[Sovkiller]

I was looking for some info and this article cross my way, hope you will find it useful and begin to think in "real life listening sessions" instead of "audiophile ones" it is old but good....enjoy it:

http://www.tubecad.com/articles_2002...ols/index.html

around the tenth page, the author make some references about the listening with headphones....

I know that some members will not like it, those so called "purists", and others will enjoy at least the reading.....just take a look.....

 

[fewtch]

Definitely an interesting read... thanks.

 

[AtomBoy]

Nice find, thanks!

I realize I am guilty of the purist instinct. Has anyone tried to implement some of the controls he mentions? I remember some guitar amps with knobs labled weird things like 'speed'...

 

[rickcr42]

Most of us use those concepts but only a few of us realise it.

The "sound" an amp or a set of cans produce but in reality it is closer to biasing for effect in electronics and voicing cans to project a certain audience perspective (stage distance/high/low/clarity/room brightness/etc) and is no more than passive EQ without calling it EQ.

tone controls may be out of fahion but tonally adjusting everything else is not even though just another way to do the same thing.

BTW-there is a pdf version of that article on the site.Much easier to print out and read away from the computer while kicking back with some music

 

[Garbz]

While I don't have any variable tone controls in my system I definitly see where he is comming from. My RIAA stage was played with for about 3 weeks before I was happy with it. I'm not sure exactly what it sounds like but I guarantee you the trebble isn't flat.
The same is with my DAC. The trebble is rolled off slightly by bringing the digital filter closer to the stopband. It makes my recordings sound significantly better, I am just waiting on a real powersupply before I tweak this further.

Sound signals were made to be heard not measured

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 BTW-there is a pdf version of that article on the site.Much easier to print out and read away from the computer while kicking back with some music

Where??? I was looking for it and can't find it, please post the link Rick, it will be nice to have it saved...

 

[bigcat39]

Hmmmm...... I feel a design project coming

 

[AtomBoy]

The PDF is here:

http://www.tubecad.com/articles_2002...ic_Control.pdf

It's linked from the front page of:

http://www.tubecad.com/ (the column on the left, 8 articles down).

How hard would it be to do a transistor version of his headphone amp schematic?

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

How hard would it be to do a transistor version of his headphone amp schematic?

why would you want to ? The concepts are commonplace and have been used since the inception of home audio just never before this article to my knowledge all lumped into one thought.

Stereo blending circuit a cake walk easily added to any stereo amp

Fixed +6dB bass boost ditto (think loudness contour also)

Mute/phase selection,easily added to any amp

none of these concepts are exotic though I would also have added mild crossfeed filters able to be snapped into the blend circuit which move the image forwrd instead of just side to side blending which works for speakers because they ar already to "front" but not so very well with cans which are dead left and dead right

 

[AtomBoy]

Just at first glance, it doesn't look like the kind of stuff you could tack on to an opamp based circuit and implementing the tube schematic would be expensive/ hazardous. I was daydreaming about using some of the dozens of small transistors I have left over from various projects.

 

[rickcr42]

All passive circuits (blend pot,RCL bass boost,Mute switch) except for the phase reverse which can be also passive but only using a very expensive line transformer.Even a simple JFET can be used to flip the phase

all the rest is no more than gain stage and SRPP "booster" headphone driver stage for low Z cans.Once you break the circuit down to the parts and isolate what they do it is much easier to understand

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 why would you want to ? The concepts are commonplace and have been used since the inception of home audio just never before this article to my knowledge all lumped into one thought. Stereo blending circuit a cake walk easily added to any stereo amp Fixed +6dB bass boost ditto (think loudness contour also) Mute/phase selection,easily added to any amp none of these concepts are exotic though I would also have added mild crossfeed filters able to be snapped into the blend circuit which move the image forwrd instead of just side to side blending which works for speakers because they ar already to "front" but not so very well with cans which are dead left and dead right

The problem is not the implementation, we have seen a lot or poor, and a few good ones along the years, the main problem is to make the audiophiles accept those artifacts, and use them, instead of going the purist flat bored way that we have been using for years...I think that any well implemented tone network, will be really nice and useful inside any high end headphone amp, we had the first step with the PPA, M3, Code etc...but unfortunately manufacturers and designers refuse to implement them in their amps, the main reason I went DIY, even if you want to implement it defeatable, just in the few and rare cases that the recording does not need them.

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

but unfortunately manufacturers and designers refuse to implement them in their amps, the main reason I went DIY, even if you want to implement it defeatable, just in the few and rare cases that the recording does not need them.

I was young and impressionable once and also was "convinced" there was the purist way or you were no true audiophile worthy of the name.Luckily this phase of my life,the "go along to get along and be accepted" was very short lived and I decided to do what pleased me far younger than most come to it.

I have and have had tonal manipulation in my system since my very first except for maybe a year and at this time it is a multiband Tone Control/Mid EQ/Filter network that to be honest I could not live without.
My personal opinion is that to deny truly functional features just to be fashionable or to try for some unobtainable idea of perfection (that most try for even at the budget level

) is dead wrong headed thinking when the effect itself can be totally taken out of circuit when not in use.

For the audio elitist or misguided purist to have such an impact that those who KNOW music and equipment has flaws many times easily remediedm yet is too ashamed to admit it is shameful and to me it takes more balls to step up and be counted than it does to be aniother face in the crowd going along with the majority just because that is the path of least resistance.......


Rant over,continue please

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 I was young and impressionable once and also was "convinced" there was the purist way or you were no true audiophile worthy of the name.Luckily this phase of my life,the "go along to get along and be accepted" was very short lived and I decided to do what pleased me far younger than most come to it. I have and have had tonal manipulation in my system since my very first except for maybe a year and at this time it is a multiband Tone Control/Mid EQ/Filter network that to be honest I could not live without. My personal opinion is that to deny truly functional features just to be fashionable or to try for some unobtainable idea of perfection (that most try for even at the budget level ) is dead wrong headed thinking when the effect itself can be totally taken out of circuit when not in use. For the audio elitist or misguided purist to have such an impact that those who KNOW music and equipment has flaws many times easily remediedm yet is too ashamed to admit it is shameful and to me it takes more balls to step up and be counted than it does to be aniother face in the crowd going along with the majority just because that is the path of least resistance....... Rant over,continue please

I think that this is one of the few times that we agree 100%.....

Even while I do not frequently use tones in my system, I have them, and sometimes they are needed and handy to be there, and have also a sub-woofer to compensate the roll off on the low end....

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

I think that this is one of the few times that we agree 100%.....

hope for you yet

but if you are smart you will edit that statement before it gets widespread viewing and you fall out of favor around here.Not fashionable to agree with me on ANY topic