[humanflyz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif I quite like the looks! It's a no-frills, elegant design that looks like they mean business. I've never used one but I expect dual mono volume controls to be a pain in the butt to use. I'm sure you could ask Justin to use a single stereo stepped attenuator instead of the dual-mono... Are there any benefits for using a dual-mono volume control setup?

Independent channel adjustment could be useful for people with imbalanced hearing, or correct for channel imbalance elsewhere in the system. And yes, Justin will swap out the dual-mono stepped attenuators for a single, 4-channel attenuator with no charge.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by humanflyz /img/forum/go_quote.gif But you have to realize that the Aristaeus was never really planned as a commercial product: Justin only agreed to build it because there was a demand for a limited edition e-stat amp for those people who got in in the limited HE90 re-issue. I guess from Justin's point of view, there isn't enough demand for a mass-market (relatively speaking) e-stat amp to justify designing another one than the KGSS he currently offers.

I am perfectly aware of the history behind the Aristaeus. That it was developed, on request, as a HEV90 alternative for the 12 people who bought the second Sennheiser HE90 batch in late 2005.
I simply fail to understand why he stop production at such low numbers. Why not make it available as a built to order product? After all the amplifier were developed and ready to be produced. If nobody ordered don't build any, or if someone want one build him/her an Aristaeus.

The same goes for the upcoming Blue Hawaii Special Edition. Why limit it to 10 amplifiers only? Lets say 15 people want the amplifier, but only 10 of them will get one. The last 5 will have to move on...
A better way would imo be to take orders and build an amplifier to all those that want one.

Place the Blue Hawaii Special Edition in beautiful special designed chassis', just like the one he made for the Aristaeus. Then he have a product that should satisfy most electrostatic (Stax) lovers a good time into the future.

 

[milkpowder]

Thanks humanflyz.

Does anyone actually have a HeadAmp KGSS? I read sometime ago that Justin has made some improvements. The innards no longer look the same as the ones on the HeadAmp site. Can someone please take some pictures? Pretty please?

krmathis, I'm puzzled too. What's going to happen to the design of the Aristaeus. It would be a waste if Justin were to just let it die off... I'm sure he put a lot of effort into it.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif krmathis, I'm puzzled too. What's going to happen to the design of the Aristaeus. It would be a waste if Justin were to just let it die off... I'm sure he put a lot of effort into it.

Finally someone that seems to agree with me!

Its a shame to see the beautiful design of the Aristaeus die off.
The perfect opportunity would be to re-use the design in the Blue Hawaii Special Edition, and make this amplifier open for orders a while after listening impressions and pictures have been posted.

 

[Downrange]

I discussed the dual control issue with Justin, and concluded I'd rather keep it. The front panel looks unbalanced with just the one knob, imo. Doesn't seem to be that big a deal to just turn both controls, to me...
Can't wait to try out my KGSS!

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I simply fail to understand why he stop production at such low numbers.

Because he didn't make money off it.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Because he didn't make money off it.

As a dark side of that idea, this may possibly be one of the reasons that Justin is one of the few who do make electrostatic amplifiers. Singlepower can also lower costs, presumably because of his machinery. You would not expect RSA to do it in terms of this perspective.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Because he didn't make money off it.

If the production costs for the additional amplifiers (after the 10/12 first ones) are higher than the sales price then I fully understand him. With production costs I mean parts and manpower needed to assemble the amplifier (its already fully developed and tested, so there will be no additional development costs).

Higher production numbers would actually lower the cost for each of the amplifiers, since development costs would be shared on more amplifiers. In addition he might get lower prices on parts when ordering higher volumes.
Aka, sell the amplifiers for the same price and earn more money on each of them.

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Finally someone that seems to agree with me! Its a shame to see the beautiful design of the Aristaeus die off. The perfect opportunity would be to re-use the design in the Blue Hawaii Special Edition, and make this amplifier open for orders a while after listening impressions and pictures have been posted.

But the Blue Hawaii is a modified KGSS project isn't it? The Aristaeus is a completely different breed, drawing inspiration from the HEV90 rather than the T2. It would seem slightly odd to use the Aristaeus design in a BH SE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downrange /img/forum/go_quote.gif I discussed the dual control issue with Justin, and concluded I'd rather keep it. The front panel looks unbalanced with just the one knob, imo. Doesn't seem to be that big a deal to just turn both controls, to me... Can't wait to try out my KGSS!

Congrats! You must post detailed, high resolution pictures of the outside and the inside! We want to be able to see the camera reflection on the gold traces!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl /img/forum/go_quote.gif Because he didn't make money off it.

Maybe he should've charged slightly more and made a bit of money from it even though that might've been exactly what he didn't want to do. Those Orpheus buyers would've bought them regardless of cost. Bit of a stupid question, but are the more expensive HeadAmp amps assembled and soldered by hand? *sigh* Justin's more than just an amp builder, he's a businessman too. I'm sure he knows what he's doing

 

[humanflyz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bit of a stupid question, but are the more expensive HeadAmp amps assembled and soldered by hand?

Justin doesn't outsource of his labor, so he is truly a one-man operation.

 

[milkpowder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by humanflyz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Justin doesn't outsource of his labor, so he is truly a one-man operation.

Hats off to him then. How he manages such consistently clean builds is beyond my imagination. It must take freakin' ages to solder everything onto the boards...

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif But the Blue Hawaii is a modified KGSS project isn't it? The Aristaeus is a completely different breed, drawing inspiration from the HEV90 rather than the T2. It would seem slightly odd to use the Aristaeus design in a BH SE.

So the Kevin Gilmore designed Blue Hawaii would not look great in custom built aluminum chassis', with a custom volume know, laser engraved text and all? But the Justin designed Aristaeus will...
Who designed the amplifier should be irrelevant, since I am only talking about laying out the amplifier nicely on print boards and place them in two custom built chassis' (one for the amp and another for the power supply).

I guess I will just hang on until Justin release the Blue Hawaii Special Edition, and hopefully it will be exactly what I am looking for -> a Blue Hawaii with the good looks of the Aristaeus.
Or else I will ask Justin what his next project will be...

 

[Veniogenesis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif But the Blue Hawaii is a modified KGSS project isn't it? The Aristaeus is a completely different breed, drawing inspiration from the HEV90 rather than the T2. It would seem slightly odd to use the Aristaeus design in a BH SE.

The Blue Hawaii is a Gilmore design. The Blue Hawaii special edition is based on the Blue Hawaii design; I don't know its technical or aesthetic details.
Quote:

Maybe he should've charged slightly more and made a bit of money from it even though that might've been exactly what he didn't want to do. Those Orpheus buyers would've bought them regardless of cost. Bit of a stupid question, but are the more expensive HeadAmp amps assembled and soldered by hand? *sigh* Justin's more than just an amp builder, he's a businessman too. I'm sure he knows what he's doing

All of the amps are assembled by hand. There is a bit of politics and ethics in this; Justin is part of a group of individuals, and as a member of that group, he would not overcharge his customers. Most people of the group know the inner workings of the business and know what is reasonable and what is not.

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am perfectly aware that HeadAmp is a one-man operation (Justin). I also understand that $3-4.000 electrostatic amplifiers never will be any vendors best seller. Their lowest priced unit will most probably take that place. With "masses" I mean a bit more than 10/12 units, but certainly not mass-production in 100's of units. But I just think it would be more time efficient to construct and fine tune one really good amplifier, then spend more time building that amplifier. Than to constantly construct new amplifiers (one after another), and spend less time building them... Edit: Guess I will never be happy with the higher-end electrostatic amplifiers. They are either not balanced (HeadAmp Aristaeus), using a ugly off-the-shelf chassis (HeadAmp Blue Hawaii),or ugly (imo) and with potential quality issues (Singlepower ES-1). The HeadAmp Blue Hawaii Special Edition sounds very promising though. It just remains to be seen if its too late to order one when we know what it will sound and look like.

I was told that the Blue Hawaii SE will look amazing, with a custom chassis (not off-the-shelf like the normal Blue Hawaii). Hell, if it looks anything like the GS-X, that's already damn good enough!

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was told that the Blue Hawaii SE will look amazing, with a custom chassis (not off-the-shelf like the normal Blue Hawaii). Hell, if it looks anything like the GS-X, that's already damn good enough!

Justin told me the same. That the Blue Hawaii SE will have a custom chassis, in comparison to his earlier Blue Hawaii and the KGSS.
I will most probably be pleased if it ends up with chassis' like the GS-X.