[ken36]

That is one pretty piece of work

 

[iancraig10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 so, I fried the op amp by powering it on backwards? .

Nah .. you answered yourself. if its fried, wouldnt that mean it wouldnt work at all?

Fried chips means no sound!

 

[n_maher]

If the opamp is still working it's not fried.

The "cut-out shapes" that I was trying to describe are highlighted in the following image.

#1 is the shape shown in the silkscreen of the board so that you know which way to place the opamp.

#2 shows how the shape is cut into the top of the opamp so that you know which way to orientate it.

Hope that helps folks in the future.

Nate

 

[Oink1]

Nice pics RnB - Nice work Norm!

 

[dwchin]

I use dual AD825s in my Go-Vibe v3, and it sounds great. I got mine from Norm when I ordered the Go-Vibe, but you can also order the chips and put them on a Browndog yourself. The battery life is a bit less with these, but the sound is excellent.

 

[Onix]

How does it rate compared with the Mini Moy? Which one do you like the most and why? And nice pictures by the way.

 

[RnB180]

I dont remember how the mini mouy sounded, but I want to make sure I didnt unkowingly damage anything while changing the opamps before I start making critical comparisons.

I contacted norm, so I hope he can help answer my questions.

as of now I like the sound, very nice bass response with the newer opamp I might have fried

 

[RnB180]

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 I dont remember how the mini mouy sounded, but I want to make sure I didnt unkowingly damage anything while changing the opamps before I start making critical comparisons. I contacted norm, so I hope he can help answer my questions. as of now I like the sound, very nice bass response with the newer opamp I might have fried

I guess you didn't fried it then.

 

[RnB180]

so with opamps its either it works or it doesnt work? theres no middle point?

I just dont want to end up damaging my cables or headphones because I was too hasty and messed up my amp due to my eager incompetence

Ill be hooking up some really pricey stuff to it, for obvious reasons

I want something to hold me over until the hornet is publicly released.

the amp does however sound excellent even after my

 

[RnB180]

Im listening to it now,

and this is a really really nice sounding amp for its price.
in the past Ive learned that price isnt everything nor does it automatically equate to good sound.

but this amp sounds pretty darn good with my senns!
I had norm set the gain slightly higher then normal.

For the price I paid for the amp, its very good.
the super mini moy in my recollection sounded good also, the mini moy had some nice treble energy, and extension both ways by a marginal degree

this amp however beats the mini moy with the op amp option, for the price Norm is selling it for this amp offers features not commonly offered in this price range,

I just plugged in my AKG 240m's which are rated at 600 ohms, at the gain is nice, I wouldve liked it to be slightly higher, but it drives them very nicely, I dont hear any lacking of power or clipping, towards the end of the rotation it still powers nicely.

impressive for such a small low cost amp.

I would recommend this amp to anyone as an entry amp, just dont make my mistake and install the opamp backwards

, make sure to plug it in right the first time, and look at the pic n_maher edited to make sure, I think norm should use that pic for his op amp rolling instructions, it would help a lot to have pics of the op amp on the board with the directions

this amp is just very nice for the sound it gives, the truth is, for the performance and sound of the amp, is definately worth more then what norm is asking for.

A daimond in the rough, and an excellent find!

 

[RnB180]

other honorable mentions,

I think I got in on a sale or special norm was having, I dont know if its over now, but he included some nice extras with my amp

the second op amp was included for free as a special he was holding, he includes a few extra screws, just incase you lose one, or would rather replace the back plugs with screws, and optional rubber feet you can apply yourself if desired. He also inluded a short mini cable, though I didnt need for obvious reasons, its still a nice thought and im sure a definate plus for those starting out with headphone amps.

I think what makes this amp sound so good was the simplicity in its design, kind of like Ray samuels philosophy in amp design, keep it simple and it sounds great!

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

I wonder if one could get a home version of this amplifier with an AC input, and RCA input jacks on back. I need a budget amp for my Sony V-6, but I don't want to burn up a ton of batteries.

 

[japa]

How long have you listened to it and what kind of battery do you use? I had Duracell 9V alkaline and I think it was less than 15 hours with my senns before the battery was drained enough that it caused sound to be distorted.

Too bad I haven't found any of those 9.6volt rechargeables in Finland and puchasing one rom USA is not economically viable option.

 

[dwchin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RnB180 but this amp sounds pretty darn good with my senns! I had norm set the gain slightly higher then normal.

What gain did you end up asking Norm to set it to?

Quote:

Originally Posted by japa How long have you listened to it and what kind of battery do you use? I had Duracell 9V alkaline and I think it was less than 15 hours with my senns before the battery was drained enough that it caused sound to be distorted. Too bad I haven't found any of those 9.6volt rechargeables in Finland and puchasing one rom USA is not economically viable option.

The 9.6V NiMH batteries are a definite improvement over the alkalines. Alkalines technically last longer, but you can't use them for the whole length of the battery without sound degradation, so the rechargeables end up being a huge money saver. You can listen to the battery with crisp sound right up to the point where it cuts out. Even with the AD825 opamps in my Go-Vibe, I can get at least 15 hours out of my 9.6V's, and it would be much longer if I used a more efficient opamp. Maybe you can find a charger and batteries used from Head-fi, or see if someone can purchase and send to you to save a bit of money?