Jon L

Hey, I've got it recorded on HD DVR. Will watch tonight, but man, I hope it's GOOOOD!

It's all true about various theories, but in practice, I still preferred resistor-based approach for *my* system, which is assembled to be passive-friendly. I kept the EVS Ultimate Nude attentuators (shunt type) after comparing to Bent Audio TVC (the upgraded silver TVC) and various tubed and SS preamps. The lack of extra interconnects and extra chassis/internal wiring really helps, too, b/c EVS is more transparent-sounding than even the Placette Passive, which uses the same Vishay resistor but requires another interconnect, chassis, etc. http://www.tweakaudio.com/Ultimate%20Attenuators.html

I agree about opamp-based electronic crossovers that are cheaply made, which is why I still like my Bryston active crossover, which uses discrete components only. Even then, I find it to excel only if its gain-match controls are not used. There are others, but, they are all very expensive.

Oh, yeah, my ideal would be huge, efficient electrostats with direct-coupled high-voltage tube amps. The old Acoustats actually did this... I wish somebody would make something like that again at a reasonable price, and I'm not talking about something like Martin Logan's new CLX, which uses multiple panels and crossovers

Why would you think that? Looking at passive crossovers always amazes me b/c it's a minor miracle any good sound can emanate after all the caps, inductors, and resistors do their damage. Something like this $25K active ATC 100ASL speakers should be good enough for most, but the vast majority of audiophiles simply will not buy active speakers due to audiophilia amphilia. http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue37/atc_100.htm So the next "best" thing we go for is actively bi-tri-amped speakers using active crossovers, so we can swap amps according to our audiophilia, but unfortunately, active crossovers can mess up the sound as well, and you lose the critical advantage of getting rid of speaker cables.

I had the PS DLIII for a while, and this review pretty much hits it on the head as far as the stock unit's sound. http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/psaudio6/cullen.html As far as APL...well, what can I say. I wish they would at least attempt to respond to their customers b/c in your case, Alex's spdif input circuit is just what you need.

Good death metal music really helps... A couple months time works even better

I logged into HF from work using IE today (all they have), and holy mother of Stax Quite a shock after being used to Firefox/RIP. If I was a new visitor, I'd be out of there immediately.

Ken Law is still hiding. I bought it used from Head Fi. If this thing has problems, I'm SOL

Storm Pandora DAC (used). I know *I* have my fingers crossed

Other than parts quality, what are the significant topology differences bet. BH and BHSE?

LOL, not that Soundstage graph again. That was Druids several generations before the current MkIV. If you heard them last year, they were likely MkIV's; what were the rest of that system? IME Druid MkIV are not giant killers or anything, and 6Moons (yet again) is way too kind to them. However, they are pretty good speakers, their main forte being high sensitivity and full, forgiving, warm sound. However, a used Cain & Cain Abbey Nearfield (no whizzer) would be the budget recommendation with Almarro. Stretch the budget, and the Cain & Cain IM Ben is out of this world.

There's this review. http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue35/lessloss_dac.htm

Oh, stop it. Really don't wanna, can't, won't buy more caps... But then again, I still haven't tried the Mundorf silver/gold/oil

Well, seeing how my current fave caps at 4.7uF are $100 and $170 each, unless you're Krazy, I would tend to buy a nice cap around 0.1 to 0.47 uF range and bypass the Solens. I actually kind of like Solens as far as cheap, big caps go, especially when used with tubes *except* for their fatal flaw, i.e. hardness in upper mids. IME, bypassing them with a smooth cap really tends to ameliorate this flaw.

iPhone? Borrow a camera b/c we all want to see inside DAC3. I'm guessing lots of open space inside

I believe this to be *THE* difference that makes you either a speaker audiophile or headphone audiophile. If you really "must" have such soundstaging, you will never be completely happy with headphones. Personally, recorded soundstaging is produced by microphone/recording technique and the recording/mastering engineer's fingers on the mixing board and has little to do with actual "soundstage" that existed live. This makes me a happy headphone audiophile

Wow, CS4328 18 bit DAC chips. That brings back memories; there have been some very engaging 18 bit DACs made. The circuit seems very simple and easy to mod. The first thing I would do is take out those 4.7uF Solen output caps or bypass them with teflon or polystyrenes.

Yup, with RIP, you can keep on right click on *anything* and go "remove it." I got the whole L side removed. Make sure to click "Remove permanently for this website" later. I posted about RIP at HF and promptly got deleted. Jude PM'd to let me know he hopes I understand Then again, he missed my "edit" to mention RIP in post #1, so I voluntarily removed it for him. My mama was wrong when she said I was no good

Oh, Thank you. RIP is working beautifully!

I thought the "explanation" to calm the masses was to support Can Jam, which is over, but the annoying left-sided banners/ads still make me move my cursor to right with every page change. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f11/can-jam-over-can-ads-move-r-again-323913/

I thought SRD-7 boxes Just can't drive O2 well (eh, Spritzer?) Which reminds me. At the Can Jam, did anyone try O2 MkI on BHSE and see if it bested O2 MkII?

I think it looks nice in that Air Tight amplifier type of way. But...$6000?! That's like Blue Hawaii SE + Stax Omega II

Almarro MkI had smaller power transformers and output transformers, and for that price, you can pick up a MkII on Agon. There are some Mk I.5's around, which had the upgraded bigger transformers while retaining the topology of MkI.

More bass than OII !? I was personally hoping for a little less bass and a little more treble/upper-mids..