More Information About Pocket Amp 1

Here are some pictures of Pocket Amp 1, the first model of the Pocket Amp series which I began building while still a fourth year Electrical Engineering student at Ryerson University.   This amplifier was built into a portable case with a transparent window on top, to showcase the high quality electronics components used for its construction.

This amplifier  looks much nicer in person. I really took my time when building these amps, and pretended that each one would be for myself.   The amplifier was built in the classic and time tested Non Inverting Feedback configuration. I must admit that after mailing away the first amplifier, it was sad to see it go. Each one was special a few hours to build.

One of the reasons why this amplifier sounded so nice was due to the large, 1000 microfarad capacitors (the five circular objects located on the left side of the  picture, below the blue LED). I actually built a test amplifier circuit and brought it in with me to many  electronics stores. With this test circuit, I tried every single make and model of capacitor the store sold until I found the type that sounded the best. The capacitors used in this amplifier help to provide a low frequency 3-dB rolloff point at 5 Hz! The upper cutoff point is located at 40 KHz, well above the range of human hearing.

Here is a top view of the amp, showing the chrome tip volume knob.

Next is a picture of an amplifier still being built. Rule number one of soldering: "Always apply heat first, then the solder". Thanks to my old boss Mr. Nick at Samsung, who would always stand behind me and say that.

Three amplifiers. :)

A few Pocket Amp 1 amplifiers have come back for repair, and I have always been happy to repair them at no cost, just as I originally promised. It is my pleasure to fix them actually.