[braillediver]

Here’s something to consider when dealing with Ray Samuels Audio Products:


“You can try the Ray Samuels Audio Products in the comfort of your
own home for a period of 7 days with no obligations.

If you like it, you keep it. We'll pay the shipping and handling fees.
If you don't like it for any reason, return it and you will only be billed for shipping.
This should give you peace of mind knowing that you made a wise decision.”


This is verbatim from his website. Try them for yourself and decide.


Mitch

 

[Gord SW Ont]

Quote:

Ray said: I am really thinking very seriously to stop this none sense of making headphone amps once for all, as I am getting nothing from it eccept pain in the neck.

Please don't do that Ray!

For every person whose taste in headphone amps differs from one of your products there are "many" others who feel the opposite.

The internet gives the opportunity to people of all tastes/types/styles/etc to communicate and there's little control so if you want the good you have to tolerate some of the bad. Everyone seems to be getting a little flakey these days - not only on head-fi, but all over the net. Perhaps it's the upcoming elections or something.

At any rate if it wasn't for the great headphone products all the talented manufacturers provide the rest of us wouldn't be able to withdraw into the world of music to escape the stress so we can rebuild ourselves to face the continuous day-to-day madness. That would make it much worse.

I don't use your products exclusively but love the pleasure your HR-2 provides and feel the headphone world would be a much poorer place without your presence.

Hang in there ... Gord SW Ont.

 

[GainHead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Samuels Gain head... If you are the same person in the headwise called "PURE", & accusing me of what you tried in that thread, all I can say is you are a real sick person, you are mad at me becuase you wanted information on how the SR-71 was built & how the batteries were implemented & whether I have copling caps in the signal path through so many e-mails, & because I kindly refused to give this info, you started to stir all kind of troubles, I do not know how old are you, if you are very young, I won't mind your mentality, but if you are old enough, I would say that you need a lot of growing up to do. I did not admit any thing to you at all, & did not tell you what op-amps I used, you came to the decision of your own. I am really getting sick of reading all these sickining posts about rolled off highs, & mid range being over emphezised, if it sounds that way to your ear then change the op-amp in the amp & put your favorite in there & the problem is solved, Why do you think I put the IC sockets in the first place? If you want the graphs of the frequency go to my web site & see the Emmeline CA2, it is the same circuit as the HR-2 & uses the same op-amp AD797 & read the review of one of the greates writer Dick Olsher regardind the sound, but the later, HR-2, has the buffer to drive the load. I am really thinking very seriously to stop this none sense of making headphone amps once for all, as I am getting nothing from it eccept pain in the neck. You don't like it don't buy the amp, how simple can it get. If you dont like the sound of my amp then you will never ever like the sound of Meridian 508 24 bit CD player, that is the sound that I trust & voice my amps accordingly. Why would you want the schematic of the SR-71 if it is that bad sounding? why do you want it so bad ? you need some real HELP my friend. Ray Samuels

RS, I don't know who Prue is and I have not said anything about the sound of any of your amplifiers here or anywhere else. All I have done is point out what some other, apparently knowledgeable, people have said about what opamps are used in the SR-71. Based upon my previous post here, you can see what I have independently deduced. If I am wrong, now is your chance to say so. If the circuit is so straight forward, then why so secretive? No one is going to go through the trouble of cloning your build quality.

 

[Ph34rful]

Don't give in Ray! If you do! The terrorists win! Or something like that...

I love my HR-2! The sound is absolutely great! I look forward to your future headphones amps!

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead RS, I don't know who Prue is and I have not said anything about the sound of any of your amplifiers here or anywhere else. All I have done is point out what some other, apparently knowledgeable, people have said about what opamps are used in the SR-71. Based upon my previous post here, you can see what I have independently deduced. If I am wrong, now is your chance to say so. If the circuit is so straight forward, then why so secretive? No one is going to go through the trouble of cloning your build quality.

If you're so sure of yourself, then build your own amp and see if you can come anywhere near Ray's sound. (hint, no one ever calls the 8610 "warm")

But quit pestering the guy, if he doesn't care to say more about the design that's entirely his business and completely understandable.

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead All I have done is point out what some other, apparently knowledgeable, people have said about what opamps are used in the SR-71. Based upon my previous post here, you can see what I have independently deduced. If I am wrong, now is your chance to say so. If the circuit is so straight forward, then why so secretive? No one is going to go through the trouble of cloning your build quality.

Dude stop pushing it. If he wanted to tell you he would have told you already. He is secretive because he doesnt want you to copy it. I think this is obvious and I think Itold you this already. If you still dont understand I am telling you again :-

Ray Samuels intends to protect his intellectual property by whatever means possible. DIY guys can deduce what they want and do what they want on their own but they are not getting anything easy.

Sweat it out...

 

[Born2bwire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead RS, I don't know who Prue is and I have not said anything about the sound of any of your amplifiers here or anywhere else. All I have done is point out what some other, apparently knowledgeable, people have said about what opamps are used in the SR-71. Based upon my previous post here, you can see what I have independently deduced. If I am wrong, now is your chance to say so. If the circuit is so straight forward, then why so secretive? No one is going to go through the trouble of cloning your build quality.

Pure is the poster of the thread you referenced. In addition, there's no speculation on the opamps used in the SR-71 in that thread. All I saw was that earwax01 mentioned that in a MINT that he built he used a AD8620 and BUF634. In addition, it's Ray's choice to try and keep his topology to himself. The quality of the amp lies in the synergy of the components, quality of the parts, and the craftsmanship just as much as the type of topology dictates quality. Keeping the parts used in the circuit discrete is a means of protecting the work that he's put into the amp. If Ray wants to keep some of the schematic secret that's his decision, same as it is with other amp manufacturers like Mikhail or Grado.

 

[chumley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead I'm not trying to copy his design, I was just pointing out to the earlier statement that the opamps/buffers in the SR-71 are known. I think RS painted over them because it is a very obvious choice, not because he was trying to hide a novel design choice.

Um, yeah. And how many amps have you built? How do they sound? I'll bet your amps couldn't carry the SR-71's jock. RS painted them over because he must have been ASHAMED of his pedestrian, mediocre choice of opamps and buffers. He wanted to HIDE how obvious and ubiquitous his choices were. Because we all know that only components YOU say are 'novel' would give the SR-71 the sound RS REALLY should be going for... if only he'd return your late-night calls filled with shrieks of opamp/buffer advice...

Never mind the fact that the SR-71 is among the handful of portable headphone amps around that can double as a home headphone amp, in a serious audiophile system, with little or no apologies. And I am FAR from the only person on these forums who thinks so. The bleacher splinters must be getting to you up there in the peanut gallery.

RS amps, like RS himself, are true originals. Whatever components he's used, you merely display your ignorance by positing that his choice of components is the sole, or even primary, determinant in the incredibly sophisticated performance of his amp designs... that view makes you as wrong as the day is long, GH. You are apparently falling victim to every wannabe's first, and fatal, conceptual mistake- obsessing over the parts, while ignoring the relation of the parts to the whole- a relationship that is critical to what RS does. To some degree, ALL parts are 'OTS'. If they are what your half-*ssed conjecture states, I think it's all the more miraculous that RS gets the amazing signature out of the SR-71 that he clearly does- black, deep, balanced, with beautifully natural mids and extended, smooth treble. My Meridian G08 and Senn HD650s/Cardas welcome the SR-71; it actually can work incredibly well in that lineup. The ONLY portable amp that can with that setup- and I've tried 'em all.

Nitpicking which opamaps/buffers are in the SR-71 is like critiquing the Mona Lisa by evaluating the paint on its frame. Keep the OCD/wannabe expert commentary coming, though; it'll keep you away from actually DOING something with your time!

Man, this thread's got the highest 'moron factor' I've ever seen on Headfi. I've gotta go shower and get this all behind me...

 

[GainHead]

Uh, whatever you say chummy. Yours and gsferrari's posts prove my point that no one is going to clone the SR-71 build quality so there is no reason to keep the opamp and buffer a secret. Unless, as I said before, it is an obvious choice. If that is the case, then people would question paying $400 for the SR-71 when they could just buy a Mint or a Pimeta. That is why I think RS paints over the opamps. If he does not want to reveal what they are, that is obviously his decision but I think that decision speaks volumes.

 

[gsferrari]

I am washing off the "dirt" with some Norah Jones out of the Alessandro MS2 powered by an Emmeline SR-71...

Aaah...

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead Uh, whatever you say chummy. Yours and gsferrari's posts prove my point that no one is going to clone the SR-71 build quality so there is no reason to keep the opamp and buffer a secret. Unless, as I said before, it is an obvious choice. If that is the case, then people would question paying $400 for the SR-71 when they could just buy a Mint or a Pimeta. That is why I think RS paints over the opamps. If he does not want to reveal what they are, that is obviously his decision but I think that decision speaks volumes.

LOL

I think we finally have a winner here...you have finally understood why Ray painted over the chips - to stop you and your kind from getting the topology.

Hail the newly enlightened!!

Man you are awesome...keep the jokes coming...This is great sh!t...along with late night shows I think I will have quite a bit of fun in the evenings if you keep up your act

 

[GainHead]

Hey, watch it Gsferrari! I see you have over 3,000 posts here. Dude, you need to get a girlfriend.

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead Hey, watch it Gsferrari! I see you have over 3,000 posts here. Dude, you need to get a girlfriend.

I think I posted some pics of her somewhere on the forums...hmmm...

Thank you for your concern about my social/sex life

Nice to have this feeling of "brotherhood" spreading around the forums.

 

[chumley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GainHead Uh, whatever you say chummy. Yours and gsferrari's posts prove my point that no one is going to clone the SR-71 build quality so there is no reason to keep the opamp and buffer a secret. Unless, as I said before, it is an obvious choice. If that is the case, then people would question paying $400 for the SR-71 when they could just buy a Mint or a Pimeta. That is why I think RS paints over the opamps. If he does not want to reveal what they are, that is obviously his decision but I think that decision speaks volumes.

The 'build quality' ain't what I'm talkin' about, GH. People who've HEARD the SR-71 understand how unique a product it is; people who OWN it would never go backwards a few miles to a 'Mint or Pimeta'.

You obviously have an agenda that goes a little like this: RS paints over his opamps/buffers so he can rip people off, folks who, were they not duped by the evil genius of RS, would be enjoying much cheaper Mints/Pimetas...

That spongy line of thought might hold a thimbleful of water, GH, if it weren't for the fact that the SR-71 SOUNDS so much more superior to any iteration of those other amps- which is why the SR-71's a STEAL at 4 bones, and the Mints and Pimetas of the world are... well, just Mints and Pimetas, their 'standard' performance bound tightly to thier 'components', because they lack the singular RS design and implementation, not just the legendary RS 'build quality' of the SR-71 in particular and the rest of Ray's amps in general

It strains credulity that you're being serious here, and not just smokin' crunch in yer underwear as you type these 'X-File' conspiracy theory posts around little black amps.

C'mon, GH- off the pipe and back to bed... me, I'm OFFICIALLY hittin' the showers.

 

[tyrion]

I can't believe this thread. If you don't like Ray's amps don't buy 'em. If Ray doen't want to say what opamps are in the sr-71 then move on. I don't think anyone cares why anyone thinks Ray is painting the opamps, if that's what he is doing. I have listened to all of Rays amps and owned twp of them. They are wonderful sounding amps to me. Not only that but they are beautiful on the inside and out. The sr-71 is one amazing amp in my opinion. But that's exactly it, it's my opinion. Each one of us has our own opinons on what we consider good. If Rays amps have roll off on the high end (I don't think so) then I guess I like roll off on the high end. Enough with bashing the guys who make the products that help us enjoy this hobby.