The Coaster Amp, AKA Vali Mini

Want to build a tiny hybrid headphone amp? Cool. First, let’s get a few things out of the way:

1. We don’t sell parts.
2. We can’t support your build.
3. We can’t troubleshoot it afterwards.

Yes. That’s right. No support of any kind. It’s printed right on the back of the boards, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Sorry, but we’re not really a DIY company. If you need more support, check out tubecad.com or pretty much any other company selling DIY products. 

Still not scared? Cool. We’d suggest you start by reading the chapters of Schiit Happened that document the design of the Vali Mini, from the first crazy idea to some unexpected problems in development, to some tips on tweaking the build for highest performance when you do build it.

Here are links to the chapters:

• Chapter 1: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-1946#post-14044562
• Chapter 2: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-1946#post-14044562 
• Chapter 3: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-2009#post-14104452
• Chapter 4: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-2296#post-14340241

From there, you’ll need the final schematic and Bill Of Materials, which are linked here:

• Vali Mini Schematic: link
• Vali Mini BOM: link

Well, actually, you’re gonna need a lot of other things, including a soldering iron, solder, tweezers, a whole bunch of parts, and some basic test equipment. But we’re assuming that if you want to build this into a working product, you’re familiar with DIY, and you have the experience and tools to make it happen.

Good luck!