[WNBC]

I guess you don't see the other threads about much less relevant things like knife-fi, video games for iphone, rate the latest video game played, top 5 movies, rate the last movie watched, do any of you guys cook, gif wars, electric shaver fi, need a cheap pair of speakers, event monitors, magnepan mini system, found injured starving cat, the TV thread, etc.
 
I don't think a thread at least about a headphone amp and it's 2nd use would be that crazy on THIS website.....hmmmmmm.....
 
Quote:

How would a speaker thread go over at Head-Fi? The Taboo IS a Headphone amp....., hmmmmm.....

 

[Argo Duck]

^ Yep!
 
Sorry longbowbbs - you're in the frame. You're just gonna have to start that thread

 

[longbowbbs]

^ Yep!
 
Sorry longbowbbs - you're in the frame. You're just gonna have to start that thread

 
Here we go! http://www.head-fi.org/t/620976/decware-taboo-headphone-amp-speaker-thread

 

[Hi-Five]

My Decware update...
 
I received my new ZP3 today and hooked it up to the CSP+ / Taboo combo and I'm in heaven.  It sounds a little thin as the tubes warm up, but my word this thing is dead quiet and clear as a bell.
 
I can't wait for things to warm up so the burn-in can happen!
 
Kudos again Steve!

 

[tink97]

Well looks like my trap speakers are being made ....now comes the hardest part of any wait...when its near the end lol.  Going to be using it with my mini torii...should be great heh.
 
Have a good one all
 
tink97

 

[WNBC]

After taking into account impedance, the headphone and speaker output power of the Taboo are equal?  I'm assuming yes but just wanted to make sure.

 

[Argo Duck]

Not in the way you calculate it for a typical, low Zout (output impedance) SS amp.  I tried it that way and came up with just under a watt. Skylab rightly chided me for that, as Taboo has an output transformer!
 
Chris J, one of the EEs on head-fi, calculated it properly based on a plausible transformer Zout - I think the post is in the Taboo thread, around April/May (?) this year. 
 
Taboo output power into 50 ohms is a healthy 2W plus IIRC. It certainly sounds it.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Et tu WNBC?!
 
Clearly indeed Taboos with HP-outs are built at least two different ways...
 
I don't have a problem with this either, and I think this finally clears the confusion whether you need speakers/resistors:

1. If you have the HP/Speaker switch, you don't need them
2. If you don't have the switch, experiment (or not) by all means

 
Hey A,
I've been lurking here for a while.
The loaded speaker tap question is interesting. A loaded question?   Never mind, bad joke.

I'll assume that when your Taboo is equipped with a headphone switch then either the speaker is driven or the headphones are driven? i.e. this switch never puts the HP and the speaker in parallel?
I would guess that if you don't have the switch then the amp probably sounds different when 'phones are plugged in AND the speaker output is loaded down with a (for example) 8 Ohm resistor because the amp was optimized for an 8 Ohm load. Assuming this to be true, the distortion may decrease when loaded down with an 8 Ohm load because the feedback loop may have been optimized for this. But it is more likely that the distortion increases a bit when loaded down with an 8 Ohm load as the output tubes and transformer have more current passing thru them. Since this is an SE amp, you may be getting a bit more pleasant sounding second order harmonic distortion.
 
If you want to try this out for yourself see if you can get your hands on a pair of 2 or 3 Watt, 8 Ohm metal film resistors. Personally, I can't see why I would want to bother with a resistor with silver leads.
I can't try this myself as I am NOT a lucky Taboo owner!

 
And that's just my SWAG in it!

 

[Argo Duck]

Quote:

 
 distortion may decrease when loaded down with an 8 Ohm load because the feedback loop may have been optimized for this. But it is more likely that the distortion increases a bit when loaded down with an 8 Ohm load as the output tubes and transformer have more current passing thru them. Since this is an SE amp, you may be getting a bit more pleasant sounding second order harmonic distortion.

 
Well now this is an interesting comment.
 
Thanks Chris!

 

[snapontom]

My CSP2+ is in testing before shipping.  I have 2 outputs ordered.  One will go to my Bob Latino SV-120 modernized Dynaco amplifier, which I really like.  The other output will go to my TABOO which is on the bench being made with VCAPS.  I received my Norse 8 strand 6 foot headphone cables which will connect LCD2 v2 headphones from Audeze to the TABOO.  I got the 0.5m DECWARE RCA cables and they made an immediate difference between my BITFROST DAC from Schitt and my SV-120.  The Zen master himself recommended the resistor cables if the TABOO is not hooked up to speakers, who am I to go any other way.  That being said I am very interested in speakers for the TABOO or my Dynaco.  I purchased the Heresy IIIs and though they are breaking in nicely with the rest of the system, they lack bass.  

 

[Argo Duck]

^ Great! Of course you could add a sub - run it off the mono out of the CSP2+

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

 
Well now this is an interesting comment.
 
Thanks Chris!

 
Well, thank you!
I would usually assume that SET designs can be rather sensitive to device and operating changes.
In part because SETs are usually low feedbck designs and are obviously very simple topologies.
This is not meant as criticism or damnation BTW!

.

 

[WNBC]

Hey ChrisJ, seems like you know how these amps operate. Any suggestions on where to buy a 8 ohm 2 watt resistor. Upon a google search one finds resistors but not sure if they are the right ones. I do not have the switch. Thanks

If you want to try this out for yourself see if you can get your hands on a pair of 2 or 3 Watt, 8 Ohm metal film resistors. Personally, I can't see why I would want to bother with a resistor with silver leads.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Hey ChrisJ, seems like you know how these amps operate. Any suggestions on where to buy a 8 ohm 2 watt resistor. Upon a google search one finds resistors but not sure if they are the right ones. I do not have the switch. Thanks

 
Hey.........
My point is that I would not agonize too much about what 8 Ohm, 2 Watt resistor to buy. There is not a lot of "secret sauce" in resistors!

 
Try Newark Electronics or The Parts Connexion.    When I get some spare time I'll see if I can find something a bit more concrete.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Hey ChrisJ, seems like you know how these amps operate. Any suggestions on where to buy a 8 ohm 2 watt resistor. Upon a google search one finds resistors but not sure if they are the right ones. I do not have the switch. Thanks

Hey Dubya,
Try Mouser Electronics.
They sell IRC brand wirewound resistors, 8 ohms, 2 Watts.  $0.61 each.
They probably have a minumum buy so you could experiment and buy a pair of 10 ohm, 12 ohm, 16 ohm, etc.

or

or

The tolerance is 5%, but I would not worry too much about the tolerance for this purpose.
You want to buy an "axial" type.
 
If you go to 10 Ohms then you will have even more choices of 2 Watt resistors in stock:
ceramic composition
metal film resistors
wirewound resistors
metal oxide resistors
carbon film resistors 
I doubt the materail will make a difference, but you could get various resistor types and experiment.
 
Or Parts Connexion:
They sell the Mills MRA-5    $3.95 each
This is a 5 Watt resistor available in 8.2 Ohms, 9.1 Ohms, 10 Ohms, etc
 
You can PM me if you need more info.
Cheers, CJ