omendelovitz

Thanks Beefy. You have an M3 handy? I have a couple of people on HF demo'ing Rob's unit now, you can probably check it out for yourself. In fact, if someone (wink, wink) does a side by side on the units and finds the M3 better (DBT, of course ), I'll take the challenge and DIY myself an M3!

That would be awesome, thanks. The company name is Purity Audio. Internal shots: http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/rdh_skylab/DSCN8768.jpg http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/rdh_skylab/DSCN8771.jpg http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/rdh_skylab/DSCN8772.jpg http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/rdh_skylab/DSCN8767.jpg Signal Path parts are chosen carefully for premium sound w/o boutique bullshit, and we used quality low-end (e.g. switchcraft RCA inputs,panasonic pots) to keep this thing affordable. Our amusingly simple website: Purity Audio

cheers guys. Don't worry Nate, I don't expect you to build me one (although it would be nice...). I honestly don't have the money to pay someone to build me a unit like this - the DIY costs are daunting enough. Beefy, thanks for the advice, but truly speaking I've already got what I believe is the max of all entry-level/mid-fi amps - the Purity Audio KICAS (yes, its my company; no this is no shameless plug (I can't imagine the unit would overly impress anyone on this forum); no i didn't design the circuit (my partner did, man he knows his shit), but I did build many of the units by myself w/o play-by-plays). I'm looking at something like the B22 b/c I can't get my hands on a headcode (affordability aside) and I'm not a fan of the tube (running for cover while changing into my flame suit); The KICAS is great tonally, but needs improvement in the dynamics area and maybe in power output (although 600 ohm DT880's are driven well by the amp according to Rob Hughes). I may just wait awhile as I can only assume that the SOHA, C2KIII, and M^3 kind of play in the same area as the KICAS. Would the Headwize and HF DIY boards be enough in terms of instructions, proper testing methods, etc? Cheers.

I'm sure it is, and this is honestly my bad:palm: - I'm used to building transistor based amps with DC inputs (for simplicity, I guess). I've also built a PSU (from kits), so as long as I have the instructions, I think I'm good. Nate, am I still in over my head here? I know mosfets are much less forgiving than transistors...

Thanks everyone - I've already looked up the BOM on AMB and have started looking for parts. I think I'm going to go after the 2 channel unit, and was thinking of using this: MASTECH HY1803D DC POWER SUPPLY VARIABLE 0-18 V @ 0-3 A - eBay (item 140209000077 end time Aug-18-08 05:48:03 PDT) - it's a mastech HY1803D PSU. Can anyone comment on the suitability of this PSU, other than the fact that it's an ugly pig of a PSU?

I thought I'd use an adjustable bench test PSU... No, Arethon was the name of the manager/owner. He is ATI research, so to speak - ATI Research Company Limited It looks like they're back in business;D

trafo? see below before you reread:cool: You mean Arthon closed down? This is what I meant, Nate. Thanks again everyone.

How much would this cost me, you figure? are you saying stick with RCA unless 840 degrades the single-ended signal? If so, phew!

single ended for now. the 840 has balanced outs, but I can't imagine that balanced inputs on the B22 with only a single ended output would be useful. balanced D5000's might be nice though... Holy shit, there goes my son's tuition:palm: Sorry N - to answer the question, my cans are single ended, so I'd be looking for that for the time being. I could probably do the B22 by myself. It looks like Thrice wants $1650 for a completed B22, and i could probably DIY this thing for about $500 (nice cases in Thailand for about $200, plus $300 for the kit from glass jar audio). I'm just so nervous about milling the case and all.... EDIT: I assume I only need 3 channel or 2 channel and use the case as grounding for single ended? Is it worth balancing the inputs and single ending the HP jack?

Hey all, first of all, I've searched. Now, picked myself up a CA Azur 840C yesterday and want an amp to match. I'm using modded Denon D5000's. I tend to prefer SS over tubes as I'm a detail/analytic freak. A rule of thumb I assume holds is that the amp doesn't cost more than the source, so that limits the playing field to $1500-ish, which is more than ridiculous for an amp mated to a $1500 source IMO. I was thinking used GCHA, but want to know what others suggest. No op-amps here preferably, unless the circuit is well designed, and designed for said op-amp. I looked into a B22, but don't know who I can get to build one. I'd DIY it, but don't know where to find suitable kit and/or nice case for it. Thanks all, be kind to this newbie ass-hat.

stuff like this -> maybe I've been babied on HF for too long...

I've been quiet for long enough and quite frankly, I have to say this even though I may be repeating what others have said. I'm just a poor audiophile, so I've only experienced the Xin version of this kind of business practice. Who gives a flying fuck how nice and or enjoyable Mikhail is personally? I don't get how someone can like him as a person and not as a businessman. The guy is a thief and a scammer, and that's not just his business practice. How is his business practice not personal to the poor SOB who gave Mikhail his/her hard earned money only to see it disappear? If I were in a sorry enough state b/c of this, I'd break every bone in M's body. At least Larry Milligan (remember Larocco?) did the decent thing and took his presence off the web/shut down. P.S. - where did all the smiley icons go?

I'll second this comment minus the "yeah dude, like it was totally real!" doesn't make the "burn-in" so... IME, Grado assemblers don't seem to give a shit about the wiring arrangement - I had a pair of GS1000's and 325's with your issue. FWIW, my GS1000's were mounted onto their frames in diffrent places from each other (one was mounted almost dead centre, the other mounted 1/4 of the distance b/w the grill and the pad). For "made in the USA, Grado sure has some shitty build quality... (donning my who the fuck is this guy suit...)

that's easy. It's the forward presence and detail available at the lower listening levels. I used to complain all the time that I had to turn up my 650's in order to not-have-to concentrate hard on hearing the music. If you've ever owned the k701's, you'd know what I mean. They are also very hard on the ears at higher listening levels due to their presentation.

Pretty accurate assessment, tkam. My 1000's are about ~100 hours old and I can still say that the bass overwhelms me (and the sound spectrum) many times. My take on these grados is that the sounstage isn't anywhere near huge, it's more like front row at a concert. It's kinda funny, I opened up these cans expecting to hear unbelievably spectacular sound; I ended up finding a sound that was nowhere near mind blowing or incredibly lush, musical, etc. What I have found so far is that they are the most accurate headphones I have heard to date (minus the crazy bass; I hope the bass chills out as the cans work in some more). No more mushing of sounds together, no more losing track of an instrument in a song when passages get complicated; All I hear is an incredibly revealing listen. This can can be downright ruthless with poorly recorded tracks! BTW, I'm using 2 dap's and an SR-71. I imagine that the musical ride would definitely get more involving on some differently designed gear... Overall, I can say that I'm happy with the sound - not $1150 (CDN) happy, but then again I wasn't $400 happy with my k701's nor $300 happy with my 650's...

Hey everyone, Ok, so I have an SR-71 which I am happy with for the most part, but currently both my DAP's are good only from the headphone out (Rio Karma/iAudio X5); this leads to a problem I'm experiencing with piano passages and clipping. It happens too often for my liking and unfortunately, Ray Samuels hasn't been able to help other than to suggest that I drop the volume out down to 25% of full volume (at that output I have a hard time driving Grados with the amp) or to get a better source So instead, I've decided that maybe I need to get a new amp. Can someone suggest something helpful to me? Is Ray right(only solution is a better DAP)? Is there a better sounding amp out there that is more or less as portable as the SR-71? Are there other options for me otherwise?

which sellers on ebay do you use?

yeah, those are ones I would have put up, but was too absent minded to... I'll add one, however: www.audiyo.com Cheers.

I'd like to see what cables (make and model) people are using in their DIY's; a good source (store) listing for parts would be nice too.

tiberian - Having owned the 701's for a few months now and being a Grado fan, I can understand how you feel about their highs and lows. Having modded my Grados and getting a sense of how deep one can 'go into' the basses and the highs, I can see your point. I'd agree 100% w/ Xand1X though... give them some time. You may find that you'll want to keep both cans in the end (unless you don't care to 'go into' the mids that much) - I usually use my 701's for classical and pop (phil collins, elton john type pop) music where the Grado's are reserved for lounge jazz and rock. my 2c...