For anyone who might be interested: Nelson Pass-designed ACA amplifier kit "back in stock" :)

in Electronics
Some of you ("us") have an interest in low power, high performance amplification. Designer-guru extraordinaire Nelson Pass has been an enabler for those willing to turn to the soiled solid state in pursuit of fleapower Nirvana.
Some years back, Pass helped design and develop a simple Class A stereo solid state amplifier on a PC board. The design was turned into a kit designed to teach folks to build and appreciate such an amplifier at "Amp camps" -- thus, the Amp Camp Amplifier (ACA) came to be!
The ACA kit is commercially available but has been out of stock for a while. Overnight I received an e-mail announcing that an updated version of the kit was now back in stock!
https://diyaudiostore.com/products/amp-camp-amp-kit?utm_source=ACA+Back+in+Stock+Notification+List&utm_campaign=0411d3ac9e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_72286d7b2a-0411d3ac9e-261238033&mc_cid=0411d3ac9e&mc_eid=93022bf314

Just thought it worthy of mention.
Rock on with your respective bad things
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* Disclosure: thanks to the mad skilz of this forum's ALL212 and the generous beneficence of another Forum member (who will remain anonymous unless he cares to reveal himself), a fancier morph of the original incarnation of this amp is 'in residence' at the Hardy household in the wilds of northern NH. This is a very cool little amplifier for those who can work with ca. 5 watts per channel.
Some years back, Pass helped design and develop a simple Class A stereo solid state amplifier on a PC board. The design was turned into a kit designed to teach folks to build and appreciate such an amplifier at "Amp camps" -- thus, the Amp Camp Amplifier (ACA) came to be!
The ACA kit is commercially available but has been out of stock for a while. Overnight I received an e-mail announcing that an updated version of the kit was now back in stock!
https://diyaudiostore.com/products/amp-camp-amp-kit?utm_source=ACA+Back+in+Stock+Notification+List&utm_campaign=0411d3ac9e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_72286d7b2a-0411d3ac9e-261238033&mc_cid=0411d3ac9e&mc_eid=93022bf314

Just thought it worthy of mention.
Rock on with your respective bad things

________________
* Disclosure: thanks to the mad skilz of this forum's ALL212 and the generous beneficence of another Forum member (who will remain anonymous unless he cares to reveal himself), a fancier morph of the original incarnation of this amp is 'in residence' at the Hardy household in the wilds of northern NH. This is a very cool little amplifier for those who can work with ca. 5 watts per channel.
Comments
Audio: PS Audio DirectStream Jr. * Belles 20a * Pass Aleph 30 - Zu Omen DW * Sunfire Sig II - Polk SRS 2.3tl * PSAudio PP3 * MIT S3
Den: Sonore ultraRendu * Cary xCiter * Dayens Menuetto * KEF LS50
Can't say enough good things about the guy based on what I know of him.
I mean, anyone responsible for the El Pipe-O subwoofers is my kinda guy.
http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_elpipeo.pdf
"Power per channel 5 Watts per channel (That's 92 decibels coming out of your speakers, assuming you're listening from 10 feet away with 91db efficiency speakers. More than 2 hours at this volume level exceeds occupational safety limits, is more than adequate to annoy your neighbors, and certainly enough to enjoy your music at normal listening levels)"
The loudspeakers are on the order of 102 dB SPL sensitivity at 1 meter for 1 watt input power.
There are different pathways to Nirvana.
maybe the website itself hasn't been updated(?!?)
maybe...
Dammit, I wanted to build this.
Pass Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul!
Pass Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul!
Screw 'em, they shouldn't have moved in next to me!
My Omega Super 7 Monitor MK2's
HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
I've noticed that -- I may have to avail myself of the United States Postal Service. I gots mad packing skilz...
I'm a tease with the likes of "yeah, let's set something up for this fall" or "put a date on a calendar and I'll make it work"...
Is retirement at 33 an option?
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Yes.
http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_amp_camp_1.pdf
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
I didn't have the balls to attempt it.
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Three "elements" in a transistor, but it just ain't quite the same thing
If you want to dip your metaphorical toes into the SET water, here're a couple of nice options. L'il pricier, though.
https://bottlehead.com/product/single-ended-experimenters-kit-3-for-headphones-sensitive-speakers/
(Compactrons, baby!)
https://bottlehead.com/product/stereomour-ii-stereo-single-ended-integrated-2a3-amp/
A PC board based kit like the ACA is particularly easy; point to point requires a little more manual and mechanical dexterity.
There are some PC board based SET amp kits, but they're more like semi-kits* (i.e., not all components supplied), so they require a little bit more of the buyer/builder.
Here's an example, FWIW (and since we're -- sort of -- on this subject!).
http://store.triodestore.com/diytubegetsetgo.html
http://www.diyaudioblog.com/2012/03/diytube-getsetgo-single-ended-amplifier.html
This is sort of a hybrid between PC board and point to point construction. The 6B4 output tubes used by this amp are a "modern" variant of the classic, venerable 2A3 direct heated triode. The 6B4 differes from the 2A3 "only" in its base configuration (octal vs. 4 pin) and requiring a "modern" 6.3 volt filament voltage (vs. the 2.5 volt filament of the 2A3). It's still a gen-u-ine direct-heated filament triode, though.
Current (or at least recent) production Russian 6B4s are still available, too -- though not necessarily very inexpensive. https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/6b4g-sovtek
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* EDIT There might be full kit SET amps available with all of the guts on a PC board... but offhand I cannot think of any.
... and to use very good quality solder and a good soldering iron.
The soldering instructions that will be found in the instruction manuals for old Heathkit or EICO kits are good. Yeah, a video would be better, but they are good.
The trick, I'd opine, is to work (fairly) hot and fast (as fast as possible, that is) for best results, and to hold the joint nice and steady when/while the solder cools. OK I guess that's two tricks. One of the pitfalls IME is to accidentally jiggle the joint when it's still hot; this causes nasty 'cold solder' crystals (or whatever) to form.
I do agree that temp controlled is the way to go for any serious work.
Some components (particularly transistors, diodes and ICs) will benefit from heat sinking while soldering, too.
Like anything else, the best way to learn to do it is to find a mentor and learn at his or her feet (so to speak). Failing that, trial and error (sometimes referred to as trial and success) is also a valid approach. Remember, anything that does not kill one makes one stronger.
EDIT:
PS Soldering irons aren't the best for certain applications (e.g., soldering down multisection "can" caps, soldering ground busses, and - to some extent - for cable construction, too). At times like that, it is still (IMO) hard to beat the good old time soldering gun.
Yep. I was intrigued by that amp mentioned by you on another thread. And equally touched by your story as to how the kids put it together. Good memories! I'm sure every time you play it you reminisce. Very heartwarming!
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner