[wkwlb]

I got a clear unit, but I think the dark grey is very much sexier

 

[jamato8]

I hadn't seen an image of the grey. nice.

 

[musicmaker]

So apart from the great bass, any initial impressions on the midrange, highs and soundstage ? I have an iQube that I love and my SR71a will be here on Thursday. Once i burn the SR-71a for 100 hours, I'm going to compare with the iQube. If time permits, I'll post a review.

 

[jamato8]

I wonder what the best batteries will be to use with the 71A? I see there are so low discharge now available in 9 volt, like the eneloop, which are my favorite in AAA.

 

[thejoneser]

Here's a quick photo (I also posted in portable rigs part xii)

The SR-71A really does drive the 701s nicely. I know I've said it before, but this amp is amazing for its size! 32 hours of burn-in time so far and it's already beginning to open up.

BTW, I just ordered the Accupower 300mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries from Thomas Distributing. So we'll see how they perform...

 

[wkwlb]

very neat setup!
actually due to the lack of a dc power, the burn in process becomes a little bit troublesome.....as I have to cycle and recharge the battery quite often... Unless I have 4 batteries, I can't burn in the amp when batteries are being charged. Guess I should head to the electronics store again tmr

 

[krmathis]

Really nice looking RSA amplifier.
Is it just me, or is the SR-71A smaller in size than the SR-71? Looks smaller and more portable to me...

Congratulations to those who have received one. Keep the impressions and pictures coming.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Really nice looking RSA amplifier. Is it just me, or is the SR-71A smaller in size than the SR-71? Looks smaller and more portable to me... Congratulations to those who have received one. Keep the impressions and pictures coming.

It is smaller. See the photos earlier in this thread or the announcement thread vs original SR-71.

 

[Luminette]

Pics of the insides anyone?

 

[tha_dude]

how many hours of playing time before changing batteries?

 

[biw]

This is my first commercial headphone amp. I am a fan of SR71A (the aircraft), as well as the headphone amp and have been trying to get one for a while. So, naturally now that I have one, I am very pleased.

Let me also say that the customer service is top notch, the ordering by phone experience is a pleasure.

physical dimension in cm
9.45 (length plate to plate, not counting knob)
6.12 (width)
2.45 (height)

There is a 1mm overhang for front plate in top/bottom left/right direction, so if you go without the included silicone knob, you may need some pad if you plan to put it right next to your DAP

If you use duracell 9v battery, the length is 47.8mm, and it feel decently tight. i do not think there is more than 1mm play beyond that.

Opening it up, there are a 4700uF and a 10V 1500uF for (each channel?). I believe the burn in is to achieve optimum electrolyte/chemical distribution in these cap, yes?

Front plate is nicely connected to the case with four screws. I notice that in my case, I have to remember which one is which in order to screw them back without feeling too much resistance. The back plate is held by two round nuts. Circuit board, extremely cleanly layout, fit my OCD personality, haha.

There is no play in the "row" (as in a plane, row, pitch, yaw) direction for front plate, but the back plate can move in the "row" direction. There is also some play of the curcuit board in the length direction, and is fully push to the front by the battery. in a way.(edit: Let me correct it, this is after I remove the knob, so with knob on, it is quite solid here)

The 3.5mm connectors are solid, feel expensive when plug in. Not very tight, but solid. it does tends to push the outside part of the plug towards the knob side by maybe a couple degrees, no big deal here.

The silkscreen print very nice, I like the design. However on the front plate, because the signature "By Ray Samuels Audio" has quite a small font, there is a rubbed off "By" on the lower left part of the "B". I think the signature can be bigger

Overall, a solid piece of art. I was picking on the tiny thing here because every single thing else are perfect for me.

Gain: 2, 6, 10 or 11? they are voltage gain. (I use sig gen 1kHz to measure with scope, the 10, 11 part, I cannot tell, I think it is more like 11) full gain all achieved at full volume.

Can anyone tell me why are they "Med Lo Hi" instead of "Lo, Med, Hi"?

For Unity voltage gain, Lo: 4 o'clock, Med: 2 o'clock, Hi: 12 o'clock . These are rough position. You may think there is not much room after the unity gain position, but because the taper of the knob is not linear, there are plenty of kick.

I use D-e905 PCDP with lineout rated at 0.7Vrms for 47kohms, using a HD580 with 600 grille, low at full, med at 2o'clock and HI at 12 o'clock give me a loud sound, more than the level I would use for long listening. This is just to give a sense of the power of the amp.

I however, do not know how to judge the sound and compare amps, so I will leave it to other capable members.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by biw /img/forum/go_quote.gif Overall, a solid piece of art. I was picking on the tiny thing here because every single thing else are perfect for me.

I am also very impressed..but not surprised as I own two other RS amps. If I were to nitpick to the extreme...all I can come up with so far is that I can see the red power LED bleeding through a miniscule gap between the faceplate and the chassis (if looking at just the right angle). This would seem to indicate that the two are not perfectly flush (or the face plate screws not tightened all the way).

This issue is a non-issue...just an observation as compared to my other RS products.

 

[Ray Samuels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfen68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am also very impressed..but not surprised as I own two other RS amps. If I were to nitpick to the extreme...all I can come up with so far is that I can see the red power LED bleeding through a miniscule gap between the faceplate and the chassis (if looking at just the right angle). This would seem to indicate that the two are not perfectly flush (or the face plate screws not tightened all the way). This issue is a non-issue...just an observation as compared to my other RS products.

They were not meant to be perfectly flush. The LED & the face plate have a little space between them.This way the LED does not reflect it's light in all directions, but only when looking into the hole.
Cheers.
Ray Samuels

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Samuels /img/forum/go_quote.gif They were not meant to be perfectly flush. The LED & the face plate have a little space between them.This way the LED does not reflect it's light in all directions, but only when looking into the hole. Cheers. Ray Samuels

I understand...but that's not what I meant. If you set the amp on a table and look down on it (as if reading the top logo), I can see a glimmer of the LED "sideways" through the interface (around the rim of the entire faceplate) where the faceplate and the chassis meet. This is evident from the top or if you flip it over and look at from the same view from the bottom. It's somewhat evident in a dark room.

I should check the screws holding on the front faceplate. Tightening all of them may squeeze that gap shut.

Again, this is a non-issue for the anal retentive....which I guess I just showed everyone I am now since I noticed it

 

[branny]

biw, thanks so much for posting the dimensions. I haven't been able to find them anywhere!