[Ali-Pacha]

You're probably right about the coating, georgep, the more I look at it, the more I find irregularities 

 
So let's forget about my Adrian Monk's side for a moment :
 

 
It runs hot, and it blows away my modded 727. What's obvious :
- dynamics. It kicks very very hard.
- bass. Plenty of it, tight, deep, textured, oh yeah.
- and the most astonishing thing, air and details that could laugh at HD800. I certainly didn't wait for that part in that extent, it's impressive, the same "get that dolby NR out" feeling...
 
I've hesitated for the normal bias jack, but it was worth it...who said old Stax / Lambda don't benefit from moar power ? I've never heard my SR-5 singing that way...
 
The grey-blue color is not what I exactly ordered (dark gray), but it fits very well in my interior, and the blue-ish thing matches the name as well as the leds, so...
 
Other thoughts :
- headamp's jack are very tight compared to Stax ones
- not that easy to plug completely the tubes holding the base (don't want to crush them)
- the hum is inaudible above 5 cm distance in a perfectly quiet room, most of my electrical devices hum louder, and any LCD screen hums way louder...yeah, I'm that monk...

Ali

 

[VandyMan]

Got my invoice today. Ordered July 2015.

 

[arnaud]

Ali, sorry to hear about your disappointment on the finish:
- the irregularities on the fins don't look bad to me, I guess I am used to powder coating (srm727 has similar finish right?) while you did not notice that from previous pics
- the bit that chipped off the fins end is unfortunate, hope you get used it it (I'd just use a black marker and call it a day but probably not you )
- the color looks fantastic to me but maybe you'd have preferred black then (this one looks better to me)
- the metal shreds is worrying. That's what caused the first issue in mine (I was so lucky it did not take anything down) and Justin said he know pays double attention to inspecting the boards.
- you not beeing disappointed with the sound is the next most important point, you can finally leverage all these rare pearls you've gathered without missing a bit . What tubes are these, shuguang?

Cheers,
Arnaud

 

[justin w.]

Other than the faceplate, the amplifier is powder coated, which produces an uneven textured finish. So that doesn't seem out of place. The tiny nik on the rear of the heat sink and on the tube ring, don't seem improbable for a hand made product. But I get that expectations may not have been met. The "lots of metal particles" is strange, though - not sure what that could be.

 
The pics posted represent about the best i can do. Every part has a flaw if you look close enough- sorry. It is the nature of things. Tiny little exposed metal areas happen on the edge of parts because powder coating doesn't adhere well to a 90 degree corner. If i see a tiny spot like that I touch it up with an oil based paint pen. That's if the powder coater hasn't done it already.
 
As for 'metal particles' i have a feeling i know what that might be. Sometimes there is powder coating on part of the nut that the feet screw into and it has to be removed. We do look for that. My employee is out of town right now but when he gets back we will go over it. Sounds like the tiny particles didn't get cleaned out and got attracted to the bag during shipping, or some of the packaging materials got some stuff stuck to it. Not the same issue as Arnaud - that was a solder whisker that I now spend extra time looking for and next time I have the BHSE boards assembled for the last batch i will meet with the assembly company about it. We may have to switch to leaded solder. Sorry EU! Also it sometimes takes someone letting me know about it before i know there's an issue to look into.
 
Also, the pins on the Shuguang EL34 are weird and they do take a lot of force to insert. If you cant get the tube 100% in the socket it should still be ok. The Mullard EL34 are much easier to put in/take out.
 
Lastly, as for the gray color, this is my standard email when i ask for the color choice:
 

Please also let me know what color you would like for your BHSE. The choices are: black, blue, purple, gray(1), silver, turquoise(2). Attached is a photo of the colors.

(1) The gray color can vary and sometimes looks slightly blue, or dark silver.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

Thanks Justin for the detailed answer, I will get an oil paint pen for the two exposed spots on the dissipators...and it looks like I've awaken the monk side in some BHSE owners who didn't see these kind of things initially 

 
No real problem with the color, it's unique / hand-made after all and pretty much something I could have ordered in the first place, but it was kinda surprise as it is different from original dark gray (that I already knew and accepted in my ordered) as well as lighter grays you did show.
 
Sound quality is slowly taking over those little disappointments, but there are a lot of excpectations growing when you wait that long, reading maybe too enthusiastic statements. French people are grumpy, especially compared to some americans for whom many common things are the most awesome on earth when they speak 

 
Could you please answer the part about hum and scratch on the tube ring / request for another set of plates (black) as well ? Especially how to remove them, at least to turn the scratched one in order to have the scratch looking at the back of the amp 

 
Ali

 

[joseph69]

  No real problem with the color, it's unique / hand-made after all and pretty much something I could have ordered in the first place, but it was kinda surprise as it is different from original dark gray (that I already knew and accepted in my ordered) as well as lighter grays you did show.

So which color do you actually have? This is the new light gray color, no?
Thanks.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

I ordered dark gray.
Justin received very light gray, did order other ones, but still lighter. He sent pictures, I said ok, and the final color has some (very nice) blue-ish tint.
All other colors are more obvious / saturated, I have to say this changing grey-blue is one of its kind

Ali

 

[joseph69]

I ordered dark gray.
Justin received very light gray, did order other ones, but still lighter. He sent pictures, I said ok, and the final color has some (very nice) blue-ish tint.
All other colors are more obvious / saturated, I have to say this changing grey-blue is one of its kind

Ali

OK, now I understand…you have the new dark gray panels that Justin ordered after receiving the light gray panels by accident…and the new dark gray has the bluish tint to it.
I actually thought it was light gray when I first had seen the photos. In any case, the color is beautiful and glad to hear your enjoying it!

 

[Phil95]

   
Short answer: I wouldn't. The difference between the BHSE and other much less expensive energizers is much smaller than depicted on this forum, though real and meaningful. Get something within your budget and start saving.
Philosophical answer: Don't fall into the trap of trying to keep up with people who have more money than you. You will always be unhappy. Find a way to be satisfied with what you have and get joy from it. It is how almost all of us start in this hobby and is more than enough for most.

"Find a way to be satisfied with what you have and get joy from it"... Listen to "Be Thankful for What You've Got" by W. De Vaughn. A beautiful song.
 
More seriously: this is what rich people say to poor people. So, should the BHSE be reserved to the Rich?

 

[Phil95]

  Received today, sounds great, yeah, but finish is under expectations to say the least : black coating is far from perfect on top (small dots / bumps, especially on dissipators, and a large one next to Blue Hawaii logo), I suppose the two shiny dots (very very small ones) on dissipators where I can see the metal beneath are such bumps of coating that went away, scratch on one tube ring, lots of metal particles on amp when I unpacked it, and I had to get rid of them with my vacuum cleaner (hoping these won't cause a short inside), and front toroidal transformer which hums very very (very) slightly (but no hum in phones, at least).
 
Shot a mail at Justin, will see what happens...

Ali

Well, you're unlucky, Ali-Pacha. I think the quality of the BHSE is excellent when it leaves its factory, but the fact is that its packaging is somewhat fragile, compared for instance to the K-01's. This could cause issues, when you see how carriers handle the packages they are entrusted with.

 

[Phil95]

   
The pics posted represent about the best i can do. Every part has a flaw if you look close enough- sorry. It is the nature of things. Tiny little exposed metal areas happen on the edge of parts because powder coating doesn't adhere well to a 90 degree corner. If i see a tiny spot like that I touch it up with an oil based paint pen. That's if the powder coater hasn't done it already.
 
As for 'metal particles' i have a feeling i know what that might be. Sometimes there is powder coating on part of the nut that the feet screw into and it has to be removed. We do look for that. My employee is out of town right now but when he gets back we will go over it. Sounds like the tiny particles didn't get cleaned out and got attracted to the bag during shipping, or some of the packaging materials got some stuff stuck to it. Not the same issue as Arnaud - that was a solder whisker that I now spend extra time looking for and next time I have the BHSE boards assembled for the last batch i will meet with the assembly company about it. We may have to switch to leaded solder. Sorry EU! Also it sometimes takes someone letting me know about it before i know there's an issue to look into.
 
Also, the pins on the Shuguang EL34 are weird and they do take a lot of force to insert. If you cant get the tube 100% in the socket it should still be ok. The Mullard EL34 are much easier to put in/take out.
 
Lastly, as for the gray color, this is my standard email when i ask for the color choice:
 

" If you cant get the tube 100% in the socket..." Personnaly, I use a hammer.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

 
Well, you're unlucky, Ali-Pacha. I think the quality of the BHSE is excellent when it leaves its factory, but the fact is that its packaging is somewhat fragile, compared for instance to the K-01's. This could cause issues, when you see how carriers handle the packages they are entrusted with.

The """"""flaws"""""" I've noticed have nothing to do with packaging / transport / handling 

 
Ali

 

[VandyMan]

 
More seriously: this is what rich people say to poor people. So, should the BHSE be reserved to the Rich?

 
I hesitate to answer since it is off topic, but since you quoted me... Because "poor people" (your words) can not afford a headphone setup that would take more than 1,000 hours of labor at the federal minimum wage. However, I did not make a judgement about if the OP can afford the BHSE. I only said that I would not go into debt for it. I think that is reasonable advice. Having been a broke audiophile when I was in my 20s (now almost 50), I spoke from personal experience. There is just no reason for most people to go into debt for your audio setup, since a really great headphone system can be put together for under 1-2K.

 

[joseph69]

  I hesitate to answer since it is off topic, but since you quoted me... Because "poor people" (your words) can not afford a headphone setup that would take more than 1,000 hours of labor at the federal minimum wage. However, I did not make a judgement about if the OP can afford the BHSE. I only said that I would not go into debt for it. I think that is reasonable advice. Having been a broke audiophile when I was in my 20s (now almost 50), I spoke from personal experience. There is just no reason for most people to go into debt for your audio setup, since a really great headphone system can be put together for under 1-2K.

Definitely true!

 

[bmichels]

I received answer from Justin about options available besides the Alps RK50 volume control:
 
 
                              - The feet can be either metal or rubber. Or +$80 for both
 
                               - Tubes are the new production Mullard EL34. Shuguang Treasure EL34 are available for +$349
 
 
 
--> Is Metal + rubber better than Metal or Rubber ?  Which do you recommend ?  how do they look ?
 
-->  Has someone heard the Shuguang Treasure L34  ?  Are they a worthy upgrade ? How will you describe it's sound signature versus the stock Mullard EL34 ?
 
 
thanks in advance for your advices