[Jazz9]

Hi,
I'm pretty much set on buying a CK2III (even posted a WTB in the for sale forum) but I'm still wondering something...
With the arrival of new affordable, good amps in the last couple of years like the C2C, KICAS, Little Dots and others, is the CK2III still a good option even today for someone's who's not willing/capable of building one himself?
Buying a CK2III from a reputable seller is as expensive as buying one of those amps.
Or is the CK2III still noticeably better than those amps?
Thanks!

 

[johnwmclean]

The CK2III is totally relevant by any standards, IMO it would profoundly kick some serious ass. You’d seriously have to pull a big rabbit out of your hat to find any major advances in amp technology in the last decade.

 

[Jazz9]

The CK2III is a good amp, that much even I understand.
It's just that when you look at the audio-gd c2c (just an example) and see what's inside and then read the reviews about it you just wonder if it's still worth it to buy (not build) a $300 diy amp.
If anyone can offer some comparisons between the cavalli and other more known amps, you're more than welcome!

 

[BigTony]

DIY vs commercial gear .... in my experience DIY isn't a cheaper option, however its a 'custom' option - all the DIY projects I've ever done have always cost out at the same price as a direct purchase. So why DIY? Well to get it 'exactly the way I want' is the basic reason; there comes a time when you decide that making do just won't cut it, and you know what everyone says .. 'well if you could do better, do it yourself!'
The expensive parts of any build (PSU, Case, Vol. Pot, PCB) outweigh the cost of pretty much all other components many times over.
Whats important is the basic design of the amp, given a solid design, then a DIY amp is just as good as a commercial design (if not better, as you're not trying to build for profit).
As the nights draw in I'm about to embark on my first DIY amp build for over 25 years .. age, it seems, has mellowed me afterall

 

[tintin47]

^I have never found that part about the cost true at all. The markups on amps are very significant. A $200 parts cost amp, like the CK2III is very comparable to (and IMO better than) the Dynalo or the EC/SS which both sell for $500+ iirc.

It is true that parts cost for DIY is a higher than it would be for the same parts in a commercial design because you don't get a break on buying in quantity.

Some direct comparisons:
the CK2III blows the LD mk III/IV series out of the water, both with high Z and low Z headphones. The CK2III is also on par with the TTVJ FET amp, though I admit that I only listened to them side by side for an afternoon.

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazz9 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The CK2III is a good amp, that much even I understand. It's just that when you look at the audio-gd c2c (just an example) and see what's inside and then read the reviews about it you just wonder if it's still worth it to buy (not build) a $300 diy amp. If anyone can offer some comparisons between the cavalli and other more known amps, you're more than welcome!

When I bought my amp, I went with the opposite direction. When I look into amps like Canamp, Audio gd amp and others, I always think they don't look "clean" inside. Although there many rave reviews, many of those are written by people who don't have much experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTony /img/forum/go_quote.gif DIY vs commercial gear .... in my experience DIY isn't a cheaper option, however its a 'custom' option - all the DIY projects I've ever done have always cost out at the same price as a direct purchase. So why DIY? Well to get it 'exactly the way I want' is the basic reason; there comes a time when you decide that making do just won't cut it, and you know what everyone says .. 'well if you could do better, do it yourself!' The expensive parts of any build (PSU, Case, Vol. Pot, PCB) outweigh the cost of pretty much all other components many times over. Whats important is the basic design of the amp, given a solid design, then a DIY amp is just as good as a commercial design (if not better, as you're not trying to build for profit). As the nights draw in I'm about to embark on my first DIY amp build for over 25 years .. age, it seems, has mellowed me afterall

Although the absolute cost is about the same as commercial amps, the value provided by DIY amps is more. Many DIYers don't usually use vintage Blackgates, oversized cap and other bling components, and given a solid design, DIY amp is as least as good as commercial amps. Just look at how DIY designs are commercialized now.

 

[Uncle Erik]

DIY designs can often be better than commercial ones.

There are very talented commercial designers out there with excellent amps. But what makes DIY superior is that it's an open design.

Like many things that require a lot of planning, the first draft never comes out perfectly. You always have to revise, edit and fix unforseen problems. Also, it isn't always easy to catch your own errors. If you have ever proofread your own writing and missed typos, you know how that is.

The beauty of DIY designs is that they're built and gone through by many people. All the errors are spotted and kinks are worked out. If something doesn't work right or causes a problem, someone in the community usually sees that and proposes a fix that goesinto the project.

So while a commercial amp can be excellent, DIY designs are far, far more thoroughly tested and have all the bugs ironed out. That is why I think that DIY designs are a cut above the typical commercial amp.

Also, you get better parts and construction in DIY. If you're building 100 amps, an extra $20 per amp will take $2,000 out of your profits. That's a lot. But putting an extra $20 into your personal build isn't bad, so you'll benefit from better parts.

 

[ksu06]

@OP, may I ask what headphones you plan to pair the CK2III with?

 

[Jazz9]

I have K601s.