by erichayes » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:44 pm
Hi All,
As one who designs and builds amplifiers for more than the pleasure of doing so, I hold the boutique components, for the most part, in fairly low regard. Not, mind you, because the parts are low quality (although some of them are), but because the manufacturers and dealers have jacked the prices of average quality parts so high that the buyer's brain is convinced they have to sound better.
My suggestion to you would be to build the amplifier using the parts put forth in the BOM Shannon's worked up. Then listen, listen, and listen some more until you're familiar with all of the amp's sonic idiosyncracies . . . good and bad. Then think about trying different resistors and caps.
A suggestion for any folks out there who intend to roll parts after the initial build: Shannon's boards are exemplary, but they are also double-clad. This makes replacing components a real pain in the ass, even if you use solder wick or a solder sucker. If, on first build, you leave a quarter inch of space between the board and component (which you should do in the case of resistors rated 1 watt or greater anyway), you'll then be able to clip the component lead close to the component and have a "stump" left on the board onto which the new component can be tack-soldered. This stuff isn't going into outer space, so tacking is perfectly acceptable.
Eric in the Jefferson State