Project Ember
Contents
1. Project Ember Operation Guide Normal Operation and Notes Plug in the amplifier and then the power supply in that order Make sure the tube headphone jack and input RCA s are secure Once the amplifier is turned to the ON position the front red LED closest to the volume knob and headphone jack will illuminate red for approximately 30 seconds This indicates the protection circuit is active while the tube is warming up It may take several minutes for the tube to fully warm up depending on the tube type used When the protection circuit activates and de activates a slight click may occur When the power switch is turned and the amplifier is plugged in the red LED at the back of the amplifier will illuminate Depending on the tube type chosen and the sensitivity of headphones used background noise hiss may be present Choosing a higher output impedance setting or a lower gain tube can generally eliminate any background noise with sensitive headphones This does not mean a high gain tube can not be used in our designs Selecting a higher output resistance or lower input gain setting may reduce noise with higher gain tubes We advise you experiment with several tubes to find out what you like best If load testing Project Ember it is not recommended to attach a dummy load with a value below 150 when testing at full output power for a long periods Heatsinks and the output devices at the bottom will become quite hot during test2. USER MANUAL SEPTEMBER 25 2014 WWW GARAGE1217 COM I 19 pis LMdNI i ee ae riim im e D D E 4 eee PROJECT EMBER 1 0 e 5 Cere e b 910986 46 14159 tete e 9210 une orme 9739 GU v R13 R14 eese eie r 2 5 2 _ 6 9 a lt gt e o Je1 o e e s 4 je 9999 21 21 ee e C2 D2 c eis le s e e N eile eee o Pi WARNING Although Project Ember runs at a generally safe 48VDC Injury from improper assembly is quite possible The main danger comes from installing the polarized capacitors backwards as they can only be installed in one direction much like a battery more detail on capacitor installation comes later in this manual If a capacitor is installed backwards it may burst resulting in burns or eye injury If you are not experienced in electronics or electronic kit assembly it would be wise to have an experienced electronics person review your work before powering the unit on Upon first power up wear eye protection and be wary of any burning smells or electrical noises such as loud pops or buzzes If using low impedance headphones with power ratings of 300mW or lower the
3. x CORRECT DIRECTION WILL HAVE A STRIPE DOWN THE SIDE DESIGNATING POLARITY INSTALL THIS STRIPE FACING THE RELAYS TRIMMERS AND SO FORTH x FLAT SPOT ON THE CAPACITOR OUTLINE ON THE BOARD OPAMP IS DIRECTIONAL MAKE SURE THE BLACK DOT PIN 1 IS CLOSEST 4 TO THE TUBE SOCKET WHEN INSTALLED INPUT CAPACITORS ARE NONPOLAR MEANING THEY HAVE NO STRIPE gt AND CAN BE INSTALLED IN EITHER DIRECTION CORRECT e e e e e e e PLEASE NOTE CENTER INCORRECT PIN OF DC SOCKET IS POSITIVE 48VDC Y e e P2 2 x RB 11 E IE PEELOFF THE PROTECTIVE SM 1 ADHESIVE LAYER ON THE e BOTTOM SIDE OF THE pas e i e HEATSINK S PLACE THE 27 ere HEATSINKS DIRECTLY OVER i eee e Ina THE THERMAL PADS ON THE PCB ONCE INSTALLED USE A e 1231 HAIR DRYER OR HEATGUN TO BREIFLY HEAT UP EACH HEATSINK WHICH WILL ACTIVATE THE ADHESIVE CAUTION IF USING A HEATGUN ONLY APPLY HEAT FOR A FEW SECONDS DIRECTLY ONTO EACH HEATSINK ze e De H VOLPOT GROUNDING GROUNDING THE VOLUME POTENTIOMETER IS REQUIRED AS WITHOUT IT THE AMPLIFIER MAY BE SUBJECTED TO NOISE INTERFERENCE THE IMAGES ARE OF THE PREVIOUS GENERATION SUNRISE HOWEVER THE GROUNDING PRINCIPAL IS EXACTLY THE SAME FIRST INSERT A WIRE LEAD INTO THE RIGHT SIDE VIA NEXT TO THE VOLPOT AND SOLDER IN PLACE WRAP THE WIRE LEAD AROUND THE THREADED PORTION OF THE VOLPOT AS
4. Noise ratio 92dBA dependent on tube Crosstalk 89dB dependent on tube THD gt 0 010 dependent on tube Suitable for 16 6000 Headphones 32 6000 recommended Tubes Valves that can be used in Project Ember 6V TUBES 12V TUBES 12V TUBES CONTINUED 6922 5751 E181CC 7308 5814 E183CC 8223 5814A E283CC 6AQ8 5963 E811CC 6DJ8 6189 E812CC 6201 E813CC 6H23 6681 E2157 6H23N 7025 E2163 6L12 7058 E2164 6N11 7729 ECC81 6N23 6L13 ECC82 B719 12AD7 ECC83 Cca 12AT7 ECC181 CV2492 12AV7 ECC182 CV2493 12AU7 ECC182 CV5358 12AX7 ECC801 E88CC 12DF7 ECC803 E89CC 12DM7 ECC803S E188CC 12DT7 E81CC E189CC A2900 E82CC E288CC B152 E83CC ECC85 B309 ECC88 B329 ECC89 B339 ECC188 B749 ECC189 CV0455 ECC288 CV0491 ECC289 CV0492 JAN 7308 CV4024 Thank you for purchasing the Project Ember Headphone Amplifier Kit This kit requires minimal electronics and soldering knowledge The layout is easy to follow and setup is a snap Please make sure to follow the instructions outlined in this guide and you will be enjoying your amp in no time First lets go over the tools and items required for your build which are as follows Required Assembly Tools Soldering iron 25W minimum Variable temp soldering station preferred with 1 5 2mm wide chisel tip 032 diameter 60 40 or 63 37 Tin Lead solder is recommended Lead free is difficult to work with and not recommended We specifically recommend Kes
5. SHOWN PUT ON WASHER AND NUT INCLUDED IN THE KIT ONCE TIGHT THE VOLUME KNOB MAY BE INSTALLED Amzeet Loos free tr STEP 3 POPULATE ALL LARGE SIZE COMPONENTS SUCH AS LARGE CAPACITORS TO220 DIODE AND HEADPHONE JACK COMPLETED EMBER LAYOUT AND PHOTO T js Nw Project Ember has several jumpers settings to customize the amp the way you would like it Below gives you the details on what these jumper settings do ls440 vc INPUT GAIN CAN BE CHANGED VIA THE LG LOW GAIN AND HG HIGH GAIN JUMPER TABS AT THE BACK RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE AMPLIFIER DEFAULT SETTING IS LOW GAIN HIGH GAIN WILL INCREASE LEVELS BY APPROXIMATLEY 6dB PROJECT EMBER 1 0 7 4 o e 4 T e INPUT CAPACITORS CAN BE BYPASSED PER YOUR PREFERENCE MANY VIEW THIS AS A PURIST FUNCTION AS IT IS ONELESS COMPONENT IN THE SIGNAL PATH WITH INPUT CAPS BYPASSED YOU MAY HEAR A SCRATCHY SOUND WHEN ADJUSTING VOLUME THIS WILL NOT DAMAGE YOUR HEADPHONES OR YOUR AMPLIFIER TC SIGNAL GOES THROUGH CAP EXAMPLE SETTING IN RED BP C z SIGNAL DOES NOT GO THROUGH INPUT CAP BYPASSED OUTPUT RESISTANCE IS CONFIGURABLE BETWEEN 0 10 LOW 350 MID AND 1200 HIGH HIGHER OUTPUT 22222222 RESISTANCE CAN HAVE AN EFFECT BASS AND OR TREBLE __ FREQUENCIES THIS EFFECT IS DEPENDANT ON THE HEADPHONE IMPEDANCE EXAMPLE OF 350 SETTING IN RED EXPERIMENT BY CHANGING THE SETTINGS TO FI
6. 100uH X 1 Jumpers JP1 4 PIN RA X 2 2 PIN STRAIGHT X 5 Switches SW1 POWER SWITCH X 1 Potentiometers Trimmers P1 10K VOLUME POTENTIOMETER X 1 P2 50K SINGLE TURN TRIMMER X 3 Relay U1 48V RELAY X 1 U2 5V HIGH SENSITIVITY RELAY X 1 Other HEATSINK X 2 JUMPER TABS X 7 7277 Supercharger USER MANUAL JULY 3 2014 WWW GARAGE1217 COM Designed to increase available heater current from 500mA 600mA peak to well past 1A This allows a much broader qty of tubes to be rolled into your Project Ember Tubes such as the 6n6p 6n30p 12bh7 and so forth can now be used and powered properly Also initial tube warm up time is drastically decreased with tubes drawing 500mA or more 7277 Supercharger INSTALLING THE SUPERCHARGER INTO PROJECT EMBER IN X j DE SOLDER THE ORIGINAL DC DC CONVERTER LOCATED HERE IF BUILD IS PRE EXISTING SURE 25 THE VIAS HAVE BEEN CLEANED OF SOLDER c gt NL NE aa PROJECT S NM 7277 NOTICE THE SC MODULE WILL SIT ABOUT 4MM HIGHER THAN THE REAR 47uF 100V CAPACITORS PRESS DOWN FIRMLY ON THE SUPERCHARGER MODULE UNTIL THE MODULE SITS FLAT ON TOP OF THE REAR 47uF 100V CAPACITORS PLASTIC RETAINER ON 3 PIN HEADER WILL SLIDE WHEN PRESSED 7277 Supercharger INSTALLING THE SUPERCHARGER INTO PROJECT EMBER IN 9 L 2 gt ONCE IN PO
7. HEATSINK THERMAL PAD LARGE GOLD SQUARES ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE PCB WHEN INSTALLING THE HEATSINK S THE SOLDER WILL NOT BE VISIBLE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE OR REPLACE THE OPA551 s WITH ANY OTHER TYPE Puozect Cimber Resistors 1 SM 100K X2 R2 SM 470K X 1 R3 SM 10K X 1 R4 SM 220K X 1 R5 SM 330R X 2 H6 SM X 1 R7 LG 47R X2 R8 LG 120R X2 R9 LG 10K X2 R10 LG 2 2K X2 11 SM 220R X 3 R12 SM 22K X 2 R13 LG 100K X 2 R14 LG 1K X2 R15 LG 0R X 2 16 LG 1K X2 17 5 1 R18 SM 39K X 1 R19 SM 10K X 1 R20 SM 1K X 1 R21 SM 18H X 1 H22 SM39K X2 R23 SM 39K X2 R24 SM 18K X 2 R25 SM 1K8 X 2 R26 LG 20K X 2 R27 LG 220R X2 R28 LG 1K X 2 R29 SM 100K X 1 Diodes Z1 BZX79 C43 X 1 72 BZX79 C39 X 1 Z3 BZX79 C10 X 2 Z4 BZX79 C22 X 2 D1 RED LED X 1 D2 1N4148 X 2 D3 1N4148 X 2 D4 1N4148 X 2 D5 1N4148 X 2 D6 RGB LED X 1 D7 SB140 X 2 D8 TO 220 DIODE D9 RED LED X 1 Regulators IC1 OPA551 X2 IC2 DC DC X1 T5921 X 1 Jacks J1 HEADPHONE JACK X 1 J2 TUBE SOCKET X 1 J3 BLACK RCA JACK X 2 J4 RED RCA JACK X 2 J5 POWER INPUT JACK X 1 Capacitors C1 47uF 63V X 1 C2 47pF X2 2200uF 63V X 2 C4 1uF X2 C5 470UF 10V X2 C6 10uF 63V X2 C7 10uF 63V X 3 C8 100uF 16V X2 C9 4 7uF 63V X 1 C10 47uF 100V x 4 C11 100nF X 4 C12 100nF X 2 Transistors Q1 BC546 X 3 Q2 BC556 X 3 Inductor L1
8. ND WHAT YOUR PREFERENCE IS __7X 2C _ lt ee free fr LED Light Color RGB LED COLOR BRIGHTNESS ADJUSTMENT TRIMMERS SS p NEP Ip LOW Another feature of Project Ember is an adjustable RGB RED GREEN BLUE LED under the tube RGB LED s can produce almost any color desirable We understand this is not an audiophile feature or a feature that has anything to do with the sound of the amplifier Each of us has a favorite color that is enjoyable to look at Using the three trimmers located above you can dial in any color you desire and also the brightness of that color Often manufacturers tie you into their specific color scheme on their products We feel it is important for you to choose the color you desire which can set an enjoyable mood when listening to your music Adjust the brightness and color by turning each of the trimmers with a small jewelers screwdriver Or simply disable the RGB LED jumper enjoy the glow of the tube Phrogeet stern OPA551 OUTPUTS L 0 0 L 0 L 0 LI HR XC 59 6 THE OUTPUT STAGES OF THE AMPLIFIER OPA551 DDPAK7 IC S ARE LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE AMPLIFIER THEY COME PRE INSTALLED REFLOW SOLDERED TO THE PCB PRIOR TO SHIPPING ALL FLUX FROM THE REFLOW PROCESS WILL BE CLEANED AND REMOVED FROM THE PCB IT IS NORMAL FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF SOLDER TO BLEED THROUGH THE THERMAL VIAS AND BE VISIBLE ON THE
9. OTECTION CIRCUIT WILL ACTIVATE AND THE LED WILL LIGHT __7X 2C _ ber STEP 1 POPULATE ALL SMALL COMPONENTS ON THE BOARD SUCH AS RESISTORS RIGHT ANGLE JUMPERS DIODES AND SMALL CAPACITORS THROUGHOUT YOUR BUILD ALWAYS INSTALL THE SMALLER PARTS FIRST WORKING YOUR WAY UP TO THE LARGER COMPONENTS FLAT SPOT OR THE SHORT LEAD ON RED LED INDICATES NEGATIVE SIDE OF LED MUST FACE EXACTLY AS SHOWN LNO ANI1 ImS INMdNI EC 197 leseeco le e GITE 0000 0 e x ox _ PAY CLOSE ATTENTION 22 TO THE GRAY BAND EACH DIODE AS THEY ARE DIRECTIONAL ro PROJECT PMBER R1 0 NOTCH ON THE RGB LED ORIENTATION MARKING MUST FACE THE WHITE MARKING ON THE PCB AS SHOWN maca LED MUST BE INSTALLED BEFORE SOLDERING THE TUBE SOCKET IN PLACE E 4 o es gt gt 8 ID 9 e 55 PAY CLOSE ATTENTION THE BLACK BAND ON ALL DIODES OR ZENERS AS THEY ARE DIRECTIONAL RESISTORS AND INDUCTORS ARE NONPOLAR AND CAN BE FITTED IN EITHER DIRECTION WHEN INSTALLING COMPONENTS MAKE SURE THE COMPONENT VALUES ALWAYS FACE UP SO THEY ARE VISIBLE CAN AID IN TROUBLESHOOTING IF A COMPONENT IS PLACED IMPROPERLY DIODES TRANSISTORS IC S AND ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS ARE POLAR AND PROPER ORIENTATION IS REQUIRED _Phaject ber STEP 2 POPULATE ALL MID SIZE COMPONENTS SUCH AS RCA S POLARIZED CAPACITORS MUST BE INSTALLED IN THE POWER COMPONENTS SMALL CAPACITORS TUBE SOCKET
10. SITIONE SOLDER THE 3 A PIN HEADER INTO PLACE AND CUT 2 LEADS ACCORDINGLY u a y See 0566 A A 9 q ung PHOTO OF THE MODULE INSTALLED 6 4 er 289 be gt ka 2
11. hen the RGB LED LED under the tube flickers upon startup the temporarily current demand is higher than the regulator can handle An example of tubes with very high startup current demands would be an E80CC or 12BH7 s If this flickering stops within a few seconds and the tube lights up normally then you should be O K If this flickering takes longer than 10 seconds this particular tube should not be used Hot swapping tubes is not recommended swapping tubes while the amplifier is on Even though it does not cause technical errors or malfunctions it could damage headphones rated for 1W or less POWER SWITCH RCA LINE OUT POWER RCA LINE IN JACK 34350 B cr 14 PTT POWER LED eeeeeeedee mE o o ss IC 1 LI Z B R R1 Q _ ADJUSTABLE INPUT GAIN JUMPERS ro PROJECT CL 9 c CMO c o SMO c no Se CHNO cum lt EM gt w Su _ 7 LED ON OFF LED COLOR CHANGING TRIMMERS INPUT CAPACITOR BYPASS OUTPUT RESISTANCE JUMPERS EL es 49 cle Q eC 29 PROTECTION CIRCUIT LED VOLUME 6 3MM WHEN THE AMPLIFIER IS TURNED ON POTENTIOMETER HEADPHONE JACK THIS LED WILL LIGHT FOR APPROXIMATLEY 30 SECONDS INDICATING THE PROTECTION CIRCUIT IS ACTIVE WHILE THE TUBE WARMS UP IF THERMAL LIMIT IS EVER REACHED THE PR
12. ing The amplifier will go into thermal protection when chip temperatures of 1500C are reached indicated by the red protection LED at the front of the amplifier Under normal conditions playing music even when driving low impedance loads the output devices will get slightly warm at best Some channel imbalance below 9 o clock on the volume potentiometer is normal We recommend you adjust your source output levels and use Project Ember with a volume setting of 9 o clock or greater If input capacitors are bypassed you will hear a scratching sound when adjusting the volume potentiometer Some faint scratch when turning the volpot is normal This does not indicate a bad volpot just a micro amount of DC that is present with certain tubes This type of scratch is generally only heard with no music playing rotating the volpot Cell phones or radio frequency devices in close proximity to Project Ember may create noise that is audible when listening to music generally clicks or digital noises Clean your Project Ember with a microfiber cloth and plastic cleaner dusting with a microfiber cloth is generally all that is required Compressed air is also great option for dust Dual triode tubes with high heater current demands above 500mA are not recommended for this design UNLESS EQUIPPED WITH A SUPERCHARGER MODULE They may work without issues but the risk of the DC regulator IC2 failing after a certain period is possible W
13. ired The solder may not flow into pad until it reaches the lead from the the via hole and cause a poor connection component or failure later in the amplifiers life Solder should fill the via and flow through the board slightly It is ok to add solder to the top side of the board however it is not required VIA HOLES OF PCB TOP OF PCB PCB CUTAWAY _Phaject ber Bottom Chassis Prep Final Chassis Assembly gt IN gt ASSEMBLE EACH OF THE 4 RUBBER FEET AS ONCE THE PCB HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED SHOWN ATTACHING EACH FOOT TO THE GRAY SET IT ONTO THE FOUR THREADS SMOKED ACRYLIC BOTTOM CHASSIS STICKING OUT OF THE BOTTOM GRAY ACRYLIC CHASSIS THAT YOU CLEARACRYLICTOP PREVIOUSLY ASSEMBLED CLEAR ACRYLIC TOP 9 THREAD ON EACH OF THE FOUR HEX THREADED SPACER B STANDOFFS ONTO THE THREADS THAT ARE NOW PROTRUDING THROUGH THE SECURING TO THE GRAY gt gt ACRYLIC CHASSIS BOTTOM PROCEED TO POWER ON THE UNIT AS DESCRIBED RUBBER FOOT ON PAGE 2 WEARING EYE PROTECTION AND AT A SAFE DISTANCE IN CASE OF A MISTAKE IN ASSEMBLY PCB NYLON WASHER ONCE THE AMPLIFIERS FUNCTIONALITY HAS BEEN TESTED AND THE UNIT HAS THREADED SPACER HAD A CHANCE TO FULLY WARM UP FOR 4 40 BUTTON CAP SCREW 30 MINUTES SET THE BIAS AS GRAY ACRYLIC BOTTOM DESCRIBED LATER IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE PLACING THE TOP CLEAR ACRYLIC COVER IN PLACE _Phaaject Aber
14. other build up on the metal that has accumulated over time Once cleaned it is a good idea the further clean the wire leads with 90 isopropyl alcohol Make sure all alcohol has evaporated prior to soldering as alcohol is VERY FLAMMABLE Do not use to much or to little solder on each joint See images below to get an idea of what you should be looking for The idea is to heat the pad and the component wire lead quickly and efficiently so that solder flows to each equally Wetting the tip of your iron with a very small amount of solder will aid in quickly heating up the pad and wire lead Having to heat a component for long periods of time especially capacitors or LED s is NOT a good thing When soldering capacitors or LED s heat them only long enough to ensure a quality joint and let the unit cool down before soldering the second lead The solder joint should look bright and metallic A dull or dark gray looking joint is referred to as a cold solder joint Cold solder joints may not pose a problem initially but can show up later in the amps life After every solder joint make sure to clean the flux off your soldering iron tip with a wet sponge that should be provided with your soldering iron kit CUTAWAY OF A VIA AND SOLDER PAD PROPER SOLDER JOINT IMPROPER SOLDER JOINT PRIOR TO SOLDERING Solder is bright and shiny It is curved A large blob of solder often dull in color is smoothly starting at the edge of the solder not des
15. re is a chance you could blow out the drivers if left playing at high levels unattended At high power levels an SPL of over 120dB may be reached in efficient headphones which is harmful to your hearing Project Ember is a very high powered headphone amplifier use caution and common sense High output headphone amplifiers like Ember are designed to power very demanding headphones or provide all the headroom you could want with more efficient designs not to see if you can get your jawbone to rattle GARAGE1217 COM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR INJURY PROPERTY LOSS OR DAMAGE AS THE RESULT OF ASSEMBLY OR USE OF THIS DO IT YOURSELF KIT EMBER IS CONSIDERED A HOBBY LEVEL PRODUCT IT CONTAINS NO ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATIONS AND IS NOT ADVERTISED AS SUCH USE AT YOUR OWN RISK Specifications Solid state output stage Non overall feedback triode voltage gain stage Power consumption 5W continuous 15W peak Power supply 48VDC 0 10A cont 0 32A peak Input Resistance 20 or 40 depending on gain setting Input Sensitivity 6N23 0 8V or 1 6V dependent on gain setting and used tube Gain 14 20dB selectable and dependent on tube Max Output voltage 15 7Vrms at 3000 OUTPUT OUTPUT RESISTANCE Output Resistance Selectable 0 10 350 or 1200 POWER 8 i i OR Frequency Response 3Hz 65 KHz 0 5dB with 320 load nu om 2R Frequency Response 1 5Hz 190 KHz 3dB with 320 load Signal to
16. ter 331 water soluble flux solder available on our website for purchase under Parts Buy Magnifying glass recommended but not required Rubber Gloves recommended but not required 3M Green or Red Scotch Brite recommended but not required 3 32 Allen Key Flush cuts 90 Isopropyl alcohol recommended but not required Paper Towels recommended but not required Digital Multi Meter DMM or DVOM Heatgun or Hairdryer for securing heatsinks Before You Start Soldering Prep work needs to be done Wash your hands thoroughly and dry Put on the recommended rubber gloves and scrub down the PCB circuit board on both the front and back side with 90 isopropyl alcohol to clean any residuals off of the board from manufacturing Once the board has been cleaned set it on a dry paper towel out of the way Try to use the rubber gloves during the entire assembly process to keep oils off of the board and solder joints Proper soldering is key to a quality final product If you are new to soldering here are some basic guidelines to follow It would be wise to buy a copper project board and a few cheap resistors or other components to practice with before starting this project Soldering and Solder Joints For best results and maximum conductivity of any component Wipe each wire lead down using Scotch Bright Only one or two passes are required making sure all of the surface has been cleaned This removes oxidation or any
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