Eight Audio, Hyderabad

[venkatcr]

In another thread (http://www.hifivision.com/amplifier...d-sounding-audio-amplifiers-2.html#post685369), I had initiated the concept of starting a small group of people who can design and offer reasonably priced two channel amplifier at attractive prices to HFV members. I was ready to put my money where my mouth was. As Capt. Rajesh predicted that went nowhere.

In another thread, I read about a member building an amp using kits from a company in Hyderabad. On an lark, I sent them an email, and asked for an integrated amp to drive my Audire IO speakers. They offered the following amp specs

* 30watts @ 8ohm
* Sensitivity 90dB
* Low distortion 0.015%
* Wide band width
* 4 Channel input selector

Can you guess the price? 5000!! That is it. And it includes a cabinet and all!! The company is called Eight Audio - eight audio – Eight Audio

If the amp sounds good, I am sure we can work with them to fulfill my objective of offering a good amp at very reasonable prices to HFV members.

Now I wonder, if any member in Hyderabad is ready to work with me on this. What needs to be done are the following:

1. Go and visit the company.
2. Listen to a few amps if they have them on site.
3. Ensure they understand the specs and what we need it for.
4. Get them to send me a piece after I order for it.

Once I understand how the amp sounds, I would like it to pass it on to a few people and look for a set of instructions to optimize the sound as much as possible. We will then revert back to Eight Audio to make the amp with our specifications.

Let us see if we can work to fulfill my objective.

Thanks

 

[greenhorn]

* Sensitivity 90dB

shouldn't an amplifier sensitivity be in mV or V?
or is this noise ?

Regardless, I've bought a couple of power supply boards from them, yet to use them in anything, but they appear well built

 

[venkatcr]

Take a look at this page:

Amplifier Modules – Eight Audio

shouldn't an amplifier sensitivity be in mV or V?
or is this noise ?
Regardless, I've bought a couple of power supply boards from them, yet to use them in anything, but they appear well built

:lol: Don't worry. As a rule, I found the people to be not very good with the English language. I am sure they are mixing terminologies without understanding what they are doing. I reckon what they mean was the capacity to drive speaker sensitivity.

I listed their listing as I received it.

Cheers

 

[ranjeetrain]

Good initiative, Venkat.

Price is mouth watering if their stuff is decent.

All the best!

 

[venkatcr]

Price is mouth watering if their stuff is decent.

That is exactly my idea. Even If we add some 3 to 4K interms of improvement, we still have a very decent amp for less than 10K. Should meet the needs of many a budding audiophile here. I am excited.

Thanks

 

[prem]

Good initiative Venkat.

Ideally what is needed at the entry level is a one stop solution. Amp plus speaker plus dac plus raspberry pi player for something like 30000 would be a good solution.

 

[venkatcr]

Good initiative Venkat.

Ideally what is needed at the entry level is a one stop solution. Amp plus speaker plus dac plus raspberry pi player for something like 30000 would be a good solution.

One step at a time, my friend. I am sure if a few of us get together, we can achieve that. Let me start with the amp first.

If things work out, I can work with Eight Audio to insert a good DAC into the amp itself. The Raspberry PI is easy. Boards are available, and we just have to design a good looking cabinet that looks handsome and usable.

For speakers, I was looking at Pioneer Andrews speakers to start with. Maybe we can find something cheaper.


Thanks

 

[raghupb]

For dirt cheap speakers look at Dayton Audio. Not a household name in speakers, but their drivers are well regarded

 

[rpanand25]

Sub out would be a nice addition to specs of amp.

 

[venkatcr]

Sub out would be a nice addition to specs of amp.

Nope. I am looking strictly at a 2.0 system. No coloration and brutally neutral as possible. If it moves well, we will look at variations later.

Cheers

 

[afj]

Now I wonder, if any member in Hyderabad is ready to work with me on this. What needs to be done are the following:

1. Go and visit the company.
2. Listen to a few amps if they have them on site.
3. Ensure they understand the specs and what we need it for.
4. Get them to send me a piece after I order for it.


Thanks

i am in hyderabad and dont mind helping out here

 

[venkatcr]

i am in hyderabad and dont mind helping out here

Fantastic afj. Let us (later on) discuss what needs to be done. We have to make someone at Eight Audio understand our objective so we get what we want.

I will revet back to you.

Thanks

 

[greenhorn]

Nope. I am looking strictly at a 2.0 system. No coloration and brutally neutral as possible. If it moves well, we will look at variations later.

Cheers

If you are looking at a 2.0 system, there are active bookshelf systems available in india which would match/beat a chip amp + low end dayton bookshelf pair on price/performance/looks/features, so you would need more features, but then your risk pricing yourself out of the original scope...

 

[venkatcr]

match/beat a chip amp + low end dayton bookshelf pair on price/performance/looks/features, so you would need more features, but then your risk pricing yourself out of the original scope...

I am not planning to compete with active speakers. My objectives are different. Active speaker are very restrictive, and very few are available. And, they are expensive.

I am not even sure what 'chip' to use. But then I am looking at developing an amp that is as close to Class A as possible that can drive good bookshelves from Wharfedale, Polk, Klpisch, Andrew Jones and the likes.

I am looking at starting with a Android based remote control and input selection. I already have the communication technology developed for other devices so plugging it in will be easy.

My objective are slightly more elaborate. But then I am not going to give away my business secrets unless you join me and sign an NDA!!:lol::lol:

Cheers

 

[afj]

Fantastic afj. Let us (later on) discuss what needs to be done. We have to make someone at Eight Audio understand our objective so we get what we want.

I will revet back to you.

Thanks

no problem. you can pm me when youre ready. though i did just check their location on their website and theyre at another end of town. but lets see what can be done

 

[captrajesh]

I did just check their location on their website and theyre at another end of town.

The location is mentioned as Karman Ghat which is very close to my sister's place. Will surely visit them when I visit Hyderabad next.

 

[stereoboyindia]

How many of you guys wants to burn your speaker? I am asking you because.
Look at the quality of the components used.
Elna Capacitor 10000uf/100V ? x 4 of them at Rs 1800 with the PCB and also the Bridge Rectifier with MUR diodes.

If you take a 10000uf/80V Elna Genuine Capacitor which costs about Rs 500 in India from
ELNA 10000uF 80V "For Audio" LAO Series

and for 100V it must be not less than Rs 650.
so the genuine MUR diodes will cost atleast Rs 68 each in USA so by the time it comes here take a factor of Rs 80 each so 4 x 80 = Rs320.
PCB and fuses with fuse holder not less than Rs100.
So the total cost is

Rs 2800 only for the capacitors
Rs 420 for the Rectifier parts
Rs 40 for the Heatsinks for the rectifier
So total is about Rs 3260
That is the original cost so if one puts a margin of Rs 250 also its approx Rs3510 which is Half the price that is quoted on the website.

So there should be two things one is they are cheating the customers or they are so idiotic that they don`t know which is genuine or not.

If you look at their amplifiers can you can see the IRFP240 Mosfets based amplifier each amplifier has 8 of it and each genuine mosfet cost Rs 140 so total 140 x 8 = 1120 and PCB alone will cost not less than 150 so which is the price of the amplifier itself so where is the price coming for the rest of the components?

If you look at the EA 400Watt amplifier the thermal bias Vbe multiplier is not mounted on any of the drivers or the output stage heatsink so one must assume that the floating amplifier bias will be stable when driven hard Its absolutely idiotic design to do that.

so guys check with the professional designers before plunging into cheaper solutions.

 

[doors666]

even the chip amps arent very good, ceramic disc caps, electroyltics in signal path (input caps, no less), bad placement of critical resistors.....

 

[Fantastic]

Maybe you should actually buy them and try them out. Just looking at the picture doesn't tell you everything . I remember buying the IRF 240 /9240 pair in Bangalore sometime last year for Rs 130 a pair . Sometimes parts are much cheaper here than on the web or in Singapore ! Not all parts of course.
Bulk purchase also involves discounts compared to retail prices.

You can't always judge the sound by looking at the parts alone. For example the LM1875 with ordinary inexpensive parts sounds great. You'd never expect that by looking at the board or the parts.

Most importantly what is being sold isn't an essential item for life. You don't HAVE to buy it . You can if you want to. So the seller can sell it at any price he wants to depending on his estimate of how much he should get back.

Maybe he considers his time spent is worth Rs 10,000/- an hour plus expenses. He has the right to charge what he feels and you can't say it's cheating ! It might be multiple times the cost of raw material but what about hidden costs ? That isn't something you see or needs to be explained. If you think it's too much and you can do much better than that , then buy elsewhere.
However if you ASKED him to get you all those parts he would have to give you an estimate and you can choose to buy it or not. This one is his product and so he doesn't have to give any explanation and just list the price.

This is why big businesses can sell items much cheaper than small businesses. They get volume discount on parts and the cost of manufacture and management is divided over a very large number of products. End result is that the final cost is only slightly more than the parts and that figure might be x5 times the cost of parts !

Look up for a lecture on Youtube on how products are priced. I'm not sure there is one but I did attend one given by Swiss engineers. The selling prices ranged from about x 2 to x10,000 times of cost of materials depending on the quantity or the cost of the system itself and how critical its use was and how much time and money was spent to design it. So there really is no rule about how much it should cost. If it's overpriced it will just not sell. The business will close. End of matter !

 

[kcnanand]

Did any one actually get one assembled from them? and can post a realistic review for our benefit. Think will go in for a LM3886 Parallel Amplifier