Is the iMod a ripoff?

[Guest sacd lover]

spinning, please

you're insecurity and immaturity never ceases to amaze. if he doesn't know what's inside or whatever else it could be makes you look putting it mildly, misinformed and continuing down this path is pretty ridiculous. obviously this has nothing to do with EC, but with KG calling you on your "BS" and dispelling your misinformation about SP amps, which isn't the first time. Mikhail doesn't building every single amp so what difference does it make if Craig hires experienced workers and Mikhail employees. Craig designs every thing and ensures an extremely high level of quality control over his products and he still builds too.

prediction: you'll now name call, use the "spin" word and attack EC or some combo.

Isnt the first time ; so just what was?

Insecurity/ immaturity .... no .... I am sick of your nonsense. If you dont like my posts or dont believe them dont reply. You just want to argue. Lets see some proof I am wrong before you start claiming misinformation. This is black and white .... which is probably why you cant quite seem to comprehend what is taking place. The amp will have coupling caps or it wont.

BS .... no one knows for sure if there are coupling caps in the amp or not, including KG. I was told there are none by Mikhail .... we will see. By the way, the only insecurity seems to be yours. I see you always hinting at some relationship between myself and SP. You are welcome to offer proof. Furthermore, say anything about your EC hero and you come off like a whiny three year old every time. I know this, I dont hop in my car and drive over to Mikhail's place for a listening session so I can pimp the next amp to be marketed.

By the way, I have seen Craig's quality first hand with the HD300 I owned .... and it was not good .... fact not conjecture.

[Guest sacd lover]

Gee .... lucky me. Mikhail called to tell me he shipped a Square wave XL. While that was a nice surprise I was able to ask point blank about the coupling caps.

Drum roll .... there are no coupling caps in the Extreme .... none, nada, zero .... just as I said. If you dont believe this KG then you need to discuss this with Mikhail.

Passing misinformation, continuing down the wrong path .... I guess you stand corrected 606.

I repeat .... THERE ARE NO COUPLING CAPS IN THE EXTREME!

[kevin gilmore]

There are no interstage coupling caps. This is a true statement.

There ARE output capacitors. This is also a true statement.

The next pile of bullshit out of your mouth earl and i post every single singlepower inside picture

i have, including schematics. This will not be good for mikhail. This will reverberate around for

6 months or more. It will do significant damage. That i will promise you. So pull your head out

of your ass, call mikhail and let him decide whether or not you want to continue this line of

bullshit.

See billy... ray shambles is not the only one i pick on

[Guest sacd lover]

There are no interstage coupling caps. This is a true statement.

There ARE output capacitors. This is also a true statement.

The next pile of bullshit out of your mouth earl and i post every single singlepower inside picture

i have, including schematics. This will not be good for mikhail. This will reverberate around for

6 months or more. It will do significant damage. That i will promise you. So pull your head out

of your ass, call mikhail and let him decide whether or not you want to continue this line of

bullshit.

See billy... ray shambles is not the only one i pick on .

What were talking about other than the interstage coupling caps. I know the amp has output caps.

[909]

Isnt the first time ; so just what was?

Insecurity/ immaturity .... no .... I am sick of your nonsense. If you dont like my posts or dont believe them dont reply. You just want to argue. Lets see some proof I am wrong before you start claiming misinformation. This is black and white .... which is probably why you cant quite seem to comprehend what is taking place. The amp will have coupling caps or it wont.

BS .... no one knows for sure if there are coupling caps in the amp or not, including KG. I was told there are none by Mikhail .... we will see. By the way, the only insecurity seems to be yours. I see you always hinting at some relationship between myself and SP. You are welcome to offer proof. Furthermore, say anything about your EC hero and you come off like a whiny three year old every time. I know this, I dont hop in my car and drive over to Mikhail's place for a listening session so I can pimp the next amp to be marketed.

By the way, I have seen Craig's quality first hand with the HD300 I owned .... and it was not good .... fact not conjecture.

6moons: EC/ZD thread where you indicated "the PPX3 SLAM is not push/pull." then KG said it's "definitely push pull." there are others like this thread here and others, but i really don?t care enough. if it's black and white, one way is right and i think KG knows his shit. i didn't "hint" at any SP relationship or even suggest it with the discussion at hand, but whatever. as to EC i didn't bring it up, but replied to your misinformation and indicated Mikhail doesn't build every amp either; big deal. i get to hear a lot of different products and i don't write reviews unless i like it. i've never had a problem with my amp going on nearly 3 years. more bogus attacks and misinformation-- keep shoveling it and cover your mirrors.

[Guest sacd lover]

6moons: EC/ZD thread where you indicated "the PPX3 SLAM is not push/pull." then KG said it's "definitely push pull." there are others like this thread here and others, but i really don?t care enough. if it's black and white, one way is right and i think KG knows his shit. i didn't "hint" at any SP relationship or even suggest it with the discussion at hand, but whatever. as to EC i didn't bring it up, but replied to your misinformation and indicated Mikhail doesn't build every amp either; big deal. i get to hear a lot of different products and i don't write reviews unless i like it. i've never had a problem with my amp going on nearly 3 years. more bogus attacks and misinformation-- keep shoveling it and cover your mirrors.

Spin, spin, spin .... you can get off anytime 606.

[tkam]

There are no interstage coupling caps. This is a true statement.

There ARE output capacitors. This is also a true statement.

That's always been my understanding of the design of my amp and the extreme. I think earl may have been using "coupling caps" as generic term when he should have specified interstage coupling caps as clearly every SP amp has always had output coupling caps.

[Icarium]

In an amp that has interstage coupling caps...which ones make more of a difference to the sound if upgraded.. interstage or output?

[kevin gilmore]

Earl you are SO full of shit.

Of course the output caps contribute 90% of the sound to the overall sound of the amplifier.

Reason they have to drive low impedances, 32 to 300 ohms. Therefore they have to be

at least 250uf. Unless you buy those honkin big things that EC uses that are the size of

a baseball (nope earl, not the power caps) you are going to have to use electrolytics.

Those things EC uses have a silly price attached to them.

One of the very few things mcalister gets right (one of the VERY few) is to use very

large motor start oil caps as the output caps.

Now many companies use just one really big electrolytic, mikhail's sthick is to parallel 4 or

more smaller ones to get to the same number. Typically mikhail uses 450uf or more.

All electrolytics have significant inductance, dielectric absorbance, unidirectional performance...

You name it.

The non-extreme singlepowers are all white cathode followers and as such have 2 interstage

coupling caps per channel in unbalanced mode. These caps see a load impedance of

several hundred thousand ohms minimum. So you can put really good caps here. Teflon,

silver foil, you name it. Still the effect of those caps makes is very small compared to the

output caps.

With respect to the quad 5687 amp,

It is sometimes hard to determine what is going on inside an amplifier without really good

pictures. So if i made a mistake based on virtually no information, and lots of dis-information

then i'm sorry.

[deepak]

Earl you are SO full of shit.

Of course the output caps contribute 90% of the sound to the overall sound of the amplifier.

Reason they have to drive low impedances, 32 to 300 ohms. Therefore they have to be

at least 250uf. Unless you buy those honkin big things that EC uses that are the size of

a baseball (nope earl, not the power caps) you are going to have to use electrolytics.

Those things EC uses have a silly price attached to them.

One of the very few things mcalister gets right (one of the VERY few) is to use very

large motor start oil caps as the output caps.

Now many companies use just one really big electrolytic, mikhail's sthick is to parallel 4 or

more smaller ones to get to the same number. Typically mikhail uses 450uf or more.

All electrolytics have significant inductance, dielectric absorbance, unidirectional performance...

You name it.

The non-extreme singlepowers are all white cathode followers and as such have 2 interstage

coupling caps per channel in unbalanced mode. These caps see a load impedance of

several hundred thousand ohms minimum. So you can put really good caps here. Teflon,

silver foil, you name it. Still the effect of those caps makes is very small compared to the

output caps.

With respect to the quad 5687 amp,

It is sometimes hard to determine what is going on inside an amplifier without really good

pictures. So if i made a mistake based on virtually no information, and lots of dis-information

then i'm sorry.

Dr Gilmore do you mind giving us your take on the Zana Deux? I'm (and a few others I believe) interested in that amp as a headphone amp and preamp and your wisdom would be appreciated.

[kevin gilmore]

does using paralleled caps have any particular advantages?

If would heavily depend on the parts used. In general i think that 4 smaller caps in parallel

may have 20% or so less inductance and likely have a bit less resistance too. The DA is

likely to be about the same. Blackgates and Cerafines definitely perform very differently.

Thats what a really good LCR meter is for. I have a couple different ones.

Of course the absolute best output cap (now everybody all at once say) NO CAP WHATSOEVER.

Its certainly possible. I have 2 different prototypes that prove it. The chances of something

like that ever coming out of SP is pretty much close to zero. And for Ray Shambles, it approaches

negative infinity.

[kevin gilmore]

The ZD is the ONLY amp out there with that particular topology.

It sounds different from the rest. I happen to like it. Some have

said there are manufacturing defects, this i do not know.

I definitely have experience with the 6c33's and my mig amp

runs them at full blast, and has all the problems associated with

running them at full blast. Thinking heavily lately about a mig3

amp which has a topology similar to the ZD except that it is fully

dc coupled input to output. A beast for sure.

[deepak]

The ZD is the ONLY amp out there with that particular topology.

It sounds different from the rest. I happen to like it. Some have

said there are manufacturing defects, this i do not know.

I definitely have experience with the 6c33's and my mig amp

runs them at full blast, and has all the problems associated with

running them at full blast. Thinking heavily lately about a mig3

amp which has a topology similar to the ZD except that it is fully

dc coupled input to output. A beast for sure.

Yeah what interested me in the amp was seeing big name companies like Lamm running the 6c33 in their power amps. Of course for all I know Lamm could be the RSA of the speaker world

[Dusty Chalk]

no need to be sorry at all KG. you are still the forum hero!

Well, no, only one of the "good guys" would acknowledge his mistakes and help us who are barely keeping up to keep up -- so my opinion of him only goes up for recognizing it. But yes, he makes so few of them, he's still a hero.

[909]

KG thought that one of the quad 5687 output tube prototypes was the Slam. you should have read a little further into the thread.

thank for clearing that up, i just searched for that particular exchange.

[kevin gilmore]

Something has been bothering me all day about earl and his sack of spinning shit.

See this is the complete pile of bullshit that started it all on page 7

Sorry, If the circuits were the same they would be the same .... show me any of the above mentioned amps (Woo6 / Darkvoice/ HD300) that are direct coupled. I get that the circuits are cathode followers but when have you seen these direct coupled. That is why the amp sounds so much more transparent .... IMO.

First of all its the Woo3. Which is exactly the same circuit on headwize. WHICH HAS NO COUPLING CAP EITHER. Which is exactly the same as the Darkvoice,

which is exactly the same as the HD300. which is exactly the same as the EXTREME.

Don't mince words earl you mention direct coupled. That refers to an output stage. Your spin into coupling cap will not be tolerated. Your further spin

into interstage coupling cap will also not be tolerated. If you are actually telling people that the EXTREME is direct coupled then you are lying your fucking

ass off.

Stop it. There is no reason for it. Pretty soon we will all be calling you ray junior.

[Guest sacd lover]

Something has been bothering me all day about earl and his sack of spinning shit.

See this is the complete pile of bullshit that started it all on page 7

First of all its the Woo3. Which is exactly the same circuit on headwize. WHICH HAS NO COUPLING CAP EITHER. Which is exactly the same as the Darkvoice,

which is exactly the same as the HD300. which is exactly the same as the EXTREME.

Don't mince words earl you mention direct coupled. That refers to an output stage. Your spin into coupling cap will not be tolerated. Your further spin

into interstage coupling cap will also not be tolerated. If you are actually telling people that the EXTREME is direct coupled then you are lying your fucking

ass off.

Stop it. There is no reason for it. Pretty soon we will all be calling you ray junior.

SP offers a coupling cap upgrade in the PPX3/MPX3/ Supra or whatever which is what I was referring to. Originally I asked him about the Extreme cap upgrades .... PIO or V-cap .... and he said the amp didnt have any coupling caps. You are talking about the output caps .... which yes are coupling caps. I was talking about interstage coupling caps but that is not what he calls them .... he just calls them coupling caps. He calls the output caps .... output caps .... not output coupling caps. So, yes I messed up the terminology. But something tells me you know what I meant all along and you are just trying to be an ass.

So, I did not call the caps I was referring to interstage coupling caps and I should have. But, I know very well all the SP amps have output caps and you know that I know that as well. You act like I was purposely trying to deceive people. I was thinking no coupling caps = direct coupled. I wasnt thinking about the output caps being coupling caps. I was right about there being no"interstage caps" and that is what I was referring to. But I didnt use the right terminology. So believe this or not .... I could care less.

interesting tkam knew what I meant ....

That's always been my understanding of the design of my amp and the extreme. I think earl may have been using "coupling caps" as generic term when he should have specified interstage coupling caps as clearly every SP amp has always had output coupling caps.

So, in summary, I was wrong but I think the issue has been settled. If you want to continue on you will be arguing with yourself. I have no intention of making any further posts.

[bhd812]

Something has been bothering me all day about earl

EARL WINS!!!!

(joking!!!!!!!!!)

[kevin gilmore]

billy is that the best you can do after sleeping to 2pm on a sunday??

[philodox]

I thought you were talking about output caps as well earl. Not sure which post made me think this, but I thought you were trying to say that it didn't have output caps... so I'm sure it is possible that Kevin also thought this. He won't just be an ass for the sake of it... there is always a reason, and usually a good one.

[kevin gilmore]

Lets see, earl points to a schematic over at headwize that has no input cap, no interstage coupling caps, but does have output

caps, then he says that the extreme is different from that because it has no caps. I think his intent to deceive is quite clear.

I am an asshole. Damm proud of it too. Earl should look in the mirror sometime.

[n_maher]

Eh, not really the place for it but since there was a good deal of discussion on it in this thread it seemed like the Headcase place for it, this is the first HD300 I've seen come up for sale in a long, long time and looks like it might be worth buying just for the tubes.

[hirsch]

a small, $300 phono stage would definitely do pretty well, i would think.

http://www.firestone-audio.com/cgi-bin/productsearch.asp?catseqnm=4

Here you go. That little thing far outperforms its price tag. I can't say whether it outperforms an XR-2 sonically, since the XR-2 did not have the gain to run a Dynavector Gold low output MC cartridge in my rig (and therefore I didn't actually hear it), while the Firestone handles very low voltage with ease.

[bhd812]

I am an asshole.

hey great minds think alike...

[hYdrociTy]

is it me or does this look like a phallus \