All items in category Project Articles
You Can DIY! The PR-3 - A High-Quality Stereo Preamplifier
by George Ntanavaras

You Can DIY! The PR-3 - A High-Quality Stereo Preamplifier

For our readers who like to get hands-on with DIY projects, in this article George Ntanavaras describes the design and the construction of his PR-3 stereo analog preamplifier, offering three high-level unbalanced stereo inputs and two unbalanced stereo outputs. Most of the components for this design are contained on a single PCB. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2019.
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You Can DIY! X-Altra MC-MM RIAA EQ Preamp - Part 2
by Andrew C. Russell

You Can DIY! X-Altra MC-MM RIAA EQ Preamp - Part 2

For all our readers who started following the X-Altra Moving Coil/Moving Magnet RIAA EQ Preamplifier DIY project publish in the February 2021 edition of audioXpress, we have the final pieces. In this second article, Andrew C. Russell details the Moving Magnet EQ stage, system gain amplifier and filters, along with the system’s power supply unit. The article concludes with some measurements.
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You Can DIY! X-Altra MC-MM RIAA EQ Preamp - Part 1
by Andrew C. Russell

You Can DIY! X-Altra MC-MM RIAA EQ Preamp - Part 1

In this DIY project, Andrew C. Russell proposes the X-Altra, a highly refined Moving Coil/Moving Magnet RIAA EQ Preamplifier. This high-performance phono equalizer features an ultra-low noise LSK389B JFET from Linear Systems in the MM front end with switchable gain and resistive loading. This article was originally published in audioXpress, February 2021.
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You Can DIY! Passive Preamp: Transformer Implemented
by Jack Elliano

You Can DIY! Passive Preamp: Transformer Implemented

In this article, Jack Elliano the founder and principal designer behind Electra-Print Audio, details a simple but very interesting concept of a line amplifier using step-up transformers plus a variable gain control, offering usable results from low impedance sources. The preamplifier project uses Electra-Print handcrafted transformers, which the company manufactures for its own high-fidelity tube audio components, directly from its home base in Las Vegas, NV. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2005.
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You Can DIY! Clever Engineering
by Ethan Winer

You Can DIY! Clever Engineering

One of the problems when designing large audio devices, (e.g., mixing consoles) is the enormous amount of wiring that’s needed. In this article for audioXpress, Ethan Winer writes about the practical ways on how to deal with wiring techniques in order to reduce the amount needed for any given project by using rotary encoders, serial communications, and other clever solutions. This article was originally published in audioXpress, March 2021
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You Can DIY!: Revisiting The Remaking of a Champ
by Mark Driedger

You Can DIY!: Revisiting The Remaking of a Champ

In this article, Mark Driedger revisits “The Remaking of a Champ,” inspired by Kirk Elliott’s original article for Glass Audio (1992). The Fender Champ is considered “the” classic tube practice amplifier and it has been remade a few times over. Driedger created his own version, including a provision to easily try different output tubes. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2016.
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You Can DIY! Vanderveen Trans-SE10 Secrets
by Menno van der Veen

You Can DIY! Vanderveen Trans-SE10 Secrets

In this article, Menno van der Veen explains everything about the Vanderveen Trans-SE10 amplifier, which is available as a DIY kit manufactured by Tentlabs. This letter-sized stereo amplifier is a single-ended design with an output power of 10W per channel, but there's a lot "under the hood" (and the glass) to understand. The article explains the “why and how” of the unusual Vanderveen Trans-SE10 design. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2021.
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Speaker Builder: The Pyramids By Rudiger Geppinger
by Rudiger Geppinger

Speaker Builder: The Pyramids By Rudiger Geppinger

In this classic speaker from Speaker Builder, the author proposes a complete project of a speaker design with a pyramid-shaped cabinet. The fact that its nonparallel walls minimize standing-wave effects, and the slanted front improves the time adjustment of the dri­vers, added by the fact that the front is wide enough at the base to accommodate a larger woofer, and narrow at the top, where the tweeter is located, were the fundamental considerations. This article was originally published in Speaker Builder magazine, March 1998.
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You Can DIY!: High-End Class-D Audio Board for the Arduino MKR Family
by Jens Tybo Jensen

You Can DIY!: High-End Class-D Audio Board for the Arduino MKR Family

Arduino boards are extremely popular among DIY enthusiasts and a number of add-ons or “shields” exist, particularly for audio players. Now, the Arduino MKR family has expanded the possibilities even more. This article details an Infineon amplifier board featuring integrated MERUS MA12070P proprietary multi-level Class-D ICs, which create an exciting platform for advanced wireless audio projects — including full-fledged Alexa-powered DIY smart speakers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2020.
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Practical Test & Measurement: Loudspeaker Measurements at Home - A Guide for Building Your Own Test Chamber
by Geoff Hill

Practical Test & Measurement: Loudspeaker Measurements at Home - A Guide for Building Your Own Test Chamber

Our friend Geoff Hill, the inventor of the original tetrahedral test chamber (TTC), explores how to do loudspeaker measurements at home. For those of us without an anechoic chamber at home, Hill explains how to build our own test chamber. With the build description, he also provides a valuable guide on alternative loudspeaker measurement techniques. This article was originally published in audioXpress, September 2020.
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