ecp audio

[blubliss]

They did sound great, best thing I heard at the meet.  Meeting Doug and Jeff was a pleasure.

Doug had to go and tempt me talking about his upcoming L-3 (:

[HiWire]

Copenhagen, DSHA-2/3/4(?), L-3... that's a lot to look forward to!

[Hopstretch]

Is there a CliffsNotes for the technically illiterate on the basic differences between the above-mentioned coming attractions?

OK, I'll just ask the HF question. Which would be moar bestest with Utopias?

 

 

[blubliss]

Doug was explaining to us at this recent meet but all I heard was, this stuff is gonna sound really bitchin' blah, blah, blah, no caps, blah, blah, simple design, blah, blah, L-3 has a really cool, cheap Russian tube, blah, blah, we made triodes out of transistors in the DSHA 3 (?), blah, blah, blah, L-3 will have more power, blah.

The Utopias sound awesome with the L-2, slightly better (?) than the Dynahi. The phones can be a little bright.

 

[shellylh]

I'll take one of each.

[dsavitsk]

....

Edited November 7, 2016 by dsavitsk

[blubliss]

Don't get me wrong, your blah was extremely interesting doug (:

[dsavitsk]

I accidentally hit the wrong button while trying to type and posted some unintended nonsense (as opposed to the usual intended nonsense). Here's the cliff notes version of what is upcoming ...

All of these circuits are fully differential. Everything except the DSHA2 is transformer coupled on both the input and the output and happy with balanced or single ended. All of the output transformers are newly custom designed by Lundahl for me. Available with steel core or amorphous cores for an upcharge.

DSHA2 is really tiny, direct coupled, transformer gain amplifier for use with balanced headphones..

DSHA3 is kind of the default amp. It uses transformers for gain, and it is very clean, very quiet, and just works well. Gain is low, but it has the power to push pretty much any headphone.

DSST1 (which stands for Differential Solid State Triode) was developed with PretentiousFood. It looks the same as the DSHA3 from the outside, and it uses a circuit that emulates triodes with transistors. It has a bit of a bloomier midrange, can have higher gain, and is easier to drive at the cost of a little more background noise.

Copenhagen-S also looks the same and has a punchier bouncier happier more midrangey sound. It is the "Solid State Pentode" amp making it kind of a current source/transconductance amp. (Copenhagen-V, the tube version, is on hiatus.)

L3 has tubes in it and costs a little more. Pics to come in about 2 weeks.

Ravenswood (DSHA4) is basically a DSHA3 with an additional driver stage, microprocessor controlled gain and input, and is big and powerful and over the top.

[Voltron]

Would any of these fit in the same size case as the DAC you made for me?

[dsavitsk]

In general, probably not. The output transformers are pretty big. The possible exception is the DSHA2 - turned sideways the board will physically fit in the case. The trick would be trying to shoehorn a PS in there, too. It might be doable with some creative mounting.

[Voltron]

You are a very creative man. Plus, it would be a great product given the smaller desktop footprint...just sayin'.

[HiWire]

Thanks for the update. I'm assuming the DSHA3 would work well with Grados, then?

Edited November 7, 2016 by HiWire

[dsavitsk]

Yes on Grados.

[TMoney]

Finally have my baby back from her trip to Connecticut after nearly two months of being without her. Oh man, she sounds great. Thanks, Doug!

[HiWire]

Any news on the new DSHA amps? I'm guessing they turned out to be labor-intensive or prohibitively expensive to put together...

[dsavitsk]

They are that, but they are available. DSHA3 and DSHA3F (specifically for Focals, picture below in walnut) are the current models, and Tom and I are very close to releasing the T5 which is effectively a DSHA output stage with tube gain. Indeed, I just received an updated T5 power transformer in the mail today that I soldered in not 10 minutes ago.

 

[recstar24]

Don’t forget the phono stage you were planning on too

[purk]

What's the price point on the T5 Doug?  The prototype unit that I heard last year was quite a stellar amp.  

[Laowei]

That’s so fucking beautiful. 

[dsavitsk]

I might need to fire my photographer, but here's something new.

[recstar24]

4 minutes ago, dsavitsk said:

I might need to fire my photographer, but here's something new.

INFO PLEASE

[ironbut]

Awesome looking work Doug!

Mean and clean!

[dsavitsk]

That is a "Copenhagen V" headphone amplifier. Power supply is external.

[TMoney]

Your inquiring public would love a central page with blurbs on all of your current amps!

Edited April 13, 2018 by TMoney

[Grahame]

Those peek-a-boo tubes look like they want to come out and play 

at startup, you know, like ...