The heart of the amplifier: the Hypex NC122MP module.  NC is their NCore design, and MP designates Mains Powered, meaning the power supply is integral to the module.  This module is rated for 75 WPC into 8 ohms and 125 WPC into 4 ohms.

I designed a VU meter buffer/amplifier some time ago (cribbed from the Levinson LNP-2), and used that design here.  It contains +/-15v voltage regulators (on the left) and allows external switching for meter gain and provides regulated power for meter lights, etc.

The PCB was designed and fabricated using ExpressPCB.

The meters I chose are vintage Hoyt 2025 2.5" VU meters, shown here. 

I designed a faceplate using FrontPanelExpress.  Gain control for the calibrated VU meters on the left, meters in the center, along with power switch and LED, and volume control on the right.

I had a custom aluminum chassis in stock, but the dimensions were deeper than I wanted at 3" tall, by 17" wide by 11.5" deep, so some work was needed to make it less deep.  This shows the stock parts before I started machining.

These are the chassis parts after machining.  I cut the depth down to 7" from the original 11.5".  The faceplate at the top, followed the front sub-panel with the cutout for the VU meters, and below that is the rear panel (upside down here).  At the botton are the shortened side panels atop the bottom panel, drilled for the amplifier module and other parts to be mounted later.

This shows the completed chassis being test fitted together before any parts were fitted.

I started with the rear panel.  I designed the amp to have a second set of outputs to feed aux. speakers, switched by a DPDT toggle switch shown at the center top of the panel.  The binding posts are Superior BP-31 5 way posts.  The RCAs, on the right side, are gold/teflon ones.  The white connector on the right will plug into the Hypex module.

This shows the Hypex module in place with most of the wiring completed.  

Since I built this amplifier as single ended only (not balanced), the volume control (lower right, an ALPs RK27) is wired in "psuedo balanced" mode per the Hypex documentation.

The green/yellow/black twisted wires are the +/-20V aux supply from the Hypex module used to power the VU meter amp.

The Hypex module is bolted to the bottom panel so the entire chassis acts as a heatsink for the module.

This shows the VU meter amp from the rear, with the meter gain switch to the right.  The inside of the left VU meter is on the right front.   

You can see the switched 1% resistors on the rotary switch that are effectively in the feedback loop of the meter amp circuit used to set gain.

This shows the backside of both VU meters as wired up, with the Hypex module to the left.

The green & black twisted pair from the VU meter amp PCB goes up to the meter lights which are mounted under the top lip of the front sub-panel, see next photo.

In the left rear corner I added a 12volt remote trigger output (to turn on a remote component).  The power comes from the regulated 15V supply on the VU meter amp, and feeds a 7812 12 volt regulator shown here bolted to the chassis.  the output is fused with the tan resettable fuse mounted on the jack.

Rear panel view.  from left to right: IEC and fuseholder, RCA jacks, and two sets of output binding posts, selected by the switch between the two sets.  The 12 volt remote trigger output is on the lower right.

Completed amp, top view.  Hypex module on the right, VU meter amp PCB to the left.  The VU meter amp gain switch is on the left front and the blue Alps volume pot is on the right.

Front view, power off...

...and with the power on.