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