Neurochrome HP-2 All-DIY Low-Distortion Headphone Amp

I recently completed the HP-2 and to me it is one of the best (if not the best) amplifier I've used, regardless of price.
I've owned many very good amps, including the Lehmann BCL and Bryston BHA-1. I've also built the AMB CK2III (which I thought was very good), RJM Sapphire v4, Bottlehead Mainline and a custom 45 SET tube amp. All good and enjoyable in their own right. What sets the HP-2 apart for me is that it extremely accurate, selectable gain, dead silent, protection circuit, very powerful and offers both balanced and unbalanced inputs. (Each of the ones I mentioned only partially meet this list).
From a long term perspective, as I progress with my system, I find it most flexible to have the most accurate source and amp, and "tweak" the sound to my liking with the speaker or headphones.

In terms of build, I had alot of leftover parts from other projects and reused a Parmetal case (as can be seen by the previous holes) and a TKD 25K pot.
I got my panels at FPE and actually screwed up a bit on the rear panel the first time (I didn't send the latest file version So didn't end up saving too much over the stock chassis.
If you don't have any parts to reuse, my recommendation would be to go with Tom's chassis as cost savings are not that much for a good looking build.

Lastly, the amp was initially not functioning due to the 3 solder bridges I had. Some pads are very close and I did not see these before observing the board closely.

I believe this was asked before and @tomchr recommends the Meanwell PSU from the BOM. I too considered a LPS but trust his design and recommendation so went with stock. If you insist on an LPS, you can go with an AMB s11, or much cheaper, Twisted Pair Audio Centaur which uses an LM350 regulator. You would also need a transformer, chassis, IEC socket to complete it. The centaur handles up to 2.5A so should sufficient for the HP-2

Looking good... keep an eye out for those bridges.
I too used a TKD but did not use the board.
Still looking for a knob....

 

Contact https://www.viljomarrandi.com — I ordered from Viljo several times, and have been thrilled with his work. I recommend titanium. Looks and feels excellent.

 

Quite a journey! But it’s rewarding. The hunt for knobs just never ends.

I happened to have a 25k tkd too. I used hard leads to hook it there. It’s quite stable.

BTW. On the psu I have tried meanwell, cincon and SL power ones. By far I think SL power ME series are better than meanwell despite specs looked a bit worse in line regulation. I recall an article from Linear audio on regulators. It suggested amp might not want over-regulated psu as high output impedance is not favored in that application.