Blue Hawaii Special Edition

[Dusty Chalk]

He's too subtle & refined for us, I didn't catch it until the second pass.

Dick and fart jokes = profit! -- paraphrase of Kevin Smith via Holden McNeil's grandmother.

[Elephas]

Post something on your website and include a note with every BHSE shipped out saying that the SAA cable voids the warranty. Should take care of any idiots actually buying it from those idiots.

Why are you and other people telling Justin what to do?

If there's a legitimate, technical reason why using another umbilical cable can damage the amp, then a warning should be given to all owners and a notice given that the warranty would be void.

Assuming that another umbilical cable, made to the same specs as the stock cable, wouldn't damage the amp or cause other problems, then I don't understand why the warranty would be void.

Suppose I took my amp and stock umbilical cable to a shop and asked them to build me another cable with the same specs. Maybe I need a longer or a shorter umbilical. Maybe I'm an idiot and just want to waste money on a fancy looking umbilical. If the other cable meets the same specs as the original, what's the problem?

[cetoole]

The problem is that there is no way Justin can be sure the new cable is fine and didnt cause any potential problem.

[John E Woven]

it could be built using shitty materials and with shitty workmanship and fail, or have the wrong pinout, or quite a few other things.

Now if you really wanted to have fun, you could state that warranty is void if an "unapproved" cable is used, and then partner up with some cable manufacturers to provide multiple choices.

[Dusty Chalk]

Why are you and other people telling Justin what to do?

Because we are safe in the knowledge that he will do whatever he wants to, anyway. It's just advice, and worth what he paid for it.

If there's a legitimate, technical reason why...Assuming ... made to the same specs... with the same specs...If the other cable meets the same specs as the original...

You keep bringing up that "if" statement -- I think you've figured out the problem, in that the other cable may not be built correctly, or may not be built to spec.

[spritzer]

You keep bringing up that "if" statement -- I think you've figured out the problem, in that the other cable may not be built correctly, or may not be built to spec.

Exactly.

[Fungi]

Don't forget this is the same SAA that makes a balanced cable for AKG's 3-pin mini XLRs.

[spritzer]

That is the shared ground balanced cable... very high tech.

[Elephas]

You keep bringing up that "if" statement -- I think you've figured out the problem, in that the other cable may not be built correctly, or may not be built to spec.

I "keep bringing it up"?

I don't have any further information regarding that particular SAA umbilical cable, other than what's on their website. So of course I'm making a qualified statement. Can anyone else say differently?

As a BHSE owner, I'm concerned about anything to do with warranty issues. I can only guess what the fuss is all about for the rest of you.

[Hopstretch]

Someone just wants a cable as thick as their trunk.

[nattonrice]

That is the shared ground balanced cable... very high tech.

hehe snake oil defies physics once again~

[Elephas]

In case anyone is wondering, no, I haven't bought a 3rd party umbilical and don't intend to. I haven't even touched the fuses. So rest assured, my dirty hands haven't molested the BHSE, at least if you don't count some light fondling and drooling over it once in a while.

A few weeks ago I got a little carried away with tube rolling and somehow neglected to bias the tubes. Well, now that that very slight error has been addressed, I'm back to report that nothing really has changed.

I still prefer the Mullard xf1 and xf2. The SR-Omega sounds pretty good with the DD-getters. Both the Philips metal base and Telefunken 5-crimped plates are still disappointing. They're quite good, no doubt, but I don't think they live up to their market prices and 'legendary' reputations.

The HE90 still sounds too bright. The GE 6CA7 which worked quite well in the ES-1 with the HE90, doesn't work well at all in the BHSE. Thin, really bright, excessive treble energy all over the place. Piercing. Even sibilance where there wasn't any before, in my experience with my other gear. Maybe the HE90 is revealing sibilance in the recording that other headphones are masking, you say? Well, maybe, but I don't think so, given the preponderance of evidence pointing to a bright sound.

Even with the Mullard xf1, which I had thought matched with the HE90 the best, it is still bright. I'm beginning to think the BHSE is just not suitable for the HE90. If I can't find the right type of tubes, maybe a more drastic move such as changing the source could work. But it would take a very warm and full-bodied source with a lot of rolled-off treble, which in turn wouldn't work well with the O2mk1 or others.

True, the SR-Omega, 4070, Jade and HE60 are also all brighter than the O2's. But I don't think they're as problematical as the HE90, since I'm using them quite happily.

I'll keep at it, there are still more tubes to try. I've gotten my grubby hands on some GEC KT77, the old ones made in England. These will be one of the last types of Old Stock tubes I haven't tried yet (Telefunken metal-base are impossible to find!). And there are still some current-production I haven't tried, such as the JJ recommended before, current production KT77 Gold Lion, and a few more.

But at this point, I'm not very optimistic. I think it's very likely I'll end up not using the HE90 with the BHSE. It's disappointing, based on my expectations and experience using the HE90 with the Aristaeus and ES-1.

[Fing]

Very interesting Elephas and sorry to hear you're not getting much joy from the HE90 on the BHSE.

Cheeky question, but if you had a give an order of preference (or a percentage mark) to the O2, SR-Omega, 4070 and HE90 on the BHSE, what would it be?

[Elephas]

The O2mk1 is my favorite so far. It has the most balanced tonality. Even and neutral with nothing standing out too much. Bass impact is very good, not lacking at all. I think it leans slightly to the dark side of neutral but it is very, very slight. Smoothness and level of refinement is very high, the best I've heard.

The O2mk2 can be very good or not so good, depending on the music. Its stronger mid-bass can sometimes seem a bit too much and too dominating.

The SR-Omega's larger headstage, more expansive soundstage and brighter sound can be a very nice change of pace from the O2's. I particularly like it's greater sense of air. With the O2's, the sound seems to come from a vacuum. The SR-Omega, and also the HE90, seem to have a greater sense of airyness, of making you think that sound is actually passing through air and distance before reaching your ears.

I've never liked the 4070, I think it's bland and tasteless and sucks all the joy out of listening to music. The music sounds flat and lifeless somehow.

The HE90 is no good so far. The excess treble energy gets irritating and listening fatigue sets in quickly. Driven by the BHSE, it doesn't have the smoothness and refinement that it has with the Aristaeus. It's not a bad sound, don't get me wrong, I even thought I liked it at one point, but it's obviously too bright.

Top 3 would be: O2mk1, O2mk2, SR-Omega

Second tier: HE60, Jade, Airbow SR-SC1

Not recommended by me: HE90

Not recommended by me unless you want to simulate how it feels like monitoring an audio feed: 4070

[Duggeh]

I'm listening to one of these fabled amps right now.

Meh, not bad. ;p

[drp]

There ya go Rabies and Germs; another glowing review.

[cetoole]

I'm listening to one of these fabled amps right now.

Meh, not bad. ;p

Now you need an adapter to plug the TakeT H2 in!

[boomana]

He has one. The BHSE, believe it or not, isn't powerful enough for them.

[cetoole]

Oh, I would believe it. While the O2 is in the range of 100pf pure capacitance, I would expect the H2 is closer to 100nf. Probably less voltage, but a hell of a lot more current.

[luvdunhill]

Someone needs to build the Gilmore TakeT amp

[spritzer]

I tried and failed to make the HE90 work with the BH so your finding's don't surprise me one bit. For what it is worth I fired up the ES-1 earlier tonight for the first time in a month and it struck me how dull/glossed over it sounded driving a SR-202. The slightly etched character of all the Lambdas is clearly presented on the T2 (though in a non-offensive way) but the ES-1 glossed over it all. Now my amp is pretty different from yours but still it's food for thought... \

Oh, I would believe it. While the O2 is in the range of 100pf pure capacitance, I would expect the H2 is closer to 100nf. Probably less voltage, but a hell of a lot more current.

The max voltage rating of the H2 is 200V and the components inside each ear piece are only rated at 250v. Current is clearly the name of the game here...

Someone needs to build the Gilmore TakeT amp

Don't give him any ideas....

[swt61]

Someone needs to build the Gilmore TakeT amp

You don't have much on your plate.

[Duggeh]

He has one. The BHSE, believe it or not, isn't powerful enough for them.

It pushes harder than the 717 certainly, but if you've got the O2 plugged into the BHSE and then connect the TakeT to the other output, exactly the same as on the 717 happens, the O2 goes all crappy and dark and wrong, not unlike it sounds from the SRM-212, except a bit worse probably.

The BHSE though does better than another Justin marvel though:

[atothex]

So would that mean a speaker amp before the TakeT converter box should do the trick? Or are we not taking that converter box into account? I know absolutely nothing about this TakeT... other than the fact that I'd like to hear it.

[Asr]

A pic of my BHSE-at-work setup. Kudos to anyone who can identify the source the BHSE is sitting on. (I covered up all text and logos because I didn't want anyone to identify the components and hence be able to look up their value - oh, and I've been locking them up at night too.)