[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by source direct Did you build that altoids amp yourself? I too am considering building one of those to use as a portable. I was thinking about attempting to fit the cMoy in it.

Heheh. Read the first post that started this thread. Head-Fi member and friend JMT built it for me as a gift of friendship. It was a total surprise. I'm not that talented. I can eat Altoids and empty the tin that way, but then I'd just have an empty tin. The talented DIY'ers like JMT and others (you too?) are the ones who can work magic on an empty tin. The Altoids amp in this thread is a cmoy with Apheared's 47 mod, powered by one 9v battery.

 

[Phlosopher]

JMT or Jude...how does the sound compare to the total airhead? I just sent back my TA today, decided I wouldn't use it that much. HOw much would you charge to make one?

John

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

.....how does the sound compare to the total airhead?

Since I have both an Altoid (although mine is the Original Peppermint version) and a TA, I'll give you my impressions. To my ears, the Altoid sounds more dynamic with more definition in the upper midrange and treble. The TA, in comparison, sounds pleasant enough, but a bit dull, with slightly rolled off highs, even with the crossfeed circuit off. At least that's what I'm hearing. As far as price goes, I think it best to contact JMT directly. Hope this helps.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

I'm not sure if the lock applies to the 1/4" plugs, but I assume it does, and so press it every time I insert and remove my headphone plugs.

Jude, it only applies to XLR connections

In college I worked setting up A/V for events and used lots o' them XLRs. Good stuff, but I don't have any XLR headphones

Quote:

I'm not that talented. I can eat Altoids and empty the tin that way, but then I'd just have an empty tin.

LOL!

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by Phlosopher JMT or Jude...how does the sound compare to the total airhead? I just sent back my TA today, decided I wouldn't use it that much. HOw much would you charge to make one?

John,

My take on the Total Airhead versus Altoids amp and JMT#4 (see below) is this (I have all with me now):

All these comments are with TA's crossfeed off. The TA has more rolled-off highs than the Altoids amp and JMT#4 (which is the fourth cmoy/Hansen/Apheared-type amp JMT built me, powered by eight AA batteries). With some of my music, I like this roll-off better (like with most of my crappily recorded/mastered 1980's-era rock CD's -- like Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking album -- that are too edgy sounding). The TA seems to have lower bass extension than the Altoids amp (could be some mild accentuating happening down there with the TA, but I'm not sure) , and a bit lower than JMT#4, so I like using it with bass-heavy music, like the Gladiator soundtrack. I also tend to like the TA with most of my rock albums (but not all).

The Altoids and the JMT#4 do have what sounds to be a more ruler-flat treble response. This detail is appreciated for me with more delicate music, like a lot of my piano CD's and some of my more delicate jazz recordings. I tend to use the JMT#4 (and likely now also the Altoids amp) with most of my classical CD's and a good portion of my jazz CD's. I also like it for my pop/rock CD's that are generally warmer sounding (like David Gray's White Ladder).

These are generalizations, but I hope it helps you somewhat. A couple of other generalizations: I tend to use my MDR-7506's (and/or MDR-V6's) more with the JMT amps -- to me, these 'phones sound better with the JMT amps than with the TA. My HD-600's sound better to me on the TA in general than with my JMT's. I use my V6/7506's just about every bit as much as my HD-600's. Given how picky I can be, it's not unusual for me to swap entire combinations here at the office depending on which CD's I want to listen to.

For example, at my office (where I don't have my Max), Eva Cassidy's Songbird sounds better through my V6's and JMT#4 (and now the Altoids amp) than the TA. However, Rebecca Pidgeon's The Raven sounds better to me through the HD-600's and TA.

Tough call, man. But I do so love having choices, as I can usually find just what I'm looking for.

 

[JMT]

Quote:

Possum asked What did you use to drill your holes, and were the holes perfectly round or chewed up?

I used a regular drill to drill the holes. A few suggestions to making sure that you get a clean hole:

1) Use a punch to gently make a starter dent.
2) Use the smallest bit possible to make the first hole.
3) Gradually use a larger bit.
4) After drilling the starter hole, drill slowly, that will reduce the chances of the hole getting ugly.

Quote:

Originally posted by jerikl I wish someone would just send me one of those amps in the mail... but I probably don't deserve one that much.

I don't know, tell me what you've done for world peace lately.

 

[jerikl]

Oh world peace? I don't know...

but you see how those gas prices are going down? that's all me. maybe a nice little altoids amp would make 'em go down even more...

haha, actually, if i had the parts, i bet i could do it myself, but i also wouldn't mind paying someone for the parts and to do it for me... if they don't cost too much?

 

[Tim D]

The thing about DIY amps is that you can change them to suit different needs. Of course the CHA47 isn't going to be optimal with the HD600, since the 47 was meant for Grado's created by Grado lover Apheared. I remember Apheared saying that it is for high current lower impedance, and it wasn't going to work great for something like Senns.

On the otherhand, I wouldn't be suprised to see Aph's HD600 optimized DIY amp to be kicking butt and taking names in that arena.

 

[Possum]

Quote:

4) After drilling the starter hole, drill slowly, that will reduce the chances of the hole getting ugly.

Ah

Serves me right for getting a cheap (in price) single-speed drill a few years ago.

 

[Budgie]

Another trick to try when drilling tin is to put a piece of masking tape over the spot you are going to drill. The bit is less likely to wander as much and the paint is less likely to get scratched.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim D The thing about DIY amps is that you can change them to suit different needs. Of course the CHA47 isn't going to be optimal with the HD600, since the 47 was meant for Grado's created by Grado lover Apheared. I remember Apheared saying that it is for high current lower impedance, and it wasn't going to work great for something like Senns. On the otherhand, I wouldn't be suprised to see Aph's HD600 optimized DIY amp to be kicking butt and taking names in that arena.

That's a good point, Tim D. Maybe that's one of the reasons for what I said in my comparison above. My JMT and Altoid amps make my V6/7506's sing. Neil also has one, and his Grado SR-80's are wonderful through both the Altoids amp and the bigger JMT-built cmoy/Hansen/Apheared amps.

 

[thomas]

I'm sure that Apheared's Senn 600 amp would kick his 47 amp with any headphone, Grados or Senns. THe elantec Buffers can put out WAY more current than OPA134's, so they would be able to drive low-ohm headphones like Grados better...

The thing with the OPA134 is that they are incredibly warm, almost tube-like, so they are excellent with cold, analytical headphones... Coolvj mentioned that his KSC-50's sound great, because their recessed midrange pairs with the strong midrange of the 134's

Grr223-yep, there's enough room for 2 9Vs, well technically 3 but there wouldn't be enough room for the circuity. I've built an altoids amp with 2 9V's and the electronics from the headroom Max inside (4 OPA627's)...

Possum, JMT- I don't think drilling is necessary in such a thin tin. The metal is too flexible for drilling... Instead, i just poke a hole through it and cut out the shape of the hole with pliers... Its much faster and won't damage the tin....

 

[JMT]

Quote:

Possum, JMT- I don't think drilling is necessary in such a thin tin. The metal is too flexible for drilling... Instead, i just poke a hole through it and cut out the shape of the hole with pliers... Its much faster and won't damage the tin....

Thomas,

I have to disagree with you on this one. The tin of the canisters is really not all that thin, at least thin enough to poke through it with an awl. The problem with that is that in order for you to exert enough pressure to punch through, it's also enough pressure to bend the metal out of shape, and cutting through with pliers will not make a "clean" hole for the components. Again, using some patience and a small drill bit for the initial hole, then gradually using larger bits, you get a nice clean hole for your components. At least that's the method that has worked on the 7 Penguin/Altoid amps that I have built.

 

[pigmode]

You can also "backup" the drill bit with a small piece of wood. The metal would then have much less tendancy to fold inwards.

 

[flight]

Would there be any chance of getting the schematic and possibly a parts list for this wonderful amp?