Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Hey you Klipsch BB Buddies, Marie Mandaville here, we're trying to upload some of Erik's pics he took of his awesome Horus amplifiers - I hope this worked! If it did, more will follow! Take care, Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Picture #2 - these first two show heavy parts such as power transformer, chokes, etc. attached to the chassis top plate. PSU wiring began shortly after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 This shows the ground bus, using stripped 14 AWG Romex from Home Depot. Jeff's use of the RCA jack (uninsulated)is an ideal way to do a chassis ground. I adopted the same thing (I stole the idea!!!)for the BNC jacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 A shot with one of the side panels removed as I was putting the chassis back together after having to relocate parts in order to make room for the big Solen Capacitors. ...The picture quality is not what I was hoping for...just a couple more to see the finished amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Testing! So much detail is lost in these -- I really need to get a digital camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Backplate with IEC connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Erik & Marie- Good job on posting the pics!! Erik, the photo 024_23.jpg really shows how little space there really is under there for all those parts! What are the dimensions of the chassis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Horus joins the system. A top view showing vent holes (I still have to drill the bottom plate to get bottom to top air flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Self explanatory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 My little work bench. I spend LOTS of time here, and this is of course where the Horus amplifiers were built. If you look at the above post, you can see that all parts, both inside and outside were mirror imaged so the amplifier look visually balanced. The only part I didn't do this to was the big cathode resistor, which is bolted to the plate and uses it as a heat sink. I know the speaker connectors are nothing fancy, but they are what I could afford. They use 3/4" mounting centers, which is common for many better quality ones...think Cardas uses that spec, too. They are actually very sturdy binding posts, though! All hardware is stainless steel, accept for the hex head screws used for the filter cap bracket and IEC connector wood trim. BTW, you all, that oak trim around the IEC connector was not planned....sniff........it covers the place where my jig saw jumped out of the hole I drilled for it and bashed the anodized surface. It looked terrible, and I had to cover it with something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Ok -- I promise this is the last!!! Our downstairs listening room with speakers and stand I built years ago. They are made out of ceramic flu tile, cut at a bias to align the voice coils of the two drivers. Cutting 1" thick flu tile with a circular saw and masonry blade was not what I would call fun. 1/16" increments were cut all the way around until the blade went through. I built the stands from 1/8" box steel and steel plate, which I arc welded together, primed, and then painted flat black. I'm using a little four watt tube amp with them, along with the AE-1 preamp. Hope you all enjoy! Ed: The chassis was a little on the small side, but the amps are very, very quiet, nevertheless. They do run a bit hotter than the Moondogs, so I'm glad I decided to drill vent holes. Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Erik, Nice jobs on the amps! - Have you first impressions of these vs. the Moondogs? - Those monitor speakers look interesting that you built. Do you like their sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Awesome, hope they sound as good as they look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Erik, nice shots and I really like the chassis of the amps. I wish I could built amps myself, but two left hads ARE and REMAIN two left hands . Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Nice job,Erik. Do you already accept orders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 ---------------- On 7/26/2003 8:04:29 PM guy landau wrote: Nice job,Erik. Do you already accept orders? ---------------- If I can pop in, I seriously hope Erik will accept orders, I must admit I'd like the Horus legacy to carry on (hey... I may be humble but I have some leftovers of what could be described as an ego...). While I did really enjoy working on Chris Robinson, Ed Whitesell, Tony Zorn and Dale Walker amps or preamps (all great and PATIENT guys), this was just too taxing for me and my endless PhD to build anything else on order for anyone else. So I don't know about you guys but personally I feel Erik here would be he perfect guy to take it from there. If you want a really nice 2A3 amp, ask Erik nicely! He surely could be bribed into building one. After all, we know that Art teachers aren't that busy! Erik, you showed us some nice workmanship here! Jeff Lessard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Jeff, but other teachers ARE . Great idea to find someone continuing the Horus saga - who knows, one day I might get weak again (LOL). Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 27, 2003 Author Share Posted July 27, 2003 Thanks for that vote of confidence, Jeff. You all: As it just seems more appropriate to me, I would be more than happy to discuss the Horus by way of email or telephone. I am pleased that some of you like the work I did on this great design. I posted the pictures to share my work, as well as learn the process of uploading pictures. I must thank my wife Marie for that! She always makes such things look so easy, which I learned yesterday it really is! Mr. CutThroat! The design of the two-way speakers was really the result of a couple of designs put together. The cabinet is 1 inch thick flu tile, lined with 1/4" high density, foam-backed carpet, which is attached to the entire inner surface with silicone. There is also a heavy, hardwood crossbrace between the two vertical walls. The drivers are both Vifa, with the tweeter being a hard, metal dome. The drivers are flush mounted against the front baffle to help prevent diffraction -- which I did free hand with a router. The crossover is unusual in that it is a series network. The back panel has a hole in it for the port (very, very lightly stuffed with wool batting). They are wonderful sounding speakers. The human voice, in particular, is accurate and natural sounding, without any sense of chestiness or boxiness. They are the speakers we used with a Sony ES amplifier (pre-tube era when I was much more sane than I am now!). There efficiency is rather low compared to La Scalas or Lowthers; but do quite well for their purpose. Dome tweeters also have a really wide radiation pattern, so it's possible to get really pretty good imaging off axis. I have another pair of speakers I built that are in my workroom. They are going to be used with the Moondogs. Poor Moondogs! I took out the Jensen oil coupling capacitors for the Horus. I did have some Hovland caps in my parts bin, which are pretty good too, though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Erik, really nice job on these. I echo everyone's sentiments as well. I particularly enjoyed your commentary on the sounds these beauties produce. I couldn't have said it any better. They have all the wonderful qualities of SET but take the low end a bit lower. I personally couldn't be wanting for more or better bass than I am now hearing from the Klipschorns. And frankly, the flea-sized Wrights were no slouches whatsoever in this department. Too bad that Magnequest has ended the cobalt OPT production. Jeff Lessard encouraged Ed and I to take that leap and get them while they were still available. I'm glad he did! Despite the significant cost adder, they are really pretty amazing. But if you listen to Erik's comments above, the OPT's he's using are really quite fine! It will be very interesting to hear what Jeff has to say when he's finished designing and building his 2A3 PP's ... He might even draw DeanG back into the fray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 27, 2003 Author Share Posted July 27, 2003 Thank you, Chris. Yeah, that was one of the small regrets I have. I would have loved to have been able to buy a pair of the cobalt OPTs. Both Jeff and Edster reminded me that now was the time to act if I wanted them. Just couldn't do it, though. I would really like to be able to compare the permalloy with the cobalt sometime...but I guess in this case, maybe I should remain ignorant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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