spritzer

The B22 would not be my first choice for the HD800. It is a bit on the bright side.

True in many ways but even Sennheiser aren't Ultrasone cheap when it comes to the build quality. Fake Neutrik plug on a 3.5K$ headphone speaks volumes about the company. I'd still like to get an ED10 and Stax-ify it...

That is true but they are more similar than not minus the usual Krell overindulgence. They really are transistor mad, didn't the old CDP's have something like 200+ transistors in the output stage?

A balanced version of this would be very, very big so that is the first major issue. There are also a lot of parts needed and to match all of them. Not under 2K$ with free labor would be my guess built to our standards. For a balanced amp the Dynalo Mk2 would be a better fit as it is cheaper to build, it's super symmetry so you can use either a SE or balanced source for balanced output and it's performance should be on par or even superior to the KSA-5.

Sketched up front and back panels for the KSA-5V just now: They will naturally not be colored like that...

Anybody who wants to order unproven PCB's is free to do so but none of these have been operational yet.

Some progress on my end but now I have to wait for the panels to be laser marked.

I get that but it doesn't change the fact that an electrolytic capacitor only has a shelf life of about 20 years. Doesn't matter if it is used or not... There is also the small matter of the massive improvements in capacitor technology over the last 20 years.

Krell used Motorola sand in the stock amp but they should be identical to the current ON Semi stuff.

I didn't fare any better with the output devices but this amp will be as close to stock as is possible. Most of that doesn't make any sense to me. Rolling caps which look mostly vintage... why would anybody do that?

I try the HD700 from time to time and they never cease to suck quite badly. I'll have to try them with some electrical damping though as that seems to be Senn's new thing. I also hate the fit and finish of them. That fake rubber crap...

...and here is that PSU. As soon as we are both happy with the design then I'll have some proto's made.

I used Panasonic FM's which pretty much the best you can buy at a sane price.

Some progress on this as well: I've moved the 10uf servo caps to make the oversized Wima caps a better fit but tantalum's will be far smaller so not an issue.

That is indeed true but it's still better than most of the commercial amps.

Just basic matching, nothing more than that. Mostly because I didn't have enough to do any major testing and sorting.

I got some parts in and it is almost ready.

Yup, the mini PSU is just the same supply but the only thing that was added was a spot for a 270V zener. It's there so you can use the KSA1156 instead of the 2SA1486 which is stock at Mouser and quite cheap. The simplified PSU will be polished over the next few days and then I'll order a prototype run. It cuts out a lot of parts but should be similar enough in performance.

The word pure does mean very different things to people. Some claim it applies to simple amps even if the end performance of a single fet or a triode could be abysmal. To some it is a short signal path, never mind if it is a chip amp with hundreds of components. Then we this craziness...

We've also started on simplified PSU's, might even do two of them. I also drew this up on Sunday for my own use but some of you might be interested in it: I'm tired of air wiring the power input so this takes care of that plus gives some inrush current protection and can power LED indication for amps with no easy low voltage supply to tap into. I'll have some made ASAP and as always, I'm happy to share.

No but I have a spare one. Might also have a spare of the bigger ones... I've been asked this a couple of times now but would people want a simpler power supply for the KGSSHV? This one is a tour de force and there are ways of just bypassing the complicated stuff but perhaps it would be a good idea to have one that is simple and foolproof. For instance, if the old Blue Hawaii power supply stopped working it was always the same fix, replace the mosfet.

Somebody sends this man money while not being under duress? Holy fuck people are gullible...

I use pink varnish as that's just how I roll but apply it in layers for a very good barrier. There are also insulated 78xx/79xx that we perhaps should put into the BOM. Saves hassle but the new PSU board don't have any sinks for the LV section.

Carbon is an excellent conductor so clean all that off and seal the exposed copper somehow. Glue, varnish, something like that.

Yes, distortion is a wonderful thing. There was a good USB comparison in the latest Hifi News...