Liquid Lightning

[rhythmdevils]

Judging an amp's sound by a list of parts. Interesting...

[morphsci]

^^^ Passive-aggressive bullshit. Interesting ...

[wink]

Vladimir lamm needs an ear-retune.

[nikongod]

I have to agree with everyone else who says that we as a group sound petty and imatture ripping this gear apart in every way imaginable. Really guys, I dont see what the big deal is. The few people who can buy one deaf will either be blissfully unaware, or hear something better and move on. It keeps the hobby rolling along even if the new stuff is only "OK". Maybe owning one will be the catalyst for someone to actually appreciate something better VS just being told that its better.

Vladimir Lamm says DC coupled amps suck

What was the squawkey crap playing in the background? I need to add it to my list of CD's not to buy.

[kevin gilmore]

translation: All of my products have one or more tubes in them, and are therefore not

DC coupled from input to output. But wait, Lamm needs to examine the LF schematic

for how to do DC coupled tube/solid state hybrid. Or he needs to talk to mikhail

for how to do AC coupled fully solid state (the square wave)

Bizzare specs, a power amp that puts out the same power at 8 and 4 ohms, then

doubles the power for 2 ohms, and then again at 1 ohm.

Anyone know any 1 ohm speakers?

Edited December 23, 2011 by kevin gilmore

[swt61]

Anyone know any 1 ohm speakers?

[Clarkmc2]

What was the squawkey crap playing in the background? I need to add it to my list of CD's not to buy.

Not my favorite rendition of "As Time Goes By," but fairly strong trumpet and sax statements I thought. A little corny by some standards, but "squaweky crap"? Reminds me of a friend hearing Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen" on the radio and asking me to turn "that country music off."

To each his own. Like with amps. As someone said, it is immature to rip on someone elses choices.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Clarkmc2

[Pars]

Judging an amp's sound by a list of parts. Interesting...

I dunno, that seemed more like an architecture comment than a list of parts. If you want to be an undiscerning twat, then feel free to continue. To me, linear input stage, linear voltage gain stage, and linear output stage = neutral. I.E, wire with gain. The only possible problems could be the ability of the output stage to drive the load, or the level of feedback employed.

Granted, parts of this thread may seem like a witch hunt to you, and that could be a valid comment. Your comment above though indicates just what I said. Perhaps the sound of KG's designs are not your cup of tea, but accusing them of not being neutral indicates a serious lack of understanding and/or comprehension IMHO. Lots of people like and or expect colored sound... just admit it and move on.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Pars

[Pars]

Anyone know any 1 ohm speakers?

Doesn't at least one of Apogee's designs approach (or hit) that?

[n3rdling]

Yep there's an old Apogee (I want to say Scintilla) that I believe hits a little under 1 Ohm in some of the FR. There's also the Quad ESL 57 which gets down to about 1.5 Ohm. I can't think of any speaker that is rated/averaged at 1 Ohm though.

[kevin gilmore]

I owned an original pair of ohm-A's many moons ago. I did not think they

got that low in impedance, otherwise they would have smoked the amp

i had them hooked up to. Quads esl57's were 16 ohms i think, i have

a pair in the basement i will have to look. Esl63's were about 2 to 3 ohms

when the protection circuit kicks in.

With 1 ohm speakers, the impedance of the speaker wire becomes

significant.

Edited December 23, 2011 by kevin gilmore

[jvlgato]

I think Steve was showing you one Ohm speaker (drum roll please!), rather than a pair of one ohm speakers.

[kevin gilmore]

Steve's humor alludes me sometimes. Now i see the smiley.

need more coffee.

[skullguise]

I liked it, very clever! I got to hear the Scintilla's once, what beasts they were..... It was at a store that pushed Macintosh equipment, but I don't remember if that was what was driving them. I did get to hear the Duetta's several times, definitely with Mac gear, and they were real nice..... I almost bit on the smaller Stage speakers, but didn't have the room for them. Those Apogee ribbons sounded so nice, though.....

[kirkwall]

I liked it, very clever! I got to hear the Scintilla's once, what beasts they were..... It was at a store that pushed Macintosh equipment, but I don't remember if that was what was driving them. I did get to hear the Duetta's several times, definitely with Mac gear, and they were real nice..... I almost bit on the smaller Stage speakers, but didn't have the room for them. Those Apogee ribbons sounded so nice, though.....

I had a pair of Centaur hybrids for about a week before they blew -- saleman at upscale Montreal boutique assured me that they could be driven my Mission Cyrus Two shoebox amp. They couldn't. But that was one extraordinary midrange. You can still (sort of) get them, apparently:

http://www.apogeeaco...om/company.html

k

Edited December 23, 2011 by kirkwall

[Torpedo]

There's one of those silly Martin Logan models which at some area of the response curve had an impedance of 0.5 Ohm

[swt61]

I think Steve was showing you one Ohm speaker (drum roll please!), rather than a pair of one ohm speakers.

Bingo

[swt61]

Steve's humor alludes me sometimes. Now i see the smiley.

need more coffee.

Then you're normal KG, as it alludes most people.

[spritzer]

Lamm needs to be introduced to a lead pipe up close and personal in my book. Selling a 110K$ amp with stock Hammond iron is just a bit too much. Do people pay extra for the shitty design?

Speaking of design, since Captain Clueless was asking where the "Spritzer" amps are, well there are a number of designs ready but I don't see the need to release something just for the sake of releasing it. I released the SRD bias supply because it was sorely needed and took up selling complete units to people once I saw the average skill of the buyer. If I ever get something resembling free time then I'll probably release my ultra compact version of the Egmont as a poor mans 'stat amp. There is also a 100% triode version of the HEV90 that I've been working on forever using a tube nobody has any use for (unlike the very scarce ECL86), a simple circuit to be able to use the HE90 off any Stax amp without risk and at the correct bias voltage and a self biasing transformer box with readily available transformers that allows most dynamic amps to power Stax sets.

One thing I'll say about designing though is that I don't believe in the whole BS of working in shadows as some lone wolf. Kevin is all too aware of me asking for feedback as that's how we come up new breads/cakes/pastries etc. at my bakery. Four eyes always see better than two and pooling different experiences wins out in the end.

Yep there's an old Apogee (I want to say Scintilla) that I believe hits a little under 1 Ohm in some of the FR. There's also the Quad ESL 57 which gets down to about 1.5 Ohm. I can't think of any speaker that is rated/averaged at 1 Ohm though.

The first version of the Scintilla was indeed 1ohm nominal but later units were fitted with transformers for a 4ohm load. Only Krell and similar insanity need apply... The Quad's have a huge impedance range but the transformers were setup for 15ohm which was the standard at the time.

[jvlgato]

Steve's humor alludes me sometimes. Now i see the smiley.

need more coffee.

Good thing for that awesome coffee machine!

I'm sure you were confused because there was no phallic reference involved. Or was there?? Hmmm.

[kevin gilmore]

Speaking of phallic things, picture posted in the T2 thread.

I may actually go in christmas eve and bandsaw the thing into

appropriately sized cylinders, then stick in the lathe. I thought

the lignum-vitae was dense, this stuff is 3 times more dense.

Glad i have a new set of carbide bits.

[jvlgato]

What is that thing?

[grawk]

it's what steve makes his special, uhm, toys with

[kevin gilmore]

I doubt he is using stuff this good.

Or this size. Or this well aged.

If he is, i sure was not able to get any from him.

I've been looking for a piece that size and color

for almost a year now.

Edited December 23, 2011 by kevin gilmore

[deepak]

translation: All of my products have one or more tubes in them, and are therefore not

DC coupled from input to output. But wait, Lamm needs to examine the LF schematic

for how to do DC coupled tube/solid state hybrid. Or he needs to talk to mikhail

for how to do AC coupled fully solid state (the square wave)

Bizzare specs, a power amp that puts out the same power at 8 and 4 ohms, then

doubles the power for 2 ohms, and then again at 1 ohm.

Anyone know any 1 ohm speakers?

Oh I am a big fan of DC coupled, just posted that trying to be funny

Hammond transformers in a $100k amp, something is indeed not right about that. Or powering a 86 dbw sensitive speaker with 38 watt SET amps.