Yikes

Cool. I know that my transformer has a split primary and secondary. I'm working on the external ground using a ground rod. Thanks

Kevin, While surfing I came upon these instructions for Balanced Power Transformers. http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/catch2.htm I was wondering what your thoughts were on his directions? I also am curious about his comments about Toroidal vs I-E and how I shouldn?t have used a Toroidal. His Comments Thanks Yikes

Amazon sucks! Tower Records has it for $12.99 http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=4229689&title=Le+Fil+*&artist=Camille No offense, but your review isn?t worth $5.00 ;

I believe that the big DAC is in the 7 - 8K range, but don't quote me. I don't believe that Exemplar offers balanced outs on any equipment, or at least not on the 3910

John is making two DAC's. This one is his inexpensive DAC. I heard it at CES this January, it is a real over achiever, although I'd take an Exemplar 2900 over his baby DAC. His more expensive DAC is one of the best sounding DAC's (Redbook only) that I've heard. You certainly have to spend significantly more than $10,000 to get better. I've mentioned to John that he needs to update his web site. He says it's "in the works". It is drastically out of date. It shows the 2900. He's been modding the 3910 for almost two years now.

So did you like my gay joke? I came up with it twenty-five years ago when I was in the Navy. Most sailors are major homophobes and they would really freak out. It was hilarious. So I had a good retort when someone said, ?Suck my dick!? The other comeback that I am really proud of was when someone said, ?Your Mothers a whore!? I would reply ?Yes, but she?s expensive? They would get this confused look on their face, it was priceless.

I wrote the joke and I didn?t ?have to picture? it. Perhaps you have secret issues that up to now you were conveniently unaware of. Skepticism of a products performance or its relative value is one thing, i.e. an opinion. However you stated as fact that our products ?could not possibly cost the company even 1% to fabricate.? Since you are way off the mark (several multiples at least) it pisses me off. You have no idea about what it actually takes to produce a product. The final assembly labor alone costs significantly more than the amount that you stated as a fact for the costs of the entire cable. Why do I care? Because some people might read your drivel and actually believe it. Since your statement is grossly inaccurate I choose to take issue with it. Don?t You think that if you went online and started saying that SP amps or Headroom amps are ripoffs because they could not possibly cost the company even 1% (or 5% or 10%) to fabricate that Tyll or Mikhail would respond saying how wrong you are? I am not here to sell cables. The only time I mention Siltech is when I am referring to my own system, or something I?m planning. I truly like the product that I represent. My system was wired with Siltech before I got this job, and it?ll likely be wired with Siltech long after I leave this job.

I know what the parts that we OEM cost, and just the OEM parts cost several time what you feel the entire cable cost to produce. That alone proves that you?re full of shit. OK, but you won?t like it. My technique is terrible, but I do have enthusiasm.

You have no idea what it costs to produce one of our cables. If you are some bozo making cables in his garage out of some OEM crap that they have purchase you are correct. Try making Silver-Gold conductors and then using a geometry that no one else is using, that you spent hundreds of hours developing. Try calling up an OEM manufacturer and ordering a custom geometry (New machines required) out of ultra high grade silver and gold with Kapton insulation and just see how expensive cables can be. Then ask them what the minimum order is. Once you get into manufacturing a unique product out of very expensive materials the cost goes up astronomically. You have no idea about the costs of developing such products. Siltech in Holland has hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of test equipment that they use in the development and testing of its designs. Does Siltech make money? Sure. We?re not a charity. Does Siltech make as much margin as you believe? Absolutely not. The people who sell what amounts to DIY cables on Head-Fi might make the kind of margins that you believe. We however do not. Since you are fucking clueless about what it costs to produce a genuinely unique high technology cable you should shut the fuck up! Cost us less than 1% to produce? You?re a fucking moron! Our $2600 interconnects use WBT-101 RCA?s. OEM cost for a set of 101?s is many times what you believe our cost to be. Value is a subjective determination. If you say that our cables are not a good value I would not criticize you (Many people find them to be a good value). However when you make idiotic and grossly mistaken estimates as to what our production costs are I refuse to stay quiet. Try talking about what you know, instead of making shit up about something you know nothing about.

No I won?t be wiring my house with Siltech. Depending on the amount of wire necessary for the transformer I would consider the possibility of doing only the secondaries with Siltech. \ I laugh at your puny Acrolink. Comparing Acrolink to Siltech is akin to comparing a Hyundai to a Mercedes. The Hyundai is obviously a better value, but no one who?s in his or her right mind is going to say that the Hyundai is a better car.

Yesterday I discussed an idea with Siltech in Holland. I am going to have a custom balanced power transformer made to the same specs as mine. The only difference will be that this one will be wired with Siltech G5 silver-gold wire. I?ll be able to make direct comparisons to determine if it?s worthwhile. My bet is that it will be much better. We?ll see. Whether Siltech would market such a product is questionable. As of yet I don?t know the amount of wire that is necessary. My guesstimate is that a Siltech balanced power isolation device would likely sell in the $10,000 range. I know that most would consider that silly money. So we?re considering it an experiment. Still I might end up with the only system on the planet where everything, power, and all of the signal path is Siltech silver-gold

Extra sloppy. Is that the same as extra Moist?

The meters are not vintage for vintages sake. Nice digital meters cost more than $40 each. Fancy backlit (Ala McIntosh) meters cost much more. These Chinese non-backlit analog meters cost $13 each. I?d love to get some big McIntosh style meters, but they?re too much money.

Sure, if you bring your DV-50.

FYI, I?m LOVIN it! Balanced power is the only way to fly.

Kevin has much bigger, ah... transformers

I don?t have the exact specs. It was spec?d for use as a balanced power isolation device. It is a 1.5 KV balanced power transformer. More than that I can?t tell you. The person who spec?d it knows what is important. I?m listening now, and it sure seems to make a difference. It could just be my expectations, still if I perceive a difference that is all that mattes to me. It?s my ears that count. Hopefully by this time next week I?ll have my Exemplar player and amp back and I?ll be able to evaluate it with a reference caliber system then.

Tortran http://www.tortran.com/ I got in on a small group buy. I believe we ordered 4 or 5 of them. They were custom. They were spec'd by John Newton of Sound-Mirror recording/mastering studios (He's a recording engineer and a EE). They were designed to be used on the road. Input whatever you have and they'll give you 120 balanced. It even has a 100 volt tap, which would allow the inclusion of a variac with which you could adjust the voltage between 100 and 140 +-

Thanks. I'm going to go listen to my speaker rig to see if there is any difference.

It weighs 41 lbs. The parts cost is about $750, but if you built one without the audiofool parts it would be about $350. The ACME outlets are $45 each, and the Siltech input power cable is $300. To buy a consumer version would run well in excess of $1000. The Equitech with equivalent current capacity sells for over $1800. What?s Mang?

God damn it! Keep posting crap like that and I'll end up not hating you.

Well I finally finished my custom Balanced Power Conditioner. I'm pleased with the way it turned out. Acme Silver plated Cryo outlets. A little Siltech wire. Now I can't wait to get my equipment back from service. Thanks Kevin.

Two Way refers specifically to the fact that the frequency spectrum is divided into two sections, Highs and Lows. Most two ways use two drivers, but not all. Most center channel speakers as an example are three driver two ways using the WTW configuration. Personally I find the compromises made building an inexpensive three way to be unacceptable.

$300 a pair. My advice is to go used; this will generally save you 30-50% off normal list price. I?d recommend. B&W 602 series II, Large stand mounted speaker, ported with a good metal dome tweeter and Kevlar woofer. Advantage ? Has useable bass down to the low 40?s. This means that it doesn?t have to have a subwoofer for music. $550 retail new you should be able to pick a set up for $300 If you want quality sound stick with two-way designs, at this price range three-way designs compromise too much on the quality of the drivers. The best two companies producing speakers in this price range are B&W and Paradigm. Smaller audiofool companies do not have the economy of scale to produce speakers that are competitive in this price range. Companies that sell directly to the consumer could also be an option. A speaker sold direct for $300 would generally retail at a dealer for $500 to $600. The problem with these products is that the company and the performance of the speakers tend to be questionable. I?d seriously try to find a set of B&W 602 series II?s. My 2 cents.