Never ending journey.. similar as Life itself

Few of years ago, a friend once advised me (err sort like reminded me actually), that once you embark on DIY Audio, then be prepared for a never ending journey.

When I heard this, I thought "yeah, you're right", but here I am now, tweaking and tweaking, again and again, hahaha!

You see, last time I tweaked my Lucky13 Gainclone LM3886 amp with changing the feedback resistors, from metal to carbon (Allen Bradley/Morganite), tweaking the input resistors to use a combination of carbon and metal, upgrading the filter capacitor on the PCB Board to Low ESR caps (Panasonic NHGs), then bought Russian Caps K42Y, K40Y, and K75Y from eBay.. applied them as bypass for electrolytic caps and some used as signal/coupling caps

Latest tweak? Well, I ordered 1uF/630V Obbligato Supreme Caps then I installed them as signal/coupling cap. It truly improves the performance of my Lucky13... though not Night and Day but overall improved.

Was that the latest journey?

Nope!!

Apparently not! Hahaha...

Last weekend, I tweaked the PSU of my AikiDino Pre-amp (again), by adding a pair of Rifa PHE Silver Caps 1uF/250V connected in series, parallel to the 2x 2.2uF/400V Bennic Cap, plus 0.47/250V K75Y Russian cap (also connected in series)...

Confirmed mi amigo, you are 100% correct!!

It is a never ending journey, similar like the Life God has given to us!!

My Lucky 13 Gainclone

Maybe some of you wonders ..."What is Lucky13?"

It's the gainclone amp based on the famous LM3886 chip from National Semiconductor

Why it is nicknamed Lucky13?

Because my registration number was 13, when I participated in a free for all Amplifier Blind Test in May 2008, with 33 (thirty three) competing amps ranging from Tube-based, Mosfet-based, Chipamp-based and Solid state-based.

Why it is Lucky?

Because it was kinda resurrected just within less than 2x 24 before the D-Day, after I seriously damaged one of the LM3886 PCB! Haha!

Also, it won the second prize! Hahaha

Update on My AikiDino

After several weeks relying on the Solid State/Diode-based Rectification for B+ supply, which was a satisfactory experience, then with the great help from Pak Alex P of LJAudio (langsungjadi), I finally could enjoy the magical sound of Tube-based Rectification for My AikiDino!

The JAN 6x4 WA rectifier tube replaces the previous UF5407 bridged diodes.

And it truly leapfrogged my Aikido Preamp' performance to a higher level!!

What next? Hahahaha.. dunno yet... dunno yet...

I'm gonna just enjoy it sings beautifully, "working" hand-in-hand with my Monica3 Non OS DAC

(diyparadise.com), my Lucky13 LM3886 based power amp, my JBL E-30 speakers,

feed with audio signal from my good ol' NAD C521BEE cd player...

Beautiful glows.....

AikiDino Preamp

Some pictures of my first-ever experience in DIY Tube: AikiDino, a tube pre-amp inspired by the famous Mr. John Broskie's -wonderfully sounding- Aikido design! Thanks Mr. Broskie!

I used two pairs of 6N1P-EV Russian tubes, feed with approximately 170VDC as B+ supply from a solid state rectifier PSU unit

(plan to change to hybrid tube + solid state rectifier soon)

Initial setting with Bennic XPP as the output coupling caps

Quite messy layout eh? Crammed in a small space...

Lately, I changed the output coupling cap from Bennic XPP to a combination of Russian Paper-in-Oil caps K42Y-2 (green color) and Clarity Cap SA series (red color) as per picture below...

Expect sound improvement ? .... Of course!!