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Originally Posted by ScuderiaHeadFi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey downsize, So of all the amps or dac/amps you have used the Ultrasone 900's with, which would you say is the "best"? Of course, I suppose you would have to specify first of all what your favorite type of music is, then explain which is your favorite amp or dac/amp to listen to that genre with, and then explain why... I have Pro-2500's which are great (I really needed a pair of open cans at the time) but sometimes I think that I could get a boost of warmth in the midrange if I went closed with the Pro-750's or especially the Pro-900's. For my next cans I definitely want closed, but am unsure if I should stick with Ultrasones or move on to another brand/family sound. Anyhow just wondering what you think would go will with the 900's in your case, and the context for why you think the 900's work with your sound priorities.

Yep ... I can help here. Regardless of the type of music listened to, if you are going to stick with Ultrasone cans, there is NO DOUBT that Rudistor amps easily sound the best.

I walked around the recent Boston meet with my Pro900s, listening to all the different high end SS amps there. And the ONLY amp that sounded better than my Rudistor NX-02 imo, was the $5000 EAR amplifier going through a $3500 DAC.

I heard a B22, and a MK3, a Gilmore GS-1 .... my Rudistor sounded better than ALL of those supposedly much better amps .... BUT THIS WAS ONLY with my Pro900s that I am saying this about.

I love my Pro900s, and only sold my Rudistor to get an amp that would drive some much harder to drive headphones I plan on buying, but I WILL BE buying another Rudistor in the future .... It is just THAT GOOD with the Ultrasones.

 

[minimus]

I own the Blue Circle Hat Peed Thingee with the Biggie Pipe external power supply. It is admittedly ugly but according to Gilbert Yeung is at least the equal of the SBH, but less expensive because it is encased in PVC piping.

I also own two tube amps, a Singlepower Extreme and a DNA Sonett.

The Blue Circle amp is a great amp. But I agree with your assessment. It has a relatively neutral sound signature and is much less euphonic than tube amps I have owned -- the Singlepower Extreme and the DNA Sonett. The Extreme at its best just has a fast, dynamic quality to it with a somewhat euphonic midrange that is very enveloping.

The Blue Circle is a much more neutral-sounding amp to me than either the SP Extreme or the DNA Sonett. It is extended across the frequency spectrum and doesn't emphasize any frequencies over others. The two things I like most about it are the low-level detail retrieval it offers as well as an outstanding soundstage (more specifically, in speaker rig lingo, it has phenomenolly good left/right channel separation that I just don't hear from my tube amps.)

I have played around with different power cords and found that the best match so far is the Shunyata Diamondback Platinum, which goes for $125 new. It is the cheapest cord I have tried on the amp, but really improved both the amp's bass quantity and quality, to the extent that I would not regard the amp as "bass light". Some reviews have suggested this is a weakness with the Blue Circle gear, a critique that may be valid with a stock or badly chosen power cord. Not the case with the Shunyata.

 

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Originally Posted by minimus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I own the Blue Circle Hat Peed Thingee with the Biggie Pipe external power supply. It is admittedly ugly but according to Gilbert Yeung is at least the equal of the SBH, but less expensive because it is encased in PVC piping. I also own two tube amps, a Singlepower Extreme and a DNA Sonett. The Blue Circle amp is a great amp. But I agree with your assessment. It has a relatively neutral sound signature and is much less euphonic than tube amps I have owned -- the Singlepower Extreme and the DNA Sonett. The Extreme at its best just has a fast, dynamic quality to it with a somewhat euphonic midrange that is very enveloping. The Blue Circle is a much more neutral-sounding amp to me than either the SP Extreme or the DNA Sonett. It is extended across the frequency spectrum and doesn't emphasize any frequencies over others. The two things I like most about it are the low-level detail retrieval it offers as well as an outstanding soundstage (more specifically, in speaker rig lingo, it has phenomenolly good left/right channel separation that I just don't hear from my tube amps.) I have played around with different power cords and found that the best match so far is the Shunyata Diamondback Platinum, which goes for $125 new. It is the cheapest cord I have tried on the amp, but really improved both the amp's bass quantity and quality, to the extent that I would not regard the amp as "bass light". Some reviews have suggested this is a weakness with the Blue Circle gear, a critique that may be valid with a stock or badly chosen power cord. Not the case with the Shunyata.

Thanks for chiming in with this. I don't find my SBH bass light at all, but did indeed find it sensitive to power cords. Except for the bass light part, I pretty much hear what you seem to be describing.

I have no doubt Gilbert knows exactly what he is speaking of. After all, they ARE his own products .... However, I don't see how you could a more substantial power supply than in the photo here, to fit in a PVC pipe that size ... LOL

 

[audiorapture]

minimus, I guess I missed a deal at MusicDirect for that power cord. But I agree that better cords can make a significant difference. How did you come to the selection you made, what else did you try? thanks...

 

[audiorapture]

downsize: congrats, your amp sounds great and good luck with it; I was wondering what interconnectors you have heard with them or thought about changing your power cord?
In your opinion, doesn't some of the weakly recorded cd's actually "give" that bright sound no matter what unit you play them through? And a high quality amp like yours just spotlights or magnifys how bad some of the places in that cd are and this gives the impression of a bright or thin sound? thanks...

 

[Jodet]

I have an SBH with a custom very large power supply (in the PVC pipe thing that Gilbert does) and it is a spectacular amp. Very neutral, very extended, very detailed. Musical, not lean. Tubey? Hard to say. The midrange is wonderful, which is where I think the 'this sounds tubey' comments originate.

And it's on all the time, so none of that 'warm up' stuff. I'm also using it as a pre-amp now in my main system and think it makes a great pre-amp.

 

[bastogne]

@downsize.
 
You prefer the Rudistor over the SBH when using Ultrasones?
 
You should rank them in order, as I am a 900 owner and curious.

 

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Wow Bastogne ... Great question. I will answer the question like this :  Head to head, the Rudistor is not quite on the same level as the SBH. However, I spent several months designing and building my own custom DIY cables to work with the Rudistor/ Pro900 set up, and with those cables used as tone controls, I ended up with sound that competed straight across the board with the SBH, but ONLY when using those cables.
 
Now for vocals alone, the amps will compete with each other without needing to carefully choose cables, but the bass and treble definitely are better on the SBH until carefully selected cables are used with the Rudistor.
 
Sorry if this is confusing, but this is a HARD question to answer. HTH

 

[downsize]

hi audiorapture :  I make ALL of my cables. This allows me to find exactly what sounds best with any particular piece of gear.
 
And any really, really good piece of gear will be revealing and neutral enough to tattle tale on ANY poor recording. Magnifying any and all faults. However I never judge a piece of gear with an inferior recording. HTH

 

[Frihed89]

Somewhere here I have a post showing my custom SBH which is composed of 3 boxes: Power supply - capacitor packs - gain and output stages for a preamp and head amp.  The capacitor pack adds a level of transparency that the original amp did not have.  It also made it more musical + more dynamic.  Large symphonic pieces - like Mahler's symphonies and Strauss's tone poems - are spot on clear and lucid with no blurring due to lack of dynamics.  I can't wait to hear it with a pair of LCD-2s.
 
It's a very nice amp, well worth its price.  However, many people will not even consider it because the output stage is opamp and not discrete. So, now reincarnated in its PVC clothes, the less fortunate members of headfi.org can enjoy it without having to pay an arm and a leg.  Lucky us.

 

[downsize]

"Somewhere here I have a post showing my custom SBH which is composed of 3 boxes: Power supply - capacitor packs - gain and output stages for a preamp and head amp.  The capacitor pack adds a level of transparency that the original amp did not have.  It also made it more musical + more dynamic.  Large symphonic pieces - like Mahler's symphonies and Strauss's tone poems - are spot on clear and lucid with no blurring due to lack of dynamics.  I can't wait to hear it with a pair of LCD-2s.
 
It's a very nice amp, well worth its price.  However, many people will not even consider it because the output stage is opamp and not discrete. So, now reincarnated in its PVC clothes, the less fortunate members of headfi.org can enjoy it without having to pay an arm and a leg.  Lucky us."
 
Wow ... I find this suprising. The SBH's greatest strengths are it's dynamics and transparency. I can't imagine those areas being improved upon. Cool.
 
My new custom enclosure will be unveiled in about one week ... maybe even less

   I promise it's going to set the Headfi world on fire !