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Rudistor RP1000 Balanced Amp


sovkiller

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$13,000US for a hybrid amp that uses cheap-ass $10 tubes? Fuck that shit. For that kinda cash I can have someone custom build me a balanced 300B tube amp with Western Electric tubes.

It's not the cost of the tube that's important. For example, I much prefer EL84's and 6SN7's to 300B's or EL34's...just my tastes.
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It's not the cost of the tube that's important. For example, I much prefer EL84's and 6SN7's to 300B's or EL34's...just my tastes.

True enough, but IMO certain tubes are inherently better than others given a decently optimized implementation. For example the ECC40 I'm using has lower distortion than the 12AU7 and a less objectionable distribution of the distortion harmonics, and to me they sound cleaner & more detailed. And of course there are tubes which are even better. I'm just not a fan of the 12AU/T/X7 family of tubes, I've heard very few amps I like which use them.

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Rudistor balanced amp sounded better with Beyers than Senns (although if he's selling a $13K amp, Rudy should put new pads on his Senns, as the ones there were shot). The Rudistore is a cleaner-sounding amp than the B-52. However, neither of them seemed able to project a soundstage that went past the headphone. I'm getting a bigger stage out of my modded EarMax Pro than either of those amps managed at the meet. Note: There's more going on than staging, and there are aspects of the sound that both amps did better than the EMP. That said, I like a reasonably large stage with some apparent height, width and depth, and neither the B-52 or Rudistor provided that at the meet. That's the major advantage of balancing, to my ears (well, better low end is another), and these amps simply didn't get the point, to my ears. I'd take the Noise Audio amp single-ended amp over either of these (that monster was sonically gorgeous), but must confess I'm still extremely happy with the SDS-XLR which has been getting even better (am in process of upgrading caps and tweaking the circuit to Mikhail's current spec) :)

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At the National I was told $13,000 US retail.

Now to see if they can find ten morons to buy the limited production run.

There are plenty of morons around thats for sure but I think for the most part the ones that could afford that are probably well aware of Rudistors build quality history and will avoid it. If they don't well then thats their stupid fault.

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Hirsch - Did you try the Headroom Balanced Max with the new modules? I liked it over the SDS-XLR with my K340's. :)

I didn't get to hear that one this time. On the older modules, I felt that the Balanced Max and SDS-XLR each had headphones that they performed better with. I preferred the Beyer DT-880 on the Balanced Max to the SDS-XLR (not sure what would happen if I was specifically tuning the amp for the Beyer, though). SDS-XLR had the edge with Qualia 010, RS-1, and HD-650, IMO. For AKG's (K-340, K-1000, and formerly K-701), my amp of choice is the Wheatfield HA-2.

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Sorry about going slightly off topic, but was anyone able to do any in-depth comparison at all between old modules and new? My Max has to go in for repair and I was wondering whether a module upgrade was worth it.

I can only assume that you are aware of this thread. And I believe that HR recently revisited the pricing of the modules and serveral other upgrades in their lineup.
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For AKG's (K-340, K-1000, and formerly K-701), my amp of choice is the Wheatfield HA-2.
Yeah, the Wheatfield is great. I remember fondly listening to Fred's Wheatfield with $1K of tubes in it at Ray's house. 8)

Then again, my K340's weren't balanced at that time. I'd have to say [from memory] that the K340's balanced is a whole 'nother story. Sort of like the change that happens in the Senns when you balance them.

I think that if Mikhail had a better source and the tubes weren't chosen specifically for his R10's it might have been a different story though. But in a way I am sort of glad. It is bad enough I am lusting after the Balanced Max. I can't afford it right now... and I DEFINATELY can't afford the SDS-XLR. :P

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