1 box or 2 ??

[firestorm]

I have a Nac 62.5 black with silver surround in very good cosmetic condition. I intend building a psu for it.

Is it better to keep it as a seperate with the psu and nac 62 in their boxes, or can I combine the two in a full width case ? ( a la timh and RichardH.)

Would a physical partitioning, with the transformer, rectifier and capacitors in one partition and the pre amp and regulator in another compartment be effective ?

The reason is that I want to assemble one of Les' 260Z amplifiers, it would make sense to have the boxes look the same.

On another note, has anyone compared the ALW super regs and Les APX2 psu ?

firestorm

 

[timH]

Don't know about RichardH but I've got separate boxes for the pre and the OSCAP. It's just that I've managed to squeeze the S-Regs into the pre. The Tx, bridge and caps are in a separate box

 

[RichardH]

I think Firestorm was probably referring to the style (design rather than fashion type style ), as I too have built a full width case for the power amp, not the pre/psu.

I'd keep them separate myslef, but as Tim suggests, squeezing the superregs into the pre is apparently worth doing. I have the tweaking/fiddling with the pre as the next project, after i have a phono stage sorted (which will probably have locally sited regulators, too).

 

[firestorm]

Tim, I know you have you have monoblock Mcbride amps in your cases. Very nice they are too. I have also drawn inspiration from Richard's cases too.

Since I need to make a case for the psu, I might as well make it full width and put the preamp in there too.

I'm wondering if it is a good idea or not to have a preamp and psu in the same box in audio terms. If it isn't then are there ways of lessening the degradation by careful placement and shielding ?

Perhaps a faraday cage arrangement over the transformer & caps, regulator and preamp board might do the trick ?

 

[RichardH]

I'd think it would be possible, and I can understand the reasoning. Perhaps a google will come up with something, or maybe it's worth consulting Les - I know he has some superduper transformers that might lessen the problems you get from doing it in a 1 box way.

R

 

[timH]

My old/old style NAP160 (soon to be up for sale) has a metal plate dividing the amp boards from the tx and caps. Bit of a photo here

 

[Mr Perceptive]

I'm in a similar situation, about to a DIY half width box to my (Chrome) Naim setup, so I thought lets put it in a half-width Naim Sleeve and put a big plastic knob on it. Getting the end plates (internal tray fabricated is fairly straight forward). So...

Purchase from eBay one Chrome Bumper 42.5 with SNAIC but without phono cards, manual or original box - £63 + £8 shipping

Put bare 42.5 chassis on eBay less outer sleeve and knobs, get £65 for it!!! (Buyer pays shipping on top of that)

So Naim Halfwidth outer sleev + two knobs cost me a princely £6!!!! Bit of a Bargain (and I've still got the SNAIC!!)

Be bold and brave and your case could cost you next to nothing

Mr Perceptive