Thread: ampCamp amp -- a surprisingly beguiling amp

good to see the recent AS interest in DIY !!

i have just built an ampCamp amp v1.8 and thought i would chime in and share my experience here for anyone that might be interested. below is a sequence of pictures that document the build process. they are pretty much self-explanatory.

i will point out here that building the amp was extraordinarily fun and satisfying. anyone with basic tinkering skills who can diligently work through the detailed instructions can easily accomplish this. the kit chassis, PCBs and electrical components are high quality (although, next time i would upgrade the speaker binding posts and RCA inputs to something a bit more substantial).

in terms of sound quality… all i can say is that i am just floored by how good this $327 DIY kit sounds. it would be hard to overstate how much the amp exceeded my admittedly low expectations … it is a tribute to its designer. the ampCamp amp is equally as enjoyable to listen to as my SET tube amp; different but just as engaging.

for audiophiles on a budget, i would have absolutely no problem recommending this amp as at least a starting point, thereby, freeing up funds for higher level speakers.

here are just a few takeaways, what i learned, or had reinforced from this project:

> nelson pass is a genius ...and, the audio ecosystem he has built and mentored is visionary and without equal.

> simple designs well executed win -- every time.

> i now fully understand why joe has so many amps !!

> after ~9 years of listening to the same amp, it was really nice to hook this amp into my system and hear an equally good but very different sound. having a few amps and rotating them periodically can certainly add to the enjoyment of one’s system.

> all your amps — or even your only amp doesn’t have to cost as much as your lamborghini. one can get terrific sound for a relatively small investment. i would love to do blind A/B listening test of the ACA with much more expensive amps.

> i have under-appreciated solid state amplification

anyway, i hope this inspires others on to DIY projects of their own. for me, the next project is probably to build a first watt f-6 clone, a somewhat more ambitious build in that it involves an on-board power supply.

Awesome job and photos. Thank you for posting this. I’m sure the sounds amazing. One day I’d like to give it a try. I need some soldering practice first.

Originally Posted by joeinid

...One day I’d like to give it a try. I need some soldering practice first.

i have done a small bit of soldering in the past, but have never soldered components to PCBs. i was a little worried that my skills were not up to the task but i just watched the video recommended for beginners and then soldered away. very easy and as you can see in the pics, i was able to get surprisingly good joints, connections, etc. ...maybe, that's why it sounds so darn good!

Originally Posted by carlthess40

Do you have a link to where you bought all the parts ?

i bought the diyAudio store kit. everything you need; however, you can also buy just the PCBs + chassis and then source your own parts from the bill-of-materials.

also, if you don't have a soldering iron, i highly recommend the haiko soldering iron

Way to go @aKnight! You will have a closet full of amps in no time. The ACA was my entry to the FirstWatt class A DIY audio. The early on ACA kits were monoblocks. Mine run some efficient desktop speaker in my office at work, although I use headphones most of the time when there.

I use the M2x, in my system, with a stable of sets of input daughter cards, with 2 more daughter cards in construction.

just an update for anyone following along...

after listening to the ACA in my system for a ~10 days, i swapped my SET tube amp back in for a listen... the almarro is so much more textured, rich, 3-d, detailed and a whole lot of other audiophile words. however, this in no way diminishes my enthusiasm for the ACA in terms of how enjoyable and engaging it is. there is something about its "leanness, sparseness, directness" that emphasizes other aspects of recordings that i find refreshing...

one man's different is another man's better, right?

There’s just something about tubes and especially a well done tube amp that brings magic to music. There are a lot of great solid state amps and some come really close or can be better in certain areas, but tubes rule.

Thanks for the update, I also have the Almarro, which I swapped out during the summer with a red wine audio amp to reduce the heat. I love the red wine amps, but putting the Almarro back in service this fall was a very nice upgrade! Tubes definitely have something special going on, as Joe said.

Originally Posted by joeinid

There’s just something about tubes and especially a well done tube amp that brings magic to music. There are a lot of great solid state amps and some come really close or can be better in certain areas, but tubes rule.

not to get off track here but... tubes are to solid state as ice cream is to sorbet


seriously though, i can see why some like a tube pre-amp with a SS power amp. the few examples i have heard were quite nice, especially the vinni rossi seperates

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

AKnyght,
Nice build! You may remember I did my ACA build last summer (July time-frame).

As nice as the stereo ACA is, it really sings when used as monoblocks. I used mine as bridged monos, and the improvement when using it in this configuration is really notable.

Your build pics look just like mine! LOL...

i think you wiring is a bit more tidy than mine!

i well remember your build thread... it was what inspired me to do this one -- so, thanks!!

after i have some more fun with this one, i am going to give it to a younger family audiophile who along with a pair of speakers. then at some point, i think i will build one of the first watt clones - probably the f6 - which looks to be decently more challenging.

Originally Posted by aKnyght

just an update for anyone following along...

after listening to the ACA in my system for a ~10 days, i swapped my SET tube amp back in for a listen... the almarro is so much more textured, rich, 3-d, detailed and a whole lot of other audiophile words. however, this in no way diminishes my enthusiasm for the ACA in terms of how enjoyable and engaging it is. there is something about its "leanness, sparseness, directness" that emphasizes other aspects of recordings that i find refreshing...

one man's different is another man's better, right?

I may be able to work with wood but, I admire people that can do electrical audio projects. Nice job.