Jean Hiraga Super 30 - The Beginning
- Thread starter Lionx
- Start date
Ohh awesome. The only thing holding.me back from getting a JH is the running costs. My setup sees a lot of running hours a day.
MaSh
Whats so worrying Bro?
Even though the transformer is 500va, this amp must be consuming around 350w which is almost similar to a plasma TV. I would recommend to give it a try, it's worth the effort.
No offense here please, I would rather put my Rupees in better component selections and testing of better parts than worry initially about these mentioned aspects.
reubensm
Well-Known Member
This is one topic which has really intrigued me over the years. When using a NAD 216 thx power amplifier and as I play music through most part of the day, on a daily basis, was worried that my electricity consumption may be high. Experts suggested (and probably rightly so) that the power consumption is based on the level at which you play the amp. However the slight dimming of lights in the room when the amp was turned on (just like when one turns on a electric iron) was not very comforting. I ultimately moved on to using the power amplifier section of the NAD 3020 driven by a NAD C160 preamp
. Any information on this topic is very welcome.That's very true and very well said but I think its the HAM-shack approach from our old school days based on the logic that the dish matters, not the vessel in which it is served. However over the years, aspects like lack of brand value and cosmetics, have consistently turned potential users away from the DIY path. DIY'ers the world over have started paying a lot of attention to cosmetics, apart from also using good component brands. A classy DIY effort in these times, carries strong brand value based on the components used, the design adopted, construction materials/techniques used and great looks. My 2 cents.
@reubensm the OP has not compromised on the quality of components as he has clearly stated in this write-up.
It is truly an excellent effort for a 1st time DIYer, especially the challenge of building a Class A amp, that too pure 30 watts.
Kudos @Lionx.
I have heard the Hiragas at the DIY meet in Bangalore and they truly shine.
It is truly an excellent effort for a 1st time DIYer, especially the challenge of building a Class A amp, that too pure 30 watts.
Kudos @Lionx.
I have heard the Hiragas at the DIY meet in Bangalore and they truly shine.
F U L L offense taken Haribhai....
just kidding
I am not worrying about things I posted. Dont know why it gave you such an impression. As far as I know on hifivision no one has done their own nickle plating (Which is a good thing if one knows how difficult it is for small jobs to be handed over to others and expecting better finish). So just wanted to know. As simple as that. And as a Graphic Designer I wanted to know what logo was about. Using Good components is already considered as basic requirement.
Regards
CJP
Member
Congrats Sumith, you've set the bar very high for DIYers !! This is truly a labour of love, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are exemplary. I am sure the owner cherishes this amp and is as passionate about his music as you are with the project. Congratulations once again and Thank you for the detailed build log.
Time for the unveil
View attachment 53247
The cat eyes,
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The Neutrik Powercon connectors,
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With 2.5sqmmx3 custom power cable,
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Rhodium RCAs,
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Binding Posts
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Rear panel
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You may see the Logos are placed with Epoxy and has a shine which enhance the contrast.
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The spikes has a shine due to epoxy but retains the natural look.
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The top plate logo has a subtle background color.
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That's how I look when playing.
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This is designed to be kept on the floor for smooth air circulation, the amp gets only warm (below 40) now even after hours of operation. The massive heatsinks and black anodizing must be helping, you wont feel that its a Class A in operation. There is no need to explicitly mention how the amp sounds as JH design is well known for the warm sound and butter smooth mids. It has a real nice control on the low notes and has plenty of power to drive most of the speaker units, we had paired it with Tannoys towers and the result was mesmerizing.
The amp has been delivered last week, a month earlier than the target date and well within the budget.
The signoff pic,
View attachment 53260
Thanks for viewing, please let the comments flows.
Wow wow !! The aesthetics are drool worthy. Truly.
The only thing I would have myself preferred was blue color dial for the VU instead of yellow.
Ok, I will never ever want my DIY stuff to look like an commercial product unless I want them to be sold and my customer demands it. If I wanted a commercial looking product I will buy one and I definitely have the budget to buy one. Imo, the charm of DIY is lost once they have a look of a commercial product. I believe that if you are working on a limited budget, I will rather spend 90% of the budget on the components and only 10% on how it looks as they don't matter to me much. Even if I have the best looking amplifier if they don't sound good to me then it's scrap for me. On the other hand even if they look horrible if it sounds amazing it stays on my rack and I use them day and night. Looks may last only for a week or probably a month ( like Chinese stuff), but performance is going to last a lifetime ( like German/ Russian).
Others may have different approach or standards of performance which give them a kick and it's perfectly acceptable as each one us are different and have different aspirations and tastes.
1.
3. Not sure about the exact rates, i paid 500 for those 2 plates.
reubensm
Well-Known Member
very true and this is perhaps the most important perspective.
again, my opinion was also based on the other paradigm, that of building stuff for friends or even 'customers'
I wholeheartedly agree in your points that component selection is really should have prime importance than the aesthetics and I might have done that if it's just for me. But I cannot send a basic looking device to a customer who has trusted me with his hard earned money no matter how good it sounds. There is an acceptance factor for any product be it electronic or mechanical which a DIYer often neglect stating the very same reasons you have listed. That's where a DIY product soon becomes a depreciating asset, many of us would have faced the situation while selling/buying used diy products.
There is a perfect example in automobile space in India, Skoda Yeti. It's a brilliantly engineered vehicle which failed miserably just because of the looks, you ask any of the guys uses it; all will vouch for its perfomance. Similarly no matter how good your amp sounds it will be a boring piece of electronics sitting on your rack if you are not taking care of the aesthetics. Less than 5% of people notice 5% improvement in sound by using exotic components, it's just the opposite for a aesthetically designed unit.
Point noted, the power supply boards are made by Mr Das from Bhopal who uses a trusted source for components. He has tested the caps individually for capacitance and ESR before assembling.
Blue might not go with the copper theme I thought. I might use a blue one for non-anodized chassis.
Thanks Kannan, the bangalore audio meet was my first experience with class A designs and it was an eye opener.
I belive that is applicable for a class AB where the transistors switches on only when the input signal is present and the power consumption varies with signal strength.This is one topic which has really intrigued me over the years. When using a NAD 216 thx power amplifier and as I play music through most part of the day, on a daily basis, was worried that my electricity consumption may be high. Experts suggested (and probably rightly so) that the power consumption is based on the level at which you play the amp. However the slight dimming of lights in the room when the amp was turned on (just like when one turns on a electric iron) was not very comforting. I ultimately moved on to using the power amplifier section of the NAD 3020 driven by a NAD C160 preamp
OT from the thread with below title has been branched off as a separate thread:
Jean Hiraga Super 30 - The Beginning
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