[jibra]

Dear all

I might have a chance to get a hold of HE-60 without HEV-70. Is it possible to purchase HEV-70? If so, do anyone have what would be the price? Considering the price for the combo, I don't think I can afford to buy HEV-70 even in case it is availble. Is there anyther amp to drive HE-60 in a reasonable price?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[jpelg]

By all counts that I've ever read, the HEV-70 is not the most desirable amp, even for the HE-60's. So you are actually in a good position.

The HE-60's can be driven by any of the Kevin Gilmore design electrostatic amps, which are probably the best choices. You can also use a current production Stax amp with the the appropriate cable adapter for the Senn's (which you'd also have to DIY or have made for you).

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by jpelg By all counts that I've ever read, the HEV-70 is not the most desirable amp, even for the HE-60's. So you are actually in a good position. The HE-60's can be driven by any of the Kevin Gilmore design electrostatic amps, which are probably the best choices. You can also use a current production Stax amp with the the appropriate cable adapter for the Senn's (which you'd also have to DIY or have made for you).

The adapter to fit an HE 60 onto a Stax amp is easier said than done. Bozebuttons found the female connector for the HE 60 as an auto part. However, if you were not going to use an HEV 70 at all, you could get the Fischer connector for the Stax amp, remove the connector from the headphone cable, and dedicate the headphone to Stax amps. You'd better get the pin assignment right on the first try, though

 

[KR...]

All the current Stax amps can also be used with the Baby, however you will need a cable adapter.

EDIT : Or do what Hirsch wrote

 

[eric343]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch The adapter to fit an HE 60 onto a Stax amp is easier said than done. Bozebuttons found the female connector for the HE 60 as an auto part. However, if you were not going to use an HEV 70 at all, you could get the Fischer connector for the Stax amp, remove the connector from the headphone cable, and dedicate the headphone to Stax amps. You'd better get the pin assignment right on the first try, though

The Fischer connector is for the Sennheiser HEV90 Orpheus amplifier only, unless you have a custom amplifier with the Fischer jack. While I can make adapter cables to allow one to interconnect Stax and Sennheiser products without cutting off plugs or adding jacks, unless jibra plans to use the HE60 with an Orpheus amplifier it's really much more practical to use the Stax plug in the first place and be done with it.

The Stax connector is an Amphenol microphone connector availible from Allied Electronics as per the information that Kevin Gilmore has provided in his HeadWize articles. Those same articles also detail the pinout of the HE60.

Regarding amplifiers, you're probably best off going with Kevin's current-domain solid-state design unless you have a lot of money to blow in which case the Blue Hawaii becomes an option. Otherwise, if you don't for some reason want to pay to have a Gilmore electrostatic amp custom-built, you could use any pro-bias Stax amplifier as people have already said.

 

[jibra]

if you don't for some reason want to pay to have a Gilmore electrostatic amp custom-built

I do. Any idea about the cost? Parts + labor? Who do I need to talk to?

Eric343, are you interested in getting this job done?

 

[00940]

Afaik, there are a few guys willing to build one for you, check zzz on this board, eric perhaps or antness at www.headamp.com

 

[eric343]

The only person I know of at this time who builds them is Justin Wilson / Antness of HeadAmp.com. Zzz only builds Blue Hawaii hybrids. (Dr. Gilmore's ultra-high-end amp)

It is only fair to let you know that Antness has generated some controversy on this board in the past and is currently banned. From my conversations with him it is my opinion that these actions were the result of youthful indescretion and are not carried over into his amplifier-construction business. Moreover, while he is apparently not the only builder who is willing to build KGSS amplifiers on commission, he the only one (next to zzz) whose construction skills I recommend for a design as advanced as the Gilmore electrostatic amplifiers.

I would build them myself however I simply don't have the time -- the KGSS is good week's worth of work for perhaps $500 to $700. For me it doesn't really make financial sense when I have a full honors/AP courseload, a cable business, and am currently developing a rather complex (non-audio) product involving machine vision and CNC milling, neither of which I know much about and as a result am in the process of learning.

Now, if you had a spare dCS Verdi/Purcell/Elgar Plus stack sitting around...

 

[Chefguru]

Quote:

Originally posted by jibra if you don't for some reason want to pay to have a Gilmore electrostatic amp custom-built I do. Any idea about the cost? Parts + labor? Who do I need to talk to? Eric343, are you interested in getting this job done?

The KGSS basic cost starts at 1200, but from what I see most people spend about 1500 on it for a few more upgrades over the bottomed out priced one. The hybrid parts alone cost about 2500 IIRC so your prob looking at 3000+.

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally posted by eric343 The only person I know of at this time who builds them is Justin Wilson / Antness of HeadAmp.com. Zzz only builds Blue Hawaii hybrids. (Dr. Gilmore's ultra-high-end amp)

zzz is not limited to building only hybrids. He is building several KGSS amps at the moment, and one of them is mine.

 

[eric343]

Ah, I stand corrected. Apparently he changed his mind

 

[jibra]

Quote:

Originally posted by Chefguru The KGSS basic cost starts at 1200, but from what I see most people spend about 1500 on it for a few more upgrades over the bottomed out priced one. The hybrid parts alone cost about 2500 IIRC so your prob looking at 3000+.

No way for me to pull this amount of money. People suggested to use current Stax amps. Will old Stax amps (should I call them energizers?) ever work with HE-60 assuming I can figure out the connector? I know it will be a shame to couple HE-60 with them but I just want to listen to them. I guess I can upgrade the amp later when I have some money. I have seen old energizers at ebay, somethings like SRD-4, SRD-6, SRD-7. Will they work with HE-60?

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Originally posted by jibra No way for me to pull this amount of money. People suggested to use current Stax amps. Will old Stax amps (should I call them energizers?) ever work with HE-60 assuming I can figure out the connector? I know it will be a shame to couple HE-60 with them but I just want to listen to them. I guess I can upgrade the amp later when I have some money. I have seen old energizers at ebay, somethings like SRD-4, SRD-6, SRD-7. Will they work with HE-60?

Those "amps" need Power Amps to power them, as they are energizers not really amps.

 

[bozebuttons]

Quote:

Originally posted by jibra No way for me to pull this amount of money. People suggested to use current Stax amps. Will old Stax amps (should I call them energizers?) ever work with HE-60 assuming I can figure out the connector? I know it will be a shame to couple HE-60 with them but I just want to listen to them. I guess I can upgrade the amp later when I have some money. I have seen old energizers at ebay, somethings like SRD-4, SRD-6, SRD-7. Will they work with HE-60?

The energizers will not work with the HE60s as they are for low bias phones (Normal6 pin)
The He60s are High bias Phones (pro5pin) so you will need a high bias amp.

 

[jibra]

Getting more frustrated about this whole thing. Sorry for the very crude question but what would be the least expensive way to listen anything from HE-60? What kind of price range do I need to look at to get one of high-biased Stax amp in used market?