[Hey Head-Case, what's your bandwidth like?]

10 hours ago, Grahame said:

Does this make me a bad person?

Many thanks for helping guide our family movie night tonight--this will be way more fun than The Croods II.

[Megatron Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier]

I received a Megatron built by Søren Brix two days ago. Simply based on who had a Carbon available in stock at the time, I also bought Søren's Carbon.

I understand that head-case isn't really the place for 'listening impressions'. And, my grasp of audio engineering leaves much to be, uh, grasped. So I'll only note this:

I really, really like the Carbon, to the point that I'm now looking for a 007mki specifically to pair with the Carbon.  Before receiving the Megatron, I was pretty down on my x9000s, and I was buying into the negative reviews. The Carbon does not fit the x9000s, in my opinion.

I am no longer down about the x9000s, not one bit, because Megatron.

I don't dispute any of the negative opinions of x9000s--I don't have enough experience to agree or disagree--but I do believe I found the right amp to pair with x9000.

Perhaps most relevant for head-case is my 'listening impressions' of Soren. Soren has been, in a word, delightful. I'm not an easy person to deal with--Soren was patient, thoughtful, fair, and he gave low-bias recommendations (when begged). 

Soren prefers to use stock, non-boutique components. I have no idea whether that professional stance does or doesn't make a difference. I do know that Soren has a clear philosophy of work, and I grew to admire his reasons.

Thank you Kevin Gilmore for your design, and thank you Soren for bringing it into fruition.

 

 

[The Headcase Stax thread]

40 minutes ago, padam said:

Alek JK74
Jonathan
Bob Katz
Roy Romaz
Pyrates
Aaron (ab_ba)
HeadRoom Jamie & Mike
Brian
Tyll Conclusion

...thank you for the now-bookmarked links... One trip to YouTube saved=approx. one nap earned...

[KGSSHV Carbon Build Thread]

1 hour ago, BadgerMcBadger said:

which stepped attenuators / potentiometers

I opted out of both, i.e. no volume control on the amp, to use the volume control on my DAC instead and therefore have a cleaner signal path on my amp. I'm very curious about whether this is (as) smart (as I like to think it is). 

I almost went for a RK50, but I haven't read much that indicates the difference between an rk27 and RK50 is so vast. Happy to be corrected if correction is due:)

1 hour ago, BadgerMcBadger said:

 

 

[Coffee Drinkers? (or other hot beverages)]

I used to live in Central America and had many blurry nights, some that stretched into the following week; hands down the best rum I've tasted is a surprisingly affordable Ron Zacapa 23, trailed (not very closely imo) by Flor de Caña. Rum, unlike say Scotch, gets into diminishing returns very quickly up the price ladder, unless you consider sugar cane to be its own food group. 

To keep in line with the thread: coffee with rum is the ideal way to ruin your life without care.

[Sony money box]

34 minutes ago, grawk said:

does anyone not use $2k iems?

 

See how you've publicly shamed me? DO YOU SEE??

[Sony money box]

On 6/14/2022 at 9:29 PM, HiWire said:

Three times the price... the review from Singapore mentions how slow the Android interface works.

You'd think Sony would have figured this stuff out by 2022. Their previous DAP products have been a hodgepodge.

I looked at the much less expensive and positively reviewed Sony NW-A55(L) out of morbid curiosity, but it's hard to find and somewhat antiquated at this point.

I'll stick with my phone and ancient iPod Shuffle from 2009 for a while longer. They work quite well and without the hassle of Sony software.

There is also the question of what to do when the internal batteries die. I've returned quite a few iPhones to Apple for battery replacement and the Sony path is much less clear.

Is there even a point to getting a DAP, given that the cost of a 'good' one is (at least) the price of a higher-end smartphone, and given that a DAP's OS will be obsolete very quickly in comparison with a phone that receives regular updates? I can maybe understand it if I'm lugging around a $2k set of IEMs, but otherwise I don't see a lot of convenience in buying a brick running on an old OS. Besides, is SQ really going to be a great leap forward versus getting a 'good noise-filtering dongle-DAC/headphone jack connector' (surely there is a more concise name: 'thingy'?) and downloading hi-res files onto the phone? 

[Top Five Favorite Albums Ever?]

I think I was (volunteering) in an addiction shelter upon first hear..."Scar Tissue" was my morning song on repeat!

"Get On Top" in a Chevy Blazer sounds like a pretty perfect setup.

[Top Five Favorite Albums Ever?]

3 hours ago, MexicanDragon said:

I've actually been thinking about this all day. Not necessarily my top 5 albums/performances, but a couple of them are, I think. These, however, are albums that I could play on loop and not get tired of them. Ideally, Unplugged In New York would be a BluRay of the concert with lots of extra footage, but all of these albums have songs, if not an entire album, which can instantly take me back to an interesting time in my life where I have a lot of mostly-positive associations.

In no particular order other than size of the image I randomly grabbed:

Nirvana - Unplugged In New York

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live At Luther College


Gorillaz - Gorillaz

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind

Does the ultra-compression and supposed lack of dynamics on Californication bug you at all? I remember loving that album, then I got startled when I read about it as a case study in a book about loss of detail in modern recording, Perfecting Sound Forever if memory serves. 

[Coffee Drinkers? (or other hot beverages)]

Very happy to come across this thread--last month I picked up something from a builder in my town who imports espresso machines from Italy then soups up the internals and sells them to rube...I mean, to afficionados like me.

No, he does not also build amps.

Limitless variation and plenty of ruined shots equals big fun. My favourite part of the learning process is how different the results are with a bottomless versus a standard filter. In fact, I prefer bottomless by a country mile--more crema and far more coffee extraction per gram. I'm surprised they aren't more commonly used. 

[The State of DACSES]

On 1/28/2022 at 7:09 PM, padam said:

3600€ for the DAC and the PSU at this place, the local dealer offers a bit of a discount on this, maybe with decent trade-in as well (DS-10 plus version costs a bit more, only differs regarding inputs).
The Lumin X1 cost is 13500€ and I didn't impress me in a similar manner, maybe I will revisit that one day.

If I look at vintage DACs I need to sort out USB, no streaming options, no preamp functionality, etc. etc.

Time is money and I'm not sure if it is worth trading in one for the other, if there is one that seems to give me what I want. But yes DACses nowadays seem all over the place as well as prices for audio gear. For instance, my sub-200€ SR-X Mk3 normal bias that is classified as "entry-level" takes full benefit of this DAC.

 

Update: found a minty one locally, negotiations are currently standing at 2370€ for the DS-10 DAC with the PSU-10 EVO.

A little tempting...

I demo'd Holo May and Spring KTEs with a two-box streamer made by my country's Holo distributor. I did not get to do proper A/B testing, but I heard almost none or no difference compared my Node and RME DAC. With the May, definitely a difference, but nowhere near the price difference--I left the demo feeling much much more confident about my setup as-is.

 

Disclosures: I have almost zero experience, zero engineering or audio knowledge, and my opinions should not be taken without salt. My setup (Node, RME, balanced Mogami interconnects, a powerstrip with Faraday cage enclosures, and a Carbon) may or may not induce cackles--they are welcome if they are wrapping for advice. And...I use ALL the tinkering features the RME provides, and I get a sound that is pretty close to what I imagine is my hearing ceiling. I use a Soren Brix-build Carbon. 

 

I was looking at the Chord Dave and TT2 as well...until I stumbled upon the thread here about Chord Dave...

 

[What are you listening to Part the Third]

At risk of stating the obvious (again), I'll pose the question: does anyone else notice their music tastes change as their audio gear improves?

I used to think Sonic Youth was my favorite band. But my audio setup just reveals noise, not nuance. Maybe there's another setup out there that provides separation for all those guitars...

I'm listening to Loretta Lynn all day today, starting with her Hymns, Don't Come Home a Drinkin', and the massive Honky Tonk Girl collection. My wife is Dutch and thought it was Dolly Parton...I quickly corrected her that she's listening to maybe the best country/folk singer America has produced.

[What Are You Building Today]

1 hour ago, Zoide said:

Hi @spritzer,

I'm considering buying a used KGSS Klassik (serial #006). I see that you no longer make them. Are they reliable long term?

Or are they any concerns (noise, reliability) due to having the electronics crammed into such a small space, for example?

What other amps would the Klassik be comparable to (e.g., Octave II, STAX 717, 353X, High-Amp.de models)?

Thanks

I would guess/expect a high-amp.de amp to be in the same league as a midrange Mjolnir amp, but I only base that opinion on the recommendations of others who know that high-amp.de builder personally. I have never owned products by either person. I hope to visit high-amp's workshop myself this summer. 

I have a 353x now, and I am getting a Carbon built because the 353x is good for an affordable amp, but not powerful enough--the Carbon I'm getting is not by Spritzer, but that says nothing about Spritzer's reputation as a builder, which is unquestionably impeccable--I mean, I doubt there is anything on the internet that mentions problems with a Mjolnir product. That should tell you something.

One thing I am curious about is what kind of pot/attenuator/misc. is used in an official Stax amp, as I am currently trying to decide on whether to have my Carbon build upgraded from an rk27 to a Goldpoint47. As I sit in front of my 353x, I'm wondering what Stax itself uses. I understand that Spritzer uses the best components he can find in all his products, though.

[RIP someone or another]

3 hours ago, n_maher said:

Think very fucking carefully before making your 17th post here.

I should have led with sincerity, without giving the impression of sarcasm.

My comment is about why gun control efforts are consistently unsuccessful. I'm a retired teacher. I taught in urban high risk schools as well as boutique private schools. Both communities live with the same fear in the background. But, the production of weapons is "good" for economics. So, guns stick around.

I apologize if my comment implied that I'm in support of such a system. I quit my last teaching position--then permanently migrated from the USA--in part because I don't want my own children to grow up with any thought about their school as a non-safe space. I also don't want to teach anyone in an environment where any of us could have a gun. I lost my 401k in the process and I miss teaching, but I don't regret leaving.

I hope this clarifies my remark.

 

[RIP someone or another]

8 hours ago, Craig Sawyers said:

 

Arming the teachers will do diddly squat to deter atrocities like this.

Well... Not trying to be cheeky, moreso honest...but there's a whole lot of teachers in America--letting them all carry guns would be great for business and most 401k plans...

[SRX Plus and where do i go from here.]

23 hours ago, Oldie said:

@Aspirant Audiophilei'll bite, tell me what's funny.

And in full disclosure that 99,9% i've only a worthless post to expect in reply, but i came here to ask something very specific so who knows.. maybe in your infinite wisdom you possess knowledge that would indeed make my enquiry seem ludicrous.

Have at it.

(also, because my understanding is that you're young, are here to talk about your new 'sport' and while affluent compared to me, you lack wisdom or tact; i asked something very specific, to which i've yet to receive a reply; that includes Gepard's post, which answers neither of my two questions. Tact however dictates i reply to him politely, thank him for bothering, keep the conversation going as it where, while refraining from repeating myself)

I am neither young or affluent. I have no interest in sports--with or without quotation marks that attempt irony--and while my wisdom and tact (or lack thereof) are certainly subject to question, I rely on real-life measurements, not name-calling on the internet.

I have no opinion about your technical skills and I wish you the best.

[SRX Plus and where do i go from here.]

1 hour ago, tomislavkufrin said:

You can always go for Carbon as the reference. 

If I understand correctly, this is what I'm doing. I'm not sure what I'm hearing with my temporary x9000s/353x setup, but it's not great. I hope to have a Carbon in a month, then explore other models with the Carbon as reference.

[The Headcase Stax thread]

53 minutes ago, reuben3 said:

I actually went out today to try the 007's but they only had 009's. I thought why not 😁 and the fit was actually surprisingly comfortable! They had it setup on a D-50 (I'm not sure what it is, I'm new to Stax) and I was left really underwhelmed. I couldn't put my finger what was exactly wrong, but just like you said it was really dull and almost had no dynamics. If the 007 + 353x are similar in dynamics then you've saved me from making the wrong choice.

I had the D-50 at my home for about two days and agree that the dynamics or lack thereof are mediocre. I returned the D-50 because my wife and I thought the sound from a D-50/L700 was actually worse than a 252/L500. Apparently it's something to do with an outdated DAC in the D-50, along with the amp itself being an old design compensated by a stylish chassis?

I'm using a 353x now for my x9000s while I wait for a Carbon, and something is definitely off--very few music choices have any crispness, to the point that I am using aggressive EQ to take out the thick fuzz in anything that isn't classical. But now all vocalists sound like they're on helium. Interesting in any event to get to understand more about audiophilia (real word?) with a mismatched setup that will improve through experience.

[Stax SR-X9000 review]

3 hours ago, spritzer said:

The L500Mk2's are excellent and probably the best new Stax on offer aside from the 007's (which are hardly new at this point).  Far more balanced than they used to be and easy enough to fit L700 earpads if that is your thing

I loved the L500MK2s but didn't trust my ears because they were the second set of Stax I'd ever heard. Four weeks, continued mistrust, and ten trades with the hifi shop later, I wound up getting the x9000s.

Fucking hell.

Considering getting the L500s for a point of comparison.

[The Headcase Stax thread]

8 hours ago, Oldie said:

Even implying, no mater how tactfully, that they're here to fool or misdirect you is as such pretty fucking retarded if i may be so bold. This goes to certain newcomers.

As stated, moderation appears to have been lapsing here lately.

You think that Paltauf monstrocity, on an Italian crappy chassis at that (hum hum and hum) is your amp of choise? By all means and so long to you, truly. Enjoy.

 

As I wrote before, I'm here to learn, and I'm grateful for the patience of several experts. The responses helped me understand how to make the most of my Stax, and hopefully be a better contributor down the line. I'm sorry if I didn't manage myself appropriately.

-uncertain newcomer

[The Headcase Stax thread]

45 minutes ago, spritzer said:

This thing is actually worse than previously thought when you look at it.  So first thing, never, ever use the balanced input... those are clearly opamps next to each XLR socket so... yeah badly converted to SE.  Pure quality there...

Then we have one input tube feeding both EL84 push-pull output stages so it has to be a phase splitter for them.  There is not a whole lot of gain here plus the limitation of the choke being used... this is pretty dire

A bit of context here, when you dig through history, the first ever mention of electrostatic headphones (DIY) is from the 50's and something like this is what was suggested as the amplifier to drive them... as there were push-pull tube amps everywhere at that time.  Leave the output transformer secondary floating, take the signal through caps off the output tube plates, some high value resistors to ground after the caps and a simple bias off the B+.  So this is somehow high end now? 

This is interesting. Do the build problems you point out affect the lifespan of the amp? Is the amp set up for functioning problems of use, from the start?

If I do wind up traveling to Graz to try the Paltauf, at this point much of my interest is just in talking to the owner--I might bring your and KG's comments on an index card. Not to challenge anyone, just to understand.

[The Headcase Stax thread]

17 minutes ago, kevin gilmore said:

the paltauf is not exactly poorly made. certainly not in the same junk class as eddie current and singlepower. both of which are now out of business. But the chassis is a standard hifi2000 with wood panels bolted to it. the wires attached to the metal panels for circuit board support are not really what i would consider acceptable. an unbalanced amplifier where one more tube would have made it balanced input would seem much more practical. and since we are comparing companies to companies, the woo audio es8 is basically the same thing at 1/3 the price. And built better.

For the record, I was in contact with Eddie Current staff yesterday. But they definitely didn't impress... They didn't seem aware of an x9000s. 

(Is it a dumb question to ask) why does one want a balanced versus imbalanced amp? I swear I read somewhere that imbalanced is objectively preferable in subjective moments... Or something like that.*

*Two months in, and I'm THIS close to being able to impress people in a bar with my sourced audio knowledge! 

[The Headcase Stax thread]

1 hour ago, kevin gilmore said:

aeras is a fully dc coupled design similar to blue hawaii with no caps in the signal path and no output iron. for those people that want a smaller single box design. beautifully built with custom chassis and quality parts.

does anyone really want an inductor based design?

take a megatron, remove 4 of the output tubes and add lundahl center tapped inductors and output capacitors.

or if you want something physically smaller, pick your favorite 5 watt pentode and do the same thing point to point.

i can certainly whip up a circuit board, people just have to decide which is their favorite tubes. maybe $800 in parts total of which $200 is the inductors.

What I find truly mind-blowing at this point of the...debate(?) between Spritzer, KG, and Dynavit (and others) is that both sides are pretty convinced that they're in the right. The invective is less useful, but the technical commentary remains helpful.

This debate wouldn't be mind-blowing if Dynavit were a Paltauf employee. I hope I'm right when I say I don't think that's the case, though--I made an account at open-air-music to find out for myself, and there are swarms of people with the exact same opinion as Dynavit, who is an active, consistent, respected member of the forum.

Are they talking specs on the same level as Spritzer and KG? No. But I'm kind of wondering how the Paltauf can manage to get universal praise from seasoned, non-idiot audiophiles in the German language, while it's a poorly made, poorly conceived money grab in English. 

I'm not sure why anyone is using the resale market for a point of reference, though--Austria and to a lesser extent Germany has a very different culture and economy than the rest of the Western world. Quality is saved for, bought--and kept forever. 

 

 

 

[The Headcase Stax thread]

2 hours ago, padam said:

https://www.inexxon.com/online-shop/paltauf-verstärker-amplifier/

Some specs are here, a full Carbon with GRLV+GRHV costs a lot less, maybe even a modded 727 is more than competitive against it...
 

And of course there is also this one, the Eksonic Aeras, which I am sure is also going to be excellent (was presented at CanJam and most people said it really wasn't far off the DIY T2) and distributed within the EU as well (with warranty, if you are worried about that).

In fact I had an excellent phone call with Kerry about the Areas yesterday--I'm very hopeful that I can listen to it in person soon!

[The Headcase Stax thread]

6 minutes ago, kevin gilmore said:

the lta unit is something different entirely. and has 1% distortion and switching noise due to the square wave oscillator, diodes and high frequency transformer.

The eddie current electra is a center tapped inductor with capacitors on the output. No distortion specs ever published.

The original woo audio wes is a pair of inductors with capacitors on the output. No distortion specs ever published.

The malvalve has an output transformer and in electrostatic mode the headphones are run off the transformer primary.

The new es8 finally has a center tapped inductor and output capacitors. Low power output tubes. 

The palatauf is highly similar to the es8 with lundahl center tapped inductors ($100 each) and output capacitors.

None of these amps have enough voltage gain to have enough feedback to reduce the distortion to reasonable levels.

None of these amplifiers have inductors or transformers specifically designed to drive electrostatic headphones which result in various phase and frequency response issues.

if i knew of a company that would be willing to correctly wind me some transformers i might be willing to make an amp like this. Even if i wanted to wind my own transformers, availability of the cores i want and the rest of the parts are impossible to find. And there would be 1 more tube gain stage.

Thank you Kevin and Spritzer for these detailed responses. Definitely a red thread through the amps that you're pointing out, and which I wouldn't have noticed until well after purchase, if ever.

Incidentally, I've been in touch with Eddie Current, Malvalve, and Paltauf builders in the last week. No, we didn't discuss inductors or capacitators, but I wish we had!

I'm also in touch with folks who specifically build Kevin Gilmore designs...and basically every builder who uses KG designs and who has been recommended on Head-Case...sounds like that's the only direction to go...