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Amp Camp Amp


JohnA

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5 hours ago, wdecho said:
16 hours ago, ishwash said:

More on this: Moved the ACA to my LaScala II's. It's max sound setting (being fed Spotify by my cell phone) is a bit too quiet. Sitting in the room with the speakers volume is only acceptable, but not in the next room. Perhaps I listen to my music a bit too loud, but that's the way I like it. MDW tells me I need to turn my music up too, so I do listen loud.

With LaScala's  you should have more than enough power. Are you just using your cell phone and not going through your preamplifier? If so the low volume is because of not enough gain. With most power amplifiers a preamplifier is needed to drive the amplifier to full output, typically 2V. Years ago before SS 5 watt amplifiers with horns filled auditoriums. I built the ACA's for experimentation and had no problem with not enough power with my LaScala's and I am accused of listening too loud by my friends and family. Average or slightly larger than average size room. Most computers, what many use with a DAC, only has on average 1V of gain. Not enough to drive most power amplifiers to full output. A preamplifier is needed. 

I have to agree with wdecho, ishwash's low volume has to be caused by insufficient gain. I built a pair of ACA's thinking that a single ACA wouldn't supply enough power for my K402/TAD jub clone speakers. With only one amp, I was surprised when I measured over 105 dB A and there was still 1/4 more on the volume dial of the Peach. The source was an Oppo 205 preamp through a Juicy Music Peach preamp.

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I have no reason to question that with a preamp I should be able to get the volume up. 

 

What non-big-name preamp (no bells and whistles, maybe kit-form, being consistent and staying with SS for no good reason except arbitrariness) should I consider?

 

I got this out of curiosity from reading you guy's lower power amp leanings, leanings is an understatement, huh! Coupled with the rationalization that it's fun to DIY and the rational that it could be used as my shop speaker-testing amp if I didn't mainstream it in the house. I do like its clarity though and may want to use it in the house.

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Guest wdecho
2 hours ago, ishwash said:

I have no reason to question that with a preamp I should be able to get the volume up. 

 

What non-big-name preamp (no bells and whistles, maybe kit-form, being consistent and staying with SS for no good reason except arbitrariness) should I consider?

 

I got this out of curiosity from reading you guy's lower power amp leanings, leanings is an understatement, huh! Coupled with the rationalization that it's fun to DIY and the rational that it could be used as my shop speaker-testing amp if I didn't mainstream it in the house. I do like its clarity though and may want to use it in the house.

Try it using your computer before throwing in the towel. Right now I am only using a no gain buffer with most of my amplifiers and have plenty enough volume with LaScala's. I no longer have the ACA up and running, only have the boards around the house somewhere, to give you a definitive answer but my guess is the voltage output from a computer will have enough gain using your speakers. 

 

Just now checked the gain of AmpCamp and with 14db of gain a computer's 1V output should be plenty enough. Anyone know the output V's of a smart phone. Do not have one myself to check, just an old cell that I have had for years that rarely gets used. 

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54 minutes ago, wdecho said:

Try it using your computer before throwing in the towel. Right now I am only using a no gain buffer with most of my amplifiers and have plenty enough volume with LaScala's. I no longer have the ACA up and running, only have the boards around the house somewhere, to give you a definitive answer but my guess is the voltage output from a computer will have enough gain using your speakers. 

 

Just now checked the gain of AmpCamp and with 14db of gain a computer's 1V output should be plenty enough. Anyone know the output V's of a smart phone. Do not have one myself to check, just an old cell that I have had for years that rarely gets used. 

Thanks, William, will do. Also, my son has a little Yamaha WXC50 preamp that I can hook up and try.

 

My cell is a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, does flac, and 320 mp3's with no problem into my other 3 Yamaha amps, and the radios of my vehicles. How do I check its output? I have a fancy, smancy Fluke meter. Has a 3 out of 10 reparability rating, sealed phone is the reason, so I wouldn't really want to remove its back. I'll just hook my 'puter to it.

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Guest wdecho

Your other 3 Yamaha amps are, I am going to guess, integrated amplifiers with built in preamplifier. Separate preamplifier and amplifier has always been considered a step up in quality over integrated amps. Firstwatt and Passlab amplifiers are all power amplifiers requiring a linestage, mistakenly call preamplifier, to provide enough gain to play correctly. Passlab does sell linstage's but be prepared for sticker shock. 

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Ok, took the computer sound card (analog) into the ACA, and just as you predicted, William, probably thrice louder, in fact quite a lot too loud, so cell phone is poor preamp.

 

Two are integrated amp and one is an amp alone. The amp alone has a great DAC and is what I feed my computer music into, using digital feed. I have Spotify (Premium) on that computer too, so I have no reason to feed it with cell phone. Use the cell on the two integrated amps, so no problem with volume in that situation.

 

Good diagnosing, my friend!

 

Now, sigh...have to put it all back the way it was...hehe...you ask why I went to the trouble to put the LaScalas and the Crites Cornscalas on rollers...I just demonstrated it...teehee...took all of 15 minutes to run the test and put everything back the way it was.

 

 

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1 hour ago, bchristmas said:

For what it's worth I have (2) brand new amp camp amp kits V1.6 for sale, its listed in the Garage Sale under the listing: FS: Nelson Pass Amp Camp Amp Kits V1.6.

 

Thanks,

 

Bernard

I don't see it on the first 2 pages.  When did you post it?

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