DIY ROOM at the 2024 StereoNET HiFI & AV Show - Tinkerers Apply Within

[StereoNET]

I have a (small) room I was holding back for a specific purpose and that looks like it may not eventuate.

I was thinking about donating a room to a DIY team - that is, non-commercial, building stuff in Hi-Fi for the love and fun of it.

It would need to be a combination of products from a few people I suspect - speakers, amps, electronics.

 

I'm going to leave it to you to explore, team up, and present your idea collectively to me.
Note it would need to be fully sealed, electrically safe, and will need to be tested and tagged for operation (which can be done during bump in day at the show).

 

The cost is ZERO for the room itself. We just want something interesting that can show what can be done by the DIY audio community.

It would be expected some effort would be made by the parties to dress the room up a little and present it as best as possible (lights, pot plants(?), acoustic panels etc).

 

Feel free to PM me with your interest. I am happy to link up other DIY parties with one another if you don't have the supporting components available to you directly.

[Guest]

@mwhouston

[Guest]

@andyr better polish up that turntable?

[andyr]

28 minutes ago, Marc said:

I have a (small) room I was holding back for a specific purpose and that looks like it may not eventuate.

I was thinking about donating a room to a DIY team - that is, non-commercial, building stuff in Hi-Fi for the love and fun of it.

It would need to be a combination of products from a few people I suspect - speakers, amps, electronics.

 

I'm going to leave it to you to explore, team up, and present your idea collectively to me.
Note it would need to be fully sealed, electrically safe, and will need to be tested and tagged for operation (which can be done during bump in day at the show).

 

The cost is ZERO for the room itself. We just want something interesting that can show what can be done by the DIY audio community.

It would be expected some effort would be made by the parties to dress the room up a little and present it as best as possible (lights, pot plants(?), acoustic panels etc).

 

Feel free to PM me with your interest. I am happy to link up other DIY parties with one another if you don't have the supporting components available to you directly.

 

Great idea, Marc - I will have to think on it.  

 

If I brought along my TT ... I am wondering what exactly would need to be "tested and tagged for operation"?

 

The TT has a motor speed controller which produces 27v AC for each motor; the motor speed controller is driven by a 48v Meanwell SMPS.  Sure, this uses a kettle-cord ... maybe it's only this that would need to be tagged?

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, andyr said:

Sure, this uses a kettle-cord ... maybe it's only this that would need to be tagged?

 

That's the only thing that would need to be tested and tagged, yes.

[Keith_W]

Would you be interested in a DSP demo room? I would need a speaker (preferably one that has an external crossover that can be separated), a pair of subs, and amps. I can show the difference between DSP on/off and various DSP settings. 

[Guest]

Not at this stage but thanks for the kind offer Keith. There have been plenty of DSP demonstrations over the years, or at least, use of, and this year is also no exception in that regard.

 

I thought it might be good to give some DIYers a go to show off their stuff. No takers yet though.

[lozzabeau]

There were discussions at our last Committee Meeting about what to display on our stand at the show. A DIY flavour was suggested as there was much DIY interest from visitors to our booth last year and from new members who joined Melbourne Audio Club (MAC) as a result of talking with us at the show. 

 

At our last General Meeting had a successful demonstration of 2 DIY speakers from a club member , one that is now in production, albeit on a limited scale. Our upcoming General Meeting features another members speaker project. We also dedicate our December General Meetings to member's DIY projects, both as static displays and playing music as part of the main presentation.

 

Hopefully with member support we can continue this theme for our stand at the show and also contribute to the DIY room that Marc is promoting.

 

Laurie Nicholson

President MAC.

 

 

[crtexcnndrm99]

Just curious if the Elsinore speakers feature at the show, in the past? While I can’t make it down there, it would be great to hear those. 

[Guest]

Never heard of them sorry. So, no as far I am aware!

[rantan]

7 minutes ago, Marc said:

Never heard of them sorry.

 

The company is Custom Analogue Audio.

Joe Rasmussen is the owner and he does gear like DIY speakers, tube amp mods, Oppo and Yamaha disc player mods and even a phono cart under the name of JLTI ( just listen to it ).

From a few people I have contacted it seems the mods and the gear is/are very good and I think Joe may have posted on this site occasionally in the distant past

 

http://customanalogue.com/index.html

[Guest]

OK so it's a commercial "kit" one can buy. Not sure that is really what we were looking for though.

[AudioGeek]

@frednork

[frednork]

18 minutes ago, AudioGeek said:

@frednork

I got nothin

[evil c]

2 hours ago, frednork said:

I got nothin

How about a Crystal set with a Dunny roll coil ?

Seriously,  I immediately thought of the DIY brigade at the Melbourne audio club, but looks like Laurie and Co. are onto it!

[David A]

3 hours ago, evil c said:

How about a Crystal set with a Dunny roll coil ?

Seriously,  I immediately thought of the DIY brigade at the Melbourne audio club, but looks like Laurie and Co. are onto it!

Funny you mentioned the MAC. When I read this thread, they were the first guys I thought of. But since i'm not a member, I thought i'd let another member maybe mention them.

[mwhouston]

I think until some capable member puts up their hand for organiser/coordinator rambling comments will get us no where. 
 

Then we need genuine contributors who can go all the way with pro looking finished gear and see the project through. This chance may never arrive again.
 

So who is putting up their hand for coordinator? 

[Guest]

I am sort of offering to do that. I did say:

 

Quote

I am happy to link up other DIY parties with one another if you don't have the supporting components available to you directly.

 

So if someone has amps, someone has speakers, someone makes a DAC, someone makes their own cables, etc ... PM me, and I will group you all together in a PM. The window is closing though as it is genuinely the last room in the entire show - and if another exhibitor comes along wanting to book and nothing looks like it's in the works with this .... obviously I'll need to book the space for them.

[mwhouston]

17 minutes ago, Marc said:

I am sort of offering to do that. I did say:

 

 

So if someone has amps, someone has speakers, someone makes a DAC, someone makes their own cables, etc ... PM me, and I will group you all together in a PM. The window is closing though as it is genuinely the last room in the entire show - and if another exhibitor comes along wanting to book and nothing looks like it's in the works with this .... obviously I'll need to book the space for them.

That's great I didn't read it that way. 

[andyr]

On 14/08/2024 at 4:00 PM, Marc said:

That's the only thing that would need to be tested and tagged, yes.

 

Thanks, Marc.

 

I have thunk it thru ... and am afraid have decided that, whilst I certainly would get a kick out of showing off my 'SkeletaLinn' - the risk of the "straight-through-to-the-phono-stage" arm wires that Mark Dohmann installed on my Univector arm breaking, during transport there and back, is too great.

 

So I won't be bringing along my TT.

 

However, I could certainly bring along, say, one of the 'Paris' head amps that I make - also a set of my solid-core interconnects.  So if, say, @mwhouston brought along one of the EAR MM tube phono stages he builds - and someone contributed a commercial TT with a LOMC fitted ... we would have a great vinyl setup; with the ability to demonstrate how different loadings change the sound of the cartridge.  

 

So then we would need a DIY power amp and some spkrs.

 

Again, Mark makes power amps ... or I could bring along either one of my 80w 'NAKSA 80' Class AB amps or (better-sounding ... but less power) one of my Hugh Dean-designed, 40w 'Alpha Nirvana' Class A amps.

 

So then we would only need some DIY spkrs.  

 

[mwhouston]

Is the thought to have one setup of a component or two from 3 or so contributors. I have AmpFest on that weekend where two interstate DIYers meet at my place bring gear for a day or two and we demo each others. So on the Saturday Im busy. But Sunday Im free and was going to the show. I could man the stand then.

 

None of these I will need for the weekend and ALL are DIY:-

 

1. 12” Beyma concentric speakers (98db efficient - 30ltrs) and stands
2. long length or speaker wire - double runs of solid core Cat5
3. tube preamp with remote and three inputs
4. EL3N tube power amp - 5w but loud on the Beymas
5. Class AB SS power amp (70W)
6. AKM 4495 DAC with USB, COAX AND OPT input.
7. Pi4 music server with Volumio. 

The Pi will work from any phone or tablet does NOT require an app. Volume and music selection controlled from phono or tablet. Music would need to be on USB or SSHD. 
 

Again how is this going to go down?