BHSE or Woo WES? - Page 5  

Elephas:

How do the O2 mk 1s sound with the KT77s? Did the BHSE have to be rebiased to handle those? I have always wondered about using those tubes with the BHSE. I thought KT77s was a significant improvement over most EL34s in Marantz Model 9s in the 1970s.

Thanks,

JHellow

The GEC KT77 work like any EL34 in the BHSE. Some tube bias adjustments are usually necessary every time tubes are changed.

I like using Philips metal base EL34 and Mullard xf2 with the O2mk1 and O2mk2. They're good with other tubes too, but I find the metal base EL34 to provide a little bit extra boost in imaging, soundstage and notes separation while keeping everything well-balanced tonally.

I know, I know, as if the O2's need any more boost in imaging, but hey, you can never have enough sharpness or precision in imaging.

Elephas:

Thanks for the heads up. Justin has my NOS GE Big Bottles. If I ever get the BHSE from him I will compare with a set of Mullard XF2 that I have. My XF2 are the single halo variety.

JHellow

Just out of pure curiosity, could somebody tell me what the dimensions of the BHSE units are, tubes included?

I hope curiosity doesn't kill the cat, or my wallet

I voted WES because of the insanely long waiting time for the BHSE. If it could be delivered in a reasonable amount of time though, then I would prefer the BHSE because of its looks, design principles and fewer tubes.
I haven't heard either, but have enough trust in the awesomeness of both, sound wise.

Thanks for the information

I am one of those on the list for the BHSE. From what has been posted here, I have learned that another product from that company took as long to actually be manufactured as the BHSE is now taking. That has given me some assurance that I will, some day, see my unit.

I have bought components from other highly specialized, small manufacturers, so I know that it can take some time. I had a linestage built for me that had custom features, including remote control (of volume, balance, input selection) and two different ranges for the volume control. This took about 8 months to make, but it was certainly worth the wait (Emotive Audio Epifania line stage). A friend had to wait well more than a year to get his Shroeder tonearm (another custom design), so it is not only electronics that require a lot of time.

 

I've just sen this one here in Europe. I'm wondering if it's somehow comparable to BHSE. However i don't know anything about the pricing.

 

http://peter.family-rill.de/Blog/Neuer-Stax-TransistorAmp

That isn't a bad amp but no BH/T2.  It is basically a direct copy of the Stax SRM-1 Mk2 design though with some changes and a better PSU. 

its fairly nicely built, but one board is still a prototype.

Runs on +/-400 and looks to be a cross of a number

of different schematics.  No tubes so it does not have

the power capabilities that only 6ca7's can supply.

 

Edit: circuit is almost identical to srm313  except running at +/-400 volts.

 

Not as good as the srm323 which is my current favorite budget amp.

Edited by kevin gilmore - 8/31/10 at 4:25pm

@spritzer

@ kevin gilmore

 

Thank you for the details.

Kevin, your comment on the SRM323 is on an stock  unit? Or would the owner need to modify the SRM323? Thanks.

It is for the stock unit.  The only real mods you could do to it is to add balanced inputs but it takes a fair bit of work.  I'm doing it now to a SRM-1 Mk2 (the grandfather in terms of design) and only because the amp was basically scrap. 

Edited by spritzer - 9/2/10 at 1:29am

Stock unit.  Seriously.  I got one cheap. Not spritzer class cheap, but cheap. I had absolutely no reason to

buy it, and its not like i don't have enough stax amps already. I definitely like it a lot better than an unmodified srm727.

I was surprised too.  Actually the srm300 sounds pretty good too, except no bass, but those might be harder to

find as its out of production. And the pot in the srm300 is a complete joke, as is the one channel balance control

on the back.
 

Thanks for the information both Birgir and Kevin.

A question for either Kevin or Sprizter.

 

What exactly is the difference between the bhse and the bh again? I remember reading about it somewhere but cant seem to find it.

 

Also was there ever a schematic for the bhse?