[ultrabike]

  But 3 people in a row have said the same thing with the bass issue (would they all have bad intentions).
 
Some have suggested that MH try the LL2 if he was serious, could it be that the bass has been improved with the LL2?

 
Well, I haven't heard the LL2, but the LL1 I heard did not sounded like cutting off at 80 Hz. It usually takes less than 8 hours to figure that one out. Same could be said about weirdness in pretty much the whole frequency range.
 
I know how Apple ear-buds sound like (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AppleEarPods.pdf) and that's not what I've heard out of the LL1. Don't think I'm alone in that assessment: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/listening-stax-sr-900-and-great-headphone-amplifiers-cavalli-liquid-lightning.
 
BTW, who are these guys from Mljonir Audio? Seems like a very professionally build amp there.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

   
BTW, who are these guys from Mljonir Audio? Seems like a very professionally build amp there.

 
That's the "company" branding that Spritzer puts on all of his DIY amps that he builds

 

[Dubstep Girl]

   
Well, I haven't heard the LL2, but the LL1 I heard did not sounded like cutting off at 80 Hz. It usually takes less than 8 hours to figure that one out. Same could be said about weirdness in pretty much the whole frequency range.
 
I know how Apple ear-buds sound like (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AppleEarPods.pdf) and that's not what I've heard out of the LL1. Don't think I'm alone in that assessment: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/listening-stax-sr-900-and-great-headphone-amplifiers-cavalli-liquid-lightning.
 
BTW, who are these guys from Mljonir Audio? Seems like a very professionally build amp there.

 
 
yeah i don't think its apple ear buds either, thats the LL2, this is the LL 

 
once again, YMMV, etc.
 

 

[n3rdling]

I don't see anything wrong with posting schematics.  I think every manufacturer, especially those selling expensive amps, should publicly show large pictures of the internals.  They should be proud of their work and use their craftsmanship as a selling point.  The ones that seem to purposely avoid showing the insides come across as having something to hide.  Nobody wants to spend their money on a box of magic.  Can you imagine Honda sealing their hoods shut until you purchase and not releasing technical data?  It's ridiculous and audiodom is the only place I can think of that actively defends it.  Head-Fi should be pushing every community manufacturer towards giving the consumer all pertinent information so they can make a better decision come buying time.  Sometimes I think many in this community are more about propping up magicians than exposing them to a more free market. 
 
Before people start losing their minds (and it's sad I have to point this out), I'm speaking generally and not about Cavalli or HeadAmp or anybody in particular.  Some manufacturers are great about showcasing every little thing about their amps, some purposely make their amps almost impossible to open with normal tooling, and plenty fall somewhere in between. 

 

[blubliss]

well said...

 

[ultrabike]

   
 
yeah i don't think its apple ear buds either, thats the LL2, this is the LL 

 
once again, YMMV, etc.
 

 
Well I only heard the LL actually. Apple ear-buds cut-off bellow 80 Hz for sure, have wonky mids, and interesting highs. They also have happy amounts of distortion. Sounds exactly like what the LL does to Stax headphones according to what I've just read. I honestly don't think that's what I've heard, but yea, YMMV

 
Quote:

   
That's the "company" branding that Spritzer puts on all of his DIY amps that he builds

Well, the amp certainly looks nice. Pretty competitive prices too (http://www.head-fi.org/t/682020/fs-kgss-electrostatic-amplifier). From Spritzer's own review, seems like his KGSS is a no brainier...

 

[purrin]

Quote:

  I don't see anything wrong with posting schematics.  I think every manufacturer, especially those selling expensive amps, should publicly show large pictures of the internals. 

 
Agreed, nothing wrong with schematics or amp pr0n. If anything, schematics allows one to troubleshoot or repair should the original manufacturer not be able to service the amps.
 
My comments were in the context of Spritzer (and by apparent association Kevin Gilmore) having had a axe to grind with Alex Cavalli, and to a lesser extent, other manufacturers of "competing" electrostatic designs from Eddie Current, Woo, and Ray Samuels. It all comes down to intentions, as Currawong said. I have had folks contact me regarding some of these amps, wondering if they would "explode like Singlepower", and we all know where that phrase comes from.
 
I mean, I don't see other DIY contributors, with the exception of nwavguy, "threaten" to reverse engineer and post schematics of and opine on design improvements to other manufacturers equipment. Expressed disappointment of a manufacturer not providing schematics is entirely another thing.
 
In any event, I do have schematics (no part numbers) of the LL which I will post soon.

 

[FrankCooter]

  I don't see anything wrong with posting schematics.  I think every manufacturer, especially those selling expensive amps, should publicly show large pictures of the internals.  They should be proud of their work and use their craftsmanship as a selling point.  The ones that seem to purposely avoid showing the insides come across as having something to hide.

I totally agree. Years ago manufacturers routinely did this. The fact that they don't do this anymore is more a marketing ploy than anything else. All audio amps are electrically simple. Anyone with a couple of semesters of college electronics can easily reverse engineer even the most complex of them. There are no "secrets" here. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
Well, I haven't heard the LL2, but the LL1 I heard did not sounded like cutting off at 80 Hz. It usually takes less than 8 hours to figure that one out. Same could be said about weirdness in pretty much the whole frequency range.
 
I know how Apple ear-buds sound like (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AppleEarPods.pdf) and that's not what I've heard out of the LL1. Don't think I'm alone in that assessment: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/listening-stax-sr-900-and-great-headphone-amplifiers-cavalli-liquid-lightning.
 
BTW, who are these guys from Mljonir Audio? Seems like a very professionally build amp there.

 
Did you have the LL1 in your home for several weeks along side a much superior KGSSHV? I did direct A-B comparisons in my the quiet of my listening room, with my sources and my music. And my comments stand. Sorry....the bass does "seem" to cut off at 80Hz in comparison to other amps I've tried. The KGSSHV is spectacular with the SR-009s and as I mentioned fires on all cylinders....great bass, mids, treble, imaging, transparency, etc...(you name it). 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  I totally agree. Years ago manufacturers routinely did this. The fact that they don't do this anymore is more a marketing ploy than anything else. All audio amps are electrically simple. Anyone with a couple of semesters of college electronics can easily reverse engineer even the most complex of them. There are no "secrets" here. 

 
X4
 
the LL could very well be an entry lvl stax amp in a regular case with the only cool thing being the blue knob...

 

[DefQon]

$4.8k for the LL? I always came off the impression that it was $3k. Add a bit extra on top of $4.8k and a bit of wait time you can have a BHSE in your hands or have roughly enough to build 2 KGSSHV or buy/build a KGSSHV and get an O2 MK1. Yumm...

 

[DefQon]

   
X4
 
the LL could very well be an entry lvl stax amp in a regular case with the only cool thing being the blue knob...

 

 

 

[ultrabike]

   
Did you have the LL1 in your home for several weeks along side a much superior KGSSHV? I did direct A-B comparisons in my the quiet of my listening room, with my sources and my music. And my comments stand. Sorry....the bass does seem to cut off at 80Hz and become very much "one-note" style as Birgir put it. The KGSSHV is spectacular with the SR-009s and as I mentioned fires on all cylinders....great bass, mids, treble, imaging, transparency, etc...(you name it).   
Agreed, Birgir's home-made Mljonir KGSSHV does look quite spectacular and in the same room is of much better construction than the LL1.

 
Birgir is comparing the LL1 to a KGSS, which I though you said was inferior to an LL1 at some point (http://www.head-fi.org/t/569024/question-about-amps-for-the-stax-sr-009/390#post_9751891). Three weeks later the the LL1 cuts at 80 Hz and is "one-note".
 
Did it take you 3 weeks to differentiate the KGSS from apple ear-buds sound?

 
Also, I though your KGSSHV amp was from GeorgeP and Birgir's was shipped to KG for repairs or something.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  $4.8k for the LL? I always came off the impression that it was $3k. Add a bit extra on top of $4.8k and a bit of wait time you can have a BHSE in your hands or have roughly enough to build 2 KGSSHV or buy/build a KGSSHV and get an O2 MK1. Yumm...

 
yeah those used KGSS/KGSSHVs where like in the 2k range, and you can get a nice stax along with that for 4.8k, maybe even a dac 

 
 
4.8k for entry lvl stax amp is too much, likewise, a Lyr with twice the tubes and a fancy case or a SS version of it, not very impressive.

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
Birgir is comparing the LL1 to a KGSS, which I though you said was inferior to an LL1 at some point (http://www.head-fi.org/t/569024/question-about-amps-for-the-stax-sr-009/390#post_9751891). Three weeks later the the LL1 cuts at 80 Hz and is "one-note".
 
Did it take you 3 weeks to differentiate the KGSS from apple ear-buds sound?

 
Also, I though your KGSSHV amp was from GeorgeP and Birgir's was shipped to KG for repairs or something.

 
It didn't take me 3 weeks, it too much less time than that. 

 But I did keep it for several weeks going back and forth hoping it would get better....which it didn't. So late last week I sold it locally. 

 
I do have GeorgeP's KGSSHV, but as Birgir mentioned, I had his originally and it had issues due to shipping damage across the Atlantic ocean. Luckily George(a local friend) had one available, so I jumped on it. My comparison here was between GeorgeP's KGSSHV and the LL1. My comments about construction, were just that....Birgir's amp is what I would consider what a $4800 amp should look like.
 
And I didn't make the air-buds comment. You might want to re-check that.