spritzer

As good as the HD800 is it pales next to an electrostatic so yeah, the only sensible option.

There is nothing that would make the amp sound better over time. Broken is broken so just do a simple loop through test on the computer and see what is going on. I also don't see the benefits of running higher rail voltages like that. The amp was designed for a fixed point so I'd stick to it.

I suspect something is broken for it to sound this way.

I really need to chat with him soon to make fun of the utter clusterfuck that was the new album release....

I'd say they sound similar as in they sound "correct" what ever that means. The designs seems different but take an abstract view and they are quite similar, the goal is certainly the same one by giving the amplifying device(s) the resources really needed. The L-2 is far from a bog standard tube amp, there is a lot of sand in there and though the signal just passes through the tube and transformers. Same can be said about the Dynalo, the amp itself is very simple but the number of parts comes from the parallel output stage and CCS loading. I'm also matching the output impedance of the amps and that makes them more similar or rather removes one of the biggest obstacles in amp comparisons. It's SN: 8329 so probably about 2-3 years old by now. Stock there is a leading edge to their sound. Not Grado level of bright but push them with the wrong material and they will bite. Granted this is not as annoying as the edge on the SR-009 which makes them unusable to me but it's certainly there and exacerbated by lesser amps which can't give enough instantaneous power.

No problem on my end. Not tested just yet but I should have the final parts this week.

I just fired up the Dynalo (aka GS-1) again and with a 42ohm impedance adapter is does sound very similar to the L-2 except there is more top end presence, the soundstage is huge and hello bass! Remove the adapter and it is a very different story...

The KGSSHV PSU will work for the Megatron. The universal was just that but with an extra C- supply for the BATE, ESX etc. and a delay line for the tube heaters. I'll use the BH supply so just above 400V. Much smaller and stuff I already have assembled... For the Dynahi the S22 will do just fine but don't skimp on the heatsinks.

Just about perfect, just missing "til (to)" at the front. Direct translation would be "to happiness with your birthday".

Icelandic is one of the trickiest languages in the world so don't feel too bad. Our utterly free word structure makes things even more difficult to decipher.

Has the right specs for something like this. Very powerful too for something so small.

That "use a speaker amp" line is just BS. This has more to do with the voltage swing of the speaker amps as the HF idiots think that means more power. What they really need is current and while it isn't a whole lot, the amp has to be able to deliver it quickly. Same can be said about the HD800 though with its wonky impedance.

Think of it as a side benefit...

It does look quite stunning.

Thanks for the well wishes everybody. I did indeed make a coma inducing mixture of sugar and cream of a cake, some of which I just had for breakfast. It was a quiet day though and spent most of it stuffing PCB's while listening to the HE90/BHSE. Could be worse... To quote the bearded man himself: "i see a black knob in your future" That translates to " a party (of something like a deal, negotiation etc,), interest (as in interested party) and finally loud noises.

Happy Birthday my fellow Baker.

That's good as we reworked a lot to make it so small..

Things are much improved and this is a lovely combo indeed. It doesn't have the "smack you in the face" presence of a SR-007 Mk1+KGSS setup (similar price point if you can find either of them) but I've never heard a dynamic anything that can match that. My biggest issue with the HD800 is just how fucking bright they are and the L-2 mitigates that nicely without mucking up the rest of the spectrum.

The "easiest" way would be an amp with two separate output transformers. Now the problem is switching between them but sort that and one pair steps down with multiple taps while the other steps up a bit and has a CT on the secondary. With large enough tubes it could drive speakers too. It's also possible to do this with SS too and it would be interesting to build a HV SS amp and then use transformers.

Doug asked me to swap the tubes in my L-2 and that has cleared up the rolled off top end. Should have tried that earlier but this is what good customer service is all about.

It was bound to happen as the guy likes everything...

Happy Birthday Greg.

...and it's already been downloaded.

That's indeed the problem and it's just confounded by idiots who take to defend something when they have no basis for comparison and indeed don't understand what is wrong in the first place. Then on top of this most reviews are just useless verbal diarrhea where nothing of substance is ever found. Just take the review of the Abyss, Gutendverg (my name for him as it is funny in Icelandic... ) basically lists all the crap he got at a massive discount but does he say anything bout the sound? Strengths, weaknesses, how the transducers behave on different amps? Nope. it's just the "I sounds GOOD!!!" bs you find in most of these reviews... Now I'm not asking for that magnum opus of a SR-007 review but something which lists what's good, what's bad and why this product is special.

I quite like the L-2 but with the HD800 I have a complaint and that's to do with the top end. Set the amp to high impedance (as it should be) the top end is squashed lacking both extension and presence. This extends down into the midrange and makes it less "there" than it should be. This is why I use the amp on the lo setting as it opens up the top end quite a bit but it's not as extended as the Dynalo (aka GS-1 type amp) with an impedance adapter. The HD6xx (built from different parts but 650 drivers) I have here is just fine though and with plenty of top end. It's odd but should be noted as I'm not really a fan of extended treble though it should be "correct", what ever that means. Outside of this I do like the L-2 quite a bit. It lacks the presence and 3-D nature of even a basic Stax rig but that's more a transducer issue and something the Dynalo is also guilty of. It pretty much lets the nature of the source and the transducers stand out (as an amp should) and doesn't sound overblown and bloated like so many of the OTL amps. The bass might even be a bit on the lean side neutral but I'll take that over exaggeration every day. The build quality is outstanding and the minimalistic look is very cool. I was just giddy when I saw the small amber LED on the amps front panel... it's just perfect. Then there is just the utter silence of the amp, no hiss, no hum... no nothing. Welcome change from ohh so many dynamic amps. I also like the tube choice and the side product that tube rolling really isn't possible, which is a good thing. For me this would be a choice between the GS-X Mk2 and the L-2 and you can't really go wrong with either.