Headamp Blue Hawaii Special Edition - Page 104

I've never heard the BHSE, but I own the Pico Slim and even though it's only a very small portable amp, it gives amazing SQ especially via the K-01. The build quality is also very good so I've no doubt the BHSE will be too, which everyone knows Justin does both.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu 

I see no reason to build one let alone order one based on my impressions of the 3 Bhse I have heard thus far. Its a fine amp but so far nothing to suggest it is my flavor. I hope to listen to Mike's amp for an extended period before I make a final decision on whether it is worth my while to consider building one.

Interesting...

You see no reason to build one...

But, worth my while to consider building one...

Then I don't get the point of your post
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu 

I have heard one built by Justin one by namaan. And the one I heard last weekend was built by spritzer
How many have you heard?

The namaan unit and spritzer unit  are both BH, not BHSE and they have the 2sa1968 current sources i believe.

There are other differences between the BH and BHSE that have not been published.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu 


Wowee. Yeah that might do something to make it sound better than the BH i heard at the nor cal meet.

but will blue faceplates hold their value as well over the years?  or perhaps increase in value due to relative scarcity?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfnutz 

Interesting...

 

You see no reason to build one...

 

But, worth my while to consider building one...

 

Then I don't get the point of your post
 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin gilmore 

The namaan unit and spritzer unit  are both BH, not BHSE and they have the 2sa1968 current sources i believe.

 

 

Yeah i know man.

Which is why I said I there is some hope for the BHSE yet in my book. I have heard a Headamp  BHSE once before although only brielfy. I remember liking/loving it with the ESP950 a whole lot more than I did with the O2. Then again I was a different person3 years ago and my taste has changed alitle bit.

Hearing a BH last weekend helped bring back that point of reference. This had the 1968 devices on the CCS however which is why the reason for me asking what devices the BHSE ran.

Since it is the different IXYS ones and I can't rely on my previous listening experience with the headamp BHSE, I said there is merit still in me auditioning a current production version of the BHSE, which I will do soon hopefully. 

Hope that clears it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1961 

I've never heard the BHSE, but I own the Pico Slim and even though it's only a very small portable amp, it gives amazing SQ especially via the K-01. The build quality is also very good so I've no doubt the BHSE will be too, which everyone knows Justin does both.

i agree. the Pico Slim is a  nice sounding amp. Heck my first recommendation to a friend here in POrtland was the Pico Slim and he bought it. Took a month to get it though. However, the friend recently informed me that there is an intermittent contact issue with the headphone jack and he wasn't too happy about it. I confirmed it and told him to contact Justin about it and that he will take care of him. Don't know what course of action my buddy took as i haven't spoken to him since. Justin is great about standing behind his products. 

My friend however is looking for something else and have recommended he try out the ALO RX series instead especially since they are local if any issues arise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by googleli 

It is just not the BHSE if it's not by Justin. It doesn't matter how many you or I have heard.

Man I really enjoy having you back googleli. 

Until I receive the BHSE, the only amp I have is the Pico Slim, but even when I have the BHSE I think I might still be using the Pico Slim with the K-01. Because the SQ I'm getting from the K-01 + Pico Slim + Shure se535's is so good, I'm finding it hard to imagine what it will be like with the K-01 + BHSE + SR-009's combination.

I agree with Mr. Sneis about googleli.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin gilmore 

The namaan unit and spritzer unit  are both BH, not BHSE and they have the 2sa1968 current sources i believe.

There are other differences between the BH and BHSE that have not been published.

It's been awhile since I read through the 120+ pages of BHSE posts, but to confirm, the primary difference (for us laypeople) between the BH and BHSE is a more powerful power supply?  Or are there more differences that you or Justin won't mind stating publicly that differentiates the BH and BHSE?  I know the original BH was a single chassis, too.

I'm just curious what the general differences between the two are, and how that translates into sound quality.

In short the BHSE is a far more mature design with improvements across the board.  In terms of build quality there is no comparison between the two and since the BHSE runs so much cooler (despite running at a higher bias) it will last a lot longer.  I have fond memories of my old BH putting nice scorch marks on the cheap EL34's it shipped with and some heat damage to the PCB.  Nothing of real concern but it goes to show how hot that amp got and something I still combat as I continue to build amps with those PCB's. 

The major change is to the output stage CCS which employs new parts and the input stage has also been improved.  Better power supply, better bias supply and numerous other tweaks. 

Any claims of the 2SA1968 based CCS being inferior to the IXYS alternatives are just BS based on pure conjecture.  Those of us that have compared the two know this and the real reason why the 2SA1968 was dropped was cost (they cost 7$ each and you need about 10-14 of them per channel) and the small issue of the 2SA1968 not being made anymore.  Not an issue for me since I have close to 1000 of them... 

For the sake of clarity, the amp Milos had at the Nor-Cal meet over the last weekend is indeed a Blue Hawaii but it is run at full bias and with an appropriately oversized power supply.  Milos just calls it a BHSE since the differences are lost on most people.  I did write up a full review of what went into making that amp but the email reached him too late.  The Blue Hawaii Naaman built was never run at full spec due to heat issues so it will not compare to something like the amp I built for Milos. 

Bear in mind, I wasn't making any such claim. When i was discussing offline about my impressions of N3rdling's amp with a friend he mentioned that there was differences of opinion on the different CCS devices.

But if what you say is indeed true, that there is no difference apart from the higher cost of the toshibas, then I suppose I will wait and see for myself. 

And so, are you saying the amp you built for MIlos doesn't have the "improvements" that are in the BHSE? Is it running the same output bias as the BHSE? Is it running a different bias supply from the BHSE?

I am just trying to get a reference on what I heard last weekend to what I will be hearing soon in the headamp build (for a second time..albeit a much longer listening session than last time i heard one).

I'm glad you decided to build a lot more than 10 Justin, and probably so are other headfiers.

Interesting.  Thanks for the detailed notes, spritzer.  I noticed that n3rdling's BH did not feel hot at all to the touch, even on the heatsinks.  My preamp gets much, much hotter.  If the BHSE is also very good at heat management, then I think the earlier comments about the BHSE getting hot probably have some other factors that weren't stated.

From a listening perspective, would the difference between the original BH and BHSE mostly be a bit more clarity and power to drive the O2s?  The BH was interesting to compare to the GES (in a pure source -> amp chain, without anything else in the chain).  Soundstage was bigger, fast passages were better articulated, dynamics had more granularity, and the overall sound felt like shifting from standard definition to a high definition picture.