Q17
the audio power amplifier
an incomparable precision
There are numerous amplifiers of equally varied
audiophile quality. Some wrap the music in cotton wool, others have a
tempestuous effect, some are powerful and yet other amplifiers play neutrally.
My goal, a maximum of naturalness in the reproduction is also the first priority
for the amplifier.
The amplifier presented here is a DIY project from the
diyaudio forum, which Tiberiu Vicol
developed based on many variants of a Quad 405 amplifier. I have developed this
amplifier in many steps. A technical challenge is an outstanding detail
resolution that comes along with an electrical oscillation risk. This is reduced
in my variant of the circuit and the fine resolution could therefore be further
increased.
The essential feature of the amplifier is the unrestricted precision in the acoustic processing. Here, the amplifier sets standards across the entire audible frequency spectrum. This precision leads to a far above-average acoustic stage imaging in stereo use, even in rooms with unfavourable acoustics. This is based on the fact that in the absence of the usual feedback - which is missing in this amplifier concept - temporal details of the music are processed quite ideally, so that the listener is given the opportunity to hear the spatial information of the recording in its entirety - of course, this also depends on the music source and the imaging capacity, the dispersion characteristics and the group delay of the speakers.
The second essential feature of the amplifier is the unusually high control it demonstrates over the connected speakers. This is impressive in that the speakers clearly gain precision in their reproduction and also play outstandingly musically in bass runs - especially in percussion. One is tempted to say that the amplifier leads the speakers to their acoustic potential.
For the DIY hobbyists, I publish my PCB layouts and parts lists here:
Q17 PCB Front
Q17 PCB Backside
Q17 Gerber Files Version 12
Q17 Parts list
Rectifier PCB
Front
Rectifier PCB Backside
Rectifier Gerber Files
Softstart PCB
Front
Softstart PCB Backside
Softstart Gerber Files
Loudspeaker
protection circuit PCB Front
Loudspeaker protection circuit PCB
Backside
Loudspeaker protection circuit Gerber
Files
