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complin

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Posts posted by complin

  1. Have you tried the Mullard re-issues that are now Russian made? I have heard whilst they sound quite good they are not as robust or long lasting as the originals.

    Personally I prefer european EL34's. If not original British Mullard/Brimar then the Philips from the Netherlands. Philips acquired Mullard so some of their EL34's are basically Mullards but with Philips branding.

    East or west germany RFT or Siemens/Telefunken can be good too, but they can be a little brighter than the Mullard/Philips so fine with a 007 Mk1 but might be too much of a good thing with the 009's.

  2. I think many of us here tend to spend too much on this hobby, especially as we only have 1 set of ears ^-^ 

     

    I have both the supposed bass heavy and normal K1000's and there is no getting away from it they can be bright. I think they are just as difficult to get right as the Sen 800's  

     

    Wow you spend a lot on audio gear... btw since you like the SR007 treble I can see why the K1000 sounds strident to you

  3. I use mine stock too.

    I tried a few mods but it seemed to compromise the soundstage rather than necessarily fixing any brightness.

    I agree the amp and source seems to make the most difference but the cable much less so, if at all.

    Broadly i'm satisfied most of the time but recordings I would expect to be really great catch me out on the 800 sometimes and come over rather bright in places. I do find getting the volume right too also seems to make quite a difference as it is often so clear I crank it up too far, like I do with my Stax  :o   

     

     

    I'm still stock.

     

    I do think the Moon-Audio Black Dragon balanced cable helps a tiny bit, as well as a proper amp or tube choice, so I'm coming up on 5 years with a stock HD800 (CanJam LA 2009).

  4. Yes BUT its wierd that Frame says in his review 

     

    "Although the Audezes were darker than the Sennheisers, they were as good at revealing fine recorded detail. In fact, the LCD-Xes reminded me of the recorded detail that could be heard with Stax's Lambda electrostatics, with the important difference that I didn't become fatigued after long listening sessions, as I used to with the Lambdas."

     

    I find that a really strange comment as I have always felt that Stax, including the Lambdas, are one of the least fatiguing of all headphones, particularly as he is probably referring to the previous series and not the current.

     

     

    These were reviewed in Stereophile, in case anyone's interested.

    http://www.stereophile.com/content/audeze-lcd-x-headphones

  5. Well the Audiovalve spec is only 3 Watts max so nothing like the power of a BHSE or DIY T2, but then I suppose the 009 is easier to drive.

     

    So if the transformers in the Wee are bypassed how is the bias voltage being supplied?

     

    tech. describtion:

    • OTL - transformer outless tube amplifier
    • double mono construction
    • Alps volume control
    • 1 pair 6,3 mm stereo jacket for headphones
    • tubes: 4 * PCL 805 (PCL 85 or 18 GV 8 - german old TV "vertikal" ampl. tube )
    • power output: each channel 3 watt SINUS,  ( between 100 to 400 ohm loads )  
    • bandwide: 15 - 100 000 hz
    • damping 3600 !
    • distortion 0,002 % at 1 Watt-200 Ohm load
    • max. output voltage 80V
    • sens. 0dBm
    • IC - full autom. - controlled bias
    • class - a
    • power consumption min. 60 watt
    • size 360*200*120 mm (d.w.h.)
    • weight 6kg
    • patent full automatic servo tube biasing
  6. I see he has started selling "training kits" now to tame supposed treble issues with the Alpah Dods?  

     

    For isolation and sound quality I would seriously consider the Mr Speakers Alpha Dog 3D (whatever they call the 3D printed ones).  I was very impressed with them at RMAF for the price.  These may be slightly above your budget but they are true audiophile headphones.  I did not like the non-3D printed ones at all (lacked warmth and body).

     

    There are a pair of Thunderpants for sale at the other place

     

    Smeggy is MIA, unfortunately.

     

     

     

    LFF is introducing something call the Enigma which is a closed headphone but no pricing yet. Some are talking about custom drivers but could be a bastardised Hifiman?

  7. Great work Spritzer - really like the compact design

     

     

    Speaking of offboards...  As some of you might have spotted, I quite like to push the envelope in making smaller and smaller amps.   Going with what Kerry did but in an off the shelf chassis and no SMD parts it is a challenge to shrink something this complicated. 

     

    vh1gLevh.jpg

     

     

     

    PSU isn't ready yet but it is version of the BH design so +/-400V max.  That does mean more current though...  :)  The chassis is about 10mm wider than a SRM-727, similar height but much shorter.  Ohh and far more power... 

     

    Also, one should never do the chassis artwork 1 hour after they should have gone to bed... 

  8. Yeh he sometimes contacts me for information on some of my Stax and Sennheiser gear. Pleasant enough chap but he lays his prices on with a trowel!

    You will regularly see his sales going around and around on ebay. He had some sennheiser orpheus that were regularly on ebay for two or three years. Whether he ever sold them I have no idea, but they are not at a price that any sane enthusiast would ever consider paying.

     

     

    So you guys know the seller of those Sigmas? He also has a nice pair of lambdas on ebay as well.

  9. I presume you never tried any British or European tubes then? (Mullard/Brimar/Philips)

    Isn't the GS-X sound signature very similar to the Gilmore Lite? I tried the Lite and it was very good, in fact it was the first amp that made my stock Sen 800's listenable, but could still be a tad bright at times. I much prefer the Peak with a Mullard/Brimar tube, but then we all hear slightly differently.  

     

     

    GS-X Mk2 is my current fav. 

  10. Personally I don't think the current Lambda range sound as good as previous generations, but I have only had chance to listen for any length in the dealers showroom. They may sound better at home on my own set-up

     

    I switch over to my Lambda 307's and after about half an hour I always end up putting the Koss' back on ...

     

     

  11. I have been using the Apex Peak/Volcano with the HD800's for the past couple of months and have to admit they have the best synergy of anything I have tried so far. They sound stunning for dynamic. Currently tube rolling as well, Brimar/Mullard 6SN7/CV1988 is a great match. I have not tried the Eddie current or ECP audio offering as of yet as current funds won't permit this.

    I also think the source is important as I don't feel any of the bright very analytical DAC's are a good match for the HD800's, it just sounds too digital and I find the 800's tend to emphasise this.

     

    Interesting, I hadn't considered the Apex Peak. When it comes to the world of headphone amps, I'm definitely drawn to manufacturers/designers that I know or one of you personally knows. The audio world is already so full of shenanigans, and within the headphone amplification subset it seems like there is an even greater concentration of shenanigans than in the audio world at large. so todd/millett, justin/gilmore, dsavitsk, etc., are the types of names I can trust. I think we all (at headcase) pretty much operate on a similar principle.

     

    the luxman stuff looks awesome, i guess i just don't know enough about it to feel comfortable with the brand. i tend to be fiercely brand loyal, to a fault sometimes. anything i haven't obsessively, exhaustively researched doesn't sit right with me. 

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