[Earspeakers]

I suppose I haven't quite followed what you are saying and how it answers my question. You mean it is not a good idea to use a preamp with the BHSE?

 
The BHSE has a volume control so adding another one from a preamp is redundant and potentially cause sonic degradation. However if you don't like your "wire with gain" then adding something more to add color might be beneficial for you and so what if you have two volume controls. Most headphone amps have the preamp built in and so include their own. 

 

[Golfnutz]

For those who like to have more tube warmth with the SR009, does it make sense to add a good preamp in front of the BHSE? Thinking of using the Apex Teton as preamp. Will the addition of another component detract from transparency too much? I know that's a bit contradictory as the very point of doing that is to add some tube distortion, but my question is whether anyone has done this and gotten good results.

What's your experience been with the BHSE/SR-009 so far? Just curious why your asking this question.

 

[cucera]

The BHSE has a volume control so adding another one from a preamp is redundant and potentially cause sonic degradation. However if you don't like your "wire with gain" then adding something more to add color might be beneficial for you and so what if you have two volume controls. Most headphone amps have the preamp built in and so include their own. 

That is why I would rather add a vitalizer (something like this http://spl.info/index.php?id=116&L=1) to give the sound some tube Warmth or even better get a Smyth Realiser.

 

[lojay]

What's your experience been with the BHSE/SR-009 so far? Just curious why your asking this question.

I'm on the list for BHSE and I have had the SR009 for about 6 months. Prepared to wait for at least another year for the BHSE.

I found that the SR009 sounds amazing with that bit of tube distortion, as I have experienced with the Woo WA5 & Woo WEE. But I want to hear the SR009
with an ultimately transparent amp like the BHSE and it seems the addituon of preamp is a good solution.

 

[TheAttorney]

After a few more weeks with my BHSE/009 combo, I'm still not hearing any brightness issues at all. So I can't see the need to consider anything to "warm up" the sound. You just need to symathetically choose the other components to be as transparent as possible.
 
Although tube/cable/source choices can have a tonal affect, IMO the right choice of these items can reduce brightness issues not by adding artificlal warmth, but by increasing transparency - by the removal of various upper frequency hash/brash/grain/strain artefacts.
 
And incredulous as it may seem, if you still have some brightness left over, then get a free trial of the SR Red fuses and be prepared to be surprised.

 

[astrostar59]

  After a few more weeks with my BHSE/009 combo, I'm still not hearing any brightness issues at all. So I can't see the need to consider anything to "warm up" the sound. You just need to symathetically choose the other components to be as transparent as possible.
 
Although tube/cable/source choices can have a tonal affect, IMO the right choice of these items can reduce brightness issues not by adding artificlal warmth, but by increasing transparency - by the removal of various upper frequency hash/brash/grain/strain artefacts.
 
And incredulous as it may seem, if you still have some brightness left over, then get a free trial of the SR Red fuses and be prepared to be surprised.

In my view, the brightness issues could lie with the DAC. I almost abandoned RedBook until I got hold of a none oversampling DAC. That got rid of the digititous I hated with other DACs I had, and now I can enjoy detail and transparency with no digital or treble edge. IMO a lot of modern DACs (as in Delta-Sigma) are overly bright, or 'hifi' sounding. It impresses in the demo room (a short test) but kills me at home.... Check out the Audio Note DACs.

 

[bmichels]

  In my view, the brightness issues could lie with the DAC. I almost abandoned RedBook until I got hold of a none oversampling DAC. ...

 
could you tell us which R2R magic DAC you got ? 
 
thanks

 

[bmichels]

Tempted, but.... with +1 year delivery time, by the time you get it you may have found many other gears in your radar ! 

 

[arnaud]

Talking about R2R magic, the TotalDac D1-Dual is in the house and it is singing! I just could not go to bed yesterday, it's that addictive. I don't know what to expect from the BHSE but already with my 727 amp, there is bass slam I would never have thought the SR009 be capable of. If anything, I now want it tighter.
The dac is so fluid but still having crazy amount of resolution. Percussions, piano, voices, everything is scarely real sounding.

So, yeah, source does matter, especially for the 009!
Not sure it is the R2R or the NOS aspect that makes it so effortless. For nasty recordings, I can disengage the compensation filter that is there to compensate treble rolloff from the brickwall filter in case of 44.1k recordings. For 95% of the stuff I have listened to so far, I prefer it on though.

If only the bhse could arrive now ...

 

[justin w.]

they're coming! i just turned off all the amps that were on the rack. will be running through the final testing on them tomorrow

 

[arnaud]

I don't think mine is in there Justin, I did not recognize the the psvane tubes. Or maybe you would not touch them with a 10 feet pole and used regular tubes lol

 

[Y26-Day]

I don't think mine is in there Justin, I did not recognize the the psvane tubes. Or maybe you would not touch them with a 10 feet pole and used regular tubes lol

Most likely the case as Psvane's QC isn't quite there and Justin stated that he won't consider Psvane even with a 10feet pole and AI robotic arm although ppl loves it when it works
 
Speaking of which, you have your PS tubes shipped from China to US and back to Tokyo?  

 

[Derek12345]

  they're coming! i just turned off all the amps that were on the rack. will be running through the final testing on them tomorrow

Justin
 
Nice ! so i will get your mail in next week right ? (#36/50 3rd)
 
Derek

 

[eric65]

Talking about R2R magic, the TotalDac D1-Dual is in the house and it is singing! I just could not go to bed yesterday, it's that addictive. I don't know what to expect from the BHSE but already with my 727 amp, there is bass slam I would never have thought the SR009 be capable of. If anything, I now want it tighter.
The dac is so fluid but still having crazy amount of resolution. Percussions, piano, voices, everything is scarely real sounding.

So, yeah, source does matter, especially for the 009!
Not sure it is the R2R or the NOS aspect that makes it so effortless. For nasty recordings, I can disengage the compensation filter that is there to compensate treble rolloff from the brickwall filter in case of 44.1k recordings. For 95% of the stuff I have listened to so far, I prefer it on though.

If only the bhse could arrive now ...

 
Congratulation, Arnaud.

Crowing (for the TotalDac D1) 

 
Eric

 

[arnaud]

Speaking of which, you have your PS tubes shipped from China to US and back to Tokyo?  

China to Japan I think. I then shipped myself to Justin.

I got myself a few pairs or quads of XF2/XF4/XF5 since so I may not even try the psvane actually. Am kinda curious though.

Arnaud