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Post by musicman1806 on Dec 12, 2013 4:45:04 GMT
Hi everyone, I am Eric from Florida. I am a musician, been playing piano since I could walk and also play sax and trumpet. I was a piano performance major in college but then switched to audio recording out of curiosity. Needles to say it opened my eyes to the joy and technicalities of music reproduction, especially from the point of view as a music creator. I found about a year ago just how good recorded music can be be on a superb pair of headphones ! I'm no expert in audio engineering, just learning everything I can on my life's journey. My taste in music is truly eclectic but if forced to choose, it would be classical.
I listen to both digital and vinyl. Turntable is an old JVC QL-A2, AT440MLA stylus and Rolls VP29phono. Digital goes to good ole cheap Fiio Taishan DAC. All sources end up in my Sunrise II - HD600/HD650 and when my ears need to take a breath of fresh air, a pair of Mackie MR5 studio monitors.
I found this site when googling my Sunrise II amp. This is THE best audio forum I have found and look forward to finding some good info here. Tube rolling is so much fun !
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Post by MaN227 on Dec 21, 2013 17:50:15 GMT
hello music, headphone and amp lovers. Been away for quite some time, some of you may know of me as I see some familiar names. I hope everyone has been in good health and spirits in the time that has passed. Glad to have stumbled across your forum. rather like the forum name boys I look forward to interacting with all of you. Peace, MaN227
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 21, 2013 18:16:09 GMT
Hey Chaz..... you found us!!! We're small but perfectly formed. There certainly are some old familiar names here and I must admit, I have enjoyed starting the place up with Solderdude and Javier. Recently been busy on the World Music front with Alan steaming out a load of recommendations. Terrific stuff and of course, Frans and the Ember/Sunrise and Horizon amps which are really terrific. I have an Ember and now use nothing else. A beautiful sounding and really powerful amp sold by Jeremy in the USA. Only been going a short while, but most stuff has been really positive and I've been quite chuffed with the quality of the posts.
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Post by MaN227 on Dec 21, 2013 18:40:17 GMT
since I made this post before actually browsing around, I notice you have a dedicated thread for " intro" sorry about that. please feel free to move my posting if you wish. actually I'm stocked to have found DIYAH, found you through a websearch I was doing about an amp which linked me to a thread over at headfi started by some banned fellow techguy or some such which you posted in the thread. it was the sunrise II, I looked at it, my first thoughts were this looks like a beefed up indeed/bravo, then I read who was behind it and just smiled, the one and only solderdude hope all is well for you. this may seem silly but I'm gonna assume the way you posted Ember/Sunrise/Horizon in order is perhaps your order of preference? ember being the best of the 3?
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Dec 21, 2013 18:49:39 GMT
I love the Ember, Chaz. Powerful, dynamic and tubey. Streets ahead of any Bravo type by miles. I also loved the Horizon. Similar in sound but not the same amount of power. i also had the Sunrise...... The best is Ember and Sunrise is the lower end model. However, they are all really good. The Ember runs unbelievably cool as well. The hottest part of it is the actual tube itself which just gets warm. no big heatsinks but tons of power.
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Post by MaN227 on Dec 21, 2013 19:52:52 GMT
interesting thanks rabbit, I will inquire further in the appropriate thread, thx again. suppose I need to try out some avatars that default one is scary lol feel like I'll be abducted at any moment lol
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solderdude
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measureutternutter
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Post by solderdude on Dec 21, 2013 21:38:03 GMT
since I made this post before actually browsing around, I notice you have a dedicated thread for " intro" sorry about that. please feel free to move my posting if you wish. actually I'm stocked to have found DIYAH, found you through a websearch I was doing about an amp which linked me to a thread over at headfi started by some banned fellow techguy or some such which you posted in the thread. it was the sunrise II, I looked at it, my first thoughts were this looks like a beefed up indeed/bravo, then I read who was behind it and just smiled, the one and only solderdude hope all is well for you. this may seem silly but I'm gonna assume the way you posted Ember/Sunrise/Horizon in order is perhaps your order of preference? ember being the best of the 3? I was notified a new member joined the forum... man227... this can only mean ... CHAZ ! Welcome to this forum !
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Post by MaN227 on Dec 21, 2013 21:51:32 GMT
thanks Mick, Frans, Ian , its very nice to see you all again how cool is this? 3 of my favorite people from over yonder awesomeness
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Post by imstimpy on Feb 7, 2014 20:20:57 GMT
My first real exposure to hifi came from my dad many years ago. He sat me down, plugged me into his Crown DC300-powered stereo, and had me listen to ELP. It wasn't until about 11 years ago that I really started listening to hifi headphones.
I very nearly bought a set of Sony MDR-V700 DJs. After having the foresight to demo Grado's entire line at a hifi shop, I bought the Grado SR60i. I later upgraded to SR80i, after the SR60i cable began to rattle in the ear pieces. Headphone amplification came a number of years later when I bought a packaged deal with AKG K701s and a HeadRoom Micro Amp. A year or two later I realized my cheap Grados were more engaging than my expensive AKGs so the AKGs went into a box. To keep the sound out (and in) at work, I dabbled with Etymotics, Shures, and finally the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 Pros. The isolation was superb, but the Grados would eventually came back to work for "comfort". On my quest for sound isolation I purchased a pair of Denon AH-D2000s a few years ago. The Denons are still at work and are still powered by my Micro; I did Lawton's L1 mod a year and a half ago love it. The earcup attachment broke a year ago, but my McGuyver-swivel is still holding strong. The Grados went home when the Denons came to work. Eventually the Grados received some "comfy" pads and a new termination. The Grados served me well until they went into a drawer with another shorted cable. Out of desparation, the AKGs came out again. The listening experience at home, amplified with a MixAmp, was even worse than the Micro and it was this dissatisfaction that directed me towards RG and the Panda.
I bought a grubDAC kit a year ago, but it sat un-assembled in a box all that time. Some three months ago I purchased a Panda kit. While awaiting delivery, I used the grubDAC to cut my teeth on the first soldering project I'd done since a friend and I half-assed some computer adapters for N64 and PSX controllers some ten years ago. After some hidden solder bridges below the 805-series capacitors, the grub registered on the system and I was victorious! The Panda took longer to build but, fortunately, was much easier and powered on without a hitch. I have scoured the boards for mods to my Panda and added some, with others still planned.
I have just generated the BOMs for AMB's γ1, γ2, and σ25 and am awaiting parts. A Horizon might be my next amp project after that. In the meantime, I'm swapping parts on the Panda to remove some sibilance found only on the Denons and reading about power supplies. Concurrently, I'm helping a friend get his Raspberry Pi audio project going. Besides the headphone setup at work and at home, I also have a hybrid home theater setup consisting of Paradigm, M&K, Aragon, and Sunfire. I briefly tried movies with headphones and the MixAmp (a Dolby surround emulator), but the amplifier quality is sub-par. No Country For Old Men is superb when heard through headphones.
I am a software/firmware engineer by trade so I usually average quite a few hours in headphones per day. While I don't have an EE degree, I work with EEs on a regular basis and try to learn as much as possible from them.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Feb 7, 2014 20:40:50 GMT
Welcome to DIYAH. I did see your posts on RG actually, just recently concerning the Panda. Mine was built by Mike. I like the sound of the amp actually. It's warm and powerful but I have moved on to an Ember with its configuration capabilities and the use of a tube which works well with different types of headphones since it's a kind of chameleon. It's the one I use now all of the time tbh. The Ember was designed by Solderdude who you will see on here. I also occasionally have to work with EE's!! Funny people. All cool dudes but I'm on the other side as a player so we get involved in good old healthy punch ups quite a lot!!!! (Just joking - they're ok) They tend to be so technically focused that they forget about the person on the other side of the mic. A bit like having a photo taken by some genius photographer and then not liking the picture - dare you mention it?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2014 20:41:24 GMT
Hi Stimpy and welcome to the madhouse! Now that you've got some soldering experience, why don't you recable your Grado's since they seem to be well loved cans
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 22:05:45 GMT
Hi All, I tripped across this site after investigating the Ember. I've been reading the thread about the Ember to answer some questions about how much the tubes affect the sound of that amp. I've also finished reading the tube rolling thread here and posted to it last night. Basically I think my hobby started with video games. About ten years ago I wanted to be able to listen to music and play games without disturbing my female cohort of the moment. I ended up purchasing a pair of Sennheiser HD280's which for all their faults, I still enjoy. At that time I had no idea about amplification and their 64ohms meant I was losing something in my music. They're bass shy headphones to begin with but without amplification they were borderline anemic. At some point in my career as a software QA professional, it became advantageous to use closed cans. I decided to take the plunge and attempt to assemble a cMoyBB. That failed but only after giving me a few moments of clean, powerful audio that I'd never known I was missing. And then some acrid smoke that I definitely didn't miss. I built another one and it failed as well... I now have a fear of assembling the Ember myself even though my soldering skills are decent and my iron is excellent. Fast forward two years and I decided a Little Dot MK2 was what I needed. I loved that thing. I collected probably 40+ tubes for it. The LD amps are extremely versatile, there are a LOT more tubes that you can roll into them which aren't specified by the manufacturer. A lot of times the differences were small, some times they were large. Overall I loved finding new toys to try in the amp. I recently bought an Aune T1 and am currently underwhelmed by rolling tubes in it although it is a great piece for the price. A pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 250ohms are currently in the mail. My first REAL headphone upgrade in ten years. Long overdue. I also have a pair of Shure SE425's that I use for traveling. Excellent IEMs though a bit shallow in the ear. So! Why the Ember? Why here? I wanted brilliant closed back cans so I set my sights on the Mad Dogs. However, they take something over 1watt to drive to their full potential. The Little Dot and the Aune can't supply anywhere near the current needed. There's another pure tube amp made by Musical Paradise that I'm eyeing but it would require investment in yet a whole different set of tubes to roll with. It's also apparently not the cleanest amp. I've already got a good set of tubes to roll into the Ember and it's reviews are glowing so... why not? Music wise, call me what you will but I typically listen to a lot of electronic music. Because I listen at work, I can't handle lyrics (which fiddle with my concentration) so for a very long time I've leaned towards music without lyrics. That's not to say that I don't enjoy classical, metal, bluegrass, delta blues and other more organic genres. And I'm spent. EDIT: My name is Adam!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Feb 14, 2014 5:37:13 GMT
Welcome to DIYAH Adam. I fully understand the fear!!
I have exactly the same feelings since quite a long time ago, I touched a wire going to a synthesiser which had a fault. The shock actually sent me flying and I had such a thump on my chest, it was as though someone had punched me really hard.
I lay on the floor thinking that was it. I was dead as a doornail!!
I use the Ember as well. It's a brilliant little amp and mine was assembled for me, because the fear of doing that again is still with me to this day.
Ian
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2014 11:59:43 GMT
And then some acrid smoke that I definitely didn't miss. Damn, you let out the Magic Smoke!!
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Post by hifidez on Feb 19, 2014 14:32:21 GMT
Hi. So how come I missed this site?
Great to see so many familiar names. I have been flicking through the posts and I like what I see. I'm not into DIY these days (apart from one project which will be finished soon) but am keen on good audio for modest outlays... which seems to be in line with the philosphy here. Like also the conversations about perception of audio quality and how we're all different in this respect.
Regards,
Derek
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