MONO AND STEREO HIGH-END AUDIO MAGAZINE
Chasis made in Europe and with down to earth prices? Our big friend Zygmund takes us to the DIY affordable heaven...
"Hey Guys,
I just received a present which I purchased for myself, so as to sneak it under the Christmas Tree. It is a nice chassis for my DIY DAC.
Why am I writing about it ? Because I made a quick inspection of the content and I am very happy of what I purchased and of the quality that I received."
I just received a present which I purchased for myself, so as to sneak it under the Christmas Tree. It is a nice chassis for my DIY DAC.
Why am I writing about it ? Because I made a quick inspection of the content and I am very happy of what I purchased and of the quality that I received."
But now … now comes the big question: since they were producing these chassis for their “own” products …. why not SELL them to the DIY community ? ( Please do not ask whose Idea that was ).
So, … Voila ! This is what a very rigid, sturdy, stiff, but at the same time, with a quality finish chassis may look like:
Actually, the www.toroidy.pl is the home page of this trusted supplier of mine.
{{ … Trusted, as in: ”Guess, where all my crazy build-to-order toroids come from 
… }}.
But then again, in order to minimize the hassle and overhead, you can simply get them directly from this Polish on-line auctioning service (which is much more popular than eBay, in our area):
A few clicks, and off you go with your parcel ready-to-go.
This picture above is specifically the “HIGH” version of the chassis, which I purchased, as my DAC has some tube stages in it, as well as some other “huge” elements, such as Russian Paper-In-Oil capacitor bricks … as well as some other stuff.
Below – the same thing as seen from the back …
The VERY nice thing about this product is it’s …. PRICE.
Yes, you guessed. The currency is stated in Polish Zloty, or “PLN”.
That translates to roughly just under 60 EUR, or something like 79 USD.
Considering the way it is build and the sturdy materials used, I consider this a bargain. Shipping throughout Poland is per typical Courier Services rates.
If you ship internationally – probably the best thing would be to drop them an email with some questions.
Ah, but there is MORE. Above you seen the chassis itself. But I purchased an extra optional item, mainly the “double floor” – as seen on picture below.
Why the heck do I need that extra piece of metal for ? Because in essence – that is what it is.
Comes included with the 5 mounting holes and the same black finish. Well, Consider that you are building a complex DIY device. You shall be mounting transformers, PCB boards, off-board chokes, off-board capacitors, etc, etc. Now, would it not be nice, if you can mount it all on a “separate” floor, get it up and running, test it, and once that you are fully sure that everything works as planned ….. you simply slip it into the (till now untouched) chassis, affix 5 screws and be done with it ?
This way, you have the ease of manipulating with the works of your DIY work in progress, without destroying or scratching the finishings of the chassis itself. Once all is ready – you simply slip it in, affix 5 screws and you are ready. Neat.
Below – you see the “LOW-PROFILE” version of the same chassis, as on offer, but unfortunately I would not fit into this one with my “stuff” ….
But consider, this one looks much more … sexy, doesn’t it ?
Having said all of above, you need to be aware of one little detail:
Within the version that I have purchased, the front panel is not made of metal, but rather from some type of highly polished plastic, HDPE, reasonably thick, with appropriate layers of protective foil, so as not to expose the final surfaces, until project is fully ready.
For me – it is a feature – as I would not imagine how to precisely drill any holes or anything in something like a slab of 8mm thick aluminum. Here, the material is soft enough so as to handle it with common household tools, drills, etc. and be very precise about it, with no glitches or anything.
On the other hand, some of you guys would prefer to have it in Oxidized Aluminum, or High Polish Aluminum, or something. Considering the aforementioned – no problem. Just order your chassis with a metal front panel option. Albeit the price tag is just a few EUR/USD higher, all in all – it still remains a very good bargain.
Yes, they DO HAVE some versions with ALUMINUM based front plates.
Look at this link with the full scope of the current chassis offering:
Look at this link with the full scope of the current chassis offering:
Last but not least, all of the chassis sets come with a set of small feet, mounting screws for the front panel and for the top cover.
As soon as I find some free time to stick my DAC into my new box, I may be returning to you with some post-holiday updates.
Cheers,
zjj_wwa of
Matej Isak. Mono and Stereo ultra high end audio magazine. All rights reserved. 2006-2013. www.monoandstereo.com. ..:: None of the original text, pictures, that were taken by me, links or my original files can be re-printed or used in any way without prior permission! ::..