frequencies would work as well. Thanks for sharing the progress!
@zman01 had pointed me to the Travelers. I'm a bit smitten with the Alpair 10P as my main goal was to get something akin to the woofer assisted electrostats and magnetic planars that I experimented with in college.
Of course, gotta take this one step at a time. Get these F6s finalized and give it a go before I make any decisions. I have a complete set of F5 boards fully built sitting around. That'd be the next, easy step: wire them in and bias them up. easey-peasey, lickity-split.
Of course, gotta take this one step at a time. Get these F6s finalized and give it a go before I make any decisions. I have a complete set of F5 boards fully built sitting around. That'd be the next, easy step: wire them in and bias them up. easey-peasey, lickity-split.
I will be curious to hear your comparison between the F6 and F5 if you get around to that.
I have followed the Bordeaux forum posts on HT guide pretty closely in the past. One of the topics was focusing on a crossover change due to the manufacturer of the tweeter changing the design slightly. Curt and the forum member had about 40 hours plus into the crossover redesign. Curt had mentioned that they were able to wrap it up fairly quickly and at 40 hours is generally on the low side up designing a good crossover.
I guess I'm getting at, if you're going to change the halcyon design by adding rs225 woofers, it might be tough.
Keep in mind that I know very little about speaker design. I do have rs225 woofers. Being used with pass labs and first what equipment, they're not super tight and punchy. A very nice and undistorted bass but they give up the beans if you push them too hard. Keep in mind this is also in a fairly low tuned enclosure. Maybe if you tuned the enclosure a lot higher you might get different results.
For good chest feeling type bass, you might get more mileage building a nice sub that implements well with your current speakers. Maybe even something using SB drivers depending on what they're offerings are.
yup, need to collect more data. Get this 2nd monsterblock running and see. These Halcyons definitely are filling the need everytime I upgrade the rest of the chain. F5s might do the trick but we'll see.
Balanced F6s are wired up and playing in the system. Total change. Level of detail is amazing. No hint of strain or hardness. Hear timbre of low end stuff like I've never heard before. Might be missing some impact but the bass is deep and still enough definition to hear the timbre of orchestral bass drums. I keep turning it up and up and up. Wound up putting the Benchmark jumpers to -20dB and the volume knob sits between noon and 3 o'clock as recommended.
It was a long weekend with much cussing and I'm glad I have tomorrow off. Definitely worth the effort and a good day tomorrow to just listen, enjoy and tap my foot. Blues Brothers soundtrack is on right now.
It was a long weekend with much cussing and I'm glad I have tomorrow off. Definitely worth the effort and a good day tomorrow to just listen, enjoy and tap my foot. Blues Brothers soundtrack is on right now.
Attachments
They are the 4U mini-Dissipante units. There's a long story to getting them as I wanted to do monoblocks. @Gianluca came thru and now they are offered thru modushop.
https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/category&path=121
https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/category&path=121
Hello All:
I'd like to ask for any input you might have. Probably not much as it seems to be going well so far.
Today I put my transformer and PSU into the case and powered it up through a dim bulb setup. No smoke and +/- 25V. So that seems good. 1 LED isn't on. It's the - side so I suspect I have it in backwards. In an effort to understand the LED polarity I took one out of the bag and touched the terminals to my euroblocks and strangely it doesn't light no matter the orientation. Whay could that be? I'm no electrical expert, obviously.
Questions:
Should I adhere to any wiring color code. I would like to do that if it's a benefit, but I didn't find a convention anywhere yet.
I used 16ga wire everywhere. Should I have gone a little bigger.
I crimped without solder. I have a decent molex crimper and bought good terminals. I understand that a good crimp might be superior to solder when corrosion is considered. Is that correct.
Overall I'm happy no smoke came out and the voltage seems correct. The big test is next when I power it up for real.
I'd like to ask for any input you might have. Probably not much as it seems to be going well so far.
Today I put my transformer and PSU into the case and powered it up through a dim bulb setup. No smoke and +/- 25V. So that seems good. 1 LED isn't on. It's the - side so I suspect I have it in backwards. In an effort to understand the LED polarity I took one out of the bag and touched the terminals to my euroblocks and strangely it doesn't light no matter the orientation. Whay could that be? I'm no electrical expert, obviously.
Questions:
Should I adhere to any wiring color code. I would like to do that if it's a benefit, but I didn't find a convention anywhere yet.
I used 16ga wire everywhere. Should I have gone a little bigger.
I crimped without solder. I have a decent molex crimper and bought good terminals. I understand that a good crimp might be superior to solder when corrosion is considered. Is that correct.
Overall I'm happy no smoke came out and the voltage seems correct. The big test is next when I power it up for real.
You touched the LED to where on euroblocks? Did you have a series resistor? If you touched a bare LED to 25v it blew instantly, hence why you aren’t seeing anything regardless if orientation.
16ga is completely fine. Color code is a good idea, just be consistent between channels.
Crimps are arguably superior to soldering in this application, yes.
16ga is completely fine. Color code is a good idea, just be consistent between channels.
Crimps are arguably superior to soldering in this application, yes.
I tend to add solder to any crimps that I have and then put shrink wrap over. You rarely see corrosion on these amps as they are hardly ever in corrosive environments. Corrosion seems to be a problem on older electronics with corrosive flux, leaky caps etc.
The LEDs are rated for something like 2v. The circuit that the LED on the universal power supply is in series with a resistor that reduces the voltage. R20 and R21.
Not a bad idea to follow colors that 6L6 used to aid in troubleshooting. Not necessary though. This is what I used:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7NWX7A/ref=pe_386300_442618370_TE_dp_i1?th=1
16 gauge is totally fine.
The LEDs are rated for something like 2v. The circuit that the LED on the universal power supply is in series with a resistor that reduces the voltage. R20 and R21.
Not a bad idea to follow colors that 6L6 used to aid in troubleshooting. Not necessary though. This is what I used:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7NWX7A/ref=pe_386300_442618370_TE_dp_i1?th=1
16 gauge is totally fine.