Amp Camp Amp Parts Kit
- ACA PCBs
- All electronic components
- All switches and I/O - Including gold plated speaker terminals and RCA Jacks
- Keratherm®
- All hardware for for assembly (Note - does not include chassis hardware).
- Hookup wire
Note - Photos include parts available at the time of publishing. Individual components are subject to change based on availability.
This includes a carefully selected assortment of parts to build a complete the Amp Camp Amp. It does not include a power supply or chassis. You can also buy the complete Amp Camp Amp kit which has everything included. This kit is offered for those that have their own PSU and chassis.
The Amp Camp Amp was created by Nelson Pass for a special event called "Amp Camp" in which 20 people built their very first amplifier from start to finish in one afternoon. The event was held outdoors on a lovely sunny day in California and all attendees walked away with a fully functioning amplifier and a smile on their dials.
Naturally, other people wanted share that same amazing experience of successfully building their first amplifier so diyAudio has created the three essential ingredients you need for that same journey - the parts, the instructions, and the community.
Read more in the Amp Camp Amp article hosted on diyAudio.
How does it sound?
Once you build the Amp Camp Amp you'll never look at power and distortion figures the same way again.
Each channel is just 8 watts, but they're very good watts. In fact Nelson's DIY endeavors are called "First Watt" because in his own words "The first watt is the most important watt". The amp has enough power for medium to high efficiency speakers at normal listening levels. They sound even better bi-amped with an active crossover.
A step-by-step build guide and forum pit crew standing by to help to get to the finish line
The Amp Camp Amp Build Guide lets you follow step-by-step on your phone or tablet while you're actually building the amp or printed the guide as a PDF - it's never been easier to complete your Amp Camp Amp in one sitting!
If you need more help, there's hundreds of diyAudio members who consider it their mission to help any ACA builder get their first amplifier build completed. No question is a stupid question in the ACA thread, so join in the discussion and meet other first time and veteran builders in the Amp Camp Amp discussion thread.
Simulation
Our friends at Qorvo have created a simulation in QSpice for the ACA. QSpice is free and easy to use. You can download QSpice using the link below.
QSpice Download Page
There is a QSpice community forum specifically for ACA discussion.
ACA QSpice Forum
Key Information
- Power Amplifier Project
- Designed by Nelson Pass
- Beginner Difficulty
- Complete Kit Available
- Comprehensive Build Guide
Highlights
- Class A amplifier built by 1,000s
- Suitable for DIYers of all levels
- Buy two for a set of monoblocks that work with a huge variety of speakers
Links, Discussion & Files
Watch TekThing build the ACA
TekThing is an awesome video blog for technology geeks. In this 30 minute video Patrick Norton talks about the history of the Amp Camp Amp, and then builds a channel from start to finish!
This was a fun one to build. I used a fan to cool off some smaller heatsinks. Loving the sound so far!
I built a pair of the 1.8 version amps over the past year, along with an ACP+ preamp. I have previously built a few 500 series modules for music recording so I suppose I qualify as an intermediate builder. The only issue I encountered with the ACAs was a broken brass stand-off for one of the heat sinks from over tightening. I drilled it out and was able to friction fit a replacement without too much trouble. Everything worked perfectly after powering up. Drilling and wiring the ACP+ chassis was by far the most difficult part of the whole project, I’m using this set-up (bridged mono) with a Rasberry Pi music streamer and am so happy with the results that I will be replacing my tube integrated amplifier with the Amp Camp gear. With sensitive speakers (Zu Omen DW), this set-up is awesome for a home system and provides the extra satisfaction of DIY.
Completed this build a few weeks ago. Took me several days to finish but was my first attempt at assembling a kit and I didn’t want to rush things. Instructions were pretty straightforward and I had my brother to consult if I was unsure of any step (he’s been building ham radio, stereo, and guitar amp kits for years). Pleasantly surprised when it fired right up. And the sound? Despite having read many positive reviews I am completely wowed. Running it with Zu Omen DW speakers in a fairly large room and at moderate volumes it sounds fantastic. Doesn’t deliver the bass of my Cambridge Edge A integrated but is impressively resolving and detailed wit excellent sound stage. Amazing little amp. And DIY store service was top notch. Thanks!
The build experience was tons of fun. All components that came with the kit were well within spec. After listening to Mr. Pass talk about his stash of parts, I feel like a got few gems. Populating the PCBs and wiring the amps up was a great couple of afternoons (I built a pair). Build instructions are perfectly clear.
As far as what they sound like:
They are crystal clear and massively transparent. They will simply recreate the source material they are provided.
I run them as a set of unbalanced monoblocks in a relatively nearfield environment and enjoy them almost every day.
I’ve built several tube amps, but haven’t had success with any solid state builds until I took this kit on.
And what an amp! I listen to it every day with bookshelf speakers. It sounds beautiful. Like my favorite tube amps, this amp demonstrates how much can be done with a simple minimal design.
Nice quality of components.
During the build without chassis, it took me some time to measure and figure out the hole-pattern for the PCB on the heatsinks. I couldn’t find any values for it in the guide or forum.
Now i can proudly say i have built my own stereo power amp! And i have learnt some new things.
My feet are wet and the water was indeed fine. Dare I go deeper?
Thank you, both creator Pass and supplier DIYAudiostore.
