jdkJake

Boards arrived here in Florida. Thank you Tran. I am truly appreciative of your efforts.

No, that would seem a less than prudent purchase. That said, have to admire the tenacity of the seller or lament the gullibility of the perspective clients.

Here is the promised schematic: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Schematic-Pleiades-Electra-Tubes-Only-No-Other-Components-Headphone-Amplifier-/231034522177?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Amplifiers&hash=item35cabb0a41&_uhb=1 For sale of course....

On the bright side, postage is included! Such value....

The main problem with Heineken is that they pasteurize the crap out of the product for international shipment. A brewery fresh glass is a whole different ball game. Of course, everything seems to taste better in Amsterdam....

Does anyone really care

Hmmm, intriguing. If this is so, then what indeed would be the point of moving up? I suppose then question remains, is the difference enough to justify the expense?

I haven't had a mouser order pull and ship in the same day since the end of last year. My last two orders had a one day and two day pull/ship delay respectively. Granted, these were small orders, but still surprising they took that long to process. I did use the flat rate shipping option as I was not in a big hurry. Think that might have pushed it back in the queue?

Yes, I purchased the 105. I found the digital input section attractive as it opens up the DAC to numerous external transport solutions.

So, not sure about ya'all, but color me impressed. So far, it has played all the shiny disks I have thrown at it with great effect. This as well as accommodating the optical out of my squeezebox for Internet radio and the HDMI output of my appleTV for streaming audio from my computers and IOS devices. Again, all to great effect. I personally like the sound quite a bit, even at this early stage of getting aquainted. With the right amp/speaker combo, this unit can certainly act as both source and pre-amp. Sort of like a nice all-in-one combo. A least, that is how I am currently employing it. Source => Amp => Speaker. Looking forward to using it to access a NAS as a dedicated music server. If that works as I would hope, then I think I will be quite happy with the purchase, at least for the price/value ratio, which, seems quite high at the moment. Note, I have yet to try out any of the video or surround capabilities. Also have not plugged any headphones into it either.

For those that have one, does the 105 feature digital attenuation of the volume? Mine won't arrive until Wednesday and I cannot locate any decent documentation to indicate one way or the other.

FETAudio is legit. I've bought from Spencer on a couple occasions. Great communication and fast shipping (well, at least as fast as it can come from Hong Kong). The parts appear to be exactly as they are advertised. You can get additional references over on DIYAudio. Lot's of threads on the topic. Spencer posts there as well, however, PM's or the sales link (hotmail account) on FETAudio work best for getting ahold of him.

Hmmm. Last I recall, those firmware updates were at no additional cost. Potentially, a most interesting prospect....

Regardless of the rationale behind the apparent nod to Oppo, be it for quality, flexibilty and/or price, a welcome confirmation of value. More importantly, did he provide information on that most intriguing single driver, open baffle speaker rig? Now THAT looks intriguing!

Anyone had any experience with BK Precision scopes? (Positive or negative) The 2542B-GEN model currently is very attractive as it has a built in signal generator. That said, a similar Rigol with a Rigol standalone signal generator is comparably priced or even slightly cheaper. Might even be able to bump to 200MHz-2G/s for a few dollars more. Or just say screw them both and save up for a Tek?

Just a suggestion. You might want to consider nylon washers under those mounting screw/washer combos that overlap the board traces. Solder mask is quite thin and easily subject to tears/penetration. Very easy to create unseen shorts just by torquing down the screws a bit too tightly.

Anyone know of a reputable source for FQA19N20C/FQA12P20? I am looking for a quad to build an F5 and having trouble sourcing these (or at least sourcing parts that have a better than average chance of being real).

Have you thought about using something like this? http://m.markertek.com/product/detail/http:%7C%7Cwww.markertek.com%7Cmobile%7CConnectors-Adapters%7CAudio-Connectors%7C3-5-2-5mm-Mini-Connectors%7CConnectronics%7CTN-MFS.xhtml The jack itself is most likely threaded for attaching into the shell. Remove the shell, tap the panel appropriately, screw it directly into the panel. Perhaps a dab of loctite to keep it secure. Just a thought....

How thick of a panel?

Excellent news Beefy. Enjoy your new purchase. I know you will. I really came to appreciate the 1350s a month ago when I was flat out sick with the flu for an entire week. They took me to another place I really needed to be. All without disturbing the rest of the household and vice versa. I have now grown quite fond of them and their sound. A surprisingly easy and satisfying listen for hours at a time. Makes me seriously want to seek out and try a T1. If the T1 just did not seem so overpriced, I probably would have given them a fair shot by now.

As far as IEM's go, I tried a ton and settled on the Klipsch X5/X10 based upon the comfort and fit of the ear pieces alone. They have an oblong shape that just really fits the ear correctly. I can (and do) wear them for hours at a time without any comfort issue what so ever. They only thing that fits better is my custom Westone ear plugs. If comfort and portability is key, the Klipsch ear piece design is hard to beat. The 1350 is also a great choice, but, no where near as small and portable, however, they sound good and isolate extremely well. Surprisingly well. Just be sure to experiment with fit and placement before you make a decision on keeping them. They take a while to get used to finding the correct positioning. Once you find it, it becomes easier to recreate consistently, but, those first few times can be challenging and somewhat frustrating. Also be advised, as on-ear, they also have long term comfort issues. It really depends upon how sensitive your ears are to having pads directly upon them.

Ah, stollen. I miss stollen. My grandfather (also a baker by trade, a Dutchman though) used to make us stollen. A far cry from fruit cake indeed. At least the way he made it. Sounds like a more than equitable arrangement.

The HD650 is like a well-worn pair of jeans. Familiar, supremely comfortable and well-fitting. Somehow always appropriate regardless of occasion or circumstance. Capable of providing a rich, solid center which never fails to bring a smile upon your face while reminding you what the point of the experience is all about in the first place. While it is always fun to flirt with the new girl in town, I can't help but come back to the unassuming strength and effortless depth of complexity afforded by that first great love.

What paint did you use? Rustoleum? How long did you wait between coats? I am not sure water, while a universal solvent, will do much to remove the chemical residual from the stripper without some help from a soap or solvent. Before I paint my cases, I wipe them down with 91% isopropyl alcohol and let them dry completely. This removes a lot of the oils and whatnot that can accumulate. I am then VERY careful not to directly touch the visible surfaces to be painted until that first coat is on. I must admit, I have never seen that happen. But, I have not used stripper either. I also generally stop between 4 and 6 coats, applied in pairs.

I think the main issue with these is that they need to be set towards the back of your ears a bit more than one might expect. Possibly more than what seems "natural" for lack of a better word. Once you find that sweet spot, the bass is full and deep and the mids come back into the picture. Otherwise, the sound is really uneven. A very fussy headphone for positioning, but, once you find the right spot, they reward nicely. At least that has been my experience.