[Jeffreybar]

Ever notice how in this forum, in every thread, no matter what the problem is (or even if there is a problem at all), someone always recommends getting new/better/generally 10x more expensive equipment?

Just posting to say you like the bass of your Sony earbuds? "Forget those and get some E2s/E5s/Sensas!"

Weird crackling sound in one ear of your five-year-old HD580s? "Best solution is to get some HD650s + Zu Cable & for heaven's sake, upgrade your source!"

Got a bad cold? "Canalphones are a lot more sensitive to this than full-size headphones...if you get some HP-1s this shouldn't be as much of a problem."

Car won't start? "Yeah, those old Saturns really are crap. Just wait until you hear an OmegaII!"

LOL...no wonder no one makes it out of these forums with wallet intact.

Damn...where's the "wallet weeping softly" smiley face?

 

[Kirosia]

Well, this place is composed of lifeless headphone geeks. What do you expect use to say?

 

[john_jcb]

I would start out by filtering the responses from people that have never owned or in many cases heard what they are recommending. The next to go are people that reply to almost every thread pushing the same thing no matter what the person actually wants. After these two groups have been skimmed off the responses are normally pretty good.

 

[crimsonadam]

Yes, it's all very cruel. Not only have i been tricked into buying all of the (relatively) expensive gear, but all i've learned is that the sound that i'm hearing in my head requires the REALLY epensive stuff that apparently only uses tubes that Edison blew himself.

But, it's fun, and it gives me something to be interested in and it takes my mind off of other less happy topics.

I do like the little mod threads that show how you can get the best bang for your buck, by doing something real simply or something that doesn't cost another $100 dollars.

 

[rauer]

Another sign of the same phenomenom (not only here) is that when somebody wants opinions on gear in a certain price level, people _always_ recommend something just a bit more expensive. Headphones in the league of $50? Blah, pay 65 and you'll really get something. Headphones for $65? Nope, I'd buy these for 80 bucks..

Do you recognize this?

 

[crimsonadam]

I always see that little nudging of the price up the ladder as we move from level to level.

 

[aeriyn]

It's true. I was happy and content with my DS8 + MD33s until a specific someone whose name shall not be mentioned, pestered me endlessly about how good an iPod sounds... paired with ER-4Ps...

Some months, and several hundred dollars later, I have learned...

That spending more than 50 dollars on headphones is NOT crazy, that I don't like the ER-4P (it hurts my ears and doesn't sound good with the music I like), that the iPod really DOES sound great, that a pair of cans with no amp is like a girl without a cute pair of jeans, it's easy to build a PIMETA, SACD really does sound amazing, NAD CDPs are lovely and I want one, that tubes get hot when the amp is turned on and can burn your fingers, that any MP3 below 192kbps is unacceptable, that stolen music generally sucks qualitywise and it's a lot easier just to buy the CD... and beyerdynamic headphones are really comfortable.

^.^

 

[crimsonadam]

Aeriyn: How did you go about building your own PIMETA amp. Any shortcuts or tips and tricks that you wouldn't mind sharing?

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_jcb I would start out by filtering the responses from people that have never owned or in many cases heard what they are recommending. The next to go are people that reply to almost every thread pushing the same thing no matter what the person actually wants. After these two groups have been skimmed off the responses are normally pretty good.

And that is why the search button is your friend. Type the model of the headphone/amp/whatever into the "Key Words" field and the user's name into the "user name" field. Select "show results as posts", and that'll give you a complete history of the person with regards to that piece of equipment. Very enlightening.

 

[JohnFerrier]

Walt Disney Concert Hall
$274 million stainless-steel building with flowing lines designed by Frank O. Gehry

image credit: Carolyn Hanson Mayer

Info regarding its acoustics here: http://www.nagata.co.jp/news/news0312-e.htm

JF

 

[aeriyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crimsonadam Aeriyn: How did you go about building your own PIMETA amp. Any shortcuts or tips and tricks that you wouldn't mind sharing?

The easiest way I found with mine was to make sure you can solder well first. Practice with some perfboard first if you need to. After a bit of practice you'll realize that even with a crappy soldering iron, you can do well.

Try looking for buffers and opamps on eBay. I bought 5x BUF634 for only 17 dollars shipped, when Digikey wanted 32+shipping and even Tangent wasn't that cheap. If you aren't good with small parts, buy the AD86xx opamp from Tangent already mounted on a BrownDog adapter; soldering SOIC components is an exercise in patience. =P

Hookup wire can be very expensive, and most electronics stores don't have any rolls shorter than 100ft. Try taking a short (1 ft.) length of CAT5e cable, rip all the wires out, and use them as hookup wires. I've heard of people using CAT5e cable as replacements for stock headphone cables, so I imagine that the quality of these wires is rather good.

You can order nearly everything you need from Digikey and Tangent, especially if you get the Wima film caps (C4) from Tangent (Digikey only stocks Wima 1.0uF film caps, and the 6.8uF is better).

Using an Elpac PSU is probably better, but if you want to save some money, or allow your amp to use more than one type of PSU, wire in a 78xx regulator to the +/-V lead coming off the DC input jack.

SOCKET THE RESISTORS. Yes, you will save yourself much frustration later if the default gain of 11 proves to be too powerful for your low-impedance cans (like my beyerdynamic DT440s). A DIP-20 socket will fill the entire R3-R8 block and enable you to switch gain on the fly. I just tried recently placing both R3R/L and R4R/L (R4 being the gain resistor) on a DIP-8 socket and making several of these, giving me the ability to rapidly change my gain if I so choose. leave the R3/R4 position on the DIP-20 socket unpopulated, and plug the DIP-8 socket containing the R3/R4 array into it. It works, and it makes changing gain very quick and painless. I have two DIP-8 sockets loaded with resistors for gains of 11 and 4.3 (the 4.3 currently residing in my amp). Make sure that you leave R3 at the normal value (because you have to include those resistors on the socket, even though the only ones being changed is R4).

Radio Shack carries some cool aluminum knobs for your volume pot, and they look rather sharp, and only cost a few dollars for two. =P

My PIMETA is rather basic at the moment, but when I get paid again I plan on redoing the casework completely in a black aluminum Hammond case instead of this clear blue plastic one. I'll probably get better RCA jacks as well.

 

[jpr703]

Hey, it's an expensive hobby. I for one am grateful that people are willing to provide feedback on high-end gear. There's nothing worse than shelling out big bucks for expensive equipment and then not liking it.

There have been times that members talked me into spending a few more bucks than I originally intended too, but it's always been cheaper than buying something, not liking it, and then having to buy something else!

 

[Jeffreybar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeriyn Some months, and several hundred dollars later, I have learned... That spending more than 50 dollars on headphones is NOT crazy, that I don't like the ER-4P (it hurts my ears and doesn't sound good with the music I like), that the iPod really DOES sound great, that a pair of cans with no amp is like a girl without a cute pair of jeans, it's easy to build a PIMETA, SACD really does sound amazing, NAD CDPs are lovely and I want one, that tubes get hot when the amp is turned on and can burn your fingers, that any MP3 below 192kbps is unacceptable, that stolen music generally sucks qualitywise and it's a lot easier just to buy the CD... and beyerdynamic headphones are really comfortable. ^.^

I first read this as "a pair of cans with no amp is like a cute girl without a pair of jeans"...LOL. Certainly alters the implications a bit.

Sounds like you've learned a lot. I've mostly learned that I need a second job to support my music habit.