[stacker45]

Quote:

What vinyl pressing/label/artist were you listening to that was so excellent, please?

 
Yeah that,and what cartridge do you have on your Project TT?
 
By the way,if someone would have told me a few years ago that i'd be listening to vinyls on my then GS1000 and now PS1000 i probably would've laugh in their face,well,i must say that vinyls account for about 50% of my listening,the thing is,if you can get past the occasional ''tik'' and ''pop'' you are in for a real treat,beeing a ''car guy'',the best way i can describe is,cd may have more horsepower,but vinyl has more torque.

 

[obobskivich]

Link?

Oh right.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/618153/battle-of-the-american-titans

To the guy with the SR-80s - no you haven't done anything wrong at all. You can wash or replace the pads if you're worried about dirtiness though (most manufacturers suggest doing this every year or two for hygiene reasons anyways). These are not something you need to lock up in an airtight case and never expose to light; they're meant to be used.

 

[Octavio]

Hello people,
 
Received my MAD Ear + HD a few days ago and thought I could share some impressions...
I must say it makes my RS1 and PS1000 sound incredible, way better than the RA1 (this was to be expected I know).
Apologizes first, my English is not that good and I won't be able to make a real review. Just sharing my excitement...
 
Note that it is still in the burn-in period, both amp and tubes have about 15 hours of use.
 
It's a noticeable upgrade from the RA1 (battery version) although I was a bit disappointed at first, when I plugged the headphones. Must have been because the amp + tubes were brand new. After some hours the sound opened up and became more defined. May get even better with time.
 
Compared to the RA1, the MAD brings a lot more details. This is what amazed me at first. Sound is more precise and textures are definitely more refined. I surprisingly find the sound brighter though. It's not harsh, don't get me wrong, neither on the PS1000 nor with the RS1, and that's a very good point. But still brighter than the Grado amp. So from my experience, I would not call the Ear + HD a "dark" amp.
Upper-mids and highs are never harsh, they are actually much more refined (sorry, my vocabulary quickly comes short) compared to RA1. 
 
I must say I am a bit disappointed with bass control. Not that it is bad ; on the RS1 it is actually pretty good. On the PS1000 however I was expecting a bit better. I am having this feeling of "boomy bass" on some records. Maybe will get better with time, it's only been about 15 hours after all.
 
Here are some pictures, not the best quality but had fund taking them.
 

 

 

 

 
Oh, and let me ask you something.  I'm having a little hum when the headphone is plugged. Even with volume on zero. It increases slightly when I set volume to max. And weirdly, it is louder in the right driver. Not sure if it comes from my electric installation or if there is a problem with any of the tubes. I've sent a message to Lloyd. Anyone experiences a slight hum with the Ear+ ? It is a bit disappointing as I don't hear any hum from my 200$-Yamaha-microsystem headphone jack. 
 
Anyway, very happy with this purchase. Lloyd is indeed a very friendly gentleman, super nice to deal with. 
I guess I will eventually jump into the tube-rolling hobby sometime soon.
 

 

[LugBug1]

Octavio, that hum definately sounds like a tube problem. Especially since it is only one channel. Either give the tubes more time to run in, or try to establish which one is humming. Of course this will mean buying more tubes to try. The amp looks very nice though! always wanted to try one myself
 
Good luck. 

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

What vinyl pressing/label/artist were you listening to that was so excellent, please?

 
 Here is the culprit 

 
 Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off
 
 
 
 It was quite amusing to see regulars pop into my local and stare with curiosity at this simple rig - one listen and you could
 almost read their minds.
 
 'Wow' 

 
 Vinyl remains the ultimate expression of 'quantity versus quality' in terms of our back catalogues.
 
 100 to 150 LP's is a huge number, few of us could potentially afford and certainly store such an amount of vinyl,
 we are talking about a decent wall amount of wax. Not only that, but who could sustain themselves on such
 a meagre diet of music when most of us on here talk about 1500 to 2000 digital albums in the collection
 ~ and yet we're not done.
 
 In any case, this week has certainly opened my eyes to the reality that vinyl has to be part of my rig,
 not so much as a replacement to my digital pursuits with DAC's, software, tweaks, cables, adapters, 
 converters etc etc - but as a complimentary rig.
 
 I am yet to fully test it myself but at a hazardous guess - if you were to show up at a Head-Fi meet with a stack of decent
 pressings under your arm and the following rig:-
 
 Rega RP6 armed with a Grado Sonata1 cartridge --> PPAV600 Phono Amp --
 (decent RCA of course) ---> Eddie Current Zana Deux --> PS1000
 
 You'd have my wager that you're heading for a finalist consideration for 'Rig of the Day'.

 

[bbophead]

I'm sure you've swapped channels with the tubes to find out if it's a tube problem.  
 
Your pics are real nice.  I have to say that after I received my Woo WA6, I found that the stock tubes as well as the "special" tubes were all dead quiet.  
 
Just lucky, I guess.

 

[Octavio]

Alright, thanks for the replies guys !
 
Assuming I got a problem with one / several tube(s) should I stop using the amp until I replace it/them ? 
It does not sound like a huge issue as the amp sounds awesome. Though I do not want to damage it as you can imagine !

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

Alright, thanks for the replies guys !
 
Assuming I got a problem with one / several tube(s) should I stop using the amp until I replace it/them ? 
It does not sound like a huge issue as the amp sounds awesome. Though I do not want to damage it as you can imagine !

No need to stop using the amp, the hum may well go away with time anyway. Tubes a funny like that, sometimes you get noise while they are settling in. Try swapping round the two tubes at the back and see if the hum changes sides. If not then you may have to try exchanging the one a the front. Has lloyd got back to you yet? 

 

[Octavio]

Alright, thanks.
 
I tried swapping the tubes and the hum remains louder in the right ear. However I can ear it equally loud in the 2 drivers when the volume button is set to max.
Quite weirdly, the hum almost disappears when I half-plug another headphone in the second jack. If I plug it completely though, the hum starts again, on the 2 headphones.
Not sure what to think !

 

[LugBug1]

Quote:

Alright, thanks.
 
I tried swapping the tubes and the hum remains louder in the right ear. However I can ear it equally loud in the 2 drivers when the volume button is set to max.
Quite weirdly, the hum almost disappears when I half-plug another headphone in the second jack. If I plug it completely though, the hum starts again, on the 2 headphones.
Not sure what to think !

In that case it may be RF interference, tube amps are more susceptible to this. Try moving the amp to a different place or room just to eliminate this possibility. And make sure there are no mobile phones, computers too close that could be causing it too.  Ferrite beads on the mains cables can help. Or a mains filter, as a last resort.  

 

[Octavio]

Ok, thanks again for your advice LugBug.
Anyway I have ordered a Supra Lorad shielded power cable, found one second hand in like new condition for a good price. Should be better than the stock cable regarding possible interference. 
Plus the stock cable is plugged to a 2€-US-to-EU adaptor and that was making me feel bad. I will let you know if I hear a difference with that cable upgrade !

 

[Focker]

Octavio: I'd also suggest sending Dr.P an email...he's very responsive and I'm sure he'll be able to assist you in diagnosing the problem. 
 
Beautiful amp!! 

 

[Octavio]

Thanks ! 
Yes, I have done that 2 days ago. Still no answer. But hey, it's the week-end.
I will let you know.

 

[shimmer n roar]

i do love the look of dr. p's amps. they remind me of wild west saloons and locomotives.

 

[Gwarmi]

 Well I'm having a heck of a morning over here in the chirpy outer Melbourne suburbs 

 
 
 
 I've got a pair of GS1000i's for the weekend and boy do these sound sweet.
 
 Believe it or not they sound surprisingly full and rich just from a little 1st
 generation iShuffle - biggest surprise was the unfounded notion that everyone says
 these have sucked out mids. I compared them side by side with my RS1i on Roxy Music's
 hit - More than this - Bryan Ferry's voice sat in the exact same spot, I always thought
 he was mic'd a little far out on that recording but the GS1000 just added more vocal nuance
 and a larger soundstage compared to it's more humble RS1i sibling.
 
 Hmmm - I might have to add these to the collection I think. They literally disappear
 once on your head - they're rather light.