10/7/2019 How to Build the CMoy Pocket Amplifier

How to Build the CMoy Pocket Amplifier

Chu Moy designed a very popular
headphone amplifier that’s easy to build,
and it can be built small enough to fit in a
pocket, power supply and all. It’s powerful
enough to drive very inefficient headphones
to thunderous volumes from even weak
sources, and it sounds excellent considering
that you can build a bare-bones CMoy
amp for just US$20, and a pretty nice amp
for under $50. Considering that the
cheapest of the worthy commercial amps is
$100 and most of them are in the $200+
range, this is a very worthwhile cost difference.

For these reasons, I think that the CMoy pocket amplifier is an ideal project to get started
in audio DIY. This article is written for the beginner DIYer, though if you just want a guide
to building this particular amp, you can skip to the parts or assembly sections.

If you are a raw newbie and don’t yet have any tools, see the companion article, Getting
Started in Audio DIY.

Last major update: 2016.08.18 (revision history)

Frequently-Asked Questions
Who should build this amp?
What if I don’t understand the circuit?
How can I modify the circuit?
Is it a speaker amplifier?
Is it a guitar amplifier?
Is it a microphone amplifier?
Can I make it drive multiple sets of headphones?
Can I get someone to build it for me?
How long will this take to build?
What are the differences between this tutorial and the original article?
Schematic
Part Lists and Suggestions
Required Parts
Optional Parts
Precision Resistors
Are 1/8W Resistors Sufficient?
Circuit Board Alternatives
Choosing an Op-Amp
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10/7/2019 How to Build the CMoy Pocket Amplifier

Choosing an Enclosure
Notes on Jacks
Assembling the Amplifier
Tweaks
Tuning the Gain
Quieting Noises (R5)
Adding a DC Power Jack
Picking a DC Wall Power Supply
Using Different Caps
Tweaking the LED Resistor
Improving the Virtual Ground Circuit
Article Revision History

  Frequently-Asked Questions >>
Updated Thu Aug 18 2016 21:12 MDT Go back to Audiologica Go to my home page

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