Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => S.E.X. Kit => Topic started by: Todd R on December 19, 2011, 08:02:54 AM

Title: Questions about the SEX 2.1
Post by: Todd R on December 19, 2011, 08:02:54 AM
Got the new amp going yesterday.

Does this amp run hotter than the usual BH amp? I touched the transformer and it was much hotter than other amps I've built (or did I wire something wrong?)

This amp has too much gain.
I had a pair of 120ohm resistors left over and even though they are shown in the schematic, the instructions never tell you how to put them in.

I'm sure they belong on the headphone jack, and assume the wire from the output transformer would be connected to the terminal that feeds the speaker outputs. From there you would connect the resistor from that terminal to the terminal that feeds the headphones, but I don't know which is which on this jack.
Could someone fill me in please?
Title: Re: Questions about the SEX 2.1
Post by: Grainger49 on December 19, 2011, 08:25:11 AM
Todd,

This question comes up every so often.  Paul designs the transformers with high temperature in mind.  They do run hotter than some other power transformers, but that is part of the design.  The fuse should blow if you are drawing too much power. 

Can you keep your hand on the transformer for a few seconds?  I think that was a measure used before.
Title: Re: Questions about the SEX 2.1
Post by: Todd R on December 21, 2011, 11:47:43 PM
Can someone tell me why the drain wire isn't connected between terminals 22 & 23 like it is on the other channel between 12 & 13?
Title: Re: Questions about the SEX 2.1
Post by: Paul Joppa on December 22, 2011, 11:34:23 AM
Can someone tell me why the drain wire isn't connected between terminals 22 & 23 like it is on the other channel between 12 & 13?
Yes, the signal ground is connected to chassis ground at only one point. This eliminates the possibility of a ground loop - a closed loop of conductors. In the presence of a magnetic field such as that from the power transformer, that field would induce a current, and the current would generate a voltage across the small resistance of the conductors - and the voltage would get amplified, resulting in hum.
Title: Re: Questions about the SEX 2.1
Post by: Todd R on December 22, 2011, 11:46:04 AM
I see. That makes sense.
It just kinda threw me since all the other BH kits i've built were pretty symmetrical.
It IS very quiet, big improvement over previous headphone amps.