gates_2
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2006
- Posts
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- 12
I'd love to write a more detailed review, but to be honest, with school, I just do not have the time. So here is a quick glimpse at my impressions of my DIY Firstwatt F2 clone vs a 3-channel B22 that I built
Test setup:
Source: Xfi-elite pro modded
Pre: B22- ladder stepped attenuator from dantimax
Firstwatt- 5687 P2P tube amp running Phillips JAN tubes(cheap)
I'm mainly a big fan of classical and jazz, but here I also included some J-pop songs from a favorite artist of mine, Hirai Ken. His great vocals really showcase what the K1000 can do.
FYI- I did the listening with the earspeakers 2/3rds of the way extended.
B22- Boy, is this thing detailed. Highs are crystal clear, nothing gets past this... I greatly enjoyed listening to the high vocals of Hirai here. The resolving power of this amp is really quite impressive. Bass response is good, although(as you'll read later) I did feel that the overall warmth and full body of tone was somewhat lacking compared to the F2.
F2- This trades a bit of detail and clarity in the the highs for a whole mountain of mid and low range. The extension of the bass with this setup is really remarkable. Listening to Rachmaninoff Piano concerto #2 is a really amazing experience, with the orchestral bass being full, rich, and resonant. I'm sure the tubes are partly responsible for this, although I'm looking forward to doing some tube-swapping here.
Soundstaging on both is comparable- I didn't hear a very discernible difference between the two within the short time I've had to listen.
Overall, I think both amps hold their own to powering the K1000. While the B22 has the advantage of being more versatile(no need for a preamp and can drive many different headphones) I prefer the F2 to the B22 with these notoriously difficult to drive headphones. I stand by my notion that current-driven topologies work wonders here.
Its been a fun project building both amplifiers, and one can't but feel a sense of accomplishment for actually getting it to work!!
Any questions or comments are certainly welcome.
I apologize for such a short review, but I know several people have been dying to know.
Test setup:
Source: Xfi-elite pro modded
Pre: B22- ladder stepped attenuator from dantimax
Firstwatt- 5687 P2P tube amp running Phillips JAN tubes(cheap)
I'm mainly a big fan of classical and jazz, but here I also included some J-pop songs from a favorite artist of mine, Hirai Ken. His great vocals really showcase what the K1000 can do.
FYI- I did the listening with the earspeakers 2/3rds of the way extended.
B22- Boy, is this thing detailed. Highs are crystal clear, nothing gets past this... I greatly enjoyed listening to the high vocals of Hirai here. The resolving power of this amp is really quite impressive. Bass response is good, although(as you'll read later) I did feel that the overall warmth and full body of tone was somewhat lacking compared to the F2.
F2- This trades a bit of detail and clarity in the the highs for a whole mountain of mid and low range. The extension of the bass with this setup is really remarkable. Listening to Rachmaninoff Piano concerto #2 is a really amazing experience, with the orchestral bass being full, rich, and resonant. I'm sure the tubes are partly responsible for this, although I'm looking forward to doing some tube-swapping here.
Soundstaging on both is comparable- I didn't hear a very discernible difference between the two within the short time I've had to listen.
Overall, I think both amps hold their own to powering the K1000. While the B22 has the advantage of being more versatile(no need for a preamp and can drive many different headphones) I prefer the F2 to the B22 with these notoriously difficult to drive headphones. I stand by my notion that current-driven topologies work wonders here.
Its been a fun project building both amplifiers, and one can't but feel a sense of accomplishment for actually getting it to work!!
Any questions or comments are certainly welcome.
