Deadneddz Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 I know that many people enjoy the SRM-717, but what exactly makes it a better amplifier than for example a SRM-006t? Is it the higher output voltage?
padam Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 Yes, but voltage is not the only thing which counts, for example the older SRM-T1 uses better parts than the SRM-006t so the new one is actually worse.
spritzer Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 I know that many people enjoy the SRM-717, but what exactly makes it a better amplifier than for example a SRM-006t? Is it the higher output voltage? More power basically, both voltage and current. It's far from a perfect amp but very hard to beat at that price point.
Deadneddz Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 What is the output voltage on the BHSE? As i remember reading the SRM-T2 has an output voltage of more than 600v, more voltage than any other stax offerings. I guess this is why the T2 is said to be the best stax brand amp ever produced.
kevin gilmore Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Lets just look past how cheap and nasty the preamp section is in the B52 and there is a whole world of choice at this price point, either SS or tube. Many will easily drive headphones from the pre-outs as well. If you want some brands then BAT like Nate suggested plus vintage Krell, ML, Spectral, Pass, ARC, C-J etc. I'm just going to quote some of the things i have actually heard. The small conrad johnson preamp is about half the price of a B52. And that is the NEW price. Used is definitely cheaper. Pass labs has a number of wonderful fet based preamps starting at only $2k or so, and going all the way past $18k. ARC is certainly nice, i don't like the sound signature. And krell, well i have 2 of those, but the cast preamp new is more than a B52. And all of these have a remote control. Each is far more complicated than a single gain tube and a cathode follower which is all a B52 is. I'm going to say something else, as far as i know, mikhail never made a real preamp. Yes he made lots of things with a set of connections that said preamp out, but they are absolutely no different from a RSA STEALTH. That is a single gain tube, and a pot. Not even a cathode follower. And his version of unbalanced/balanced ala the SS1 is just dismal. Edited March 31, 2009 by kevin gilmore
mirumu Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 What is the output voltage on the BHSE? As i remember reading the SRM-T2 has an output voltage of more than 600v, more voltage than any other stax offerings. I guess this is why the T2 is said to be the best stax brand amp ever produced. I believe Kevin Gilmore said in the past that the original Blue Hawaii is 750 volts peak to peak.
kevin gilmore Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 All of the wall-warts in the SS1 had fuses soldered to their boards, but they were too large to blow The fuses were probably in the 5 volt section which was never used in the first place... There might have been a thermal fuse inside the transformer...
kevin gilmore Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 The T2 and the BH and BHSE all use +/-400 volt supplies. So clipping would be 800 volts minus the 30 or so volts for the cathode. In practice its a bit lower than that. So something in the 700-750 range. T1's are +/-350 so max would be 670, in practice 625-650 The 717 does slightly better, 650 to 675. The voltage swing is only part of the equation. The other is the amount of current available to charge and discharge the capacitors. A 6sn7 can probably supply only 60% of the current that a 6s4 can.
HeadphoneAddict Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 Maybe Namaan will bring his DIY Blue Hawaii over to compare.
guzziguy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 Maybe Namaan will bring his DIY Blue Hawaii over to compare. My guess is that if you were to ask him politely, he'd be happy to do it. If you offered him good beer and/or scotch, I'm sure he would.
HeadphoneAddict Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 My guess is that if you were to ask him politely, he'd be happy to do it. If you offered him good beer and/or scotch, I'm sure he would. I've still got 4 beer left over from the 2/14 meet that I told him to take with him and he forgot it. I'll be happy to offer that up I found a buyer for his O2 Mk1, and then ended up owning them myself this weekend. We could have a tearful reunion with his O2 Mk1 for him, complete with flowers and organ music.
naamanf Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) I've still got 4 beer left over from the 2/14 meet that I told him to take with him and he forgot it. I'll be happy to offer that up I found a buyer for his O2 Mk1, and then ended up owning them myself this weekend. We could have a tearful reunion with his O2 Mk1 for him, complete with flowers and organ music. I don't know about tearful reunion but I am up for bringing it over when the A-10 shows up. That way we can see how they compare to my lead ears. Edited March 31, 2009 by naamanf
spritzer Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 I'm just going to quote some of the things i have actually heard. The small conrad johnson preamp is about half the price of a B52. And that is the NEW price. Used is definitely cheaper. Pass labs has a number of wonderful fet based preamps starting at only $2k or so, and going all the way past $18k. ARC is certainly nice, i don't like the sound signature. And krell, well i have 2 of those, but the cast preamp new is more than a B52. And all of these have a remote control. That new C-J budget preamp has gotten nothing but glowing reviews, even from HFN which are notoriously picky. I've heard the Pass X2.5 and it was excellent the same as the old Krell units. I even put in a bid this week on an old Stax preamp but thankfully lost. Still I have to buy a SRA-14S one of these days...
Asr Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 I don't know about tearful reunion but I am up for bringing it over when the A-10 shows up. That way we can see how they compare to my lead ears. Let me know the time & place and I can bring my BHSE too.
naamanf Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 Let me know the time & place and I can bring my BHSE too. Shazam. Woo GES, BH, BHSE, and A-10. This should be interesting.
Dusty Chalk Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 I'm going to say something else, as far as i know, mikhail never made a real preamp.Incorrect -- the Maestro was designed as a preamp, and did well as one.
bhd812 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 so on closer inspection i will modify my analysis. followed by 4 srpp gain sections, 5687's Used to drive output stage and preamp output. . 6sn7's as electrostatic outputs. Capacitvely coupled, same as aristaeus. Wanna make a small bet on your words? i say $5.00 your wrong on the above!
kevin gilmore Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 OK billy its worth $5. Which part is wrong. paypal immediately. Hey i might be surprized.
bhd812 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 you will find out when everyone else does, since i know you like thinking about this stuff i am going to let this sit in your brain for a bit... as far as the $5.00 goes buy me a coffee next time we meet up!
kevin gilmore Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 Incorrect -- the Maestro was designed as a preamp, and did well as one. See i'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. Every picture of the maestro i can find shows a total of 3 tubes. Which is 1 gain tube, and 2 x WCF output tubes, all 6sn7's. This is virtually identical to the RSA stealth which is claimed to be a preamp also. One gain tube and a volume knob does not a preamp make. Mainly its the huge variation in output impedance over frequency and attenuation range that is at issue here. In my system with 20 feet of cable between the preamp and amp, there is no way this thing would work.
justin Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 See i'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. Every picture of the maestro i can find shows a total of 3 tubes. Which is 1 gain tube, and 2 x WCF output tubes, all 6sn7's. This is virtually identical to the RSA stealth which is claimed to be a preamp also. One gain tube and a volume knob does not a preamp make. Mainly its the huge variation in output impedance over frequency and attenuation range that is at issue here. In my system with 20 feet of cable between the preamp and amp, there is no way this thing would work. on the Maestro were the headphone out and pre-outs the same thing?
kevin gilmore Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 you will find out when everyone else does, since i know you like thinking about this stuff i am going to let this sit in your brain for a bit... as far as the $5.00 goes buy me a coffee next time we meet up! Billy, no one hears from you in over a month then you come back and whack your mouth off... Put up or shut up. My guess is that although the chassis is complete, the circuit boards are still prototypes, otherwise pictures would have been supplied. Anyone know billy's paypal address, i'll send the money now. And then billy, take it out of your hide later... Can you still get a cup of coffee at starbucks for $5 ??
naamanf Posted March 31, 2009 Report Posted March 31, 2009 Can you still get a cup of coffee at starbucks for $5 ?? x2
kevin gilmore Posted April 1, 2009 Report Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) on the Maestro were the headphone out and pre-outs the same thing? Searching for maestro insides pictures now... WCF driving high impedance cable load, even internally loaded with 150 ohms ?? got to be nasty. At least if the stealth was used that way it would be pure class A. Edited April 1, 2009 by kevin gilmore
luvdunhill Posted April 1, 2009 Report Posted April 1, 2009 I kinda wonder why Mikhail or Ray didn't try to rig up something using a concertina/cathodyne to feed the balanced frenzy..
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