recommended component suppliers

contributed by Ced Taylor

April 09: please foot of page for latest updates
       

Major suppliers generally carry vast selections of all components. Prices are normally about as cheap as you can get short of buying in bulk off the manufacturer and should be first ports of call.
HiFi Resellers generally carry selected audio components. Prices tend to be steep but they carry components its difficult to source from the major suppliers
Private Enthusiasts generally supply certain specific boards or usefull items

NOTE: Listing here in no way consitutes a recommendation or guarantee of services of any sort and are the opinions of the author only.

     
Major suppliers    
Farnel http://uk.farnell.com/ My favorite component supplier. Free delivery orders over £20
  CPC http://custom1.farnell.com/cpc/ limited range but cheaper than farnell. Free deliver on orders over £30
Rs components http://www.rswww.com Component distributors- they have a lot of shop counters also. Min Delivery charge is £5.
Maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/ Component distributors- they have a lot of shop counters in the UK also. Expensive carriage
Mega Electronics http://www.megauk.com/ Superb- Specialise in very cheap pcb making supplies and equipment. Cheap n fast delivery (about £2.50) and excellent customer services.
Analogue Devices http://www.analog.com/commerce/index.html For ICs. The AD website lets you get samples or buy small quantities as long as you have a VAT number. Cheap.
Rapid Electronics http://www.rapidelectronics.co.uk parts supplier in the uk
Lincoln binns http://www.lincolnbinns.co.uk/ For Enclosures only
Buerklin http://www.buerklin.com/ German distributors but click the UK flag for the site in English
  ELFA http://www.elfa.se/en/ Swedish supplier. Carries 10uf evox smr capacitors. Delivery about £8 but you have to phone through orders despite the web site looking like you can internet shop.
  Conrad http://shop.conrad-uk.com/multimedia/hi-fi-speakers/ UK supplier
  Radiospares http://www.radiospares.fr French RS components
  Greenweld http://www.greenweld.co.uk/ UK supplier
  JPR Electric http://www.jprelec.co.uk/ a limited range of components
  small parts engineering http://www.engineeringfindings.com/ exotic raw materials. Bit of a tangent this site but could be good for mechanical supplies eg building turntables.
  Arrow electronics http://www.arrow.com/ major catalogue supplier similar to farnel but you need to contact the catalogue in the uk direct by phone. Contact Arrow Catalogue as they have several offices. Also get hold of their physical catalogue- its very comprehensive.
  JabDog http://www.jabdog.com supplies some difficult to get parts including odd value polystyrene caps
  Mouser http://www.mouser.com US supplier. Web site is a nightmare to navigate but carry for example vishay Dale resistors cheaply. choose'Priority mail through the postal service' and delivery will cost $12 taking about 7 days to deliver.
  Cricklewood electronics http://www.cricklewoodelectronics.com london based supplier with web shopping. Does ansar supersound high value polypropylene caps and bags of transitors of all sorts.
  Screwfix www.screwfix.com some interesting hardware bits on this.
Parts express http://www.partsexpress.com US supplier which also does audio parts e.g jantzen inductors, marinco IEC plugs
  Willow http://www.willow.co.uk loads of precision resistors
Rhopoint http://www.rhopointcomponents.com Selection of exotic passive and active components including caddock resitors..
       
Hifi resellers      
Avondale Audio http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/avondale/ Les Worstenholm- Naim mod specialist and guru- does mods and supplies boards, kits and may do components. Top quality audio Transformers available.
Audio com http://www.audiocominternational.com/ supply both components and ready made stuff e.g cd clocks, opamp boards. Can web shop and delivery from £2.90 though prices are high.
DIY cable co http://www.diycable.com/main/default.php DIY cable construction supplier
Hi fi tuning http://www.hifituning.de German company, but owner speaks perfect english, delivery to uk is not particularly expensive and he's very helpful.
Brown Dog (cimarron technology) http://www.brndog.com/SMTAdapt.html Brilliant smt to dip adaptor boards of all sorts. US based but delivery quite cheap and about 10days.
LC audio http://www.lcaudio.co.uk/ choose the english pages. Do cd clock modules, ad825 adapator boards etc
Trichord http://www.trichordresearch.com/ Ready made parts for modding e.g cd clocks.
Take five audio www.takefiveaudio.com Stuff for DIY cables of all sorts
  Parts ConneXion http://www.partsconnexion.com/ All sorts of DIY audiophile parts and carries all the exotic film capacitors at very reasonable prices
  The HI-Fi Collective http://www.hificollective.co.uk/componentshome.html Carries audio parts and some exotica eg Elna cerafines. Very expensive supplier.
  Schuro http://www.schuro.de/ German supplier of some goodie audio components inc the hard to find AD8610 opamps and vishay dale resitors. Very good value but you'll be lucky if you get an order though- customer service is laughably terrible.
  THL audio http://www.thlaudio.com/indexE.htm components inc great enclosures. Apparently crap on responding but who knows
  Welbourne Labs http://www.welbornelabs.com/parts.htm US supplier of components. Delivery not too expensive, withing 10 days or so. some good audiophile parts.
  DIY cable.com http://www.diycable.com parts for DIY cables and powercords
  VH audio http://venhaus1.com/VH_Audio_Test.html parts for DIY cables and powercords
  DIY hifi supply http://www.diyhifisupply.com Honk Kong based supplier. No idea if any good.
  DIY Paradiso http://www.diyparadiso.com Components inc. chassis, caps, transformers etc.
  Audio Kit http://www.audiokit.it/index.htm Italian company. Have a huge range of audio compoents at very good prices including elna silmics, kendeil capacitors etc.. Delivery costs seem very reasonable too.
  Percy Audio http://www.percyaudio.com superb range of audio quality items including polypropylene caps, wire and tubing, vishay/caddock precision resistors etc etc. Doesn't seem too expensive though don't know about shipping. Reports that customer service is so-so.
  IAG audio http://www.iagaudio.com/products.asp?id=4 superb looking cases
  Plus Electronik http://www.plus-elektronik.de/shop/index.htm Good supplier of Mundorf and Intertechnik products. Prices good, service excellent and you can pay by paypal though not credit card
  Hifi sound http://www.hifisound.de Good supplier of Mundorf and Intertechnik products. e.g aircore coils, polypropylene caps, mox resistors
Private individuals      
Elso Kwak email the man on elsokwak@keyaccess.nl Does the DIY CD clock 'The Kwak Clock'. He will supply the schematics or can do a kit if you ask him
ALW Audio http://www.alw.audio.dsl.pipex.com/ Andy Weekes produces the legendary ALW (Jung) supperregulators
  White noise audio http://www.wnaudio.com/ UK, kits and parts. Supplies interesting components.
Guido Tent Email: evaguido@iaehv.nl нннн or see the CD upgrade II part on this page: http://www.tentlabs.com sells the Xclock oscillator CD clock module and also gives lots of technical info on digital stuff.


April 09 updates:

Sorry folks, B&Q no longer sell MK Toughplugs, but Mainscables-r-us do - along with many other tweaky bits at what looks like reasonable to good prices... Martin