[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 I would hate to have to wait to get my Weebl. (oh wait, I am doing just that!! of course, me being in japan for vacation and not in the states to accept the package / listen to the Weebl might have something to do with it too. I ordered from justin btw.)

You could always have it shipped to me for some TLC until you return.

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ServinginEcuador You could always have it shipped to me for some TLC until you return.

what are the chances that I will see my Weebl again?

 

[ServinginEcuador]

100%. I'm a lot of things, but a thief is not one. It would also make it back in perfect shape also. I would even use my own tubes as I have some Valve Art El34s sitting around.

Sadly, I'm leaving for a visit with my folks in Maryland on Tuesday. I have to leave the gear and such here. It'll be nice to return on June 10th and start listening to stuff again.

 

[ayt999]

I'm returning to the states on the 12th so you'll have my amp for a day of listening with the transit time being factored in?

maybe you should plan a trip up to the bay area.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Aren't you coming to the SoCal meet on the 19th? If so, we can hook your Weebl up to a couple high-end sources and compare it to the KGSS.

 

[eric343]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin gilmore My electrostatic amps are not a trivial amount of work. With all the machining, drilling, heatsink bending et all each solid state electrostatic amp takes me about 20 hours to build. Each blue hawaii takes me about 30 hours to build. And i have all the right equipment to do the mechanical work. Others out there have to do it the hard way. And it is likely that with hand built step attenuators and custom modifications, the number of hours to finish one can go significantly up.

I thought you used pre-build chassis?

But yeah, drilling the cases and getting everything put in there takes a lot of time. And soldering the who-knows-how-many joints in the process isn't instantaneous, either, nor is putting all those parts on the boards.

 

[ayt999]

ya, I am going to the socal meet... but why wait until the 19th when you can listen to one earlier?

 

[KR...]

back to the topic on hand...

I wish there was a professional company making these amps, of course I know that goes against the whole point of these amps.

Have hasn't anyone lese tried to created their own amp for Stax earspeakers?

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin gilmore People that have bought from zzz or justin and have received their amps are really getting a great deal on these amplifiers.

I would have to second this, especially since the build quality from either of these folks is typically so good.

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KR... I wish there was a professional company making these amps, of course I know that goes against the whole point of these amps.

didn't singlepower make a blue hawaii? I don't know much about the details on this though. anyone making quality amps like these would be a professional company to me.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 didn't singlepower make a blue hawaii? I don't know much about the details on this though. anyone making quality amps like these would be a professional company to me.

To the best of my knowledge, Mikhail built one for bozebuttons. Outside of that amp I don't know if he's built any more. Maybe after looking at how labor intensive it is he decided he would have to charge too much to make building them feasable.

 

[kevin gilmore]

quote
Dr. Gilmore, is that how you really look like in the avatar?

Actually i'm starting to go grey...

quote
I thought you used pre-build chassis?

Still have to machine the areas where the heat sinks attach flat, not
much metal comes off, but it is still time. Then you have to bend
and machine flat the heatsink interfaces.

 

[bozebuttons]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ServinginEcuador To the best of my knowledge, Mikhail built one for bozebuttons. Outside of that amp I don't know if he's built any more. Maybe after looking at how labor intensive it is he decided he would have to charge too much to make building them feasable.

Mikhail will be building more Weebles, The prototype is point to point wiring,to labor intensive and needs too big of a case, the production units will have circuit boards,he already has a couple of orders for them.
Mikhail is waiting for the new chassis for them,which is in the works.

 

[bootman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin gilmore My electrostatic amps are not a trivial amount of work. With all the machining, drilling, heatsink bending et all each solid state electrostatic amp takes me about 20 hours to build. Each blue hawaii takes me about 30 hours to build. And i have all the right equipment to do the mechanical work. Others out there have to do it the hard way. And it is likely that with hand built step attenuators and custom modifications, the number of hours to finish one can go significantly up. This is why i only build stuff for myself. If i really did want to start my own business i would do so. But i don't want to build the low end stuff. You can be sure that headroom would not stay in business if all they sold were the max and the blockhead. They have to pay insurance of various kinds, healthcare, unemployment... This is one of the reasons their prices are what they are. There is not enough of a market out there to support a real high end headphone amplifier only company. There may not even be enough market out there for the high end in general. Part of the reason levinson, wadia, mcintosh, revel, quad... are now all owned by rich huge conglomerate companies that in general sell junk by the boatload. People that have bought from zzz or justin and have received their amps are really getting a great deal on these amplifiers. I'm sure that if headroom were to sell a blue hawaii it would likely cost at least $7k and go a lot higher with fully balanced and step attenuators.

I don't doubt the value of your designs.
A properly built KGSS at $1500 is an audiophile bargain.
But it appears that some builders may have "bit off more than they can chew".
I'm afraid that in order to fullfill back orders that some "cutting of corners"
will take place and customers might not get exactly what they thought they are getting.
(ex. cheaper/inferior parts substitution)

We are not dealing with CMOYs used with a portable source!
I hope that all those who bought these amps make sure they get what they thought they ordered.
Without previous amp building experience that might be possible in all cases.

 

[braillediver]

In the long run most of the amp builders probably work for less than minimum wage. It’s pretty much a labor of love and the desire to contribute to the community and not an effort to get rich.

I shudder to think what 20 hours of Dr. Gilmore’s labor is worth.

Take an amplifier in for repair and see what the hourly rate is for a technician. Heck I think the recommended assembler for Bottlehead’s Foreplay charges $250 to assemble the $200 kit. Plus shipping.


Mitch