Wow, that's nice.
i've been looking at various single voltage SMPS modules on aliexpress, 45V-48V, 350W-600W. But, a variable voltage 0-48V power supply, that'll be generally useful to me besides just plugging an amp into it.
Pretty sure at this point that upping the PS voltage from 36V will let the A07 Pro sound cleaner and better at high volumes. Heat will become an issue.
On the Drok.. Yep, I have two. Quite versatile. If you are interested - They make a 24v that you can dial in both the V and the A. Could be versatile for other projects.
As far as heat being an issue... Yep, you are correct.
In the NON pro version that I run off this supply, it has 2 Sparkos SS3602's, it has the better thermal paste. The caps are actually wrapped with some really good heat reflective tape and the case itself was vented for me. It does not get hot, not really. But in fairness, I have a Noctua slim 120mm fan running and pushing air across and through the A07.
However, Andrew at Sparkos was right. 5 of these SS3602's, based on how they work, do indeed cause huge heat increases in the Pro version. This is why heatsinks were necessary for the voltage regulators.
I have now added vents on the side. They look OK, but I accidentally made them 5/8ths apart center to center instead of 3/8ths. This is not enough for intake. Not for me in this setup. I will need a whole new row of vent holes on the sides of the bottom part of the chassis. And like my NON pro version, it needs a row across the back to pull air in over the inductors. The ASR member that posted on vents for the A07 non PRO version really nailed it. He could have added more intake holes on the side... But his ratio proves to be sound in that you want air jetting in as fast as possible to cool the unit. So you need to have the right amount of venting of the heat to facilitate that intake.
It is super important to get convection right. It is also important to note that more efficient heat removal from components will cause a case to get hotter. This is why the venting of the case is important. But even with venting, as the hot air flows through the holes, it will heat the aluminum chassis. The heat you feel on the chassis is just that. It has already been removed from the components. I have placed an 80mm noctua over my vents and it pulls the heat out nicely. I can further this by mounting a slim 92mm fan with silicone grommet and finger guard to the top of the case. But this is only ideal if you can attach the fan directly to the circuit inside the Aiyima A07 Pro.
If anyone here knows where to solder those wires on the PCB we will all benefit from that knowledge.
I do believe after this... With my current fan setup in my gear though, that things will be OK... But having the 5 opamps in my rig as all SS3602's isn't the way to go without real venting and without fan cooling. I know for a fact that without venting this case and putting heatsinks onto the voltage regulators, you cannot use these SparkosLabs opamps in every slot.
With that... I believe that it is important for us to stumblu, or ebark upon discovery of the best combination of opamps. I know we will find that 2 or 3 types in the right configuration will lead others to be able to repeat the results and we can go from there.
Knowing the specs of each opamp we use in regards to voltage increases with heat concerns and SNR/THD+N in regards to noise floor will be paramount.
We, in essence though, could invariably find that using 5 different opamps could work extremely well. Because it is actually 10 opamps. I do see a place for the SS3602 in the mix. And possibly in the two "math" positions it may fare to be the best choice. Remember, it wasn't until I put the SS3602 in those two sockets that I noticed a significant difference. Which does follow what others find in higher end gear when they pair the Burson V6 Vivid with the Sparkos. One way works great, the other not so much.
We are getting closer. I propose that the thread now lean toward finding this combo. It is a big job for one guy, and It could get expensive. But if a few of us look into this together, cohesively, I am sure that there will be a perfect combo for this amp. Again, we are getting closer.
I am confident in the members of this thread. Assuredly, I know that we don't necessarily need to do this, but if done with care, it can be fun and we could be surprised by what we find.
Encouragement to all... Keep it on point, be concise, post your findings and share your links. Only through your diligence can we prove that this A07 should exist and can be a cut above its predecessor.
Keep on, keeping on gang...