n_maher

Haven't had a chance to do much in the way of comparative listening yet with the digital out but it can't hurt. There are certainly those that would claim that it helps but there are also those that say that transports don't matter at all. I can say that it definitely makes a difference with the analog output, with the stock power supply it was pretty bad. With the new supply performance seems much better and nearly on par with the DAC that I'm currently using.

When I found out that amb had designed a single-rail version of the σ22 power supply I thought it sounded just about perfect for my Squeezebox3 power supply project. Here are the preliminary results. This PS is actually for a friend but mine will be very similar with just tweaked casework. If you want more info on this PS have a look here. I did just a little testing tonight and the new PS definitely seems to have helped the anemic base that the SB3 DAC has with the stock PS. More on that later when I can back to back it with the DAC I'm currently using.

So does the above imply that you'll be giving Mr. McAlister a little public roasting? I can't imagine paying for something and then waiting as long as you did only to have to rebuild the item.

The whole site has been pretty damn flakey for me for the past couple days.

I think what postjack is looking for is a passive stage so that the only amplification would be via his headamp. Most traditional "preamps" have an active stage.

They aren't that hard to build...

Oh, I'm sure some people love them but I much prefer the clean and functional look of the Stello gear.

The aesthetics of it on the other hand leave a lot to be desired from where I sit.

If I was someone looking for a new amp and I lived in CA I'd find a way to the National Meet and have a poke around. I think there may be some new offerings that would be of interest...

I'm with you Biggie, several things about that individual's appraisal of the two dac's strike me as at least somewhat contradictory. Or should I say "messy" and "less clear"?

If I lived anywhere near Chicago I'd be all over this.

Definitely don't overspend on dampers, if you can find an agricultural/tractor supply/hardware type store odds are you can find rubber o-rings of the right diameter that will get 90% of the way home until you can get Herbie taken care of.

Glad to hear you got your amp back, Jay. Sounds like you need to put a call into Herbie and get yourself a slew of dampers for your amp.

I've used www.vacuumtubes.net before with good results, not sure how their prices rate and the only ordering interface is calling them on the phone (which doesn't bug me). I've also used "The Tube Store" and probably will again in the near future as they seem to have good prices and selection of 6V6's which I need for my next project.

Oh come on, after 6 weeks and it shows up busted?

Well if it's an 1/8" jack you need I've probably got a little Neutrik that you can have for that as well. And I'm with you, I often listen at levels that probably don't need amplification at all. DIY Parts Warehouse standing by.

Dusty, Shoot me a PM if you end up needing a plug. I think I have both the Neutrik and the Canare on hand and it would save you the hassle of trying to meet some minimum order $. Also, one more knock on the GRQ plug is that it doesn't have any sort of strain relief mechanism built in, there are things that you can do but the other two are also easier to work with in this regard.

Dusty, If the plug got bent at all I'd replace it, better safe then sorry. Now whether that's DIY or factory is completely your call. My preferred DIY connectors are as follows: 1. Canare F14 - nice plug, easy to use 2. Neutrik NP3X-B (or similar) - nice, easy, gold contacts 3. Cardas GRQ S S - can be a serious pain in the ass if you don't have lucifer's soldering station

Happy Flippin' St. Patty's Day To Ya!

He started posting on Head-Fi again a while back so I shot him a PM asking if he'd finally had enough time to figure out whether or not he was going to refund any of the money that I paid him for his lovely fried NAD CD player. He's response was something like "not a chance"...

fyrfytrhoges = asshole That's the only thing I see in that thread.

Looks great! Nice and flexible.

Jay, If they sent you a free CD player (for whatever reason, presumably your review on Head-Fi) what exactly do you think they do for Art who performs all of their US repair work for them? Let's assume for a moment that it's nothing, he still has a clear and defined relationship with Cattylink as their "endorsed" repair person which in itself would border on MoT status. Couple that with his rampant endorsement of just about any product Cattylink sells and I think it's pretty clear why they slapped him with the tag.

If you're speaking of the "we" that is headcase then yes, we're all well aware of Art's thoughts and connections. But for anyone who does a quick google of Eastsound CD-5 and finds head-fi is the first link that pops up the MoT tag is at least something that might hint at the fact that he's not completely unbiased in his views. Note that I'm not trying to say that his advice is bad or that he hasn't helped a bunch of people out, only that the M helps tell a little more of the Art story.