[philodox]

I think I'm going to just start saving a bit of money here and there and if I ever get bored of the dynahi I'll build [or have built for me] a mig2.

 

[JWFokker]

So what happened to this? I was pretty interested in how each amp compared to the other.

 

[steinchen]

I've been busy with building a switchbox, y-splitter, cables, etc. Unfortunately I'll be offline for the next two weeks due to vacancy.

I'm planning a personal double blind A/B-testing shootout for May with
M³
PPA v2.0
PPA v1.1 with Glassman buffers
PPA v1.1 with opa633 buffers
PIMETA
Dynalo

my first impression and my guess is that the M³ will win but that has to be proofed in a double blind test

stay tuned ^^

 

[eastside504]

just finish my balanced dynalo, still havent cased it up yet tho. I'm using two wallwart (+15/0/-15) as the power for it. Its hard to compare amps becuase i dont have my PPA 1.1 w/ glassman buffer 627/637 or my maxxed out pimeta anymore. I'm relying on memory and well we all know how bad that can be.

Briefly, the pimeta doenst have the extensions at either ends that that PPA or dynalo have. Its has a warmer sound and not as detailed as the PPA or dynalo.

The PPA to me is a very good amp with extension in both range with plenty of power. However i find the amp to be cold reguardless of my source. It has plenty of speed and details.

The balanced dynalo sounds more like the PPA then the pimeta. Its not as cold as the PPA but not as warm as the pimeta. I dont think it has the same treble extension that the PPA had (diamond buffer really gave it great high extension) or maybe its becuase the PPA had a colder sound and therefor feels like more extension. It has more detail but i think its more due to being in balanced mood giving it a higher slew rate to give better control of the headphones.

Again this is all running off of memory and of course a new amp that will require more listen time to really gauage it's performance. Dynahi or MMM next? So many amps to make, so little time!

 

[phobus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steinchen I've been busy with building a switchbox, y-splitter, cables, etc. Unfortunately I'll be offline for the next two weeks due to vacancy. I'm planning a personal double blind A/B-testing shootout for May with M³ PPA v2.0 PPA v1.1 with Glassman buffers PPA v1.1 with opa633 buffers PIMETA Dynalo my first impression and my guess is that the M³ will win but that has to be proofed in a double blind test stay tuned ^^

If I had a switchbox I'd do it too. Currently my list looks like:

M³
PPA v2.0
PIMETA (portable version)
Dynalo (building)

It would be nice to know if the dynahi is in another class or not compared to the M³, since it is going to cost so much to build (both time and money). I guess thats why I'm building the dynalo, I hope it gives me a little preview of what the dynahi sounds like?

Oh and for the money, the sisojae multi hybrid is really nice and fun to build.

 

[pabbi1]

I am _very_ interested in the double blind test... and how the Revised Millett Hybrid sounds compared to the M³.

 

[philodox]

I would be very interested in an opinionated comparison between the Dynahi and any of these amps... no DBT for me thanks.

 

[n_maher]

A double blind test is going to be pretty difficult. It implies that both the tester and the testee have no idea which is currently being used. Someone was kind enough to point this out to me and educate me on just how difficult DBT is. I found this article to be pretty interesting.

I'd suggest that we'd all appreciate someone's opinion of single blind testing where the operator of the test knows which amp they are selecting. Heck just an unbiased opinion of back to back listening mpressions is a good place to start, that's all I hope to acheive in my little experiment later in the summer. At a bare minimum in the next month I'll be comparing PPA V2 and the M3. Should be awfully fun!

.

Nate

 

[JWFokker]

I'll probably end up with the hybrid amp just because I love tubes, regardless of whether a PPA or M3 is better. Though if I built an M3 I could build a case and put a BMW M3 vent and logo on it... I might end up with both in the end.

 

[Dave_M]

So.. its been about 9 months since the last post. Did any shootouts take place? I bet you guys just got carried away and made more and more stuff...

 

[n_maher]

Would you believe it if I told you the only amp that I have working right now (out of the big 3) is the PPA V2??? My M³ is in parts and actually headed for a new owner soon and my Millett... well that's a tale for a whole separate thread. I did some pretty serious comparisons of the M³ and PPA V2 a while back, search the amps forum for that information, long story short as one might expect which I prefered was purley a matter of system synergy.

As to a big, mother-of-all DIY shootouts. It's still in the works but I have to get my ***** in gear and get stuff done. Of course working 7 days a week right now doesn't really help that cause

.

Nate

 

[pabbi1]

Holy old-thread-bump....

Actually, I built three amps:

One m³, maxed w STEPS for 637
One m³ with an eBay P/s and a stepped attentautor for AD8610
One Millett Hybrid w STEPS, Black Gates/Cerafine

I actually posted reviews about m³ and Millett Hybrid in the Amps section, ignored by the population at large. In the end, I WAYYYY preferred the tube sound, and the signature of the Millett in specific - but, at louder volumes with the 12FK6 tubes, it clipped - bad. In talking with Pete Millett at the Ft Worth meet, I determined it simply wouldn't meet my daily listening needs.

In the end, I can but employ cliche answers: the m³ is a tubey (warm) sounding SS amp, and the Millett is a very limited (yet safe for DIY) tube amp, but IMHO (and YMMV) infinitely more 'musical' and 'harmonic'.

My Solution:
So, I sold the 3 amps, and bought the original Millett designs - the Wheatfield HA-1 and HA-2, like the Hybrid sound signature (or vice versa), but with significant tube rolling possibilities and 3 fold the output power.


What's better?
You have gotta make the choice for yourself. Try to find a local meet, or beg / plead to borrow or get some time with a fellow Headfier who has taken the plunge.

 

[en480c4]

I ended up selling my M³ with STEPS a few months ago. It was a good all-around performer, but didn't really fit for me.

I have a revised Millett Hybrid with the diamond buffers powered by a STEPS. This amp is a great match for my HF-1.
I also have a PPA v2 powered by a STEPS. This mates very well with my Zu/HD650.

The M³ sounded pretty well with both cans, but I didn't fall in love with it with either. I did some extensive back-to-back-to-back testing before making my final decision, with the every intention to sit down and write up a comprehensive review. But when it came down to it, I was at a loss for words. Everything I wrote made it sound like the M³ was a bad amp, which it's clearly not. But when I listened to the PPA/650 or Millett/HF-1, I kept getting lost in the music. When I was listening to the M³ with either the 650 or HF-1, I kept finding myself listening to the equipment, finding things I preferred in the other amps, and was never able to fully enjoy the music.

And while the hobby is fun, enjoying the music is what it's all about for me. So the choice was easy. There wasn't anything the amp didn't do well, I just felt my other amps were a better fit for me.

 

[Clutz]

I don't have an M3, but I do have a Millet and a PPA v2. Which I prefer really depends on the music I'm listening to. If I am listening to some more guitar driven rock, or classic rock (e.g. Creedence Clearwater Revival), then I really like the Millet. It sounds really good with them. If it's indie/alternative/modern rock - full of texture, extremely detailed, lots of transients then I prefer my PPA...

But I can find that I can listen with the Millet for longer periods of time than the PPA.

I'm contemplating building a dynalo / dynamid.. maybe a dynahi, or an M3... but I have other projects which will take place before these will... making the diamond buffers for the Millet, assembling a USB Dac, and possibly something else.

 

[jbloudg20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher In the next 6 months I hope to have built for a big review: 1. M³ (being built now) 2. PPA V2 (for a friend, next in line to be built) 3. Millett Hybrid (being built now) 4. Sijosae Hybrid (up after the PPA) 5. Dynalo (after Sijosae) 6. PIMETA (have all the parts, just no time) 7. MINT (2 currently built and used) 8. Cmoy (2 currently built and used) [size=xx-small] I can't believe that in one year I'll have gone from no head-amps to 7 headamps.[/size] And I think it'd be a great thing to have a battle of the DIY-amps at some point, not to mention a good comparison between some of the "higher end" of DIY amps vs. their cost equivalent from some of the mainstream amp makers. Just for example, I'd really like to know how an M³ compares to a SR71. I wouldn't feel comfortable being the driving force behind this but would probably make some of my amps available to someone more knowledgeable. Here's to hoping I stick to my game plan and get these all built. Nate

Did this ever happen?