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Bijou All Tube Futterman Headphone Amplifier - Page 134

post #1996 of 3976
12/4/08 at 12:09am
Still learning about this amp, and I may have been a bit hasty. I was feeling a tad down about the sanded off snap of the percussion on harder rock, when I changed the attenuators. Keep in mind that most rock is highly compressed, and recorded in relatively small spaces.

So, I changed the music.

On goes the 'Concertos Brandenburgeois' (Archiv, W Germany) - and this amp creates a space the size of a full concert hall - just astounding if you have never heard the phenomenon. Not only does this amp create x,y spacing - it fills the ambient space with the reflective sound - almost holographic.

Nothing I have ever heard has done this. Not pixie dust - just raw power to throw signals to where they need to be, when they need to be there - with open headphones.

All amps have relative strengths - I just found this one on the balanced Bijou - anyone experience this on SE?

And, RE: speakers: This recording has never sounded this spectacular, spatially nor dynamically in my 5.1 - truly, the headphones here kick the speakers to the curb.
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post #1997 of 3976
12/4/08 at 3:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pabbi1 View Post
Still learning about this amp, and I may have been a bit hasty. I was feeling a tad down about the sanded off snap of the percussion on harder rock, when I changed the attenuators. Keep in mind that most rock is highly compressed, and recorded in relatively small spaces.

So, I changed the music.

On goes the 'Concertos Brandenburgeois' (Archiv, W Germany) - and this amp creates a space the size of a full concert hall - just astounding if you have never heard the phenomenon. Not only does this amp create x,y spacing - it fills the ambient space with the reflective sound - almost holographic.

Nothing I have ever heard has done this. Not pixie dust - just raw power to throw signals to where they need to be, when they need to be there - with open headphones.

All amps have relative strengths - I just found this one on the balanced Bijou - anyone experience this on SE?

And, RE: speakers: This recording has never sounded this spectacular, spatially nor dynamically in my 5.1 - truly, the headphones here kick the speakers to the curb.
pabbi1,
i hear the exact same qualities. the sound is HUGE, x/y/z - slapping you from all directions. (warning: in-coming cliche) the differences between recording quality are there from album to album, but they all let the music through. musically, very satisfying.

i've been doing a lot of switching back and forth between the K701 and HD650. more to come...

i didn't wire my Bijou for SE - i'm too lazy after spending 3 months on construction of the build SE, and then to balanced. i wish i could offer meaningful comparisons. pabbi1 and amphead, any thoughts???
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post #1998 of 3976
12/4/08 at 3:48am
looks great, clear front is a nice touch. I do love the DIY builds where you can see the insides.
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post #1999 of 3976
12/4/08 at 3:57am
thanks guys.

i'm going to crash out with the K701.
LL
LL
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post #2000 of 3976
12/4/08 at 4:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pabbi1 View Post
All amps have relative strengths - I just found this one on the balanced Bijou - anyone experience this on SE?
Happy to say that I hear this daily from my SE - another from Alex's stable. Now you need to put the dynamics away and get yourself some orthos and you're going to run 'screamin fo yo mumma' . Very happy to hear that the Bijou has spread it's magic around..dB
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post #2001 of 3976
12/4/08 at 4:28am
fishski, if you dig out my review the one thing that struck me was the space the bijou creates. something i had never heard before.

With the 6n1p's in there i get space and a bit more aggression.
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post #2002 of 3976
12/4/08 at 6:40am
I see a very bad default at that Bijou....
.
.
.
.
It's too good. It spit at me all default of my source
I'll have to watch for a good DAC.

Very Nice Build Fishski
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post #2003 of 3976
12/4/08 at 7:48am
Quote:
Nothing I have ever heard has done this. Not pixie dust - just raw power to throw signals to where they need to be, when they need to be there - with open headphones.
Pabbi, you need to get that pixie dust back. Time to replace the TKDs with Goldpoints. ;-)



Seriously though, the spatial aspect of the balanced Bijou is just unbelievable. Reverberation from the walls, where the recording takes place is evident when it is present. The highs are crisp, but not overbearing, the mids are mellow as a french horn, and the bass is nice and deep, not flabby at all. Vocals are addictive and raise the hair on the back of your neck, acoustic guitar strings sound even better than live. So............gotta get my K701s wired for balanced and order the parts for the other 2 channels. I'll try to create a purdy chassis for the balanced setup. ;-) Edit: Fishski, can I put you on the spot and ask how the K701s sound vs your other phones with the balanced Bijou?
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post #2004 of 3976
12/4/08 at 11:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by amphead View Post
Pabbi, you need to get that pixie dust back. Time to replace the TKDs with Goldpoints. ;-)
Well, Goldpoint tells me that there are some 48 step attenuators coming in the next few months (with RC capability), so i am waiting just a bit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dBel84 View Post
Happy to say that I hear this daily from my SE - another from Alex's stable. Now you need to put the dynamics away and get yourself some orthos and you're going to run 'screamin fo yo mumma' . Very happy to hear that the Bijou has spread it's magic around..dB
Well, Marc does have some T50 and is selling his ppa2, so no more SE for him? Regardless, you know where I am heading with the photomultipliers, and 1kv parts...
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post #2005 of 3976
12/4/08 at 12:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pabbi1 View Post
Well, Marc does have some T50 and is selling his ppa2, so no more SE for him?
nope, still intrigued by something I heard in Houston, as well as some ultra high end ribbon tweeters == need moar cash.
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post #2006 of 3976
12/4/08 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvdunhill View Post
nope, still intrigued by something I heard in Houston, as well as some ultra high end ribbon tweeters == need moar cash.
SOHA II, mayhaps?
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post #2007 of 3976
12/4/08 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by amphead View Post
Seriously though, the spatial aspect of the balanced Bijou is just unbelievable. Reverberation from the walls, where the recording takes place is evident when it is present. The highs are crisp, but not overbearing, the mids are mellow as a french horn, and the bass is nice and deep, not flabby at all. Vocals are addictive and raise the hair on the back of your neck, acoustic guitar strings sound even better than live. So............gotta get my K701s wired for balanced and order the parts for the other 2 channels. I'll try to create a purdy chassis for the balanced setup. ;-) Edit: Fishski, can I put you on the spot and ask how the K701s sound vs your other phones with the balanced Bijou?
i'll post odd rambings here and there.

the K701 is actually a little more "groovy and fun" both SE and balanced, with a bit more dynamic punch in the midbass - but don't expect miracles in quantity. bass sounds like it goes down to DC . very detailed, but definately shelved down. percussion is amazing. very forward/enveloping soundstage - you're in the mix.

i don't believe in the idea of "neutrality", but i think this is the sound that a lot of audio nerds would describe as "neutral" and analytical. i think the K601 would be an interesting pairing - definately a bit more groovy than the K701. the HD650 is another story...
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post #2008 of 3976
12/4/08 at 8:36pm
Thanks Fishski, I expected there to be the usual analytical signature. And I am happy to hear that they are groovy and fun, overall. That's all the impetus I need to get moving on the balanced build. I will start with creating a chassis first, now that most of the mysteries of building the balanced Bijou are known by me.
Edit: there is an inexpensive way to hear the amp through a discreet resistor with very little dinero. You can measure the resistance of the volume pot at a favourite listening level and create a switched parallel circuit that switches in a single "boutique" resistor and switches out the pot. Not super practical, but it would work.
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post #2009 of 3976
12/4/08 at 10:09pm
Coming from someone who only has parts for a SE verison, are there any comparison notes between the SE and the balanced? Soundwise, I suppose I have some expectations, but has anyone done a direct comparison?

Thanks!

EDIT: Just noticed some other inquiries about the same thing. Ah well, I'll stay tuned. We should organize a national Bijou-only Head-Fi meet...
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post #2010 of 3976
12/4/08 at 11:29pm
i'm learning more about how the attenuation curve i chose is working in situ with making volume adjustments. i took some dB measurements with my RS SPL meter and discovered that i was listening at a quieter volume than i normally do with the K701 - they require a few more clicks of gain vs. the HD650 to reach the same level of measured dBs. i was fooled by the more forward upper-midrange and trebles vs. the HD650.

i've now been listening at 75-80 dBs over the last couple of hours. the K701 are now on fire. very forward, Naim-like in presentation, but without the harshness in the upper-midrange, and a skosh more in tonality and warmth. gobs of transient attack and leading edge detail. bass is excellent as well. a bit of welcomed punchy warmth in the mid-bass a la Naim.
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