TheSloth

Driving what?

iPod ALAC line out -> Cardas HPA -> HeadRoom Micro w/DM (06) -> K701. SYNERGY!

Well I am considering it, but it would have to be yet another one-off for HeadRoom. The Desktop Portable is not designed to house anything above the Desktop DAC. There is actually room in the case for a Max DAC, and I suppose heat wouldn't be a problem as there's a nice hole in the top of the amp. But then the amp might no longer run correctly off the battery pack or the 'brick' supply, completely grounding it. I suppose I should talk to Mike, but I still like the idea of an external solution that can be changed with time.

Thanks for making a new thread for this. The problem is that the Desktop DAC is a great performer for its price, especially when it's powered by a DPS. I'm not sure that anyone is currently making a $500 DAC that will beat it in a convincing way. The Ack DAC is a nice choice because it's a completely different design philosophy, but the cheapest on audiogon is $570, and I'd need a toslink converter as well.

I'd also need a toslink -> coax converter if I got one of those...

$500...

HeadRoom runied my life with their new Max Modules. I can hear everything wrong with my source that I was blissfully unaware of. I think I'm going to go back to the Desktop Module so I can enjoy my music again! I'm using the stock Desktop DAC (fed by APX). It's good for what it is, but the class A/B OPA134's as the output stage really limits its sonic potential. Though, the Desktop and Home DAC boards are the same board, so if someone was very handy with surface mount opamps and transistors, it wouldn't be difficult to turn it into a Home DAC. Does anyone have any relatively low cost external recommendations to spice up my life in the source department? Doesn't really belong here, but it would help me to have something to post on the actual topic of this thread...! Slightly modified to fit the new board location.

Hey Philodox, you might want to check out the new prices of Module and Stepped Attenuator Upgrades on the Balanced Home... . MJG rocks. I haven't talked to you for ages. I enjoyed our conversation after the NY regional meet about your work on killer computer viruses . Yep, that's right, MJG is going to destroy all of your computers, and then get you to pay him to fix them.

Here's a quick test to make sure that this place isn't turning into head-fi: "I hate pretzels".

Since when did 'they' start telling 'you' what to do? Oh by the way, it looks like the convertable isn't quite up to date any more...

You can pay with paypal. Send them an e-mail. Isn't it about time we saw all those new modules?

To freeze stuff! I used to love freezing tomatoes - my parents are medical doctors and had a supply at their surgery.

Nice to see that there was a small update to the Desktop page about the power supply. And it's also fun to watch you guys add those modules by stealth, one by one to the web site - speaking of which (dear oh dear I have too much time on my hands) in every shot of a balanced amp you have, the balanced 650's are connected with L and R reversed...

I'll compare one for you, that is if someone sends me one! Actually it would be strictly HeadRoom only comparison, but still... I do sometimes think of getting one again. I'm not sure I've ever had an amp that was as fun and practical as the T. Bithead. This tiny little thing clinging to the back of the computer screen un-noticed. I did find there was a subtle but decent sound improvement using battery power, so I do recommend people use that wherever possible.

Yeah but I bet it sounds great. I just picked up a M^3 and it's a great amp. It's also fun to be able to tweak it with biasing and opamps.

I just had to vote Pretzels. What an inspired poll option mjg.

Anyone notice anything strange about this: http://www.headphone.com/productPhotos.php?icn=0000011000 ? Maybe something to do with the last 3 photos, compared with the 5th one? And I'm the only one who has a green one!

Yeah, seriously, I could have told you all that for free!

Thanks Tyll, I appreciate all the honest information. And I do know about not perfecting things before moving on - if I waited to perfect a work before I moved on to the next, I'd never acheive anything. And it's good to hear that you have long range plans for HeadRoom as a company, as it will always be providing new challenges, and new satisfactions that come with the solutions. Regarding crossfeed, if you do it with microcontrollers, will that not limit the crossfeed to digital inputs only?

For those of us that can't afford to buy one ( :'(), what does it say?!

Which suggests to me that you are not part of their core market. I don't mean that in a rude way, it's just that if the things on the list are of no interest to you, then you are looking for them to enter a different market in which you would hold more interest. The gist of what I was saying was that it's difficult to expand without compromising your core market. I don't know what amps you use, but are any of the made by HeadRoom?

Oops, replied instead of edited...

Sorry to be boring, but just because one can make a product doesn't mean one should. I honestly can't really see the need for a HeadRoom branded speaker amplifier in the desktop enclosure. The core business has diversified significantly even since 2 years ago, with the introduction of the digital components, and another electronics module in the line to make a 4 tier system, as well as a tube amp (to be followed by more tube amps by the sound of it). I'm not sure an audio company can be all things to all men, and to me HeadRoom is a hard-core headphone amplifier company, and that's what I and I guess many of their customers like about them. I think only in the last few years some serious competition has developed for absolute sound quality in the amplifier market, and it's important to be continually striving to improve the module and main board designs, as well as continued work on crossfeed which although great could be even better. I believe you only have 20 or so employees, some of whom will have nothing to do with designing the amps themselves. That doesn't leave very many man-hours to spread around, and my assumption is that the more products there are, the less thought can possibly go into each one. Stuff I'd like to see instead: I'd also like to see stepped attenuators with more than 24 positions on them. I also think that the Desktop Portable needs a 21st century power solution. The red brick goes back to day 1 of HeadRoom doesn't it? That power solution is a big turn off to many customers considering that amplifier, and the fact that it uses a DC-DC converter hurts sound quality as well - with a proper power solution, this amp really would be the top portable. Regarding that absolute SQ, it seems that some of your design options are limited by your modules. Looking at them, it seems that you could mount components on both sides of the board, and have the boards vertically mounted in all amplifiers - there's ample space for components on either side in all of your amps if mounted that way. Once you are mounting on edge for all amps, you can then have multi-module amps. Micro or Desktop module in the Micro? How about both, with a little switch on the front to switch between the two. I'm also curious about your response to the amps that now employ a 3 channel circuit topology. I don't really understand enough about amplifier design to understand whether the HeadRoom amps achieve the same result through a different means, but if they don't, how about a top of the line single ended amp with 3 PSU's and 3 electronics channels? For your absolute top of the line, your Balanced Max, you have the excellent design of 4 power supplies for 4 modules, each one responsible for one channel. Except what happens when you put in a DAC? I don't know exactly how your impliment it, PSU wise, but it's running off the same supplies somewhere down the line. You have ample room for it in the case, so how about 5 PSU's if the DAC is included. (Or even 6 PSU's, with one for each DAC channel. Or to be totally crazy, as it's balanced, 8 PSU's!) Add $? to the price of the DAC upgrade to include the extra PSU('s) and you have a pretty state of the art Amp/DAC combo. Finally, something that's actually practical, and on topic: On your Desktop Amp order page, you state the importance of the Desktop Power Supply, and the current copy is very confusing as to whether it's necessary or not. Firstly, that needs to be cleared up, including the current copy, but adding a 'Will it work at all?' table to show what combinations will function with the wall-wart. Having done that, it seems a little strange to order the amp with a power supply, and then go to another page to buy another necessary power supply. Surely the Desktop Power Supply should be one of the power supply options on the order page for the amplifier itself. It also clarifies the need for such a device, and may sell a few more too.

That damn thing costs more than the *bling* Maestro Aurum XLR. Though it was a steal compared with the $120,000 pieces of junk they sell today... I managed to buy the thing out of savings, but in the end the Balanced Home saved the day (verging on on topic...), as I didn't factor in the cost of getting the thing into the aparment (veering away again..). Though my building used to have a farm on the roof with cows going up and down in the elevator (seriously), the damn thing didn't fit, so they had to carry it up 11 flights of stairs! Aparently they do it all the time in NY, but it's still slightly frightening to see 10 guys literally running up the stairs attached to a 1 tonne piano...

Btw. Tyll, I hope you like my avatar...