Analog Squared Paper Discussion Thread.

[GermanGuy]

speaking of fancy volume pot ... after a long time of searching i finally bought and got this potentiometer for my highend tu-05 build:
 
http://www.audiophonics.fr/ak2-attenuateur-stereo-positions-shunt-cms-50k-p-8686.html
 

 
This is a 48 step 50 kOhm Shunt Stereo Potentiometer from Khozmo Acoustic http://www.khozmo.com .
 
The build quality is amazing, the red housing is full aluminium, the rotation axis is supported by ball bearings, you can adjust the torque, high quality resistors, both channels separated and seperately shielded, only two resistors in the signal path per channel. In the "Full volume" position it is just like a wire, no resistors in the signal path, just like a bypass. i will use it together with the two Sowter 10K : 10K input transformers. so no problem with a too low imput impedance.
 
And in comparison to other high end potentiometers it is really affordable (179 Euros).
 
Also i ordered but have not received yet (should arrive next week) two of this special Sowter 9351 Headphone transformers (40/150/300/600 Ohm Output Impedance):
 

 
Together with my TANGO HS5 output transformers my high end tu-05 build will have secondary tabs with 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 40 / 150 / 300 / 600 ohm output Impedance so i am sure never again to have any impedance range problem connecting any headphone i can think of.
 
in the meantime i also have selected and ordered the resistors (Vishay Dale CMF RN60), have started to build the final power supply modules (and just ordered a lot of additional filter parts and inductances to build additional AC filter stages), and lots of MKP 100µF foil capacitors and air-cored coils / inductances, so with the exception of the primary power filter modules the complete amp from LC filters to output stage is "electrolyte capacitor free" built only with MKP foil capacitors even for anode and filament voltage filtering and stabilization.
 
so things really come together, the only major parts i have not ordered up to now are the 50 18650 Li-Ion batteries.

 

[GermanGuy]

GG, I am not that convinced that the director win over the HUGO. I have a HUGO with TH-05 and it is incrédible. It's a mater of taste I présume

i think it is also a matter of money

!
 
(and the meridian director pcb is easy to integrate into my amp)

 

[ianmedium]

this time posting the summary before posting the details:

1. the TEN 3S4 is definetely the best sounding DL92 / 3S4 tube i have listened to up to now.

2. i like the Telefunken diamond base berlin made DF96 / TEN 3S4 combo, great sounding with the Beyer T5P.

3. Using my diy grado style headphone the RFT DF97 / TEN 3S4 combo is just playing and fighting to get my new dream combo, the detail retrieval, precision, pinpoint localisation, attack and decay f.e. of guitar strings, the beauty of sound while beeing so spacious and yes, having this great bass extension and texture, the clarity presenting each detail so detailed ...

So if you can get one, sorry two TEN 3S4 .... this is an outstanding tube.

4. The fight is over, the RFT DF97 / TEN 3S4 combo just won the game with presenting J. S. Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium, Rilling in a never heard, new and outstanding quality!

GG, I always worry when recommending tubes, it is after all a fairly subjective thing. What I think sounds great someone else might not so it is with relief that you think the same as I do with the TEN's

I have not changed the combination of TEN's/Tele's since getting them. So much so I have screwed on the other RF shield and have not opened it since. Combined with the T5P's it is sublime. It is also the first combination that actually makes me like my LCD2's again!

But for me, the combination that just hits all the right buttons, makes me forget I am listening to equipment and just enjoy music and get absorbed by it is when I use my PF IX's

That combination with my AK120/TU-05 is just about as good as I could ever hope for.

I got to try the new AK240 and though its nice I simply felt it was not a thousand bucks nicer. I also tried the Hugo connected to a computer playing high resolution files at my local AD and that was a nice sound as well but for me I chose to stick with my 120.

The differences were to my ears just so small and most of the "improvements" HiFi rather than musical I resolved to truly stop with what I have as a portable set up.

Sorry I have not been around much, been swamped with work and the move back to Europe due to that has been delayed.

Hope everyone is well and I am so glad your all enjoying your amps. For me this is the best of the best in terms of portable or transportable and pretty much the best of the best for headphones period especially at the price!

 

[bmichels]

Ak100>HUGO>TU-05 tube Amp.

Do you believe that I have any chance to pass airport security with this set-up ?






Just one question left : will a AK240>HUGO sound better than my AK100>HUGO. Logicaly there is no reason, but....?

Anyone compared ?

,

 

[bmichels]

Some porn for the WK: 

Peter Willemen's EML-300B-XLS
 

 

[Sam Edwards]

GG, I am not that convinced that the director win over the HUGO. I have a HUGO with TH-05 and it is incrédible. It's a mater of taste I présume

Hey BMichels,
Have you heard the Director? Do you get the overdriven/distorted sound from the Hugo with your TU-05 that I described? Do you have to back-off on the volume?
I'm not saying the Director is better but it's clearly more compatible. 
I bought the Hugo based on a demo feeding it with a $12K Meridian streaming system. It doesn't sound as good with USB or the with Toslink out of the AK120. I'm not saying the Hugo is not the king of the hill for portable DAC's. And it has a great headphone stage. If it played well with my TU-05 I would certainly be more enthusiastic.
But if you want a high end DAC to feed your TU-05, you're not giving up much with the Director. The difference in cost for me is much bigger than the difference in SQ.

 

[bmichels]

Hey BMichels,
Have you heard the Director? Do you get the overdriven/distorted sound from the Hugo with your TU-05 that I described? Do you have to back-off on the volume?.

Well I did not tried the director Since i already have the HUGO.

For HUGO>TU-05, I do not use the "Line out preset", I just set HUGO volume to "light-green" and everything is fine.

 

[GermanGuy]

the two telefunken diamond base berlin made df96 from bonitomino arrived today!

 

[deafanddumb]

speaking of fancy volume pot ... after a long time of searching i finally bought and got this potentiometer for my highend tu-05 build:

http://www.audiophonics.fr/ak2-attenuateur-stereo-positions-shunt-cms-50k-p-8686.html




This is a 48 step 50 kOhm Shunt Stereo Potentiometer from Khozmo Acoustic http://www.khozmo.com .

The build quality is amazing, the red housing is full aluminium, the rotation axis is supported by ball bearings, you can adjust the torque, high quality resistors, both channels separated and seperately shielded, only two resistors in the signal path per channel. In the "Full volume" position it is just like a wire, no resistors in the signal path, just like a bypass. i will use it together with the two Sowter 10K : 10K input transformers. so no problem with a too low imput impedance.

And in comparison to other high end potentiometers it is really affordable (179 Euros).

Also i ordered but have not received yet (should arrive next week) two of this special Sowter 9351 Headphone transformers (40/150/300/600 Ohm Output Impedance):




Together with my TANGO HS5 output transformers my high end tu-05 build will have secondary tabs with 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 40 / 150 / 300 / 600 ohm output Impedance so i am sure never again to have any impedance range problem connecting any headphone i can think of.

in the meantime i also have selected and ordered the resistors (Vishay Dale CMF RN60), have started to build the final power supply modules (and just ordered a lot of additional filter parts and inductances to build additional AC filter stages), and lots of MKP 100µF foil capacitors and air-cored coils / inductances, so with the exception of the primary power filter modules the complete amp from LC filters to output stage is "electrolyte capacitor free" built only with MKP foil capacitors even for anode and filament voltage filtering and stabilization.

so things really come together, the only major parts i have not ordered up to now are the 50 18650 Li-Ion batteries.

....ever thought of making mite high end versions up for some of us less technical guys? After your review, you should float a price for doing another

 

[GermanGuy]

....ever thought of making mite high end versions up for some of us less technical guys? After your review, you should float a price for doing another

it is not the first time i am asked if i would build a tu-05 mod for someone else, but again, i would never do this first of all and most important because i would never ill-use the existing tu-05 design and the great confidence in my honesty shikada-san had and has when he sent me the schematic of the original tu-05 before last christmas to help me building my own modded tu-05 versions.
 
but secondly it is my hobby, i don't want to start my own business, my main task is to earn money as consultant, and as business consultant i know what it means to found a business and what the consequences are. and even building amps in parallel to my main job, i am not able to give a warranty, keep replacement parts on stock, offering support ... and so on.
 
so i feel really honored to get asked but due to this reasons i deeply regret but can not do that nor have planned to do that in the future.
 
nevertheless, as i will share my results, schematics and whatever i did and will do with shikada-san, there may be the oportunity one day that shikada-san may offer the one or other product (desktop amp, double mono design, whatever).

 

[GermanGuy]

btw, to really beeing able to start building my highend tu-05 version i also ordered and will get all the type 18650 li-ion batteries this week. In total the amp will have 48 18650 Li-Ion batteries installed (3,7 volt, 2600 mA), so in total an installed battery power of about 460 watt , 2x 150 watt only for the anode voltage supplies. seems to be more than enough for 2x 180 .. 360 mW output.

 

[bmichels]

the two telefunken diamond base berlin made df96 from bonitomino arrived today!

 
GG ?? I thought that you already had some Telefunken diamond base berlin made ?  
 
Indeed 3 days ago you wrote: "2. I like the Telefunken diamond base berlin made DF96 / TEN 3S4 combo, great sounding with the Beyer T5P."
 
Is it a different type of Telefunken diamond base berlin ??

 

[GermanGuy]

i always try to have at least 4 tubes of the same type, so now i have 4 telefunken db berlin DF96.

 

[bmichels]

Finaly I placed yesterday my order for a TUR-06 to complément the TU-05 that I already have.

It will become my PORTABLE amp, permanently attached to my HUGO, and his bigger brother will now stay at home as my Desktop amp.

My TUR-06 is  #027 )) planed to be delivered in... September ;-(((

 

[GermanGuy]

BE CAREFUL !!!!
 
if anyone here has received an email from germantubes@aol.com please be careful, it is obviously spam, the email germantubes@aol.com is not reachable at the moment, and there were at least two other thread participants on the mailing list. maybe the account was hacked. i sent Mr. Künzig an email via ebay to inform him about that emails!