[Beefy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoilermakerFan /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a low probability, but might as well eliminate it.

I recall it buzzing when uncased, while the toroid was a decent distance from the PSU. I really doubt this is it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by runeight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you tried firing up in the dark to see if you can see any arcing? You may need to look at both top and bottom of the board.

I can certainly try it.

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilCox /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks guys! You are confirming what I hoped/expected. I really enjoy this amp and its performance with both 404LE and O2 is outstanding.

FTFU.

Grrrrrrrrr - performance should be completely seperated from cost.

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif FTFU. Grrrrrrrrr - performance should be completely seperated from cost.

soo true...have noticed that very few people in this hobby have had this revelation in the relatively short period of 7 years I have been doing this. In this hobby meaning DIY audio in general.

All credit goes to the designer.

Easily the total cost can exceed 1000$ even for this design based on what kind of casing and boutique parts, if any you opt for.

 

[audionut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif soo true...have noticed that very few people in this hobby have had this revelation in the relatively short period of 7 years I have been doing this. In this hobby meaning DIY audio in general. All credit goes to the designer. Easily the total cost can exceed 1000$ even for this design based on what kind of casing and boutique parts, if any you opt for.

Totally agree!

This amp still amazes me more everyday, and I still can't believe the level of performance this amp achieves. Not to mention how easy it is to build! Glad I got in on this one, and hope it will still be offered to others in the future at some point.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif DC has almost no effect on the cans besides lowering their efficiency and in the grand scope of things 15V is nothing. All the Single Power ES amps shipped with a fixed offset of -100VDC or more and some designs have a rather high offset but compensate by increasing the bias voltage. Just look at the DC-coupled sibling of the GES which sits at +200V.

What amp is that?

 

[WilCox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif FTFU. Grrrrrrrrr - performance should be completely seperated from cost.

Agreed! I'm listening more to my eXStatA SS than my 007tA or 717 and enjoying every minute of it!

 

[nattonrice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif What amp is that?

HeadWize - Project: All-Triode Direct-Drive Amps for Electrostatic and Electret Headphones by Kevin Gilmore

Everything sits at 300v and swings around it.
Bias is lifted to 860v to give 560v relative to the stators.

 

[spritzer]

Ahh it was 300V.

Crazy expensive to build though with the high voltage Apex opamps. There is also another Gilmore all tube DC amp but I don't think anybody except the good doctor has built a functional unit yet. Rather cool design with a lot of tubes and needs at least 3 different filament supplies to work correctly. It's been on my to-do list for a while now but I just need to order some 6h30pi's.

 

[manaox2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif FTFU. Grrrrrrrrr - performance should be completely seperated from cost.

I'm banking on it being a great amp and certainly a value one, but I think I would want people keep in mind how much was accomplished for so little when giving credit to the designer. This design isn't the end all be all, for more money projected in adding to the circuit I think the design itself could possibly be improved. Its the bang for the buck for me when I judge performance which is how equipment should be judged IMO. I don't think anyone should judge it as being on the low end because it doesn't quite measure up to a BHSE without taking into consideration that the BHSE costs 10x as much.

 

[pabbi1]

You know, I happen to have several 6h30pi laying around (yanked the wretched EH gold pins out of the Ayon for some 1985 mil marked Reflektors), but dayum, even the mid 80s are $100, and I found some 1978 for $150 each. Were one of my Russian friends would do some buying when they visit the homeland.

Certainly more builds are close to coming online?

Oh, I do think it is in the conversation with the BHSE, and ASR did also at the Dallas meet, who owns a BHSE. At the NY meet, a BH judged as a 10 compared to my red board proto as an 8. While we can all disagree over scale, and if/how much better final is over proto, price really isn't all that relevant.

I would like to see the comparison with a 350v psu - to wit, if anyone wants to let me buy a set of boards for the express purpose of bumping the psu to 350v, and modding the amp accordingly (if needed), ping me. There is one such effort afoot, albeit at a leisurely pace...

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by manaox2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think anyone should judge it as being on the low end because it doesn't quite measure up to a BHSE without taking into consideration that the BHSE costs 10x as much.

These comparisons never work, like Al said it's best to just leave them out of it. If the Exstata was ever built commercially it would cost many multiples of its own part's cost and so on. So compare sonics all you want, but leave the dollars out as it only muddies the water. That's my 2¢ anyway.

Oh, and I thought the hybrid Exstata I heard in Boston sounded very nice.

 

[manaox2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher /img/forum/go_quote.gif These comparisons never work, like Al said it's best to just leave them out of it. If the Exstata was ever built commercially it would cost many multiples of its own part's cost and so on. So compare sonics all you want, but leave the dollars out as it only muddies the water. That's my 2¢ anyway. Oh, and I thought the hybrid Exstata I heard in Boston sounded very nice.

Oh, I think I get what your saying now, comparing sonics and leaving price out would be best.

So easier said then done.

 

[spritzer]

With the BH and T2 designs so much money is spent on utter overkill that is is hard to compare on price alone. There are certainly cheaper ways to make the same designs both in terms of parts used and the sheer number of parts but we like overkill.

Even the Vulcan has a lot of parts for a simpler version...

In terms of price/performance I do think the ESX is the hardest to beat though as it can be built for peanuts and sounds damn close to the modern CCS filled monsters. With 7f7's/EL34's it sounds very clean and controlled even if I running it a tad out of spec. All point-to-point though but pretty easy to do. I also did one on a perfboard (mini ESX) which was even easier to to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 You know, I happen to have several 6h30pi laying around (yanked the wretched EH gold pins out of the Ayon for some 1985 mil marked Reflektors), but dayum, even the mid 80s are $100, and I found some 1978 for $150 each. Were one of my Russian friends would do some buying when they visit the homeland.

Crazy prices indeed. Might be better to just drop some ECC99's into that KG design...

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the BH and T2 designs so much money is spent on utter overkill that is is hard to compare on price alone. There are certainly cheaper ways to make the same designs both in terms of parts used and the sheer number of parts but we like overkill. Even the Vulcan has a lot of parts for a simpler version...

overkill doesn't necessarily translate into sonic goodness..

The true genius is in making it sound great while keeping it simple..the great doctor Cavalli manages this in each of his designs.

This is the reason his works translate into actual working amps.

Can we get back to the builds and more impressions on the exstata now?

 

[spritzer]

As usual you have no idea what you are talking about.