www.diy-audio-kits.com
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: DIY AUDIO
Forum Name: DIY Audio questions and answers
Forum Description: www.diy-audio-kits.com ... superb audio kits for experienced constructors
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=304
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 2:11am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: www.diy-audio-kits.com
Posted By: Graham Slee
Subject: www.diy-audio-kits.com
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2008 at 6:01pm
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Our new venture into audio kits is about to be launched at http://www.diy-audio-kits.com - www.diy-audio-kits.com . The first kit under the DAK brand is the Graham Slee Novo discrete headphone amplifier. Soon to be followed by the Genera phono preamp range covering a number of asked-for phono preamp solutions. What would your preference for a kit be? What level of experience are you? I want to learn what you want from a kit to be able to serve you better.
------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Replies:
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2008 at 1:20pm
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Update: The metalwork for the DAK Novo and DAK Genera kits just came in - I will post some photos later. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: ODO Passion
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2008 at 12:08pm
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I have just this week purchased a GS SOLO with the cheapo wall wart option as cash is of a premium at the moment. I would be really keen to see a hi-grade PSU kit for a box of similar dimensions to the SOLO that would sit alongside or below it. If there isnt one planned can you recommend any cct designs out there that I could build into a case?
On a seperate note I keep spotting comments that I think relate to front panel LED colours of Blue/Green. My unit has a RED LED does this mean its an older unit/design? (Sorry if thats a bit dense, I have only just got into the headphone amp market and found GS).
Thanks
John ------------- If it sounds good, it is good! |
Posted By: lapsedstudent
Date Posted: 22 Dec 2008 at 1:58pm
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Graham, been thinking about easing myself back into electronics for a while now. Around 20 years ago I finished a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering started as I intended to go off and work for a Hi-Fi company. Anyway, I got derailed on that one and 20 years later it's time to get started again.
So, preamble there intended to let you know this potential purchaser has an good basic understanding and some experience of circuit boards, components, soldering and so on but is woefully out of date and likely to need a fair amount of hand-holding via the kit's instructions. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 22 Dec 2008 at 11:57pm
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It's the instructions holding up the kits right now - trying to make them exactly fit your (and I'm sure others) wishes. I did also want to include a "how it works" section for those with enquiring minds - I think a kit should have this because otherwise it could look like "magic" to the non-designer, when there is no such thing as magic, just the application of physics. We are still planning a "how to solder" DVD but that will depend on a video production friend being available to guide us, and do the editing (hope John is reading - it's his friend...) As for the different Solo LED colours, the early SRG and all since have had green LEDs. There will be an article soon on the SRG: there have been a few changes since "production" began due to the financial crisis and the way it messed up the supply chain. This could put doubt into people's minds as to consistency between batches, but having placed great emphasis on all attaining the SRG sound, owners and would be owners should not be concerned. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: lapsedstudent
Date Posted: 23 Dec 2008 at 11:35am
| That all sounds good. Let me know if you are interested in having independent eyes/fingers on any of this before it goes live. Be happy to oblige. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Dec 2008 at 12:20pm
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What? Sell you the kit before the official launch? If that's OK by you, it could help iron out any bugs. Thanks. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: lapsedstudent
Date Posted: 23 Dec 2008 at 1:38pm
| Let me know then - I think you have my email through the forum registration process so we can work out the details that way. In the meantime if you have a kit list you can send me then I can look into equipping myself properly. |
Posted By: ODO Passion
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2008 at 12:57pm
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Right! I have just remebered what I thought was an obvious new product and/or kit.
A headphone amp with a USB input.
I very nearly purchased the Musical Fidelity X-Can V8 instead of the GS SOLO purely because it has this feature which is very important to me as I have a large ammount of music on my PC HDD.
In the end good judgement prevailed and I bought the SOLO with a Cambridge Audio DacMagic which works great. The only thing is its not the neatest solution and it did cost me an extra £200 which meant I couldn't afford the better PSU1 for the SOLO.
What do you think Graham?
John ------------- If it sounds good, it is good! |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2008 at 1:20pm
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As a DIY project such a device would I'm sure be in much demand. I'm not sure however if it would have the same demand with hi-fi separates purchasers - they, IMO, would prefer to obtain the best DAC and the best Headphone Amp? We had actually started to design something on the lines of a DAC, and will probably end up with two: a low cost idea, and something that hopefully does the real business. In DIY it is easily incorporated into the one box even if it's sold as a separate PCB kit. There will shortly be the Novo headphone amp in kit form and I guess what we should offer next is some sort of enclosure to build a number of PCB projects into? Suggestions gratefully received... ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: ODO Passion
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2008 at 1:36pm
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In that case a USB to Line Level converter kit with a quality stamp that matches it in quality to the SOLO and other unbalanced line-in amps may be good.
Second, a kit for a top quality PSU as mentioned previously with an option for a nice box that will make it look good alongside your other products. Simle option with IEC mains in (at the rear), nice blue power LED (at the front) , quality DC out socket (at the rear), rocker switch for power on (at the rear) which will power up the PSU and any connected device... or something like that.
I need to have a sit down and a Scotch now, thats too much thinkin' for a Christmas Eve!
More than happy to test run any prototypes against my Sennheiser HD 650's / GS SOLO, Cambridge Audio DacMagic.
John ------------- If it sounds good, it is good! |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2008 at 1:54pm
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For my two penn'orth, enclosures are always a pain to source and work. Nice alloy ones like the current range with positive locking halves and screw on front and back panels are easy to drill and look much nicer than most of the plastic stuff commonly available. No idea WRT the availability of similar profiles to what you use at present, but perhaps modular widths of 1 x, 2 x and 3 x the width of the current Solo would accomodate a fair range of possibilities. I can see 2 x PSU for say a phono stage and a HP amp fitting in one chassis quite neatly and a nice buffered line stage with balance, volume and input selector (or dual mono volcos) fitting in a 3 x enclosure with plenty of space for 4 or 5 inputs and 2 pairs of outputs. |
Posted By: damianwo
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2009 at 3:47am
| What are the tune-up options for the Gram Amp 1 kit? I've got a Gram Amp 1 (not a kit) and would like to explore tune up options. I have recently replaced the opamp with dual BB OPA627 on an adaptor and am very happy with the results. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2009 at 1:09am
The Genera as it will be renamed will be the stock Gram Amp 1 with some tweaks built-in such as a new grounding path and slightly reworked RIAA EQ. I'm also thinking along the lines of "hobbyist chooses" for at least the gain: some Gram Amp 1's are used by DJ's who use high-output cartridges and 12 inch singles output +6dB! Therefore the existing 38dB is going to give close to 0dB out (around 775mV). However, some users will want a healthy output but will be using lower output MM cartridges and perhaps HOMC's (high output moving coil) and these require the gain of the Gram Amp 2 SE. Gain adjustments (swapping a resistor per channel) may look easy but on a phono amp there are other things to watch out for too: high frequency stability as well as low frequency stability are factors that can be upset going from one gain to another - they're not as easy as low gain flat line level circuits. Simply by changing one NFB cap a different "dynamic" happens - perhaps I also include that? I still have the final PCB draft to do, but the cases are already formed, punched, printed and anodized ready to go. @tg: your suggestions have been noted  ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
damianwo wrote:Posted By: ODO Passion
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2009 at 8:27pm
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I love the idea of equipment where there are individual user options/tweaks. I still have a Quad 44/405II which I like because it comes with lots of configurable switch options. I had the 33/405 before for similar reasons. Perhaps strangely I never have tone or filter controls off the zero or straight-through option?? Not sure what that says about me. ------------- If it sounds good, it is good! |