[Victor Chew]

Please dont ever give up. Its a big learning curve you have here. Close up pictures of your boards.and your wiring will certainly help. 

 

[Victor Chew]

Congratulations. After you have cased up everything, check the balance and offset again. This time out of the stax jack. Be careful not to slip your probes or poke them into the wrong place and short the amp again. If necessary draw a picture of the stax connections on a piece of post it and paste it beside the stax jack for this purpose, as the wiring are different viewed from the front and the back. After that leave the balance and DC offest adjustment alone for a long long time to come; then followed by the most important thing. Enjoy your music!!!!! 

 

[HDMan]

I left the amp on for 1/2 to 1 hour while adjusting the balance first, then offset, left it on until there was a stable reading of 0Vdc for at least 15 minutes, the amp was warm (incase before i hooked up the outputs). I haven't checked it through the stax jacks, do you think this is necessary after what I have already done?
 
Anyways, just hooked it up to test her out, running superbly, sound is amazing with the A8 Realiser using the 007-MK1's, really took it up a few notches. Before I had realism, now it is life like.
 
Watched some of my favourite Bluray's, wow, they sound completely different with the stax, reminds me of some really high end speakers. This is my first experience with stax, never owned any before, just listened to some at the store. First Stax amp and first Stax headphones (MK1's), what a treat.

 

[Victor Chew]

If you are happy with the dc offset and balance then you can leave the advistments as they are. I often double check at the stax jack and make any final adjustments if necessary.
 
What is this A8 Reaslier thing for? Interesting and curious! You said it took the sound up a few notches.

 

[HDMan]

Quote:

If you are happy with the dc offset and balance then you can leave the advistments as they are. I often double check at the stax jack and make any final adjustments if necessary.
 
What is this A8 Reaslier thing for? Interesting and curious! You said it took the sound up a few notches.

 
http://smyth-research.com/products.html
 
Smyth Research recommend and sell the Realiser with Stax headphones, hence the reason I was chasing some high end Stax gear and the fact I have a PRIR calibration with the Acapella Spharon Excalibur horn speaker, 7.1 surround sound made from 2 very high end speakers. Beyond Audiophile.
 
http://cybwiz.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/setup-acapella-spharon-excalibur-horn.html
 
 
If you would like to read more about the Realiser from users, follow the headfi thread here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/418401/long-awaited-smyth-svs-realiser-now-available-for-purchase/1755#post_8385478

 

[verwandlung]

Quote:

I am undergoing building KGSSHV, and I'm ******* proud of it.

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/610131/michael-bean-hennyo-stole-my-money
 
I came very close to order a KGSSHV from this person. It goes without saying that I am glad I didn't. Too bad that I few people did. Just thought that this should be well known. 

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/610131/michael-bean-hennyo-stole-my-money

 
I knew that guy was going to do something like that. His work quality was crappy, and his attitude questionable.
 
This is why it is worth waiting in line for something from Headamp.

 

[verwandlung]

Quote:

 
I knew that guy was going to do something like that. His work quality was crappy, and his attitude questionable.
 
This is why it is worth waiting in line for something from Headamp.

I cannot agree more with the fact that he had, to say the lease, a “questionable attitude,” which prevented me from moving ahead and order the amp from him.
 
PS. And you know very well that I would be the first to wait in line if Justin ever decides to build that amp! But I'll spare you and leave it there.

 

[spritzer]

Glad you got it working.  Kevin is indeed the nicest guy one could find and I'm happy to call him my friend. 

 
As for the tough love, with DIY there is really only experience and sometimes we have to force people to listen.  Most of us have a burning wreck of something in our past and we try to prevent other people from making those same mistakes. 

 

[HDMan]

Finished the inside:

 
What's the go with the Khozmo, is it supposed to have little pops/crackling inbetween steps while turning the knob? I think I remember someone else having this problem with there's in another thread.

 

[sachu]

must say..you really did a good job there..definitely had my doubts on this turning out ok, let alone as nice as it looks. enjoy

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Finished the inside:

 
What's the go with the Khozmo, is it supposed to have little pops/crackling inbetween steps while turning the knob? I think I remember someone else having this problem with there's in another thread.

 
Doesn't look too shabby at all HDMan, well done fitting it all in that chassis.
 
With regards to your problem and solution...... etiquette dictates you describe what the problem was, and how you fixed it. Next person with the same problem can read your post, rather than bothering Kevin.

 

[kevin gilmore]

Lets see, correctly assembled, correctly wired, correctly grounded.
And it works.
 
Looks good to me.
 
Much bigger pictures are required.

 

[HDMan]

Quote:

 
Doesn't look too shabby at all HDMan, well done fitting it all in that chassis.
 
With regards to your problem and solution...... etiquette dictates you describe what the problem was, and how you fixed it. Next person with the same problem can read your post, rather than bothering Kevin.

 
Well I don't know if it is a problem/solution that will help others, but I accidentaly shorted the circuit, testing it while it was out of the case. After numerous attempts firing the bad channel board up to locate the problem, I then started to notice that the .47uf/50v resistors were colouring a dark colour. It is very difficult testing capacitors and transistors in circuit it seems.
 
Not boasting, but it would seem that actualy first time round all components were correctly mounted (accept for the heatsinks) (then I shorted the circuit, I think it was cause of the heatsinks not being mounted properly). Not bad for a first attempt, the only other time I had ever soldered was with my headphones to do a recable. I am mechanicaly minded though, spent many hours under the hood of my car. I probably should have done some practice soldering first, but I figured that I had some spare PSU boards anyway, so I started with the PSU first. Watched a few youtube vids from some professionals, crash course, lol. (don't try this at home kiddies)
 
Quote:

Lets see, correctly assembled, correctly wired, correctly grounded.
And it works.
 
Looks good to me.
 
Much bigger pictures are required.

 
Thanks Kevin, good to know I got the basics right.
 
 
Can you give some insight into the version I built. It is the IXTP01N100D optional current source, with the all out 500v PSU (It was a bit ambitious). I know that many others are using the 500v PSU for the off board version. I can build a 450v PSU, replace it and use the 500v for the next off board build. The heat doesn't seem outrageous to me, although you may know more about the longevity of the parts at that temperature.
 
How does it differ from the 450v and how does the IXTP01N100D differ from the 2SA1968, someone was saying the 2SA1968 sound sweeter? I may use that transistor next time round.

 

[johnwmclean]

I think Kevin said the 2SA1968’s sounded sweeter, although the ixys run at higher voltage thus a larger voltage swing. BTW the 2SA1968 is discontinued and rare as hens teeth.
 
Congrats HDMan on a great build,