Build Projects
DIY audio projects — designed, built, and documented from scratch.
Built from scratch amplifiers to custom measurement rigs and modifications, this is where the hands-on work lives. CharlesAudio documents each build project in detail — the design decisions, the mistakes, the measurements, and the results. Whether you’re here to follow along or build your own, there’s something to learn from every project.
Latest build projects
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Designing for a Black Background
A black background is a bit of a buzzword in high-end audio, but I really like it. Making music loud isn’t difficult. Making no noise turns out to be very, very hard. When the music pauses, there should be nothing left behind. No hum. No hiss. No buzz. Just silence. I’m listening to Clair de… Continue reading
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mVista3 Electrical Architecture
At the heart of the mVista 3’s design lies a meticulous approach to isolating sensitive circuitry from noisy components. Through advanced mechanical and electrical shielding, this preamplifier ensures that every note is crystal clear and distortion-free, providing audiophiles with a pristine soundstage. Continue reading
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Mechanical Architecture: making it all fit
Designing the mechanical architecture for an ultra-high-end preamplifier is an exercise in compromise and spatial isolation. The design breaks down into three distinct operational domains: Analog, Digital, and Power Supply. Because the analog domain is exceptionally sensitive to external interference, the physical layout must actively prevent electromagnetic contamination from the digital engines and power rails. Of… Continue reading
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Sharpening the Axe – Development tools
Designing, developing, building and testing a complex audiophile project is a workflow that requires a number of tools. As I learn and get better, and as communities develop ever better open-source and freeware toolsets, the job is made easier. What did Franklin say? “If you want to chop down a tree, take time to sharpen… Continue reading
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mVista 3 Architecture
The architecture is divided into two separate sections that are physically and electrically separated. Also, great care is taken to minimise EMI and RF interference. Analogue Section The design philosophy is to provide the shortest path from input to output, through a minimum of devices with maximum screening. Dual-mono design. This means a single 4-layer… Continue reading
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MVista 3 – Cabinet and Screen mock-ups
MVista 3 preamplifier will be the combination of two major engineering sub-projects: The analogue electronics and mechanical design building on mVista 2 progressing to towards a full dual-mono, fully galvanically isolated architecture, with Raspberry-Pi 5 microcontroller. The user-interface and visualisation software package. The is based on the work significantly progressed called pyvisualiser. This is a… Continue reading
