[purk]

 
 


Totally agree, hence my comment "no commercial viability". Just wanting to clarify the perception that parts are unavailable, as there are oodles of them still available, especially if you can buy in Japan.


 


 


Yes. Have not heard anything better, including the Carbon. But to clarify, I have not heard the BHSE, any Cavalli, Woo or Eddie Current, so could not compare those. You are in a much better position than me in the comparison department. The Carbon is still an amazing amp though - especially for a one-box solution with no need for a supply of tubes.

So what do you find better on the DIY T2 compared to the KGSSHV Carbon?  I have stated my impression way way back but always curious if others are hearing the same thing.  Thanks in advance for your little write up.  

 

[behwatch]

 
Thanks georgep for the hardwork on the KGSSHV Carbon. Initial impression is realizing how much music I had lost listening with 727II amp for 3 years.
The bass is the first thing I noticed... So controlled!

 

[Pale Rider]

   
<SNIP>The Carbon is still an amazing amp though - especially for a one-box solution with no need for a supply of tubes.

Exactly why I settled on it. I made a decision t walk away from tubes, and that narrowed my choices. I was sorely tempted by the BHSE [especially after such a good experience with the GS-XMk2], but once I came across Mjölnir-Audio, that answered my needs/wants. I think the Carbon CC is slightly better than my two Carbons, each of which is slightly better than my KGSSHV off-board. Love them all.

 

[mtoc]

bug appeared

 

[astrostar59]

 

  kgsshv-carbon is the best thing I can currently do with all solid state.

 
And kgsshv-carbon-nanotube (also all solid state) is better than kgsshv-carbon due to higher voltage power supply and many other advantages? How to get it works at 50ma instead of 25 (if we have endless heatsinks)?

Is it better? i.e. sound better. Can someone who has built one confirm? Higher mA might give better HF response, but the standard Carbon is already IMO super fast and transparent. 

 

[georgep]

Sorenb I believe has a working kgsshv circlotron, but not 100% sure. Another fellow is trying to complete his build but it is the size of a large fish tank. Based on Kevin's description it "should" sound a bit better, but unless you build your own or spend the 10k plus to have someone else build it (probably crate shipping only) it is just theoretical. Kevin has said the circlotron was the only other amp that gave him a "T2 moment".

 

[billqs]

Hi! I went on a STAX spending spree and got several Lambas, an 007 Mk2 and in today an 009. I'm running these off of a KGSS and love the sound, especially with 009 (it's so hard getting the 007's to sound good though the KGSS has done better than any of the STAX amps or transformer boxes I had tried.
 
My question- is it worth going from the Headamp KGSS-DX to a KGSShv? Or should I hold out for a Carbon? Obviously, I like the idea of the KGSShv being 2 grand cheaper than the carbon, but I wonder how much of an upgrade the the hv is to the KGSS. It sounds really good with my phones!

 

[Crashem]

Somewhere on the stax thread, I think KG or spritzer gives relative swing of various amps. Personally I think jump from kgss to kgsshv bigger than kgsshv to carbon. Not sure if 009 needs its as much, but a 007 will thank you IMO.

 

[JimL11]

I believe that:
 
The standard KGSS has a PS of +/-350 volts.
 
The BHSE has a PS of +/-400 volts.
 
The KGSSHV has a PS of up to +/-500 volts.
 
The KGSS Carbon has a PS of around +/-450 volts
 
The DIY T2 has a PS of +/- 500 volts
 
If we assume that the amps can swing up to their PS rails (not really, but relatively close) then:
 
The KGSS can swing 1400 V peak to peak
 
The BHSE can swing 1600 V peak to peak
 
The KGSS Carbon can swing up to 1800 V peak to peak
 
The KGSSHV and DIY T2 can swing up to 2000 V peak to peak
 
Now, that seems like a fairly large spread in voltage, however in decibel terms, the difference between the KGSS and KGSSHV/DIY T2 is about 3 dB in loudness.  Remember that with most Stax headphones, 100 volts RMS (283 V peak to peak) is about 100 dB loudness, which is loud enough to give you permanent hearing damage with an 8 hour exposure, so a KGSS gives you about 112 dB dB, and the others go up from there.  Also, when the peak to peak voltage exceeds twice the bias voltage, which is 580 volts for Stax, there is a chance of damaging the headphones as well.
 
The reason for using higher voltages (and currents) is not so much for increased loudness but for more headroom at normal listening levels so that the amp is just loafing.  To some degree this notion also depends on how much the music has been compressed (see Wikipedia "loudness wars").  There has usually been some degree of compression use so that the softest music is above the noise level inherent in the recording process (e.g. tape noise), but acoustic music generally has had less of it.  In the '80s to 200's, a fair amount of pop/rock music was compressed all to hell so that it was basically all one level (LOUD!) from beginning to end, but it appears that trend may be decreasing.  If you are playing compressed recordings at loud levels, you may be pushing the amp toward its limits.  Kevin Gilmore noted that at one meet, someone was playing his DIY T2 so loud that you could here it clipping across the room, since Stax headphones are open back.

 

[astrostar59]

Great info JimL11.
My ref to the sound of the KGSShv / BHSE and Carbon all with the 009s is an uncompressed sound (effortless) with zero distortion even when played too loud for anything beyond a few minutes level. IMO you get faster transients and wider soundstage as you move up the amp designs. Regardless, any of those amps would make me happy. I would be curious how my old KGSShv Sanyo sounds if it had the more recent PS fitted. I had a soft spot for that amp.

 

[purk]

  I believe that:
 
The standard KGSS has a PS of +/-350 volts.
 
The BHSE has a PS of +/-400 volts.
 
The KGSSHV has a PS of up to +/-500 volts.
 
The KGSS Carbon has a PS of around +/-450 volts
 
The DIY T2 has a PS of +/- 500 volts
 
If we assume that the amps can swing up to their PS rails (not really, but relatively close) then:
 
The KGSS can swing 1400 V peak to peak
 
The BHSE can swing 1600 V peak to peak
 
The KGSS Carbon can swing up to 1800 V peak to peak
 
The KGSSHV and DIY T2 can swing up to 2000 V peak to peak
 
Now, that seems like a fairly large spread in voltage, however in decibel terms, the difference between the KGSS and KGSSHV/DIY T2 is about 3 dB in loudness.  Remember that with most Stax headphones, 100 volts RMS (283 V peak to peak) is about 100 dB loudness, which is loud enough to give you permanent hearing damage with an 8 hour exposure, so a KGSS gives you about 112 dB dB, and the others go up from there.  Also, when the peak to peak voltage exceeds twice the bias voltage, which is 580 volts for Stax, there is a chance of damaging the headphones as well.
 
The reason for using higher voltages (and currents) is not so much for increased loudness but for more headroom at normal listening levels so that the amp is just loafing.  To some degree this notion also depends on how much the music has been compressed (see Wikipedia "loudness wars").  There has usually been some degree of compression use so that the softest music is above the noise level inherent in the recording process (e.g. tape noise), but acoustic music generally has had less of it.  In the '80s to 200's, a fair amount of pop/rock music was compressed all to hell so that it was basically all one level (LOUD!) from beginning to end, but it appears that trend may be decreasing.  If you are playing compressed recordings at loud levels, you may be pushing the amp toward its limits.  Kevin Gilmore noted that at one meet, someone was playing his DIY T2 so loud that you could here it clipping across the room, since Stax headphones are open back.

Great post Jim.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts and knowledge with us.

 

[billqs]

Yes, Thank you Jim!  I appreciate it!

 

[theconquerer]

What should i choose?Stax 007mk1+bhse or Stax sr 009+kgsshv carbon?I will use benchmark dac1 with them.Please guys help, it will be very appreciated.

 

[icebear]

What should i choose?Stax 007mk1+bhse or Stax sr 009+kgsshv carbon?I will use benchmark dac1 with them.Please guys help, it will be very appreciated.

Do  you want to mess with tubes, yes or no?

 

[theconquerer]

I will do everything i can to make the sound quality better.