What a great video. I have Parkinson’s and I need to develop new skills to help my brain. In spite of the tremors I think I’m going to try this… Thank you so much for fascinating videos on a hobby I’ve enjoyed for almost 50 years (Hi-fi audio… Not building stuff!) Thanks again!
Hope you are still enjoying the Hi-Fi Ralph. I am an engineer of near enough your age and have worked in audio for most of that time. If you ever need any advice or help just drop me a line here (I will see it it).
De-pinning/re-pinning would be your friend in this instance. It would make wire matching a bit easier not to mention cleaner inside the case. Second, in the immortal words of AVE "Focus you Fak"
It would be easy for Ghent just to make a wiring kit that already has these interconnects pre made, since they know they're going to be selling tons of these specifically for the 200ASC and 200AC modules. This way no soldering would be required at all.
@@Wizardofgosz But then folks that don't know what they are doing would get in over their head. Consider the soldering requirement to be a barrier to entry.
I just got done building this amp last night. And WOW does it sound good. Your video was a big help. I'm using the amp with the Pro-Ject Pre Box RS that's a true balance preamp with tube output, speaker are Merlin TSM sealed monitors. Who would think spending $300 would bring great sound. I'm a happy camper!
Small problem. You're going from balanced XLR to unbalanced RCA. You cannot simply tie the + and - together as one lead with ground (or shield) and if you only use one side you're only getting half the signal. The only way to do this right is to use a matching transformer with one side having a center tap, which would connect to the XLR ground and the other side without the center tap going to the RCA. Not doing what I just explained will result in having to have a much hotter signal, which can create other problems. I've been to this rodeo with my PA equipment. Just passing on the tip
I just finished assembling this amplifier, it went well but a few wire colors have changed in the new kit. It passed the startup "smoke test" and it has noticeably better sound then Yamaha receiver it replaced. Love that it does not have a fan. I think the kit from Ghentaudio is worth the money, well organized and nicely done. It would make things quicker if Quentaudio came with some basic instructions including a wiring diagram.
I was thinking about getting amp from Peachtree they use ice amps and I was interested in building one do you need a pre amp with that and he doesn't show where to solder I wish he showed more . How did you figure out how to wire it up ? Thanks
@@BostonMike68 No preamp needed, I have used a DAC or my Phone as an input. I had to watch the video several times to figure out the wiring, fairly simple in once you do it. I could send pictures of my finished amp just not sure how to get to you.
Great video. I have also built several Icepower amps using similar components. I had not done this type (2 modules) so I have ordered the parts for this one. You did a good job and answered some questions I had to guess at since there are not instructions on the net. For those that think they know about Class A/B/D amps and are throwing jabs at this build, you would be wise to do some research. Respectfully, you don't know what you are talking about. I have built several Icepower amps like this. I have modified PS-Audio amps that do indeed use these modules. I have built Class A low watt amps such as the Amp Camp Amp designed by the legendary Nelson Pass. There is also copious documentation about the Icepower amps that you can easily google for details about distortion, etc. I would caution someone to actually listen to these amps rather than just jawbone about measurements. Again, this is a very good and helpful video for the DIY audience and I give it a very high recommendation.
I would go hear them but there is nowhere to go hear them because they are sold online only. He is receiving money for every module sold through the link in this video and should show proof they stand up to the specifications that he states they have with an audio spectrum analyzer and some math
@@waderyun.war00034 -- The guy's a hobbyist helping other hobbyists, not a professional engineer with $100K+ of fancy test gear at his disposal. Moreover, how do you know he's "receiving money?" Neither Parts Express nor ICEPower are Amazon, and AFAICT neither company has a link-for-pay program -- that doesn't mean they don't, but I certainly haven't heard of any such arrangement for U-Toobers.
@@editorjuno those links are what's called affiliate links and for every item sold through them he will receive compensation. I don't know how much probably almost nothing but he will receive something. Like I said I haven't heard a class D amplifier that sounds very good but most people can't tell the difference anyway for some reason I can and have always been able to. My friends would show me their sound systems and turn them up all the way and would ask me if it sounds good and I would have to turn it down below 3/4 of the volume . Then ask them if they could hear the point where the distortion went away and they couldnt
I built this amp and have been running it with a Douk P1 tube preamp and it sounds great! Is there a way to run this amp bridged? I'd love to build another and run them as mono blocks.
There isn't a way to bridge these. However you can just use one module for a monoblock. If you want more power, you just want to go to the 500 watt, which I linked in the description.
Just built this amp. Thanks for the video! I wouldn’t have tried building it without your help. Now I need to build a Bottlehead preamp so I can try it out.
This just powers speakers. You need a preamp (or integrated with pre outs) A preamp takes in all sources i.e. bluetooth, phono, cd, etc and outputs them thru this amp while also controlling volume
I think it might even be possible to do a three module system with the third one used for a subwoofer amp with the low pass filter mounted internally. Whole concept has many possibilities.
Subs often require alot more wattage from my experience. I often just give up and go integrated lol. Subs are more muddy anyways, I'd rather focus my efforts on the midrange and tops
Great video, except the tad clickbaity title. I can only think of a couple of examples of big brand amps that use a simple single board class-D with an SMPS. Most of the amps out there in that price range have discrete class AB design with complex linear power supplies with torroidal transformers, not to mention the biggest IP expense with these brands is the preamp stage, which this amp doesn't have. Not trying to bash this particular project, but after weeks of research of attempting a similar project I came to the realization its not as simple as it looks to just make a class leading amp or integrated amp with 3 boards. Keep up the good work though, it would be awesome if can get your hands on boards from Hypex ( Rogue audios's integrated uses it, but notice the massive preamp stage which is not as easy to build). Good luck!
Modern properly designed class D amps rape AB amps. There is this myth out there that Class D amps are still inferior. NAD does not even use AB anymore. They went full on Class D. As long as they are designed properly and quality parts are used Class D sounds just as good but wastes a LOT less energy.
Indeed, Hypex Ncore class D amps have over 100x times less distortions in highs(@6.6kHz) vs others class D on the market. ICE distortion performance is awful in highs, THD=0.2%! Any class AB amp in any price category easy kill such marginal class D as ICE is )) BTW, ICE frequency response is far not flat in 20000Hz and depends on a particular speaker impedance, all class AB or Hipex class D have no such problem at all! IMO, ICE 10x times overpriced and should be $30 instead of $300 ))
The one thing I would recommend with these units that use balanced xlr inputs is to ground pin 1 of the xlr to a case ground point as close to the xlr as possible, say one of the mounting screws for ex. And ground the shield coming from the board to a different point on the case. This reduces potential ground loop issues and the possibility of inducing noise into the signal chain, especially when using rca to xlr cables like the ones shown in this video. This also has been covered extensively in AES48 specs and documentation by hypex, Rane.
I'm not sure if it will work with the power button setup you have, but I bought a Ghent case that uses an LED status indicator and a rear power toggle (no push button power switch), and I was able to configure it to automatically power on and off. Instead of using the mini jumper on J4 (power always on), I jumped J3 input 4 (signal sense) to input 8 (+ audio in) at the XLR connector solder tab, and the amp turns on and off automatically when it senses a signal from the DAC.
@@BuckStrickland-yc3czTo be fair these Amps are incredibly efficient and the standby power is minimal especially when compared to an A/B amplifier. I wonder what the real word energy savings are in your case?
Ive been wanting to make a good quality class D amplifier for a home subwoofer that had its board die, and i lost it before i could fix it. This would really help me set it back up and get it running without having some cheap homemade amplifier that barely outputs power. I didnt want to buy one, i want to expand my electronic skills and try to build one. You sir have made this possible. Thank you.
The modules offered by parts express are ICEpower's lower end modules. For example one of the "high end" brands mentioned uses the 700ASC. Other companies use the 700AS2. These are far more powerful and better sounding then the 200ASC used in the video and parts express doesn't sell them. The "more powerful 500ASP" mentioned is a different family of amps as is the 1000ASP. Different animal. Show me any amp company that sells the 200ASC for anywhere close to $3k....(maybe just a little click baity?)
PS Audio and Jeff Rowland had some older amps using the ICEPower 200ASC. Where those companies incorporated their "secret sauce" was often in providing an input buffer stage that provided the extra gain these modules often need to produce high volumes. If you don't have an input buffer stage, then you need either an extremely stout line-level source, or an active preamp in-line. In the case of the Rowland, most of the money comes from their very ornate casework, and there was no buffer stage used; the 102 was meant to provide a more affordable amp compliment to their smallest preamplifier.
Thank you for taking your time and posting this video. That was nice of you. Sorry that the world has become inundated with people that criticize from a vantage point of anonymity. Lastly, there are $3k amps out there with very similar architecture to the one you showed us how to make for about $300. Have a great day and for everyone else, it’s time to start showing each other a little respect. I never thought I’d see the world filled with so much hate. People need to mature a little more. We are obviously not parenting very well!
The problem is he never specifies which 3k amp he is comparing it to. It's dubious and click baity as are his other vids. Not saying it's not a good final product, but not apples to apples.
There are a ton of amplifiers, that I would never be able to name them all. Some of them include the Rotel RB-1091 which uses just 1 500asp board (mono). When you build a 2 channel you can do it for much cheaper. There is also this article which entails what many manufacturers do (all using the 1000asp) www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/clone-amplifiers
The best protection for your speakers is to not buy/build this. Irrespective of whether it's good or not, this TH-camr's bullshit clickbait and amazing levels of ignorance are reason enough to avoid it.
Focus game is weak here man. Please take more time to get shots in focus when doing a wiring tutorial. It's certainly a tempting proposition to try one of these builds.
His focus game is just fine. But the DoF is not really suitable for a "tutorial" of this kind. Again, he might not have the lighting needed to step down, or some other reason. Anyway, he made it, shared it, and I appreciate he did it. Despite the technical issues of the filming in macro mode.
How does this amp compare to an OEM Hypex NC252MP in terms of sound quality? The build process would be very similar, albeit a little more costly. Just wondering if the expense difference is justified? Forgive me if you have no experience with Hypex. I assumed you have because several respected amplifier manufacturers use their modules and have for quite some time. Thanks.
I tried to build a stereo amp with a toroidal and 2 tda boards. Never worked, just left it to gather dust :) this gave me the motivation to troubleshoot it.
Very good, i built this entirely from the links, parts and steps detailed in the video. What would people recommend as a dual gang Potentiometer between the source eg: phone/dac/computer and the amplifier for volume control? Was thinking something like an ALPS RK271 dual gang potentiometer 100Kohm, and a capacitor 40nf capacitor?
I'm curious I would like to hear your opinion of how this compares to other amps on the market.....to be more specific...things like quality differences, life span, and limitations.
Honestly, I have been ecstatic with the quality for performance. These are the only HiFi and I use now. in fact, I just built a smaller version of this for testing speakers. It should be on the channel soon.
I'm one of those (super) snobby audiophiles (tubes, mono blocks, vinyl, TAS) who's been at it for twenty+ years and knows his music without using head cans. This dude's video just blew me away today!!! No link was listed for the XLR to RCA cables.
It all depends on what you’re using it for. The V3 is a really good amplifier and has a lot of power. But if you want high fidelity and have a really nice preamp, this would be the better choice. For most people, I would probably just recommend the V3 for their purpose.
Great build buddy ❤️ At this same price, you could have made a 3000+ watt amplifier in our country. Which produced a very sweet sound and a terrible earthquake bass.😊👍
When attaching the ground lug to the case I think it may be prudent to sand off the finish on that part of the case to get a better connection. I am looking forward to building and testing this amplifier. Thank you for the video. With tax and shipping so far I have paid $360.80. No word on tariffs for the case yet.
Just finished the amp. I am very happy with the sound and it is as good or better than my class AB Rotel 981 Power amp (1990's). - Thanks for the video; it really helped a lot. I did a few things differently like the grounding and repined the sockets. Looks like it compares with the PS Audio S300 that uses the 300ASC and 300AC. So; for $360 I get 2/3 the power of Paul McGowan $1500 power amplifier.
I’m wondering if this is a better option than proven class D amplifiers like the Crown XLS series? I mean DIY is a win on this but bang for your money, what’s best?
That's a very good question -- although Crown's customer base is mostly pro sound folks and DJs, AFAICT their amps are certainly well suited for home audio systems that need lots of beef to handle volume peaks too. Of course the "audiophile" crowd will dismiss the XLS amps as cheap Chinese-made junk, but I honestly wonder if they could tell the difference between an XLS and a PS Audio Stellar amp driving the same speakers at the same high volume.
Crowns have some what higer noise and distortion products, you can check ASR fórum for some nice measurements on some icepower based amps and at least one class d crown, i think it was a 2505 or some like that. Ice amps excede the total signal to noise by some 10 db diference aproximatly compared to crowns, true the second delivers More power per dollar spend
@@Toid You are shooting bordering macro. (high level of magnification) The only remedy will be smaller aperture and more light, using higher sensitivity (iso). You might try smaller sensor, but even smartphones struggle at this high magnification, at least at f1.6-1.8 and the bigger sensor size as of late. There is no aperture adjustment for smartphones. Wider angle might help a bit, but typically offers other challenges, as light and shadow effect, due to the working distance. Also, PDAF do not work that great at smaller apertures. You did a great job on the audio, kept the camera stable at high magnification, the exposure and lighting is just fine. The message of the wires got across, if people wanted to get the message.
Thank you for this video, sir. I was unclear exactly what to buy visiting the website. You made it all clear! I have an itch to build one of these now.
Great video, looks like a fun project! I have a few amps and believe comparing this to a $3k amp is a far stretch. However, for what the parts cost I think it is a good value.
Why? There is a lot of cost goes into, design, manufacturing, advertising salaries and ofcourse shops also add big percentage of that cost, and here you paying just for the parts, for me it makes sense, for person who has bought very expensive amp should not probably :D
i'm guessing his point is that someone, somewhere, is selling a version of this for $3000. might not be the best $3000 amp out there, but a huge amount of the hi-fi market is based on how well you can present something in a showroom and speak in appropriate hushed tones
Hi, Just want to confirm that i get it correctly after watching the video, so, i need to buy 1 X 200ASC board and another 200AC board to connect together for a stereo power amp ?
That is correct. You can actually buy another 200ac board if you want to make it a 3 channel amp. All the links are in the description to all the parts that work together. You do want to get the cables to hook it up as well. Unless you're going to make your own.
@@Toid Just a minor heads-up, but at the start of the vid, you referred to the ASC as the ASP, and the AC modules as AS. Do they have alternate part numbers, or was it just a mis-speak?
@@electronash haha, no problem. I knew it would get some people, so I tried to do a PSA. But I know, not everyone will see that. Glad I could help you on the confusion.
A 'dual mono-block' in this case = a stereo amplifier. A mono-block is a stand alone amplifier with power supply. A dual mono-block is two in one case (with two supplies) A single supply with two amplifiers is a stereo amplifier. Boring, I know. But don't argue, it is how it is. This has one supply and two amplifiers, just like a million billion other stereo amps. The supposed issue is this, A modulated power supply is your output. One supply per channel is ideal and will halve the load and improve all areas of performance, plus both signals will not be modulated by the single supply so to isolate both channels fully.
Okay. I didn't believe they had to have separate power supplies, but that was the preferred way. Either way, it is an exciting time to be in DIY audio :)
@@Toid DIY audio has always been exciting. There has been an amateur hifi enthusiast community since the introduction of the Audion. Glad I found your channel. Looks like a fine quality design.
Oh man, what a great video. I did not even know you could build your own amp! I'm definitely going to have to delve into this as a new hobby. Thank you for the instructions!
You can definitely build your own amp and you can DIY way more than this. There's nothing wrong with this little set up but if you wanted to be nitpicky it's not really building your own amp but more like putting together all the main pieces of an amp. It's what a pre fab double wide is to actually building your own log cabin. An even more hands on approach would be to hand pick an amplifier chip from one of the manufacturers and then search out a board for it and personally select and order all your capacitors, resistors etc. Even more hands on would be to design your own discrete transistor amplifier and have your own pcb customade by a board house,. The possibilities are endless. One could spend their entire life dinking around with diy audio and not even scratch the surface of the possibilities
@@michaelhenry3234 not necessarily, I guess you could call it that but you don’t need to know the whole scope of electrical engineering. I mean if you were going to design your very own discrete design and pick all the transistors yes you would need to know quite a bit but there are lots of simple great sounding amp designs on the web that the amateur can build. There’s a quite famous one called the jlh 1969 amp that sounds fantastic the schematics are all over the internet There’s a bitching single mosfet amp Called “le monstre” designed by Jean Hiraga and there are also a ton of chips that only need some capacitors and resistors to make work. It’s great fun really if you like hobby electronics. You can etch your own PCB’s or order them from board houses for pretty cheap
Back when I was a tweaker I’d spend hours geeking out on honemade amps. Now that I’m sober I’ve been wanting to have another go at it and see just how impaired I really was. I bet i could whip one up in no time with nowhere as many mistakes as I used to make
When i read "How to Make" i was kinda expecting to make it from skratch , but still a thumbs up, it was over all a good video even though it was different than i expected
Took weeks to get my case.....my power button came with plastic pegs instead of the metal ones like you have, and 1 of the pegs was defective causing the power switch to sit at an angle and function poorly....upon trying to correct it, the peg broke and left the threaded plastic stuck in the face plate. Off to a great start! UG
Luckily, this....and missing a single plastic stand off for the second board was the only issue I experienced...was able to hot glue the broken stand off to get the power switch installed....ghentaudio is sending me a replacement peg for the board which was missing.
Can you explain your question? I know nothing about electronics. Why DC is bad and why you question need of transformer and what transformer will do to DC to make it safe. Thanks.
Scott Johnson DC current on the input or output will likely fry the amp or speakers. Using a transformer will isolate the DC power, since it can only work in AC (sound is AC power, with variable frequency between 20Hz and 20.00kHz)
Does it have any speaker protection or does it go BANG each time you switch it on? Also, are there any electro magnetic interferences with like cell phones or a nearby fridge?
I built an 833A single ended triode amplifier at a fraction of a percent of the cost of the WAVAC $350,000 833A pair of monoblocks. It took many experiments to get it right but the sound is excelsior.
These are the exact modules used by the companies he mentioned in the beginning of the video. They just put them in their own cases and charge like 3 grand.
This is not really exactly the same as a PS Audio Stellar series amp (not sure about other amps they produce), as they use proprietary input modules and different ICE amplifier boards, BUT this is probably a terrific amp for a great price, and I appreciate the video. By all accounts ICE power amplifiers are very good sounding amps. I may build one of these as a project this year. Thanks for the awesome video @Toid123
what kind of input do these want to see? trying to design a guitar amplifier for a digital modeler- are there any modules with built in dsp these days for variable crossovers?
Hey y'all, I just completed my build. Mine was slightly different in that I built two separate monoblock using the 200asc. The wiring was extremely simple and the sound is absolutely amazing when paired with the schiit Loki equalizer. It is my opinion that a really good preamp would make all the difference in this setup and that is something that I'm looking into. If anyone has any suggestions for a fully balanced preamp please let me know. Once again thank you 123toid for this video. I'm thinking about doing a build video as well.
What a great video. I have Parkinson’s and I need to develop new skills to help my brain. In spite of the tremors I think I’m going to try this… Thank you so much for fascinating videos on a hobby I’ve enjoyed for almost 50 years (Hi-fi audio… Not building stuff!) Thanks again!
Ralph that's great to hear! Keep me updated and feel free to reach out if you need anything. Good luck! And thank you for the kind words.
123Toid I’m serious, you have a very sincere And informative delivery that I really enjoyed. Keep doing Just what you’re doing!
And so, did you build it?
maybe invite a friend for the difficult small parts
Hope you are still enjoying the Hi-Fi Ralph. I am an engineer of near enough your age and have worked in audio for most of that time. If you ever need any advice or help just drop me a line here (I will see it it).
De-pinning/re-pinning would be your friend in this instance. It would make wire matching a bit easier not to mention cleaner inside the case. Second, in the immortal words of AVE "Focus you Fak"
Today in this video, I'm going to show you how to build an amplifier. 75% of video out of focus.
It would be easy for Ghent just to make a wiring kit that already has these interconnects pre made, since they know they're going to be selling tons of these specifically for the 200ASC and 200AC modules. This way no soldering would be required at all.
@@Wizardofgosz But then folks that don't know what they are doing would get in over their head. Consider the soldering requirement to be a barrier to entry.
@@jameshisself9324 This build requires soldering either way.
@@Wizardofgosz Well then more or less soldering then.
I just got done building this amp last night. And WOW does it sound good. Your video was a big help. I'm using the amp with the Pro-Ject Pre Box RS that's a true balance preamp with tube output, speaker are Merlin TSM sealed monitors. Who would think spending $300 would bring great sound. I'm a happy camper!
Oh man you have the merlins? They reveal everything. God I miss those. RIP bobby
Do you need a pre amp
Small problem. You're going from balanced XLR to unbalanced RCA. You cannot simply tie the + and - together as one lead with ground (or shield) and if you only use one side you're only getting half the signal. The only way to do this right is to use a matching transformer with one side having a center tap, which would connect to the XLR ground and the other side without the center tap going to the RCA. Not doing what I just explained will result in having to have a much hotter signal, which can create other problems. I've been to this rodeo with my PA equipment. Just passing on the tip
Great point
I just finished assembling this amplifier, it went well but a few wire colors have changed in the new kit. It passed the startup "smoke test" and it has noticeably better sound then Yamaha receiver it replaced. Love that it does not have a fan. I think the kit from Ghentaudio is worth the money, well organized and nicely done. It would make things quicker if Quentaudio came with some basic instructions including a wiring diagram.
I was thinking about getting amp from Peachtree they use ice amps and I was interested in building one do you need a pre amp with that and he doesn't show where to solder I wish he showed more . How did you figure out how to wire it up ? Thanks
@@BostonMike68 No preamp needed, I have used a DAC or my Phone as an input. I had to watch the video several times to figure out the wiring, fairly simple in once you do it. I could send pictures of my finished amp just not sure how to get to you.
Thanks!
Thank you!
Just finished this build. Excellent amplifer. Wouldn't of happened without this video. Thank You
So glad to hear this. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
What about a 2.1 system?
Great video. I have also built several Icepower amps using similar components. I had not done this type (2 modules) so I have ordered the parts for this one. You did a good job and answered some questions I had to guess at since there are not instructions on the net.
For those that think they know about Class A/B/D amps and are throwing jabs at this build, you would be wise to do some research. Respectfully, you don't know what you are talking about. I have built several Icepower amps like this. I have modified PS-Audio amps that do indeed use these modules. I have built Class A low watt amps such as the Amp Camp Amp designed by the legendary Nelson Pass. There is also copious documentation about the Icepower amps that you can easily google for details about distortion, etc. I would caution someone to actually listen to these amps rather than just jawbone about measurements.
Again, this is a very good and helpful video for the DIY audience and I give it a very high recommendation.
I would go hear them but there is nowhere to go hear them because they are sold online only. He is receiving money for every module sold through the link in this video and should show proof they stand up to the specifications that he states they have with an audio spectrum analyzer and some math
@@waderyun.war00034 -- The guy's a hobbyist helping other hobbyists, not a professional engineer with $100K+ of fancy test gear at his disposal. Moreover, how do you know he's "receiving money?" Neither Parts Express nor ICEPower are Amazon, and AFAICT neither company has a link-for-pay program -- that doesn't mean they don't, but I certainly haven't heard of any such arrangement for U-Toobers.
@@editorjuno those links are what's called affiliate links and for every item sold through them he will receive compensation. I don't know how much probably almost nothing but he will receive something. Like I said I haven't heard a class D amplifier that sounds very good but most people can't tell the difference anyway for some reason I can and have always been able to. My friends would show me their sound systems and turn them up all the way and would ask me if it sounds good and I would have to turn it down below 3/4 of the volume . Then ask them if they could hear the point where the distortion went away and they couldnt
@@waderyun.war00034 -- Is this something U-Toob does automatically or does it have to be prearranged?
@@editorjuno his is through commissionjunction.com not sure if it's pre arranged or through TH-cam
I built this amp and have been running it with a Douk P1 tube preamp and it sounds great! Is there a way to run this amp bridged? I'd love to build another and run them as mono blocks.
There isn't a way to bridge these. However you can just use one module for a monoblock. If you want more power, you just want to go to the 500 watt, which I linked in the description.
Just built this amp. Thanks for the video! I wouldn’t have tried building it without your help. Now I need to build a Bottlehead preamp so I can try it out.
Should I unplug it to stop the smoke?
How do you adjust the volume?
This just powers speakers. You need a preamp (or integrated with pre outs) A preamp takes in all sources i.e. bluetooth, phono, cd, etc and outputs them thru this amp while also controlling volume
I think it might even be possible to do a three module system with the third one used for a subwoofer amp with the low pass filter mounted internally. Whole concept has many possibilities.
Subs often require alot more wattage from my experience. I often just give up and go integrated lol. Subs are more muddy anyways, I'd rather focus my efforts on the midrange and tops
Do you have any recommendations for an on board Bluetooth receiver board for this amp?
Does the fosi V3 sound as good as that amplifier you built?
Great video, except the tad clickbaity title. I can only think of a couple of examples of big brand amps that use a simple single board class-D with an SMPS. Most of the amps out there in that price range have discrete class AB design with complex linear power supplies with torroidal transformers, not to mention the biggest IP expense with these brands is the preamp stage, which this amp doesn't have. Not trying to bash this particular project, but after weeks of research of attempting a similar project I came to the realization its not as simple as it looks to just make a class leading amp or integrated amp with 3 boards. Keep up the good work though, it would be awesome if can get your hands on boards from Hypex ( Rogue audios's integrated uses it, but notice the massive preamp stage which is not as easy to build). Good luck!
What pre-built products would this build be comparable to?
@@saltrocklamp199 Potentially a NAD M22 is the only that comes to mind, which essentially uses Hypex Class D modules and is essentially two monoblocks
Modern properly designed class D amps rape AB amps.
There is this myth out there that Class D amps are still inferior.
NAD does not even use AB anymore.
They went full on Class D.
As long as they are designed properly and quality parts are used Class D sounds just as good but wastes a LOT less energy.
Indeed, Hypex Ncore class D amps have over 100x times less distortions in highs(@6.6kHz) vs others class D on the market. ICE distortion performance is awful in highs, THD=0.2%! Any class AB amp in any price category easy kill such marginal class D as ICE is )) BTW, ICE frequency response is far not flat in 20000Hz and depends on a particular speaker impedance, all class AB or Hipex class D have no such problem at all! IMO, ICE 10x times overpriced and should be $30 instead of $300 ))
@@saltrocklamp199 Mostly sub 500 dollar range products. Klipsch powergate is comparable for 200.
I got my summer project. Thanks!
Hey ? Did I you do your project. I was wondering bc I’m thinking of trying to do one.
The one thing I would recommend with these units that use balanced xlr inputs is to ground pin 1 of the xlr to a case ground point as close to the xlr as possible, say one of the mounting screws for ex. And ground the shield coming from the board to a different point on the case. This reduces potential ground loop issues and the possibility of inducing noise into the signal chain, especially when using rca to xlr cables like the ones shown in this video. This also has been covered extensively in AES48 specs and documentation by hypex, Rane.
Hi which site do you recommend to purchase the balanced XLR inputs?
@@Steven-e7c The Ghent Audio case he is using in the video comes with xlr inputs. I believe they are Neutrik.
@@aredd92 thanks
I'm not sure if it will work with the power button setup you have, but I bought a Ghent case that uses an LED status indicator and a rear power toggle (no push button power switch), and I was able to configure it to automatically power on and off. Instead of using the mini jumper on J4 (power always on), I jumped J3 input 4 (signal sense) to input 8 (+ audio in) at the XLR connector solder tab, and the amp turns on and off automatically when it senses a signal from the DAC.
@@BuckStrickland-yc3czTo be fair these Amps are incredibly efficient and the standby power is minimal especially when compared to an A/B amplifier. I wonder what the real word energy savings are in your case?
Ive been wanting to make a good quality class D amplifier for a home subwoofer that had its board die, and i lost it before i could fix it. This would really help me set it back up and get it running without having some cheap homemade amplifier that barely outputs power. I didnt want to buy one, i want to expand my electronic skills and try to build one. You sir have made this possible. Thank you.
Video was very helpful and products recommended 100% met my needs. 2 channel amp is just the beginning. Need a 12 channel for my entertainment center.
Thank you. That wiring was little over my head. Does the kit come with any wiring diagram or other instructions?
I feel like ive just opened up my favorite new wormhole of sound possibility. Couldnt have made it look any easier!
its natural smooth and unintimidating sound very refreshing, actually rare in market full of ciems and headphones
how does volume control work on these custom builds?
The modules offered by parts express are ICEpower's lower end modules. For example one of the "high end" brands mentioned uses the 700ASC. Other companies use the 700AS2. These are far more powerful and better sounding then the 200ASC used in the video and parts express doesn't sell them. The "more powerful 500ASP" mentioned is a different family of amps as is the 1000ASP. Different animal. Show me any amp company that sells the 200ASC for anywhere close to $3k....(maybe just a little click baity?)
So make a video showing how to build an amp with the components mentioned.
PS Audio and Jeff Rowland had some older amps using the ICEPower 200ASC. Where those companies incorporated their "secret sauce" was often in providing an input buffer stage that provided the extra gain these modules often need to produce high volumes. If you don't have an input buffer stage, then you need either an extremely stout line-level source, or an active preamp in-line. In the case of the Rowland, most of the money comes from their very ornate casework, and there was no buffer stage used; the 102 was meant to provide a more affordable amp compliment to their smallest preamplifier.
Is your configuration bridgeable?
10 million fkn points my friend. for saying "solder" instead of "sodder" .,.,thumbs up :)
I would like some more information on the $3000 amp you are comparing it to .did you take one apart and find the same boards.
Wish we had more teachers like you ( Toids diy audio ) back in the day, thank-you sir !!
It would be possible to control the volume of the amplifier?
Thanks for making this tutorial. It took a lot of time, and a lot more work and money goes into this than most people realize.
300$
Would it be hard to add volume, treble, bass knobs?
Thank you for taking your time and posting this video. That was nice of you. Sorry that the world has become inundated with people that criticize from a vantage point of anonymity. Lastly, there are $3k amps out there with very similar architecture to the one you showed us how to make for about $300.
Have a great day and for everyone else, it’s time to start showing each other a little respect. I never thought I’d see the world filled with so much hate. People need to mature a little more. We are obviously not parenting very well!
Sooo true . Great job young lad
Should I opt for the 500 or 1000 watt system, will I need a bigger case?
Have you tested and compare it to a $3000 amp?
If yes than i would like to build it
The problem is he never specifies which 3k amp he is comparing it to. It's dubious and click baity as are his other vids. Not saying it's not a good final product, but not apples to apples.
There are a ton of amplifiers, that I would never be able to name them all. Some of them include the Rotel RB-1091 which uses just 1 500asp board (mono). When you build a 2 channel you can do it for much cheaper. There is also this article which entails what many manufacturers do (all using the 1000asp) www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/clone-amplifiers
123Toid Pretty hushed now? Lol Great vid . Awesome work . “Apples to apples “. 🙄🤐
So where is that based on it can compare to a 3k amp? Serious inquiry
Thanks. But what about speaker protection ??? Is it inside the amp board ???
The best protection for your speakers is to not buy/build this. Irrespective of whether it's good or not, this TH-camr's bullshit clickbait and amazing levels of ignorance are reason enough to avoid it.
Thanks for the great video! Did you solder the output cables to the binding posts? It's not clear from the video. Thanks.
I want to see you use both of these amps and a diy 5.1 preamp kit along with a asp 1000 and make a 5.1 with a 1000 watt subwoofer output
That is a good idea.
whats a good preamp to pair with this? Looking to spend under 200
Focus game is weak here man. Please take more time to get shots in focus when doing a wiring tutorial.
It's certainly a tempting proposition to try one of these builds.
maybe you should buy some glasses.
agree with chris & philip
His focus game is just fine. But the DoF is not really suitable for a "tutorial" of this kind. Again, he might not have the lighting needed to step down, or some other reason. Anyway, he made it, shared it, and I appreciate he did it. Despite the technical issues of the filming in macro mode.
Paul is Chaotic Neutral
123Toid, consider Sony RX100VII. That would solve focus issue completely.
How does this amp compare to an OEM Hypex NC252MP in terms of sound quality? The build process would be very similar, albeit a little more costly. Just wondering if the expense difference is justified? Forgive me if you have no experience with Hypex. I assumed you have because several respected amplifier manufacturers use their modules and have for quite some time. Thanks.
Interesting. BTW, the link to the 'zoomed out picture of the internals' is broken.
I tried to build a stereo amp with a toroidal and 2 tda boards. Never worked, just left it to gather dust :) this gave me the motivation to troubleshoot it.
Great to hear!
Very good, i built this entirely from the links, parts and steps detailed in the video.
What would people recommend as a dual gang Potentiometer between the source eg: phone/dac/computer and the amplifier for volume control?
Was thinking something like an ALPS RK271 dual gang potentiometer 100Kohm, and a capacitor 40nf capacitor?
I'm curious I would like to hear your opinion of how this compares to other amps on the market.....to be more specific...things like quality differences, life span, and limitations.
Honestly, I have been ecstatic with the quality for performance. These are the only HiFi and I use now. in fact, I just built a smaller version of this for testing speakers. It should be on the channel soon.
Please send it to Andrew Robinson for review against Crown XLS!
Crown is fine...
is there a good DAC/preamp module you would recomend to build right into the box?
I'm one of those (super) snobby audiophiles (tubes, mono blocks, vinyl, TAS) who's been at it for twenty+ years and knows his music without using head cans. This dude's video just blew me away today!!! No link was listed for the XLR to RCA cables.
Thank you Vinnie. I am sorry about the link. I will update it now. For now, here it is for you: amzn.to/2Xdpqgv
@@Toid Danke
Any chance you could update the enclosure link please?
Oh, this is tempting!
Toid do you recommend this over the fosi audio V3 ?
It all depends on what you’re using it for. The V3 is a really good amplifier and has a lot of power. But if you want high fidelity and have a really nice preamp, this would be the better choice. For most people, I would probably just recommend the V3 for their purpose.
Great build buddy ❤️
At this same price, you could have made a 3000+ watt amplifier in our country. Which produced a very sweet sound and a terrible earthquake bass.😊👍
How do you control volume and gain?
This is great thank you so much Seth Rogan!
Lmao🤣
Will this have enough juice to drive my old Klipsch Epic CF4 speakers which rated at 300watt?
When attaching the ground lug to the case I think it may be prudent to sand off the finish on that part of the case to get a better connection. I am looking forward to building and testing this amplifier. Thank you for the video. With tax and shipping so far I have paid $360.80. No word on tariffs for the case yet.
Great call. It definitely is. My case already was sanded down. My assumption was they all come that way. Hopefully they do.
@@Toid Now I just need to hurry up and wait :)
Just finished the amp. I am very happy with the sound and it is as good or better than my class AB Rotel 981 Power amp (1990's). - Thanks for the video; it really helped a lot. I did a few things differently like the grounding and repined the sockets. Looks like it compares with the PS Audio S300 that uses the 300ASC and 300AC. So; for $360 I get 2/3 the power of Paul McGowan $1500 power amplifier.
@@BriansModelTrains that is great to hear!
HI there, I wounder if it is possible to add volume contro to this amp. If so can you give advice how to? Thanks in advance
I’m wondering if this is a better option than proven class D amplifiers like the Crown XLS series? I mean DIY is a win on this but bang for your money, what’s best?
I really love the crown xls amps
I just grabbed the crown and I love the extras you get with it for around the same price. You get crossovers leds ect ect
That's a very good question -- although Crown's customer base is mostly pro sound folks and DJs, AFAICT their amps are certainly well suited for home audio systems that need lots of beef to handle volume peaks too. Of course the "audiophile" crowd will dismiss the XLS amps as cheap Chinese-made junk, but I honestly wonder if they could tell the difference between an XLS and a PS Audio Stellar amp driving the same speakers at the same high volume.
Crowns have some what higer noise and distortion products, you can check ASR fórum for some nice measurements on some icepower based amps and at least one class d crown, i think it was a 2505 or some like that. Ice amps excede the total signal to noise by some 10 db diference aproximatly compared to crowns, true the second delivers More power per dollar spend
TQVM. So, no soldering work involved ?
Don’t use such a shallow depth of field on your camera, it makes the close-ups difficult to watch.
Good call. I actually thought about that after I created the video. next time, I'll switch to a different lens. Appreciate the feedback
@@Toid You are shooting bordering macro. (high level of magnification) The only remedy will be smaller aperture and more light, using higher sensitivity (iso). You might try smaller sensor, but even smartphones struggle at this high magnification, at least at f1.6-1.8 and the bigger sensor size as of late. There is no aperture adjustment for smartphones. Wider angle might help a bit, but typically offers other challenges, as light and shadow effect, due to the working distance. Also, PDAF do not work that great at smaller apertures. You did a great job on the audio, kept the camera stable at high magnification, the exposure and lighting is just fine. The message of the wires got across, if people wanted to get the message.
How do you control Bass, Trebble, Mid. Is this just raw power? Sorry, I'm new to this
Thank you for this video, sir. I was unclear exactly what to buy visiting the website. You made it all clear! I have an itch to build one of these now.
would this be the same if I used a 200as1 or 200as2
Great video, looks like a fun project! I have a few amps and believe comparing this to a $3k amp is a far stretch. However, for what the parts cost I think it is a good value.
Why? There is a lot of cost goes into, design, manufacturing, advertising salaries and ofcourse shops also add big percentage of that cost, and here you paying just for the parts, for me it makes sense, for person who has bought very expensive amp should not probably :D
i'm guessing his point is that someone, somewhere, is selling a version of this for $3000. might not be the best $3000 amp out there, but a huge amount of the hi-fi market is based on how well you can present something in a showroom and speak in appropriate hushed tones
I am blown away thanks !!
Yo' Geof Schnider from PE give this guy the more powerful versions of the boards 500w/1000w so he can make some more cool videos on this great topic
Was wondering if you can add a preamp board on the same case ?
What a fun project. Looks like something to do this spring! Thanks
Can you made 2 ohms stable hifi amp for DIY 1 and 2 ohms hifi speakers?
Hi, Just want to confirm that i get it correctly after watching the video, so, i need to buy 1 X 200ASC board and another 200AC board to connect together for a stereo power amp ?
That is correct. You can actually buy another 200ac board if you want to make it a 3 channel amp. All the links are in the description to all the parts that work together. You do want to get the cables to hook it up as well. Unless you're going to make your own.
@@Toid
Just a minor heads-up, but at the start of the vid, you referred to the ASC as the ASP, and the AC modules as AS.
Do they have alternate part numbers, or was it just a mis-speak?
@@electronash at 1:30 I answered that. Basically I misspoke.
@@Toid
Ahh, see, I made the usual mistake of typing before watching. lol
Fair enough. ;)
@@electronash haha, no problem. I knew it would get some people, so I tried to do a PSA. But I know, not everyone will see that. Glad I could help you on the confusion.
So when will you build a pre-amp?
A 'dual mono-block' in this case = a stereo amplifier. A mono-block is a stand alone amplifier with power supply. A dual mono-block is two in one case (with two supplies) A single supply with two amplifiers is a stereo amplifier. Boring, I know. But don't argue, it is how it is. This has one supply and two amplifiers, just like a million billion other stereo amps.
The supposed issue is this, A modulated power supply is your output. One supply per channel is ideal and will halve the load and improve all areas of performance, plus both signals will not be modulated by the single supply so to isolate both channels fully.
Okay. I didn't believe they had to have separate power supplies, but that was the preferred way. Either way, it is an exciting time to be in DIY audio :)
@@Toid DIY audio has always been exciting. There has been an amateur hifi enthusiast community since the introduction of the Audion.
Glad I found your channel. Looks like a fine quality design.
@@Toid PS I just looked through your videos, and a fine collection it is. Subscribed. Thanks for all your efforts.
@@martinda7446 thanks for subscribing. I really appreciate hearing that there's people out there that enjoy this type of content.
@@Toid Thanks, I'll keep in touch ))
Hi. Can a Bluetooth board be added to that amp? Thanks.
Oh man, what a great video. I did not even know you could build your own amp! I'm definitely going to have to delve into this as a new hobby. Thank you for the instructions!
You're welcome! Glad I could bring it to you.
You can definitely build your own amp and you can DIY way more than this. There's nothing wrong with this little set up but if you wanted to be nitpicky it's not really building your own amp but more like putting together all the main pieces of an amp. It's what a pre fab double wide is to actually building your own log cabin. An even more hands on approach would be to hand pick an amplifier chip from one of the manufacturers and then search out a board for it and personally select and order all your capacitors, resistors etc. Even more hands on would be to design your own discrete transistor amplifier and have your own pcb customade by a board house,. The possibilities are endless. One could spend their entire life dinking around with diy audio and not even scratch the surface of the possibilities
@@jethrohetero4990 You'd need knowledge in electrical engineering, I assume?
@@michaelhenry3234 not necessarily, I guess you could call it that but you don’t need to know the whole scope of electrical engineering. I mean if you were going to design your very own discrete design and pick all the transistors yes you would need to know quite a bit but there are lots of simple great sounding amp designs on the web that the amateur can build. There’s a quite famous one called the jlh 1969 amp that sounds fantastic the schematics are all over the internet There’s a bitching single mosfet amp Called “le monstre” designed by Jean Hiraga and there are also a ton of chips that only need some capacitors and resistors to make work. It’s great fun really if you like hobby electronics. You can etch your own PCB’s or order them from board houses for pretty cheap
Back when I was a tweaker I’d spend hours geeking out on honemade amps. Now that I’m sober I’ve been wanting to have another go at it and see just how impaired I really was. I bet i could whip one up in no time with nowhere as many mistakes as I used to make
Nice build brother !! Good content !!
When i read "How to Make" i was kinda expecting to make it from skratch , but still a thumbs up, it was over all a good video even though it was different than i expected
Thank you. I appreciate hearing both comments!
Took weeks to get my case.....my power button came with plastic pegs instead of the metal ones like you have, and 1 of the pegs was defective causing the power switch to sit at an angle and function poorly....upon trying to correct it, the peg broke and left the threaded plastic stuck in the face plate.
Off to a great start! UG
Luckily, this....and missing a single plastic stand off for the second board was the only issue I experienced...was able to hot glue the broken stand off to get the power switch installed....ghentaudio is sending me a replacement peg for the board which was missing.
is there dc protection ? or should i add input transformers ?
Can you explain your question? I know nothing about electronics. Why DC is bad and why you question need of transformer and what transformer will do to DC to make it safe. Thanks.
Scott Johnson DC current on the input or output will likely fry the amp or speakers.
Using a transformer will isolate the DC power, since it can only work in AC (sound is AC power, with variable frequency between 20Hz and 20.00kHz)
@@radusimonica5550 sound is actually DC not ac, ac is whats in your wall socket dc is what comes out of a guitar into an amp
Does it have any speaker protection or does it go BANG each time you switch it on? Also, are there any electro magnetic interferences with like cell phones or a nearby fridge?
I'd like to know about the speaker protection also
@@UncleBenjs well got no reply in ten months..says all I guess
even if this is a manual how to asemble this amp it"s still a good video,thank you a lot
How have you found THD? when turned up. Also they been reliable? Great Video
Toid you are a god, your format is great and you actually know what you are talking about. These videos are a huge help
Great video! will this work on uk voltage? 230v
I built an 833A single ended triode amplifier at a fraction of a percent of the cost of the WAVAC $350,000 833A pair of monoblocks. It took many experiments to get it right but the sound is excelsior.
Super cool. But is there a preamp so I can change volume?
Awesome, much appreciated. Making me feel like I can properly build this type of stuff!
Is it still possible to get these exact parts, etc to build a 2 channel amplifier?
The links are in the description
What makes you think this is equivalent to a $3,000 amplifier?
These are the exact modules used by the companies he mentioned in the beginning of the video. They just put them in their own cases and charge like 3 grand.
Jack Allen that is not entirely true
Please state what IS entirely true.
Omg so confusing
This is not really exactly the same as a PS Audio Stellar series amp (not sure about other amps they produce), as they use proprietary input modules and different ICE amplifier boards, BUT this is probably a terrific amp for a great price, and I appreciate the video. By all accounts ICE power amplifiers are very good sounding amps. I may build one of these as a project this year. Thanks for the awesome video @Toid123
I'd be looking at good used equipment. For $3K you have a ton of choices to piece together a very nice sounding system.
please done a sound test review video of this amp
what kind of input do these want to see? trying to design a guitar amplifier for a digital modeler- are there any modules with built in dsp these days for variable crossovers?
Thanks for sharing. This was a great tutorial. I still wish I was your neighbor
Haha, maybe someday :D
No 12v trigger? Always on?
what happens when you live in EU? where to buy these parts from?
try ampman.co.uk
I bought mine two 500 boards from Profusion Ltd in the UK. I've also seen an italian company selling them but the name eludes me.
Does it have a volume knob how do you control the volume. I am confused
How to make an amplifier? Buy an amplifier and assemble it....
@bobbycratchit and I don't get yours. All I'm saying is this tutorial is not a diy amplifier actually, because you just buy it and assemble it for 300
@bobbycratchit more like assemble it yourself, but nevermind
what do you expect? make the actual chips? Good luck making that video.
What about THD or SINAD?
It's not just about watts, but how clean, linear, and without distortion or noise the signal is.
bit.ly/200asc all the information is there. There's a reason Hi-Fi manufacturers us used these boards.
Hey y'all, I just completed my build. Mine was slightly different in that I built two separate monoblock using the 200asc. The wiring was extremely simple and the sound is absolutely amazing when paired with the schiit Loki equalizer.
It is my opinion that a really good preamp would make all the difference in this setup and that is something that I'm looking into. If anyone has any suggestions for a fully balanced preamp please let me know. Once again thank you 123toid for this video.
I'm thinking about doing a build video as well.
Which pre u settled.?
Topping pre90
I’m looking at the Schiit Freya+
Can this be used for an ultimax subwoofer?