[hifimanrookie]

20k is expensive even for a speaker amp. You can get some great speakers for that price.


About Orpheus: http://www.head-fi.org/t/697285/fs-sennheiser-he90-orpheus-electrostatic-headphone


Also: http://www.htforum.com/vb/showthread.php/165415-Sennheiser-Orpheus-HE90-HeadAmp-Aristaeus?highlight=orpheus


R$ 28,000 =~ $12,000

Lolz..to much money for me..even my rig is almost to expensive to..its at the limit of my budget... More i couldnt and wouldnt spend on audio for ur ears..next year dec in my new house i will be in the market for a speaker rig then..already know i want some mark logan electrostatic speakers, new or second hand..and then let BCA built me an amp to drive them

damn..this thread is starting to sound as summit fi again..lolz..better talk about affordable good sounding stuff again..or else the moderators wont be happy

 

[Okamoto]

Lolz..to much money for me..even my rig is almost to expensive to..its at the limit of my budget... More i couldnt and wouldnt spend on audio for ur ears..next year dec in my new house i will be in the market for a speaker rig then..already know i want some mark logan electrostatic speakers, new or second hand..and then let BCA built me an amp to drive them

I agree that it is expensive. What I'm arguing here is your statement that U$20k pricetag for an amp is not very high

 

[Tony1110]

Ofcourse i will..as otherwise my bill would be a total of around 7400usd when deliverd from canada to my doorstep..as its around 600usd postage based on wieght and measurements (found online)..and on total of those prices (product&postage&insurance) i have to up it with 30-35% in taxes and customcosts.
Lucky i have some reseves that my wife doesnt know about..as she still thinks my new amp is second hand and under 1000 euro.. Oopsie :veryevil:

I've told my GF many a little fib like that. If I were to tell her that my headphone cable cost $300 I honestly don't think she'd believe me anyway

 

[preproman]

I dont think so...i jsut saw a confidential for an he90 orpeus system..asking price 18,000euro!..for the amp and phones..
But thats a headphone amp...the NSL of 20,000usd is a speaker amp...so a Competely different animal.
My headphone dac/amp costs much less being around 5000usd (as its less powerfull and a dedicated headphone amp with only one input.. USB)..and for that price u cant have a orpheus system..or even a sr009 system..

But in the end its all about the eye of the beholder who buys what and for what price.. Thats the fun of headfi... We are are different..if everyone would buy stax (sr007?) because its in that price range headfi would be very boring i am guessing...

 
 
It has a build in DAC as well?  I see it's not fully discrete because it has op amps but is it a true balanced amp (dual differential) or a SE amp?  

 

[hifimanrookie]

It has a build in DAC as well?  I see it's not fully discrete because it has op amps but is it a true balanced amp (dual differential) or a SE amp?  

Yep dac included and 24/96 usb (capable of 192also) input (thats an extra u have to pay in his dacs!)

Gilbert told me its balanced from input to output...just like his big daddy..the NSL..so i suppose its balanced..i dont think he would use dual 3pin xlr on the amp if it wasnt balanced..he isnt into esthetics..he is all about efficiency and performance...knowing him he wouldnt even do it ..making a single ended amp with balanced connectors..it wouldnt make any sense doing that!

If i understand it correctly the right board on pic is the dac board(hope i didnt get it wrong..lolz)..read this mail of him about the first pic (and dont forget..its nowhere finished, so i suppose there is going to be some kind of isolation between the boards..)

Quote:
Paulo
It's shows the DAC and main amp driver boards. The smaller one towards the left is the input/gain board. The main driver boards is inditical to one of the NSL output board. You can say I just steal one from the NSL production to make your amp. This kind of custom project is sort of my "pet" project and do it in my "spare" time....... if I can call it spare time. Production people don't touch it, I do it all myself. Ok, may be 95%. I tell them where to drill those holes.

End quote:

But its still very early!! He only did one floor of opamps..dont know how many more will come..as on the NSL the opamp boards are stacked up to the top of the cover!

And i dont know why he has that right front side open...

I just wait for the next pics of him and info..as i asked him to sent me in-proces pics along the way..and this was first pic...as soon i have more pics i will post them..

 

[hifimanrookie]

I agree that it is expensive. What I'm arguing here is your statement that U$20k pricetag for an amp is not very high

Not very high compared to the costs he has to make for parts and the labor (employees)..ofcourse its huge price tag

 

[serdarcalin]

Hi all,
 
What about this config? It seems miracle
 
SR-009 + Blue Hawaii SE (upgraded) + MSB The Analog DAC (upgraded) : 4500$ + 7000$ + 10000$
 
King Regards

 

[Okamoto]

Not very high compared to the costs he has to make for parts and the labor...ofcourse its huge price tag

I doubt it's that expensive to produce. And even if it was, it probably wouldn't be because of the internal components.

 

[hifimanrookie]

What have i started..OMG ... I hitchhiked this thread and threw it into summit fi universe..oh well..its always good to dream..
But i agree..if i ever had that kind of money to spend on a headphonerig rig..that would probably it!

 

[hifimanrookie]

I doubt it's that expensive to produce. And even if it was, it probably wouldn't be because of the internal components.

On his 'regular' prodction he has co-workers on it..so he has to pay for that also..and electricity, and transport etc etc.
No matter the costs..many people who buy his stuff and all the reviewers of which i read a review of..they all say his products give excellent value for money...
Ofcourse its not as much value of a lyr or a 337 or emotiva..but compared to the other higher end stuff it is!

 

[preproman]

The amp looks good thus far.  Gilbert has a great rep as well.  However, I would look at getting an external DAC and not having it built in.  
 
This will give you the ability to find a DAC that will suit your needs the best.  DACs improve much faster than amps do.  You will have that amp for years to come.  During that time you can change out DACs as they improve.
 
Just something to think about.

 

[themad]

So... back in topic, guys?


Anyone modded the He-500 headband with those cushions from the Sennheiser HD650?

 

[Okamoto]

Not very high compared to the costs he has to make for parts and the labor (employees)..ofcourse its huge price tag

Maybe. My guess is that he has a quite high profit percentage.

In the past some people led me to believe that amp makers didn't profit that much. Then I saw this: http://www.lambopower.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t62965.html

 

[hifimanrookie]

The amp looks good thus far.  Gilbert has a great rep as well.  However, I would look at getting an external DAC and not having it built in.  

This will give you the ability to find a DAC that will suit your needs the best.  DACs improve much faster than amps do.  You will have that amp for years to come.  During that time you can change out DACs as they improve.

Just something to think about.

I understand what u mean..but this amp is also made out of budget reasons..another quality case for the dac would increase the price even higher! So HE ADVISED to put it internal and in so keep the signal extremely short, benefitting the sound the best! And to be honest..i wouldnt have the space for it as i am also getting a PLC thingee FX2. So i already have the 3cases for the audio part and then i have the laptop and my external 23x hdd's to place on the desk

But If it comes that far..i just sent the amp in for upgrade..as most BC owners do with their amps
But to be honest..i am not a 'getting the newest first' kind of person..i want the best...which is proved to be best and reliable....i could have chosen an dsd capable dac with hdmi input (nad) and the amp to go with it..but i choose BC for a reason..they are built to last..and to sound its best..not to be the latest digital toy... Hope i dont sound to weird now

 

[hifimanrookie]

Maybe. My guess is that he has a quite high profit percentage.


In the past some people led me to believe that amp makers didn't profit that much. Then I saw this: http://www.lambopower.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t62965.html

Yep could be..but as long i get what i want..i dont mind (remember he upgraded my amp without any extra costs..so with my amp his profit margin got less by a big margin now)..and he could advise me more expensive stuff..but instead he didnt .

So i respect he has to make a living and keep a healthy business...
But if i compare his products to other higher end brands and see the insides of those amps (who look extremely expensive from the outside).well...u know what i mean..

By the way..ray samuels makes standard products that come from a productionline..and most of his products are priced towards most of us....so he sells hugely!! And as his products are standard and easily made by a productionline he can save hugely... Am sure the emotiva owner is extremely rich by now also...as millions bought his most budget amp..that amp is probably made almost totally without human labor..so costs are low...

As i once said...i am a procurement specialist for more then 20years now..and my experience is that the more mass production is used..the higher the profit for the manufacturer earns in total... Its easier to earn 50usd on a 209usd amp (bing put together in a few hours)sold a million times then 500usd on a 3000usd amp sold only 30 times a year (that takes at least 2 weeks to built each)