NKOTB - TTVJ/Millett 307A Headphone Amp

[Voltron]

Originally Posted by Voltron

I had both balanced brown leather RS-1s with a 4-pin XLR and balanced PS-1 with Equinox 2x3-pin XLRs that made the rounds a bit and sat in front of my monster Rockhopper balanced B22. I was very pleased how they sounded from my amp, and I also heard my PS-1s and Craig's RS-1s from the EC Balancing Act. Craig's amps do great things for Grados in general, but the PS-1s sounded a little bloated from the EC/BA on the first track I heard them on. Good but not perfect. Then daveDerek put on a Linda Rondstadt with Nelson Riddles Orch disc and Craig, DD and I all thought it was amazingly perfect. The RS-1s were outstanding from the EC/BA and the TTVJ 307A also. Trying to remember what I heard on the Menace and grawk's mosfet amp but it seems like they were s/e Grados. Woody HF-1s? Anyway, both sounded great but my tube bent made me prefer the Menace and the immense power it threw into the drivers. Sweet.

Scattered posting. I walked away after going to this thread and then saw ryan's post about impressions with balanced Grados and I forgot the thread was about the TTVJ 307A. It really handled the Grados well, and I am honestly trying to remember whether I brought the PS-1s over there or not. Scattered at teh meet too, don't you know.

[Iron_Dreamer]

The 307A sounded excellent to me, driving both the RS1 and K1000 with plenty of guts to spare. I'd probably stick with an uber-B22 for the simplicity factor, but if I wanted one of the best headphone amps out there, and it had to be a tube amp, this new Millet would be one of the first to be considered.

[4N6]

I just talked to Todd about this amp and I am getting jazzed. The selection of tubes was very smart and it looks to be able to drive any set of headphones this side of electrostatics. Best of all, from what Todd told me, the wait for one of these amps to be made is only a month. Just a smidgen better than HeadAmp and SinglePower. Now figuring out how to afford this beast!!!

[grawk]

As a bonus, it's hand made by the man himself, pete millett.

[aardvark baguette]

Tube question: Supposing one had to replace tubes down the line; are these special, in their use of the wire going to the top? Or do you re-use the same wire? I've not seen this in any other amp before, so I apologize for any gross incompetence here

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by aardvark sandwich

Tube question: Supposing one had to replace tubes down the line; are these special, in their use of the wire going to the top? Or do you re-use the same wire? I've not seen this in any other amp before, so I apologize for any gross incompetence here

As far I understand it those are the plate caps, and they're completely reusable.

[aardvark baguette]

MMkay.

...so I have to ask.....what are plate caps? lol

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by aardvark sandwich

MMkay.

...so I have to ask.....what are plate caps? lol

FWIW they might be grid caps, I've never used them before.

[aerius]

Originally Posted by aardvark sandwich

Tube question: Supposing one had to replace tubes down the line; are these special, in their use of the wire going to the top? Or do you re-use the same wire? I've not seen this in any other amp before, so I apologize for any gross incompetence here

The 307A has a metal nub at the top like this thing which serves as an electrical contact. You take one of these doohickies, solder a wire onto it and clip it to the nub thingy on the tube. The wire & clip thingy stay with the amp, you don't change them, only the tube gets changed.

[aardvark baguette]

Thanks for the explanations guys.

I'm really starting to lust after this thing.
I don't ever see myself getting rid of my HP4, but...I'd really like to add this to the family.

Pray for my wallet.

[The Monkey]

I thought the K1000 sounded amazing out of this amp.

[Voltron]

Originally Posted by 4N6

I just talked to Todd about this amp and I am getting jazzed. The selection of tubes was very smart and it looks to be able to drive any set of headphones this side of electrostatics. Best of all, from what Todd told me, the wait for one of these amps to be made is only a month. Just a smidgen better than HeadAmp and SinglePower. Now figuring out how to afford this beast!!!

Originally Posted by aardvark sandwich

Thanks for the explanations guys.

I'm really starting to lust after this thing.
I don't ever see myself getting rid of my HP4, but...I'd really like to add this to the family.

Pray for my wallet.

It is absolutely lust-worthy. It is an all-rounder that can really drive an amazing array of cans beautifully. DEW EET!!!

Originally Posted by grawk

As a bonus, it's hand made by the man himself, pete millett.

The other TTVJ/Millett offerings are being built by Todd, who was a solder tech at a high end and/or military electronics job before HeadRoom and TTVJ. Maybe these are different. Did Pete or Todd tell you that Pete was making these monsters himself?

[Dusty Chalk]

Originally Posted by aardvark sandwich

Thanks for the explanations guys.

I'm really starting to lust after this thing.
I don't ever see myself getting rid of my HP4, but...I'd really like to add this to the family.

Dew et. I love my Wheatfield.

[riceboy]

Originally Posted by aardvark sandwich

Thanks for the explanations guys.

I'm really starting to lust after this thing.
I don't ever see myself getting rid of my HP4, but...I'd really like to add this to the family.

Pray for my wallet.

I'll help pray for you wallet. But I'm sort of with Dusty when he said:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk

Dew et. I love my Wheatfield.

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by Voltron

Did Pete or Todd tell you that Pete was making these monsters himself?

I'm pretty sure that Pete is building these by hand, not Todd. I'll try to confirm that.

[tyrion]

Originally Posted by n_maher

I'm pretty sure that Pete is building these by hand, not Todd. I'll try to confirm that.

I'm pretty certain that Pete at some point mentioned that he was building them by hand. I wish I spent more time with it but time was something I didn't have a lot of. The little time I did spend with it was pretty damn enjoyable.

[deepak]

So is there any chance PM will design an electrostat amp

[n_maher]

Originally Posted by deepak

So is there any chance PM will design an electrostat amp

Highly unlikely. Knowing how some of you feel about this I approached the idea with Pete during the meet. He said it was unlikely for a multitude of reasons but the first two that came to mind were that a) he's not a big fan of stats and that b) it would take a lot of time and engineering to do it right. Considering that when he does DIY projects he flat out refuses any sort of compensation I can understand why he wouldn't take on something that isn't particularly interesting to him and that would probably cost a fair amount of money and time.

[aardvark baguette]

Originally Posted by n_maher

I'm pretty sure that Pete is building these by hand, not Todd. I'll try to confirm that.

It is hand crafted, one at a time, by its designer

[grawk]

I think Todd said something along the lines of "Pete builds them to order" while Pete was standing there.