[grandenigma1]

Still love mine

Infact I just ordered some AD843s to try out in it...

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by liupublic As a new owner of a RockerHopper PPA with diamond buffer and OPA627. I must say it's great that it is fallen out of favorite because I got it a for a great price. Anyway, currently have a Elpac power supply. Does step power supply add a huge amount to the sound? Or is it a better solution to upgrade the source or headphone first? Currently still using a Chaintech -> PPA -> Senn HD555.

I don't think my STEPs power supply made that much difference. I haven't done any a/b with the Elpacs in a long time. I believe the bass seemed a little deeper and impactful but it didn't provide the same kind of difference the diamond buffers provided.

To me a change in headphones has always made the biggest difference. It can completely change the sound like going from to hd650 to the RS-1. For me, this change brought life and energy to my mostly rock collection. I think moving up the same brand will still bring difference but not as dramatic.

Source, cables and anything else will just improve on the sound you already have. If you already enjoy the sound, this might be the way to go.

 

[xtreme4099]

lots more upgrades coming out for the ppa for v1 and v2 diyers..... in the coming months, courtesy of ppl's desire to constantly tweak things.

thats a good thing!

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by number1sixerfan I don't know what's going on, but I love my ppa. The speed, transparency, and attack is great. I got it upgraded by MisterX. He changed the opamps from 627's to ad8065's, added a steps psu, and installed the new glassman buffers. He also swapped the opamps with ad8066's on my 1212m. The sound is just beautiful. Fast, transparent, and detailed. And even though it's an analytical amp, it's very musical at the same time. Just wondering if I was the only 'old schooler' still with a ppa and not planning to upgrade.

How do the AD8065 compare to the OPA627 in presentation?

 

[number1sixerfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyfrenchman27 How do the AD8065 compare to the OPA627 in presentation?

Faster, more aggressive. I really like the presentation. And I loved my 627's when I had them.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch I noticed everybody's upgrading to the diamond buffers... does the PPA still sound pretty good with standard buffers? It seems it must not be that great with default buffers, or there wouldn't be such a large rush to upgrade...

IMO, the PPA sounds really good with standard buffers. It was the Headsave bufferless amps (Go-Vibe and the 3-channel new Classic) that showed me how crystal clear and viscerally textured the sound could be (and that caused me to start thinking that a better buffer in the PPA would increase its clarity and texture). The Diamond Buffer in the PPA, as was previously posted, takes the PPA to the next level - giving its sound the clarity and texture of the bufferless design amp you currently enjoy, while letting the strengths of the PPA with standard buffer through (wide dynamic range, large coherent soundstage, lifelike presentation of even complex tonal/timbral qualities) more than before and with an apparent effortlessness.

Just before I performed the Diamond Buffer upgrade, I listened to some of my favorite tracks and said to myself, "What MORE could I POSSIBLY hear that I'm not hearing now?". Then I did the upgrade and am now HEARING it. The SQ from the PPA with stock buffers amazes me. The SQ from the PPA with Diamond Buffer at times overwhelms me.

 

[phobus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtreme4099 lots more upgrades coming out for the ppa for v1 and v2 diyers..... in the coming months, courtesy of ppl's desire to constantly tweak things. thats a good thing!

Sweet! Can't wait.

 

[e_dawg]

I once loved the PPA. Looking for more, I tried the much praised MG Head DT/OTL Mk3... it paled in comparison. Then I got the SinglePower MPX3. I haven't used the PPA since... until today. One listen and I am reminded why...

 

[spike33]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyfrenchman27 How do the AD8065 compare to the OPA627 in presentation?

If 627 is a senn, 8065 is a grado (well, maybe not as bright)

 

[appar111]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purk I am still enjoying my PPA even though I enjoy my Single Power SDS amp better now. The PPA is higly underrated here in Headfi. My PPA with Diamond Buffer and STEP PSU sounds excellent and definitely better than the SR-71. I've recent acquired the SR-71 and I believe my PPA has better details, resolution, extensions on both end in comparison to the SR-71. According to Tom Hankins, my maxed PPA should sound better than the HR Maxed Out Home.

How much would a PPA like that cost?

 

[purk]

Hi,
The basic amp cost me around 350 dollars plus 120 dollars for diamond buffer and 120 dollars for STEP PSU. I had a great deal from Doobooloo, otherwise the 350 should be around 400 dollars. So about 550 dollars to 600 dollars for a killer sounding amp.

 

[petery83]

I used to use my PPA religiously, until last year's SoCal Meet, when I fell in love with the HD650/tube amp combo...

Since then I've pretty much used my PPX3 exclusively, and was thinking about using the PPA as a preamp for my studio monitors, but still haven't gotten the necessary adapters to do so...

 

[sygyzy]

I listen to my PPA everyday. I am curious if these new amps (M3, Gilmore, etc) are supposed to be "better"? I know of course that a MINT is "better" (technically) than say a cMoy and that a PPA is better than a MINT. But is a M3 the next step after a PPA? Has anyone built a PPA2 yet?

 

[purk]

Quote:

I listen to my PPA everyday. I am curious if these new amps (M3, Gilmore, etc) are supposed to be "better"? I know of course that a MINT is "better" (technically) than say a cMoy and that a PPA is better than a MINT. But is a M3 the next step after a PPA? Has anyone built a PPA2 yet?

A maxed out PPA w/ Diamond buffer along with STEPP PSU should have any problem keeping up with any amp. The diamond buffer really ups the PPA in every department.

 

[tkam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sygyzy I listen to my PPA everyday. I am curious if these new amps (M3, Gilmore, etc) are supposed to be "better"? I know of course that a MINT is "better" (technically) than say a cMoy and that a PPA is better than a MINT. But is a M3 the next step after a PPA? Has anyone built a PPA2 yet?

Before I start, I did own a PPA at one point in time it was pretty high-end being equipped with a STEPS, Diamond Buffer, DACT SA and OPA627's. I heard an M3 at a meet recently and liked it enough to buy one for use at work. It has very simlar specs to my old PPA and the cost is around $200 less.

Which Gilmore are you referring to? If you mean the Dynahi then yes in my opinion it is clearly better than the PPA. My main amp is a Dynahi and I'll be using the M3 at work and as a back-up home amp.

There are still alot of people enjoying their PPA's but unlike a year or so ago when the PPA was pretty much the only DIY game in town there are a lot more amps out now aiming for the same price ranges. So it's not really that people don't like the PPA anymore it's just that there are many more options now.