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QUDOS - the brilliant new amplifier boards from Avondale

How much do the Qudos boards cost in kit form? I searched Les's site but couldn't find them.

As always you'll have to 'phone Les W. I don't think he's doing a full kit but you should be able to get the boards and some of the more difficult to source components from him. The rest can be easily obtained from Farnell and the like although you will have to buy the small resistors in packs of ten leaving you with some spares.
 
No full kits from Les. He will provided those items that are unique to the build, heatsinks, specialised caps, the odd resistor, inductors, etc.

The rest is freely available from the likes of Farnell.
 
ho ho ho..Christmas came early....

Just got to insert this lot into the existing NCC220 amp...wonder if I can find the time before Christmas..??

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Very interested in hearing your findings.

Yes, I'll end up with one amp with VBE's and another with HCR's driving the front end. I don't think I'll have the time before xmas but its the first on the list in the new year...
 
ho ho ho..Christmas came early....

Just got to insert this lot into the existing NCC220 amp...wonder if I can find the time before Christmas..??

25270332268_d718133953_z.jpg

Ohh, nice..

Please don't tell me they sound better than the VBEs :(

And did you build them yourself?
 
Ohh, nice..

Please don't tell me they sound better than the VBEs :(

And did you build them yourself?

I don't know if they'll sound any better than VBE's. I have a sneeky suspicion they just might. I'll post my finding. What I'm very surprised with is that the NCC220's are just as good as some N Pass F5t Class A amps sort of. Its nip and tuck but the NCC220's has it for me, a richer more textured presentation in my system/room> Don't get me wrong the Pass amp's are stunning amps, their up there with the best Ive heard but you need a big room and some A/C if not. It takes about 45mins to an hour before they sound really good and an hour later their very warm which is when she starts saying 'is it hot in here'.

I had to buy ready made as Les had no bare boards but this will save a me huge amount of time/effort trolling the net/suppliers for components.
 
What I'm very surprised with is that the NCC220's are just as good as some N Pass F5t Class A amps sort of. Its nip and tuck but the NCC220's has it for me, a richer more textured presentation in my system/room>

I am also surprised. I would expect the NCCs to be much batter based on the Pass projects I have built (Aleph 30 and one of his preamps). They were by far the most disappointing amps I've built, and I've built many tens.
 
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I am also surprised. I would expect the NCCs to be much batter based on the Pass projects I have built (Aleph 30 and one of his preamps). They were by far the most dissapointing amps I've built, and I've built many tens.

As I said, I was quite surprised. The 'Whammy' pre amp I'm using is quite astonishing and I wonder if that could be a bit of a leveller.....? Possibly not, I need to take another look at the F5T just to make sure its on top form..!! Or might not bother and concentrate on the NCC220 tweaks.
 
As I said, I was quite surprised. The 'Whammy' pre amp I'm using is quite astonishing and I wonder if that could be a bit of a leveller.....? Possibly not, I need to take another look at the F5T just to make sure its on top form..!! Or might not bother and concentrate on the NCC220 tweaks.

I'm not up on preamps... what's a "Whammy" one and should I build one to replace my B4?
 
what's a "Whammy" and should I build one to replace my B4?

Take a look at DIYaudio. Its a headphone amp really but works superbly as a pre amp. I know a few who have gone the Whammy route replacing their B4's (which is good)
 
Ah, this one http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/271662-passdiy-headphone-amp-coming-soon.html

I'll have to keep an eye on the DIYAudio Shop for PCBs.

Thanks for the pointer. Can it really unseat the B4?

Don't want to crash this thread with whammy stuff but, Yep thats the one.

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Heres one I built this summer.. I've dropped two transformers in but you only need one which is usally mounted on the board. I used s/teddy regs to power it al up but you could use 7815 7915 regs on the board.
 
I have never tried the VBE boards on the front end of my amps but I have the HCR200 regulators plumbed in.

They are exceedingly good :) but unfortunately I can not say whether they are better than VBE. :( Output voltage on mine are limited to 47V and turning the pot further does not bring any increase after that.
 
I have never tried the VBE boards on the front end of my amps but I have the HCR200 regulators plumbed in.

They are exceedingly good :) but unfortunately I can not say whether they are better than VBE. :( Output voltage on mine are limited to 47V and turning the pot further does not bring any increase after that.

I'm informed (by Les) that 45v supplies to the front end is all thats needed for the front end and that any more has no affect.

Les sent me a CD which my PC/MAC can't read...I would like a wiring layout or rather how do we config the 0v between HCR boards, NCC and cap6 and minicap6 PSUs. ? Anyone have this TIA.
 
I have used the 0V layout that was recommended when using VBE boards.

Minicap clean 0V ------HCR200---------CAP6 clean 0V.

The HCR200 has only one spade for an 0V connection so I put two wires into one crimp connector to solve that problem (one wire to minicap, one wire to Cap6). The file that Les sent me just shows hook up to Napa/NCC when regulating the whole amp (like Nap250, Nap135). When I picked my goodies up from Les months ago I am sure he said connect as per the VBE.

Anyway, it works brilliantly and no magic smoke.
 
I have used the 0V layout that was recommended when using VBE boards.

Minicap clean 0V ------HCR200---------CAP6 clean 0V.

The HCR200 has only one spade for an 0V connection so I put two wires into one crimp connector to solve that problem (one wire to minicap, one wire to Cap6). The file that Les sent me just shows hook up to Napa/NCC when regulating the whole amp (like Nap250, Nap135). When I picked my goodies up from Les months ago I am sure he said connect as per the VBE.

Anyway, it works brilliantly and no magic smoke.

Like this? No 1


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or this? No 2

24313470917_33d5e1c312_b.jpg
 
No.1

Only one 0V pcb spade on the HCR200 board so two wires go into one crimped spade connector (no.2 diagram is impossible because of this). That is how I have done it as per a diagram on numerous VBE and NCC200 threads - group buy threads I think from 2013/2014.

I am sure Les will be along before long.
 
I thought the general idea was to run the front end at a slightly higher voltage than the output stage? There's 45V to front end, 50V to output there.
 


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