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DB-9 Headphone Amp


JKent

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OK--this forum is devoted to speakers so a headphone amp may be a bit of heresy, but here goes.....

I've written elsewhere http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?showtopic=6811&hl=%2Bdb+%2Bsystems about the wonderful, minimalist, Made-in-the-USA products form DB Systems http://www.dbsystemsaudio.com/

So I found a DB-9 on ebay and thought "why not?" It worked perfectly when I hooked it up, but it had the "old" volume pot and I knew DB was offering an upgrade to an Alps pot. I had a 100K Alps "blue velvet" pot on hand. The one DB is using is 50K so I emailed the owner, David Hadaway and asked if the 100K would be OK. He wrote right back and said it would be.

Installing the new pot was easy--just followed the same wiring as the original. Then I took a look at the 6 electrolytic caps and decided to replace them with Nichicon "audiophile grade" caps. Here's what's in there:

2) 1000uF 10v replaced with 1000uF 16v Nichicon KA
1) 100uF 16v replaced with 100uF 25v Nichicon KA
2) 47uF 25v replaced with 47uF 35v Nichicon FG
1) 330uF 25v replaced with 330uF 35v Nichicon KA

The KA line is new, high temp, "for high grade equipment". I would have used all KA but happened to have the 47uF FG ("High grade type, for audio equipment") on hand. I also happened to have a really nice aluminum knob in the parts box, so I replaced the knob too.

Swapping caps was easy, especially with the help of my new Hakko 808 http://www.hakkousa.com/detail.asp?CID=50&PID=838&Page=1 This is a GREAT tool if you do a lot of desoldering of PC boards.

Still sounds great! I think the volume is a bit lower with the 100K pot as compared to the 50K, but it gets loud enough.

Kent

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