RSA Predator

[Voltron]

ah, that's what you'd think, but Strickland is a T-1000.

That's stupid. Good Arnold T-101 beat the T-1000. Duh.

[Voltron]

True, but this Ph.Dork says T-101 beats T-1000:

Known Terminator Combat History (time travel cases only)

* T101 versus humans - victory to humans

* T101 versus T1 - victory to T101

* T101 versus T1000 - victory to T101

* T101 versus TX - victory to T101

The above analysis assumes a simple mechanical cause and effect with regard to Terminator combat. If one Terminator defeats another, it is assumed to be because of the superiority of the hardware/software combination of the victor.

However, an alternate interpretation is possible.

In all cases, the humans have won. In the one case where the T101 opposed humans, it lost. In cases where it has sided with humans against other Terminators, it has won.

It was the machines that first tried to change the future, because they had lost the war. It is possible that the T101 is superior to other Terminators only when it sides with humans. Because the machines oppose the true destiny that will inevitably prevail.

Document version 1.0 2003 July 14. Copyright © 2003 Yuen Kit Mun. All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely distributed - forwarded via email, placed on a website, inserted into an encyclopedia or Ph.D. thesis etc - as long as no words are modified, inserted or deleted, including this copyright notice.

[riceboy]

This has got to be the most informative and funny thread here.

I agree. The T101 info by Voltron was great

[deepak]

I don't know or care what Kevin says about the expensive RSA phono stage but I own one and think it really very good and extremely flexible.

Al just curious what you've compared it to? Having heard and really disliked most of the RSA products (except for my SR-71), I'm skeptical that it could beat out a Pass Labs or EAR phono at similar price points.

[kevin gilmore]

Al just curious what you've compared it to? Having heard and really disliked most of the RSA products (except for my SR-71), I'm skeptical that it could beat out a Pass Labs or EAR phono at similar price points.

Exactly true. Plus the complete lack of a sub-bass filter destroys expensive full

range speakers. You can get a way better phono section for less than half the price.

And they will be far less noisy too.

[morphsci]

Do the upper end EAR phono stages have subsonic filters?

[justin]

Do the upper end EAR phono stages have subsonic filters?

They are tubed, right? Then there are probably coupling capacitors that won't pass subsonic frequencies

[tkam]

Not familiar with any of the EAR phono stages but a lot of their gear is transformer coupled.

[morphsci]

They are tubed, right? Then there are probably coupling capacitors that won't pass subsonic frequencies

The 324 is SS.

[luvdunhill]

Exactly true. Plus the complete lack of a sub-bass filter destroys expensive full

range speakers. You can get a way better phono section for less than half the price.

And they will be far less noisy too.

interestingly enough, the subsonic filter was only added on the Xono and was not present in the Ono... also, both are capacitor coupled.

[Asr]

This so-called review is just full of fail for so many reasons: 6moons audio reviews: Ray Samuels Audio Predator

- What relevance do the speakers have unless the Predator is being used as a variable pre-amp? (Oh wait, they do...)

- What's the point of listing all those cables when most of them can't be used with the Predator?

- What playback software did they use? Which file format did they use? Did they even use a computer? Oh wait they did...

- "At the back there is the receptacle for the regulated charger, then the 3-step gain selector and finally the mini USB input to receive the S/PDIF signal." - the last part is plain misinformation

- So they could open the back panel but not the front?

- "The huge capacitor on the lower board suggested that we had to take care with burning in the amplifier." So a capacitor automatically equates to burn-in?

- "You have to keep on feeding the amplifier with a musical signal or else it will go into hibernation." - This is just false, I owned the Predator. Unless Ray changed it recently.

- "Both interconnects were run in and we had a choice of headphones - a simple foldable Ultrasone, a Sony MDR F1, a loaner Sennheiser HD-600 and the Ultrasone Edition 9." - Now those headphones are really inspiring (not). And these so-called headphone amp reviewers need a loaner HD600?

- Only 3 paragraphs to describe the sound?

- "With modern PCs bristling with USB ports, they are all derived from one source point on the motherboard and depending on the quality of surrounding electronics, fining a clear signal is not easy." - This is just FALSE information!

- "As a side note, it is advisable to stop any processes on a PC or Mac not vital to the task of reproducing music." - And this is just completely ridiculous.

- "When our computer was rid of unwanted processes including firewall and anti-virus software -- barebacking but offline -- we connected the Predator and it was quickly recognized." - Oh geez, these guys are just plain stupid. I hope they got a virus during their review.

[blessingx]

Was that a review of the Predator or the iPod?

[aerius]

This so-called review is just full of fail for so many reasons: 6moons audio reviews: Ray Samuels Audio Predator

That's the hippy stoner couple, none of their reviews make sense.

Maybe if you were wasted on hash they might mean something, maybe.

[grenert]

The magical thinking that goes on at that site makes me wince. Just the reviewers' "Sundry accessories" list is full of stinkers:

Sundry accessories: IAR carbon CD damper; Boston Audio graphite CD damper, Denson demagnetizer CD;Furutech DeMag; Nanotec Nespa #1; Machina Dynamica Magic Box; ... wood, brass and aluminum cones and pyramids; Xitel surround processor; Manley Skipjack; Boston Audio Design TuneBlocks

Personally, I don't know how their system is even listenable without a Tice Clock.

[tkam]

It's 6moons you can't really expect too much. You guys should ask Ryan about his time as a reviewer there he has some classic stories .

[tkam]

They must have been reading head-fi prior to the review:

The huge capacitor on the lower board suggested that we had to take care with burning in the amplifier. In order to have all components nicely settled in, it would take some time.

[Voltron]

"Marja & Henk" are idiots, of course their reviews make no sense.

How could you say that about these kinds souls?

It is clear that they are retarded and/or drug addled. Be kind.

[Voltron]

I think Christopher Guest should make a movie around them. They look exactly like characters from Waiting for Guffman or Best in Show. Catherine O'Hara and Guest could really do magic as Marja and Henk.

[Hopstretch]

How could you say that about these kinds souls?

So that's what happened to Rasputin!

[recstar24]

It's 6moons you can't really expect too much. You guys should ask Ryan about his time as a reviewer there he has some classic stories .

Damn it Todd I already told you I gotta watch the blood pressure. Damn to at once have been associated with that muck I have no idea. Now I know how thtat kid who wakes up next to the ugliest chick on campus and has no recollection at all how he got there feels.

[JBLoudG20]

TELL US STORIES.

x2

Daddy you always tell me a bedtime story.. waaaahhhhhh

[Augsburger]

Well when you were associated with them I always enjoyed your reviews. Marja and Henk earned my respect with their review of the Avantgarde Duos but lost all credibility with their endorsement of the Acoustic System Resonators.

Enquiring minds await in the Casino...................

[Asr]

Well the October '08 issue of Stereophile arrived today, so I'd say it's ok for me to post what Sam Tellig wrote now.

Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline The Predator headphone amplifier

For a cool, calm guy who's just shy of being a hi-fi geezer like me, Ray Samuels sure goes in for violent names. The Raptor headphone amp. The Hornet. The Apache. The Tomahawk. What does Ray do? Scalp his customers? Nah, he scalps competitors.

Ray's no hi-fi predator, although you may wonder why Emmeline The Predator - a little box measuring just 2" W by 0.8" H by 2.9" D - could fetch $475 plus shipping. Well, it's got mil-spec printed circuit boards and Vishay resistors, and it's hand-built and hand-tweaked. Ray sells direct, with a money-back guarantee. You'll have to try it on my recommendation, or someone else's. I roar my evil laugh.

The Predator is the same width as depth as Ray's Hornet heapdhone amp, but the Hornet is 1" high, making it look (heh-heh) big. My 40-something son, who put me on to Ray Samuels, almost peed in his pants when he saw and heard the the Predator. He almost had a tantrum, like when he was two. This is fun: having cool stuff the kids don't.

A switch at the left of the Predator's front panel toggles between the line input (a stereo miniplug on the front panel) and the rear-panel USB input. A three-position (Hi/Lo/Med) gain switch on the rear panel accommodates fussy headphones, even the AKG K701. The Predator comes in your choice of six colors: chrome, green, gold, black, red, blue. Go to raysamuelsaudio.com and eat your heart out.

The Predator's tiny lithium-ion battery can be charged more than 500 times, according to Ray, who claims that a charge is good for seven days of playing eight hours a day - which I confirm. A full charge takes about two hours.

The Predator cries out to be used with a laptop, which I don't have. But through the Mac mini in my office I now listen mainly to KCSM, the Bay Area's jazz station, and Cleveland's classical station, WCLV. I couldn't listen before - not through the Mac's built-in soundcard. The Predator's USB input changed all that, allowed me to bypass the Mac's card, and showed me that Internet radio can be quite acceptable. Moreover, for the first time, my 20-year-old powered Advent speakers (same as the powered AR model of the same era) came into their own. The sound was crisp, clean, and clear, causing me to predict that Netcasting - not HD Radio or satellite radio - is radio's future. Just wait till there's Internet radio in cars, and on Amtrak and commuter trains.

Meanwhile, think of what you can do now with a Predator. You can take it on the bus, train, or plane: listen with your laptop. When you get to work, plug it into your desktop system and bypass your computer's soundcard. USB rules! People at the office will hardly notice your stealthy Predator - it takes up hardly any desk space (it's perfect with my Mac mini). When you're away from your desk, lock it in a drawer or slide it into your shirt pocket.

"Sam, turn down the sound. Cha-choo spat! I want to sleep!"

As I finished this column, Marina came into my office to scold me. I was blasting KCSM past her bedtime.

The sound was smokin'. I couldn't believe KCSM (one of the announcers is Clifford Brown, Jr.): crisp, clean, clear transients. Smooth sound. I almost have to pinch myself: I have KCSM in my office. WBGO in stereo. WFMT Chicago. WCLV Cleveland. France Musique. Nostalgie. FIP. Bartok Radio from Budapest, which concerts from all over Europe at 2pm, when it's 8pm in Magyar country. Content rules!

I asked Ray how he did it - the Predator's size, and all.

"It's the lithium-ion battery, so thin and small it allows me to add one more board, compared to the Hornet. You can do amazing things once the battery goes smaller in size."

Ray said the Predator delivers 250 milliamps driving capability, same as the Hornet. The USB DAC inside is a Burr-Brown chip. Ray's cagey about which one.

"Not so long ago, USB DAC chips sounded horrible and weren't a good option. Nowadays that's all changed. USB is now very respected. You can pull the digital information from the computer, put it through a good chip, and serve up sound that is warm and nice."

Ray likes the sound of a particular high-end CD player, and whispered the make and model. Yes, indeed, the Predator does sound similar.

"Remember the situation with op-amps? They were considered a joke in high-end circles, compare to discrete components. But op-amps have come a long way and are used by some of the most respected hi-fi companies in the world," Ray declared. Ditto USB DACs.

How long before CD players and external DACs become obsolete and folks rely mainly on laptops and music servers? We've already seen the demise of the high-quality portable CD player. How long before Apple Computer shakes up hi-fi?

It's easy to go overboard about the Ray Samuels Audio Predator. For me, in my main system, it doesn't surpass a larger heapdhone amp like Musical Fidelity's X-CAN V8...or one of Ray's own bigger headphone amps. I'd love to hear his Apache! (Samuels on the warpath. Maybe he'll come out with a loudspeaker: the Little Big Horn.) The Predator lacks the wide dynamics, the bass authority, the astonishing low-level detail, of something like the X-CAN V8 - and, I assume, the Apache, which looks like like a heapdhone-amp powerhouse. It's not a big, bad-boy headphone amp like the Benchmark DAC1 Pre or the Grace Design m902, both of which I'll get to next month. Those, too, I highly recommend.

Meanwhile, for its size and for what it is, for convenience, for Internet radio and CDs on the run, Ray Samuels' Emmeline The Predator is amazing. Road warriors with their laptops will be in heaven - many good hotels now offer WiFi.

It's all about size, convenience, portability - without sacrificing great sound.

[Knuckledragger]

What does Ray do? Scalp his customers? Nah, he scalps competitors.

[guzziguy]

Without looking it up, how many headphone amp competitors do you think Sam can name? I'd guess one, Headroom. Tyll still seems to have all his hair.

Edit: OK, two. I forgot about his darling MF.