[Big Red Machine]

I still have some noise, seems to be picking up the computer and makes a whine independent of the volume setting.  Otherwise it sounds pretty good.

This is my content:

LDR3x.V2 Passive Preamp Controller
DM1 Display Module
board-type: single-display-master,
ldr3x-firmware-update: none,
DM1 Colors: Blue
IO3 Relay Board
PS12.5 Power Supply
ps12-options: 12v-400ma-single-channel
Apple Remote
Encoder Module
Cardas RCA Jacks


I added the Chinese case, a HiFi Tuning fuse, solid silver wire in teflon, silver plated output RCA's, a small token copper shield.

I have the remote receiver poking out the top slightly.  The unit is not perfect.  Some small knicks and bruises here and there.  The right knob is the encoder and the left knob is a fake.

[Randy]

I still have some noise, seems to be picking up the computer and makes a whine independent of the volume setting.  Otherwise it sounds pretty good.

This is my content:

LDR3x.V2 Passive Preamp Controller
DM1 Display Module
board-type: single-display-master,
ldr3x-firmware-update: none,
DM1 Colors: Blue
IO3 Relay Board
PS12.5 Power Supply
ps12-options: 12v-400ma-single-channel
Apple Remote
Encoder Module
Cardas RCA Jacks


I added the Chinese case, a HiFi Tuning fuse, solid silver wire in teflon, silver plated output RCA's, a small token copper shield.

I have the remote receiver poking out the top slightly.  The unit is not perfect.  Some small knicks and bruises here and there.  The right knob is the encoder and the left knob is a fake.

Looks great to me. I have a question. Why have you made your own preamp when you can buy a beautifully finished unit that works perfectly from Morten?

1. To save some money?
   or
2. Because it's fun doing it.

I have often wondered what motivates the many D.I.Y. guys here and everywhere else. I mean, why bother when you can just buy one and save all the trouble?

[Big Red Machine]

2.

[tortugaranger]

Looks great to me. I have a question. Why have you made your own preamp when you can buy a beautifully finished unit that works perfectly from Morten?

1. To save some money?
   or
2. Because it's fun doing it.

I have often wondered what motivates the many D.I.Y. guys here and everywhere else. I mean, why bother when you can just but one and save all the trouble?

If you're afflicted with that particular itch, there's usually only one way to scratch it.   

[robertopisa]

In my case, suitable grounding made a significant improvement. If I may suggest, it is better to use plastic spacers to fix the LDR board to the metallic enclosure to avoid ground loops. Also, the copper shield must go through the entire enclosure to separate the PSU from the rest. Even better is to have the PSU in a separate enclosure. I also had an itch

I still have some noise, seems to be picking up the computer and makes a whine independent of the volume setting.  Otherwise it sounds pretty good.

[J Payton]

Can you tell us from whom you purchased the chassis?

Great build.

JP

[Big Red Machine]

In my case, suitable grounding made a significant improvement. If I may suggest, it is better to use plastic spacers to fix the LDR board to the metallic enclosure to avoid ground loops. Also, the copper shield must go through the entire enclosure to separate the PSU from the rest. Even better is to have the PSU in a separate enclosure. I also had an itch

Well the corner pads are not a ground plane and are not connected according to my meter, but I went ahead and installed nylon washers and screws to isolate them.  Unfortunately the unit will not power up so I cannot check the grounding.  Have 12 volts to the main board but after that, nada is happening.  Frustrating.

[Big Red Machine]

Can you tell us from whom you purchased the chassis?

Great build.

JP

I cut the display hole in this unit and I used the top as the bottom and the bottom a the top so I could have a flat mounting area and a place to poke the IR through the top.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3607T-Full-Aluminum-Enclosure-mini-AMP-case-power-amplifier-box-chassis-/291285037157?pt=US_Amplifier_Parts_Components&hash=item43d1f0f065

[poseidonsvoice]

Looks great to me. I have a question. Why have you made your own preamp when you can buy a beautifully finished unit that works perfectly from Morten?

1. To save some money?
   or
2. Because it's fun doing it.

I have often wondered what motivates the many D.I.Y. guys here and everywhere else. I mean, why bother when you can just buy one and save all the trouble?

If you're afflicted with that particular itch, there's usually only one way to scratch it.   

There are also other reasons. For some of us, our builds are very custom and it can be cheaper to do it yourself. Companies like Tortuga, etc...are small and therefore their upcharge is very small as well. Compare that with Krell, and you definitely will save money. Another reason, is that for some manufacturers their level of "quality" work has much to be desired. Everything they build looks like a rats nest and sounds like one as well. You can't throw money at that problem to fix it. It has to be done right from the get go. You should pm me for a pic of my phonostage and you'll see what I mean. I know Morten has seen it. A commercial enterprise like MBL, Krell, etc.. would easily charge $10K for it. And they still may not build it to *my* satisfaction.

Nice work BRM.

Best,
Anand.

[robertopisa]

Weird... is it really due to the nylon washers and screws? Is it possible that the 0V is not arriving for some reason to the board, and so the corner pads are taken as reference 0V?
-R

Well the corner pads are not a ground plane and are not connected according to my meter, but I went ahead and installed nylon washers and screws to isolate them.  Unfortunately the unit will not power up so I cannot check the grounding.  Have 12 volts to the main board but after that, nada is happening.  Frustrating.

[tortugaranger]

After talking to Pete about this on the phone I asked him to send his V2 and DM1 boards back so I could check them out. Current working theory is the display board may have been shorted out due to mounting with metal washers that may have bridged between chassis and parts of the display circuit but like I say, that's just a working theory. The V2/DM1 work very reliably together but shorting either can lead to problems. I will take me 5 minutes to diagnose and will report results. To date I've not had a single display module go bad but there's always a first time.

[tortugaranger]

After talking to Pete about this on the phone I asked him to send his V2 and DM1 boards back so I could check them out. Current working theory is the display board may have been shorted out due to mounting with metal washers that may have bridged between chassis and parts of the display circuit but like I say, that's just a working theory. The V2/DM1 work very reliably together but shorting either can lead to problems. I will take me 5 minutes to diagnose and will report results. To date I've not had a single display module go bad but there's always a first time.

To follow up on this thread, when I received the V2 and DM1 boards I hooked them up and applied power. Whad'ya know - nothing happened - just like Pete described. After some inspection I discovered the problem.  The JP1 Slave jumper was indeed jumpered. This tells the V2 board that it's a slave board and so it waits for input from a master V2 board and in this instance there isn't one. Thus nothing happens. Pulled the jumper and suddenly everything works normally.