Any hints on the upcoming power S4X AMP

[Thermioniclife]

What will be the output power on the upcoming S4X amp?

[Paul Birkeland]

That is going to depend a little bit on how you opt to build it

[Thermioniclife]

Are you speaking regarding building a stereo vs building 2 monoblock's

[Paul Birkeland]

No, it looks like we can make the stock kit configurable as a more traditional headphone type SEX amp with a decent amount of gain and good power supply noise rejection, or the gain can be almost completely traded away to make more of a buffer style power amp suitable for speakers and pairing really well with a Moreplay. 

[2wo]

So, I'm guessing you're using a single rather than a dual tube?

[twofires]

No, it looks like we can make the stock kit configurable as a more traditional headphone type SEX amp with a decent amount of gain and good power supply noise rejection, or the gain can be almost completely traded away to make more of a buffer style power amp suitable for speakers and pairing really well with a Moreplay.

Would you say that the build has become harder, easier, about the same, or that it depends on the configuration chosen? Is it largely the same layout, or are we talking a major revamp with a different top plate and BOM?

[Paul Birkeland]

Very different top plate, very different layout, and a substantial revamp.  I've tried to get a little more space into the layout so things aren't quite as tight.

[twofires]

Very different top plate, very different layout, and a substantial revamp.  I've tried to get a little more space into the layout so things aren't quite as tight.

This is excellent news. I'm rebuilding my SEX 3.0 at the moment, and even with the benefit of experience it's certainly tricky in places. Reflowing things without melting other things is like a game of Operation, and there's a bit of blue heatshrink on one of my choke wires dating back to my initial build that can attest to how much I struggle with Operation.  :'(

Quietly I'm hoping you've been able to ditch those dark brown 8-way Keystone tagstrips for the 4.0 - I've never met one that took solder easily in those lower eyelets. It's like Keystone leave them out in the rain for a week before they bag them up. I never have any issue with the light brown ones.

[Paul Birkeland]

Mouser was unkind enough to cease production of the normal terminal strips we have been using for decades, so we've been having new ones custom made.  While the new design does use 8 lug strips, perhaps we can get some custom ones made that aren't so hard to solder to.

[twofires]

Mouser was unkind enough to cease production of the normal terminal strips we have been using for decades, so we've been having new ones custom made.  While the new design does use 8 lug strips, perhaps we can get some custom ones made that aren't so hard to solder to.

That sounds like a pain. I dunno whether I'm the only one having issues with them, but I hit them with a 3.2mm chisel tip at 420C using Kester RMA 63/37 and brushing with extra RMA rosin and I still only got a joint on the back side of the lug - the face resisted all efforts. Maybe I should've bought some RA solder and pre-tinned them.

I know DAICHI make 8 way tag strips of the 'peanut butter' colour variety that work fine, but the bolt holes are something like 5mm wider so I didn't use them for the SEX because I would've had to drill extra holes. Not sure if they're available in the US.

[twofires]

These are them vs the Keystone:

[Paul Birkeland]

Those sure look a lot like the Kobiconn strips we were getting from Mouser, do you have a link to where you got these?  It's possible that a few vendors here and there have some quantities of these left, but I'd be worried about the long term supply. 

[twofires]

So, to clarify, the ones I had trouble with were the ones on the left, which I originally got in my kit, and sourced replacements from Digi-Key (36-831-ND).

The ones on the right I picked up from my local electronics store (Jaycar), who have their own distribution (Electus) but to my knowledge they don't list the manufacturer anywhere (they just slap their branding on the packet).

https://www.jaycar.com.au/8-way-tagstrip/p/HM3308

The other place I've seen them is Wagner Electronics, which is the customer facing site for WES distribution. They list them as Daichi. No idea if that's correct or what their supply is like.

https://www.wagneronline.com.au/TAG-STRIPS/crossover-components/speaker-components/audio-speakers-pa/TAG8-6856/2990/pd/

That's the consumer website - the trade website requires a login. Be warned their search and filter functions are pretty broken.