High Power HiFi Amps

Does anyone get into building Power Amps ??  I used to when I had more time on my hands, I actually built a Power Amp for the Rebels Motorcycle Club's Club House a while back.  It was one of the smaller ones I have built, Class A/B, 400VA Toroid, 40,000uF, 120W RMS per channel into 8 Ohms.  The biggest I have built were two Mono-Blocks(2 modules bridged in each case) for my Brother, Class A/B, 2 x 800VA Toroids(per case), 240,000uF,  600W into 8 Ohms each !!!  But unfortunately I've been out of the hobby for quite a few years now.  

Here is a pic of the Power Supply I was/am going to build a mean Sub. Amp with.  I have 4 more of those Caps. to go with it if I want to.

Truly amazing what can be done with the BIG fet's and IGBT devices anymore. Direct drive to low impedance. Why do you use 8 ohms ?? Drop to 4 ohms...

Mike

I wonder what would happen if you charged all those caps in series and then discharged it through 2 electrodes embedded in a potato...

Or a tomato... ;D

I know a defibrillator cap can practically vaporize a potato! Instant mashing!

Xeno --

An interesting method to get twice baked potatoes !! Bang and bake ;D
Add toppings after the bang stage.

Mike

Hemlock Mike said:

Truly amazing what can be done with the BIG fet's and IGBT devices anymore.  Direct drive to low impedance.  Why do you use 8 ohms ??  Drop to 4 ohms...

Mike

Click to expand...

Hi Mike, It's just my way of stating output power.  Most people can associate with 8 Ohm values as most of the domestic speakers are 8 Ohm loads.  I also have a Pereaux Power Amp, 4KVA tranny, 16 power output transistors per side that will drive a 1 Ohm load, not that I've ever had a pair of Speakers that would put it to the test.   I have however ejected dust caps and smoked a number of drivers in my day.

Oh and I have accidently dropped a screwdriver across a larger Capacitor bank than the one in the pic, lets just say I never want to do it again( by accident anyway) and the screwdriver had a huge chunk blown out of it !!!!

haha i saw that potato vid aswell ;D ;Dpretty cool! he said he only charged the cap halfway as he didn't want it to explode ;D ;D ;D

Morepower,
Nice Toroid TX too.

All my amps have FET finals, there the smoothest sounding.
Got a 35 y/o Kryrocera toriod/FET reciever/PA that still sounds great.
Got tired of transistors way back ago. I'd say there alot better now though.
More musicians prefer tube or FET PA's.

Cool. My Pereaux power amp is good for 30W pure "Class A", at least so they tell me anyway. Transistors are good when run in "Class A"(biased constantly on) but when they are switching they do create some noise/distortion. They really suck the juice in "Class A" though !!!! 2400W at idle if I remember correctly for mine !!

hmm we talking about amps, as in home stereo?? lol, all i know really is that my sub is 250W ;D ;D ;D ;D

Wow that alot of class A!
I would only run it in the winter and not have to burn fossil fuel.
I saw a FET class A with no feedback circuit and the guy was really bragging and I think it idled about 250W. Super simple, one giant FET.
All my amps are AB. Got 2 double JBL blackwidow driver (EDIT:not Peavey)Pevey cabnets 500W each.
Pain in the ass to tour with. So big.