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New from Garage1217, the solid-state Project Polaris!
May 14, 2016 at 9:28 PM Post #1,381 of 1,838
For what it's worth I use:
 
without attenuation
high bandwidth
low gain
medium output resistance
 
This puts 9am at what I consider loud. I don't like playing with the dial much. Your wants might vary, of course. 
 
I find the polaris is a much more full, rich, nimble sound than the vali. 
 
May 14, 2016 at 9:36 PM Post #1,382 of 1,838
vapman said:
 
bob a (sd) said:
 
Interesting.  Thought you were looking at a Horizon III.  
 
I opted for the Polaris for two reasons:  91) it's said to have some tube SQ characteristics and (2) I'm getting too old to mess with tube rolling 
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Haven't run my X3 through the Vali 1 yet. Interesting thought about trying the Polaris with it... certainly not a portable set up but still....
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I am, but  tube rolling is a lot of effort yeah.... and tubes are fragile, as you know. Not that I was ever rough with my amps... It definitely does have tube SQ characteristics and I miss the one I used to have a lot :wink:
 
I ran my X3 thru a g1217 for the first time when my computer broke down and I was fixing it and was using the Polaris as a stereo preamp at the time. Plugged in the X3 and had a great time driving my stereo with that.
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I have been weighing things for some time.  I'm still quite pleased with my Vali 1 but kept wondering if I might be missing something.  Looked hard and long at a bunch of tube options (e.g. Vali 2, Vahalla 2, Ember III, etc. and even some too rich for my blood like the Torpedo III).  Then I took a look at what SS options were out there and the Polaris jumped out at me over the Asgard 2, Lake People G109-A, etc.   Still wondering if it'll prove to be a step up or a step sideways for these old retiree ears.  
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  (I know jbarrentine felt it was a big step up for him.)
 
My weighing and messing around even extended to this:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/537704/calling-all-vintage-integrated-receiver-owners/16080#post_12559107  
vapman, don't know if you saw that.
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   Just a wee bit too cumbersome for the desktop!
 
BTW I found this review/comparo between the Ember and Polaris quite interesting:  http://tinyurl.com/zgb5xf2
 
May 14, 2016 at 9:40 PM Post #1,383 of 1,838
I'm happy enough for now that I can't imagine moving off this amp. If I did I would have to spend a LOT more, like Violectric V200 level more. I can't picture that anytime soon. Someone would have to prove to me that differences were significant because the price difference certainly is. 
 
May 19, 2016 at 2:37 PM Post #1,384 of 1,838
The Polaris was just delivered.  Trying it out with both my HD580 and HD600.  Played a bit with settings but these seem pretty good:
 
Attenuation ON (10k)
Bandwidth HIGH
Gain MED  (3.7x)
Resistance LOW  (0.1 Ω)
 
Volume pot needs to be set between 1 and 2 o'clock with these jumper settings for comfortably loud listening. NICE
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Had tried Gain on LOW.  Trying Resistance on MED (35Ω) now.
 
Initial impressions is that the bass is much tauter / crisper than with the Vali 1. The rest of the SQ seems pretty close but I don't have an A-B switch to be really sure.
 
May 19, 2016 at 3:07 PM Post #1,386 of 1,838
May 19, 2016 at 3:15 PM Post #1,387 of 1,838
bob a (sd) said:
  I use _gl's impulse curves in the convolver plugin for foobar2000.  Very effective but subtle tweak to compensate for the Senn's slight lower bass rolloff.    http://www.head-fi.org/t/797907/hd600-my-custom-bass-extension-curves.   
 
My SHP9500s (and SHL5500s) are used along with IEMs with my portable setup and not my desktop.
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Question, given that the 600 and 650 distortion rises dramatically down low without any EQ, aren't you just making the problem way worse by jacking up the bass that much at 20 and 32?  The driver is probably screaming with those demands 
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Are you listening to electronic music that demands the super low bass or organ music?
 
May 19, 2016 at 3:20 PM Post #1,388 of 1,838
bixby said:
 
bob a (sd) said:
  I use _gl's impulse curves in the convolver plugin for foobar2000.  Very effective but subtle tweak to compensate for the Senn's slight lower bass rolloff.    http://www.head-fi.org/t/797907/hd600-my-custom-bass-extension-curves.   
 
My SHP9500s (and SHL5500s) are used along with IEMs with my portable setup and not my desktop.
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Question, given that the 600 and 650 distortion rises dramatically down low without any EQ, aren't you just making the problem way worse by jacking up the bass that much at 20 and 32?  The driver is probably screaming with those demands 
eek.gif

 
Are you listening to electronic music that demands the super low bass or organ music?
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My main system are biamped Magneplanar IIIa's with tweaked crossovers augmented with an 18" subwoofer.  And I have a pair of Hsu designed subs in my home theater.  So I guess you could say that I enjoy impactful bass when it is in the original material. 
 
And no I don't see or hear any detrimental effects of employing _gl's impulse curves.  They are very very mild and not the brute force EQ crap too often found and used by the unwary.  Have you looked at his thread I linked?
 
May 19, 2016 at 3:25 PM Post #1,389 of 1,838
bob a (sd) said:
 
My main system are biamped Magneplanar IIIa's with tweaked crossovers augmented with an 18" subwoofer.  And I have a pair of Hsu designed subs in my home theater.  So I guess you could say that I enjoy impactful bass when it is in the original material. 
 
And no I don't see or hear any detrimental effects of employing _gl's impulse curves.  They are very very mild and not the brute force EQ crap too often found and used by the unwary.  Have you looked at his thread I linked?
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Sorry, I did not read the entire thread.  I just saw your revised EQ settings a few posts in showing +12 @20 and +10.7 @25.  Maybe there are more revisions further in the thread, I'll revisit when I have time, thanks.
 
May 19, 2016 at 3:31 PM Post #1,390 of 1,838
bixby said:
 
bob a (sd) said:
 
My main system are biamped Magneplanar IIIa's with tweaked crossovers augmented with an 18" subwoofer.  And I have a pair of Hsu designed subs in my home theater.  So I guess you could say that I enjoy impactful bass when it is in the original material. 
 
And no I don't see or hear any detrimental effects of employing _gl's impulse curves.  They are very very mild and not the brute force EQ crap too often found and used by the unwary.  Have you looked at his thread I linked?
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Sorry, I did not read the entire thread.  I just saw your revised EQ settings a few posts in showing +12 @20 and +10.7 @25.  Maybe there are more revisions further in the thread, I'll revisit when I have time, thanks.
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Oh heck.  That was one of my first attempts to replicate his curves using (stupidly) the graphic equilizer plugin.   Several steps (pages) later we're using the convolver plugin.
 
May 19, 2016 at 3:40 PM Post #1,392 of 1,838
bixby said:
 
bob a (sd) said:
 
Oh heck.  That was one of my first attempts to replicate his curves using (stupidly) the graphic equilizer plugin.   Several steps (pages) later we're using the convolver plugin.
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got it.  How transparent is that convolver plugin, the EQ in Foobar is crap?
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Frankly I was initially skeptical as I knew nothing about a convolver.  But after 6+ weeks now with it I can say I've been extremely pleased.    _gl is a programmer and recording engineer.  He's talking about trying to rewrite the convolver plug in to address it's main weakness which is its inability to match dedicated impulse curves to music selection bitrates.  That said I don't find the mismatch between 44.1 impulse curves and 24/96 FLAC files a problem.  Most of my music is 16/44.1 FLAC FWIW.  Bottom line is that the convolver with proper impulse curves trounces the native equilizer in foobar or the graphic equilizer plugin that is quite a bit better.  From my knothole it's a refinement of what the pro-audio Sonarworks offers.
 
May 19, 2016 at 4:06 PM Post #1,393 of 1,838
It's looking more and more that these will be my Polaris settings for my HD580/600 cans:
 
Attenuation:  ON (10k)
Bandwidth:  HIGH
Gain:  MED  (3.7x)
Resistance:  MED  (35 Ω)
 
In addition to the more impactful solidity of the bass I'm sensing a wider soundstage.  Almost holographic with some great recordings.  Vocals are just great.  Overall a nice step up from the Vali 1, which really is no slouch,  without sacrificing the tubish warmth it provides.
 
May 19, 2016 at 7:32 PM Post #1,395 of 1,838
bob a (sd) said:
  The Polaris amp in situ.  
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I dunno man... the Phase Linear matched your tower better
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Your polaris settings are basically how I left mine, I think after a month or of using it you'll start playing with them more, only difference is I had mellow tuning so I left mine on Medium bandwidth and low resistance to push the maximum power to my headphones (usually IEMs or earbuds though)
 
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