Thread: DIY Amp

IMHO, it would be quicker, easier and cheaper to buy an off the shelf item than design and build your own amp. There is plenty of information on the internet about different amp chips and there are even circuits that people have built that are quite good. To make something that is efficient and that has good audio quality it would take a significant amount of research and planning. Large companies have designers that do this. I am not saying you can't achieve your goal, I am saying it will take considerably longer and the chances are that the quality won't be as good. If you also take into account the cost of components and your time, you would be well infront if you buy off the shelf.

i really have no idea..(this site is mainly about installing computers in cars, so in-depth electronic info is a little slim) i know there are sites dedicated to those that build their own versions, so one of those might be a good starting point. at first, i wanted to say that stevemeadedesigns.com was a builder site, but briefly looking through it, it doesn't appear so.. so i am at a loss at where you would need to start. it might also be worthwhile to look through diymobileaudio.com, again, not a builder site, but some very knowledgeable people that i am quite sure have built a few amps of their own just because they could..

i am fairly confident that you can expect it to be a more costly endeavor when comparing your build cost to a similarly-equipped 1200-3000watt off-the-shelf amp, as most companies have done a fairy good job pricing their amps competitively for what they cost to make-- esp when you consider that you would not be buying any components in bulk to build it like what many companies do to save on production costs..

but i have no idea if the extra cost would be a few dollars or thousands of dollars.

is it worth it? it completely depends on your goals. my carpc has ended up costing me more then most car head units cost, but i consider it a worthwhile expense because it does everything i want, the way i want...