Morph201
Headphoneus Supremus
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Don't eat the yellow snow.
-Mr. I.P. Daily
-Mr. I.P. Daily
Heed CanAmp
- Thread starter mrarroyo
- Start date
FallenAngel
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
How appropriate of you to quote such a phrase, hypocrit.
| Originally Posted by Lad27 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Your DIYers friends have a hearing problem. Plug cmoy in and listen, then plug CanAmp in and listen, that's all they have to do. Never mind cost of parts - there's more to designing good sounding device than just cost of parts. Let them salivate over their sophisticated DIY designs with pure silver wire and and solder. BTW some people will fork out more than $400 for AC power cord, so rest easy "stupidity is the most abundant matter in universe" (quoting a very famous physicist here) |
How appropriate of you to quote such a phrase, hypocrit.
Morph201
Headphoneus Supremus
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uh-oh...
hi-finthen causes so much trouble!
Hi-Finthen
Self-confessed freak
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Quote:
Thank you for sharing your experience
Unless someone tells you it's DogFishHead "P" in that there snow
The more expensive "P" is so much more palatable for those with so inclined discernable taste
lol
Shall Heed the experienced warning
| Originally Posted by Morph201 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Don't eat the yellow snow. -Mr. I.P. Daily
|
Thank you for sharing your experience
Unless someone tells you it's DogFishHead "P" in that there snow
The more expensive "P" is so much more palatable for those with so inclined discernable taste
Shall Heed the experienced warning
upstateguy
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
What do you mean Morph?
| Originally Posted by Morph201 /img/forum/go_quote.gif uh-oh...
|
What do you mean Morph?
Morph201
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
Hey, it's all about recycling, ya know! Can't waste that!!! If anything there's higher percentage of alcohol in it!
[Wisdom]
Quote:
lol, just bustin hi-finthens chops.... Looked like this Heed thread was about to take another nasty turn..
| Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for sharing your experience
Unless someone tells you it's DogFishHead "P" in that there snow
The more expensive "P" is so much more palatable for those with so inclined discernable taste
Shall Heed the experienced warning
|
Hey, it's all about recycling, ya know! Can't waste that!!! If anything there's higher percentage of alcohol in it!
Quote:
| Originally Posted by upstateguy What do you mean Morph?
|
lol, just bustin hi-finthens chops.... Looked like this Heed thread was about to take another nasty turn..
dxhound2003
New Head-Fier
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Quote:
I am in the same boat. Ordered from a dealer in UK 28 Feb 07 after seeing this thread (there are no dealers here in Ireland). Was told there would be 3 week delay but this has now gone over 2 months and still waiting. Had €403 plus €58 for connectors debited immediately from credit card. I have new Sennheiser 650's. If I cannot get the CanAmp what would be a good alternative for around this price available in UK or Europe? Probably would not go for valve.
This is my first post here and I am very new to this. Didn't know headphone amps existed until I broke my cheap headphones in Feb and went looking for something better.
| Originally Posted by Stram /img/forum/go_quote.gif Should I give up waiting? After first reading this thread over 2 months ago I placed an order for a CanAmp but as a neglected UK customer I am still waiting and apparently have to wait longer as Heed won't send any units to the UK. I am thinking to call it quits and just look for another amp now. |
I am in the same boat. Ordered from a dealer in UK 28 Feb 07 after seeing this thread (there are no dealers here in Ireland). Was told there would be 3 week delay but this has now gone over 2 months and still waiting. Had €403 plus €58 for connectors debited immediately from credit card. I have new Sennheiser 650's. If I cannot get the CanAmp what would be a good alternative for around this price available in UK or Europe? Probably would not go for valve.
This is my first post here and I am very new to this. Didn't know headphone amps existed until I broke my cheap headphones in Feb and went looking for something better.
wpk123
New Head-Fier
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Quote:
The difference may be related to the fact that mrarroyo's CanAmp is 110V and not 220V. I'm not an ee but that should make a difference, no?
| Originally Posted by yrh0413 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
added: weird, mrarroyo's CanAmp's 100uFs are 16V instead of 35V. |
The difference may be related to the fact that mrarroyo's CanAmp is 110V and not 220V. I'm not an ee but that should make a difference, no?
yrh0413
100+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
Even so, the difference should only be the transformer.
| Originally Posted by wpk123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The difference may be related to the fact that mrarroyo's CanAmp is 110V and not 220V. I'm not an ee but that should make a difference, no? |
Even so, the difference should only be the transformer.
Lad27
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These caps are connected past AC-DC rectifier, i.e on the transformer's secondary, which has the same DC voltage for either 110 or 220Vac in.
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FURTHER IMPRESSIONS - 36 HOURS
The sound of the amp seems to have improved a little, but not by all that much.
The low-bass emphasis is still there, and comparing it directly against the GS-1 reveals a weakness - it lacks the ounce of refinement that makes bass notes sound taut, controlled, and defined. Another way to put it, the CanAmp is slightly sloppy with the bass. Not in terms of letting it boom, I mean in terms of texture and wrap-around clarity - it doesn't quite sound like a musical note, it sounds more like a generic bass hit.
Soundstage is nice and open but it doesn't have the eerie holographic effect that the GS-1 does. With the GS-1, soundstage is so open and spaced out, it really feels like it's opening a portal and letting you get up on stage and walk around in it so you can explore the instruments on your own. The CanAmp does not have this kind of soundstage - it's more saying "here's your stage and here are your mid-row tickets - and no one gets on the stage!"
Treble has a tad more refinement now but still needs more attack to make stuff jump out in the soundtrack more.
There's also a smidgen of non-transparency in the lower mids - part of the area of resonance and body is notably less than on the GS-1. Not to imply the GS-1 is completely transparent there either though - it's just more, because that's how my Arcam CD73 should sound. I know with certainty that my CDP has a colored sound - if it's not being carried through, then I know where the fault is.
The amp runs very hot, almost as much as a tube amp. I haven't done a direct comparison but the surface feels just as hot as either my Cayin HA-1A or Single Power Extreme when they've been on for an hour.
The CanAmp also seems to be susceptible to RF/EMI. I had it plugged into power, but without interconnects, and plugged in the AD2000 when I thought I heard a faint radio station. At first I thought it was something else around me so I took off the headphones, but it turned out it was from the amp (!). The AD2000 also picks up a faint machine hum from it. Not a very silent amp.
I still hold to the claim that the CanAmp is still worth it as a $400 home amp though. I wouldn't necessarily say it's "better" than other amps in its range though - I'm really starting to dislike that word, because sound is so subjective, and I wish people would stop trying to ask if one amp is better than another when both are in the same range. There are trade-offs and sacrifices that every amp makes in order to achieve its price point and design - nothing is perfect and I sure hope everyone reading this starts realizing that. The GS-1 is not perfect. I'm sure I won't find the GS-X perfect either. As long as the psychoacoustic effect towards upgraditis is in play, there will never be a perfect amp for anyone. At some point you just have to sit back and enjoy the music, and the sooner you do that, the better it is for your wallet.
This is my last update on the CanAmp for the next few weeks. I have to get back to listening to other components for reviews - very time-sensitive, have to start immediately.
The sound of the amp seems to have improved a little, but not by all that much.
The low-bass emphasis is still there, and comparing it directly against the GS-1 reveals a weakness - it lacks the ounce of refinement that makes bass notes sound taut, controlled, and defined. Another way to put it, the CanAmp is slightly sloppy with the bass. Not in terms of letting it boom, I mean in terms of texture and wrap-around clarity - it doesn't quite sound like a musical note, it sounds more like a generic bass hit.
Soundstage is nice and open but it doesn't have the eerie holographic effect that the GS-1 does. With the GS-1, soundstage is so open and spaced out, it really feels like it's opening a portal and letting you get up on stage and walk around in it so you can explore the instruments on your own. The CanAmp does not have this kind of soundstage - it's more saying "here's your stage and here are your mid-row tickets - and no one gets on the stage!"
Treble has a tad more refinement now but still needs more attack to make stuff jump out in the soundtrack more.
There's also a smidgen of non-transparency in the lower mids - part of the area of resonance and body is notably less than on the GS-1. Not to imply the GS-1 is completely transparent there either though - it's just more, because that's how my Arcam CD73 should sound. I know with certainty that my CDP has a colored sound - if it's not being carried through, then I know where the fault is.
The amp runs very hot, almost as much as a tube amp. I haven't done a direct comparison but the surface feels just as hot as either my Cayin HA-1A or Single Power Extreme when they've been on for an hour.
The CanAmp also seems to be susceptible to RF/EMI. I had it plugged into power, but without interconnects, and plugged in the AD2000 when I thought I heard a faint radio station. At first I thought it was something else around me so I took off the headphones, but it turned out it was from the amp (!). The AD2000 also picks up a faint machine hum from it. Not a very silent amp.
I still hold to the claim that the CanAmp is still worth it as a $400 home amp though. I wouldn't necessarily say it's "better" than other amps in its range though - I'm really starting to dislike that word, because sound is so subjective, and I wish people would stop trying to ask if one amp is better than another when both are in the same range. There are trade-offs and sacrifices that every amp makes in order to achieve its price point and design - nothing is perfect and I sure hope everyone reading this starts realizing that. The GS-1 is not perfect. I'm sure I won't find the GS-X perfect either. As long as the psychoacoustic effect towards upgraditis is in play, there will never be a perfect amp for anyone. At some point you just have to sit back and enjoy the music, and the sooner you do that, the better it is for your wallet.
This is my last update on the CanAmp for the next few weeks. I have to get back to listening to other components for reviews - very time-sensitive, have to start immediately.
yrh0413
100+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
Weird, the only time someone complained about the excess heat was the power caps were installed on wrong polarity. My CanAmp is warm even though i left it on for 2 weeks.
| Originally Posted by Asr /img/forum/go_quote.gif The amp runs very hot, almost as much as a tube amp. I haven't done a direct comparison but the surface feels just as hot as either my Cayin HA-1A or Single Power Extreme when they've been on for an hour. |
Weird, the only time someone complained about the excess heat was the power caps were installed on wrong polarity. My CanAmp is warm even though i left it on for 2 weeks.
wpk123
New Head-Fier
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Quote:
Oh! That makes sense, I guess.
So, just wandering, why are they different?
| Originally Posted by Lad27 /img/forum/go_quote.gif These caps are connected past AC-DC rectifier, i.e on the transformer's secondary, which has the same DC voltage for either 110 or 220Vac in. |
Oh! That makes sense, I guess.
upstateguy
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
That's strange Asr. If you remember, mine was on all day long at the NY meet, saw a lot of use and just got warm. If I remember correctly, PinkFloyd posted early in the thread about how he discovered that caps were installed backwards in one that over heated like yours seems to be doing.
You might want to alert Dan about this. Maybe the newer ones run hotter than the older ones for some reason we don't know about yet?
USG
| Originally Posted by Asr /img/forum/go_quote.gif FURTHER IMPRESSIONS - 36 HOURS .... The amp runs very hot, almost as much as a tube amp. I haven't done a direct comparison but the surface feels just as hot as either my Cayin HA-1A or Single Power Extreme when they've been on for an hour. |
That's strange Asr. If you remember, mine was on all day long at the NY meet, saw a lot of use and just got warm. If I remember correctly, PinkFloyd posted early in the thread about how he discovered that caps were installed backwards in one that over heated like yours seems to be doing.
You might want to alert Dan about this. Maybe the newer ones run hotter than the older ones for some reason we don't know about yet?
USG
Lad27
500+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
The big caps (4700uF/16V) are the filter caps used straight after rectifier - so the DC volts for opamps etc. should be 8-12V (I assume it, never measured it). If voltage is more than 12V, the 16V rating on these caps is not enough and they won't last very long.
So, if Vcc for opamps and the rest of circuit is max 12V*, the 100uF/16V caps are as good as 100uF/35V. As voltage rating goes up so does the capacitor case size, even though the lead pitch could be the same (i.e. 35V cap can be slightly fatter or taller than 16V cap). In this case it is probably available stock of 16V (35V) caps that was on hand when populating circuit board.
| Originally Posted by wpk123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh! That makes sense, I guess.
|
The big caps (4700uF/16V) are the filter caps used straight after rectifier - so the DC volts for opamps etc. should be 8-12V (I assume it, never measured it). If voltage is more than 12V, the 16V rating on these caps is not enough and they won't last very long.
So, if Vcc for opamps and the rest of circuit is max 12V*, the 100uF/16V caps are as good as 100uF/35V. As voltage rating goes up so does the capacitor case size, even though the lead pitch could be the same (i.e. 35V cap can be slightly fatter or taller than 16V cap). In this case it is probably available stock of 16V (35V) caps that was on hand when populating circuit board.
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