Step 4 of my 12-Step Plan: How To Stop People From Laughing At Your Amps

[PFKMan23]

You don't band people here you just run them off, right?

Maybe you should be the first..

[guzziguy]

Maybe you should be the first..

Nah, he wouldn't be the first. Just look at JBLoudG20 above so. He's still banned!

[Elephas]

After a sleepless night...

Whew, I'm glad I wasn't banned.

[Elephas]

I better post as much as I can before that happens.

I think the HE90, SR-Omega and SR-007 sound better with the Aristaeus than the KGSS. The difference is significantly greater with the HE90 and less with the two Stax. I use an HE90>Stax plug adapter I got from Moon Audio (oops, sorry, Alex! ) and I don't think I'll ever use it again. I thought the HE90 sounded very good with the KGSS, but the Aristaeus is much better.

The SR-007 retains and even increases its refinement, smoothness and liquidity, and adds some brightness and air that makes it less congested and closed-in. Like the HE90, I thought the SR-007 sounded very good with the KGSS already, but the Aristaeus takes it up another level. Bass quality and quantity is very, very good. If anyone says electrostats have no bass, I would ask them to try the SR-007 + Aristaeus.

I'm using Mullard ECL86 and CV4004 tubes now, and will try an all-Siemens complement soon.

[spritzer]

The truth is that the HE90 doesn't like direct coupled, relatively neutral and clean amps. They need something to mess up the sound, be it the steaming pile of crap that is the HEV90 or some caps in the signal path, to gloss over the biggest faults. This why an Aristaeus is on my to buy/build list but Marc's talk about the souped up KGSS has made me want to take a second look at the BH and see what can be done for the PSU. I think the BH deserves a PSU that is at least 5 times as big as the amp section. Can anybody say giant film caps...

[Jon L]

A bit OT, but has anyone actually compared ES-1 and Aristaeus?

KGSS is a fine amp, but frankly not in the similar league as ES-1, so it's not surprising Aristaeus outperforms KGSS, but the *real* question in my mind is ES-1 vs. Aristaeus..

[Salt Peanuts]

A bit OT, but has anyone actually compared ES-1 and Aristaeus?

I don't remember seeing one either here or over on HF, but it is entirely possible that I've simply missed it.

The one problem I see with doing this comparison is that there are entirely too many different permutations of ES-1, with 101 customizable options. I guess one could use a "stock" ES-1, assuming such a beast even exists.

[luvdunhill]

A bit OT, but has anyone actually compared ES-1 and Aristaeus?

KGSS is a fine amp, but frankly not in the similar league as ES-1, so it's not surprising Aristaeus outperforms KGSS, but the *real* question in my mind is ES-1 vs. Aristaeus..

There is an important difference between the schematic and an actual implemented amplifier. The KGSS schematic leaves lots of room for tweaking, whether increasing the standing power of the amp, or using a different power supply, using a different dual transistor in the front end, etc. all three I've done. The result is no where near the original.

Same with the ES-1 versus the schematic from which it was born.

Not to nit-pick, if you're comparing the Headamp KGSS versus the Singlepower ES-1 that's fine. They are rather static entities, despite all Mikhail's "options".

I think one day we'll see a big-bad KGSS make a come-back... it's a great design and the first time I heard it I fell in love with it, even comparing it with the Blue Hawaii. It's no coincidence that the KGSS is the starting point for the new KGST as well the TakeT amplifier that KG proposed.

[Dusty Chalk]

KGSS is a fine amp, but frankly not in the similar league as ES-1...

I would disagree with this statement.

[kevin gilmore]

The KGSS design is 8 years old now.

There are lots of things that can and will be done to this design.

Better current sources, even better front end transistor/fet, stronger

and faster output devices.

Maybe i'll even publish the fully complementary differential design i have

had for a few years now. Lots of parts.

Bigger and better power supply always a good thing.

Not going to get into the Me vs Mikhail thing. But it sure would be nice

to see someone else doing actually new designs.

[Elephas]

From what I've read, the Aristaeus is based roughtly on the HEV90, so it should sound very good with the HE90. I think the KGSS is more competitive versus the Aristaeus with the 4070, HE60 and SR-SC1. The gap is greater with the HE90, SR-Omega and SR-007. I'm still not quite fully recovered from the first time I tried the HE90 + Aristaeus + P-05/D-05 playing "Jennifer Warnes - The Well" SACD and the ensuing mind-blowing massive eargasm.

A bit OT, but has anyone actually compared ES-1 and Aristaeus?

I actually own an ES-1, but it's in the SinglePower blackhole along with all the other people who are waiting. I've only started discussing upgrade options with Mikhail and don't expect to receive it anytime soon. If it's ready by CanJam 2008 I might consider visiting Denver to pick it up personally.

[postjack]

I actually own an ES-1, but it's in the SinglePower blackhole...

LOL

[boomana]

I actually own an ES-1, but it's in the SinglePower blackhole along with all the other people who are waiting. I've only started discussing upgrade options with Mikhail and don't expect to receive it anytime soon. If it's ready by CanJam 2008 I might consider visiting Denver to pick it up personally.

Wayne's been waiting for something like two years for one he bought used and had sent to Mikhail for upgrades. You might want to make plans for CanJam without the ES-1.

[n_maher]

Wayne's been waiting for something like two years for one he bought used and had sent to Mikhail for upgrades. You might want to make plans for CanJam without the ES-1.

Two fracken years??!?!?! I'm sorry, no upgrade is worth not having something for more than 2yrs. I'm sure Wayne has other gear, or at least I sincerely hope that it does, but good grief. :|

[luvdunhill]

Wayne's been waiting for something like two years for one he bought used and had sent to Mikhail for upgrades. You might want to make plans for CanJam without the ES-1.

hey, totally off topic, but I see in your sig you have a Lector CD player. I have a good friend that has a 7t and I really like it. How does it compare with your modded Denon source? Have you heard the 7t?

[Jon L]

I actually own an ES-1, but it's in the SinglePower blackhole along with all the other people who are waiting.

You know, every time I hear about the SP Blackhole, I get depressed and frustrated. And I don't even have anything stuck in the Blackhole personally. I need some more cheer for the Holidays, so people, please refrain from mentioning the Blackhole. For the children, the children, I beg you.

[spritzer]

What I'd like to know is how an upgrade can take up to two years and why do people put up with this crap?

I'd like to see some measurements on the ES-1 such as output impedance, slew rate etc. as those will tell us a whole lot more then the voltage swing alone. I do have an itch to throw together a second BH psu and see how the amp responds to dual mono supplies... \

[philodox]

One good thing about the Singlepower blackhole is that it is making me feel like less of a shmuck for putting up with Peters delays.

[grawk]

One good thing about the Singlepower blackhole is that it is making me feel like less of a shmuck for putting up with Peters delays.

My amp took very close to 2 years...and it's not even a singlepower. Then again, my amp from singlepower would have cost double.

[boomana]

hey, totally off topic, but I see in your sig you have a Lector CD player. I have a good friend that has a 7t and I really like it. How does it compare with your modded Denon source? Have you heard the 7t?

I like my Lector enough to be way too curious about the 7T, but fortunately, every time I go to a meet an put my Denon up against a slew of other fine players, I'm really of the opinion that for redbook, the Exemplar Denon 2900 can't be touched in its price range, especially if bought used, which mine was. The two cdps I most spent a concentrated time comparing the Denon to in the past year were the Esoteric DV50 and SA10. I preferred the Exemplar to the SA10 (though not for SACD), and equal to the DV50 (very similar sound), but they were at different meets, in different setups, and I'm hesitant to make declarations when I'd really have to live with one or more to get a better sense of what I'm talking about. To know that they are close enough to even be hesitant to say which is better is revealing to me. I am, however, entirely confident is saying that I think the Exemplar 2900 represents the best of hi-end mid fi for cdps. I think Purk scored one recently for $1100, which is an insanely good price. John Tucker is not offering a few upgraded caps and whatnots, and if I weren't so lazy, he have mine now. Unless I win the lotto, though, I'm happy enough to not want other.

The Lector 0.6T is almost half the price of the Exemplar Denon, both new and used ($3500:$1700 and $1700:$900 - what I paid), and I keep wanting to sell it, since the Denon's really the better player, and all I need, but I can't. Every time I put it on, there is something quite wonderful, organic (gawd I hate saying that, but it's the closest I can get to what I hear) and so damn right with the music, I just get happy. Compared to the Denon, it is not as detailed, and it lacks in resolution. This is most noticeable with R10s, and K1000s where the Denon really shines. I prefer it with my favorite headphones, even the 650s. The difficulty I'm having is that I prefer the Lector with my speakers. There is something about the combination of Lector > SP Extreme Platinum > FirstWatt F1 > Cain & Cain Abbys that is exactly what I want to hear, in an unexplainable way, since I both know and can tell you why another player is better. It's just more enjoyable. I wish it weren't.

I used to have an Eastern Electric MiniMax, which I really loved as my first decent cdp. The Lector is similar in price on the used market, but even though I didn't have them at the same time, the minute I first turned on the Lector, it was clearly the better player to my ears, and with a slightly (not much) warmer tone (no, don't think tubey, even if a tube player).

I just realized I haven't had my Lector out since I picked up the Bailey sub. Thanks. I know what I'll be listening to on Christmas morning!

[luvdunhill]

second BH psu and see how the amp responds to dual mono supplies... \

my KGSS supply is dual mono... it's adjustable to 500 V. I'll keep you posted I will have pabbi1's BH to compare with once it gets done.

[guzziguy]

John Tucker is not offering a few upgraded caps and whatnots, and if I weren't so lazy, he have mine now.

Actually, Boomana meant to say that John Tucker is "now" offerring new upgrades.

I recently bought JP#'s eXemplar 2900 and sent it to John for the upgrades. These are an opamp upgrade and a low pass filter upgrade. I don't know the details and I didn't hear the eXemplar before the mods. I now have $1.9K into it and it's by far the best digital front end that I've spent any time with. It's retrieval of details is amazing.

I've never heard a Lector so can not compare them. However, I had my Eastsound CD-5 modded my Matt at SACDMods. That's a picture of my unit on his website. His changes have really improved the CD-5, but it still lags behind the eXemplar in virtually all facets of Redbook music reproduction.

[boomana]

oops. So much for reading what I type. Guzziguy is correct.

[pabbi1]

The KGSS design is 8 years old now.

There are lots of things that can and will be done to this design.

Better current sources, even better front end transistor/fet, stronger

and faster output devices.

Maybe i'll even publish the fully complementary differential design i have

had for a few years now. Lots of parts.

Bigger and better power supply always a good thing.

Not going to get into the Me vs Mikhail thing. But it sure would be nice

to see someone else doing actually new designs.

Please, Santa? Many have been good this year, and need something to spend Christmas funds on...

[pabbi1]

my KGSS supply is dual mono... it's adjustable to 500 V. I'll keep you posted I will have pabbi1's BH to compare with once it gets done.

Yeah, and this time against xf2, not the xf3...