How good are Class D amplifiers now?

I wouldn't expect everyone to appreciate creativity and art in everyday objects so here's one less whimsical and more mainstream.

steamabove.jpg
 
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Assembly can be fun at times. Building a couple of Dynakits as a teenager gave me some foundational knowledge of how circuits work, using solder, etc.

Some sixteen years ago, I shuffled some components around for an office system and was in need of a preamp or simple gain controls. So, I built a simple and homely looking passive using mostly Radio Shack parts. Ironically, the most expensive parts were left over knobs from a faceplate change to an ARC preamp. What I (surprisingly) found was that with the high output GamuT CD-1 player I had at the time, it sounded better than going through the SP-9! After posting my results, I got a request to post the (simple) recipe. :)

I built another using better parts - a Par Metals case, DACT attenuators, Cardas connectors and JPS Labs wire styled after the Mark Levinson JC-2. Used it in the system for about ten years. No longer in use. Anyone need a nice passive?

Almost three years ago, I learned of the Raspberry PI platform as a replacement for the Squeezebox Touch. At the time, there weren't any pre-built models available so it took a bit of DIY assembly. Serves to be an inexpensive great bang-for-the-buck endpoint. I use it daily in the garage.
I'd take you up on the passive but for the Pass B-1 that has replaced mine.
 
While not as pretty, I'd take the Pass B-1 too!
Mine is a dog's breakfast DIY by someone else, but I've already been thru the "build the monument first" phase, then wish you'd used zippers instead of screws while making periodic ongoing revisions.
A work in progress.
 
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What I find to be artistry is when the builder makes all the parts himself using lathes and such where everything has a purpose.

There's a guy in the UK who custom makes all aspects of his crystal radios. They are quite spectacular looking.
Not at that level, I built my first finished effort into a gutted BC-221, didn't come out too bad.
 
What I find to be artistry is when the builder makes all the parts himself using lathes and such where everything has a purpose.

There's a guy in the UK who custom makes all aspects of his crystal radios. They are quite spectacular looking.
The "Jules Verne" set should be a DX contest worthy outstanding performer with a good DLR#5 headset in good order thru a low-loss matching transformer.
 
What I find to be artistry is when the builder makes all the parts himself using lathes and such where everything has a purpose.

There's a guy in the UK who custom makes all aspects of his crystal radios. They are quite spectacular looking.

You and I are mostly on the same page. The bikes I build I am usually making most everything. Helps to have a complete machine shop for use at work. I am also cool with repurposing, the electrical box on the GF’s XS650 bobber is an old shipboard brass junction box.
 
Seeing how our tiny house is pretty much Industrial with a little steampunk who knows what it will end up looking like when I get around to it. Probably some old ship/sub parts.
 
What I find to be artistry is when the builder makes all the parts himself using lathes and such where everything has a purpose.

There's a guy in the UK who custom makes all aspects of his crystal radios. They are quite spectacular looking.

The "Jules Verne" set should be a DX contest worthy outstanding performer with a good DLR#5 headset in good order thru a low-loss matching transformer.

On my way to make a comment on the Jules Verne model, I saw Pio1980 had already chosen it for his comment, too. Mine is simply that I found it the coolest-looking. Nice link, E-Stat.
 
Anything I do will most certainly look like it just came out of the barn to some extent. Most anything I build is mostly as found cosmetic wise, mechanicals are what gets rebuilt/restored.
 

I’ll see if I have any in my phone, otherwise won’t be until I am at the office. Keep pics on a thumb drive in my desk. Its torn down again for some changes, worst case I can take new ones.

Edit: and just to be clear, I am not making anything artistic... :rolleyes:, why pay the money for pre-fad parts (footpegs, fender struts etc) when you can make them yourself :dunno:. I made the shifter shaft on my HD from a Roll Royce Gas Turbine mechanical governor rod, my Harley has Rolls parts
 
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