[eddy]

I am really looking forward to reading your final opinions on this amp, I can't wait for my kit to be delivered (order confirmed last week, should be here fairly soon). I think my first upgrade may be to replace the enclosures

Anyway, I am eagerly awaiting the final report.

Regards

ed

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by eddy I am really looking forward to reading your final opinions on this amp, I can't wait for my kit to be delivered (order confirmed last week, should be here fairly soon). I think my first upgrade may be to replace the enclosures Anyway, I am eagerly awaiting the final report. Regards ed

The enclosures are, without a doubt, the weakest link but I'm glad they are as they play no part in the overall sound.

Having said that, a few cans of spray paint can do wonders

I bought the enclosures with the kit as they can be used as an accurate template for future "exotic" enclosures

Mike.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by wordsworth Can't wait to hear your review mike. It is also good to see you can still get a bargin in the UK Mark

It "sounds" like a bargain Mark but remember you have to build it yourself. If you take your work into account (labour costs) it doesn't seem such a bargain.

If you already possess the tools, the skills and the time then it can be classed as a "bargain"..... if not, it may not be the bargain you bargained on )

Your £200 buys you a jigsaw puzzle...... you have to know how to make sense of the puzzle

Mike.

 

[wordsworth]

Definetly take your point about the expensive of needing the right tools, having the time and at least havind a smattering of skill and if you are like me it can be a problem. Though Shuan at William Hart will build it for you though it takes the cost to £300 (about $465) which is then quite a bit of cash.

Mark

 

[PinkFloyd]

http://freespace.virgin.net/borders.break/warmup.htm here I have listed the four stages of the Chiarra burn in period and I'm still not sure it's fully burnt in yet!

Pinkie

 

[wordsworth]

Not sure if any one is interested but I found a comparison review of the Chiarra amp by someone who visits head-fi though I don't know what there user name is on here.

Quote:

Quick Comparison By Ross Blackman ...assuming you aren't looking for a tube amp (in which case the Earmax Pro is the best tube amp I've heard), I have found the Headline/Hicap, Headroom Maxed Out Home, Ben Duncan Phones 01 and Williams Hart (or whatever it's now called) to all be at a very high standard with HD600s, and any variations are really down to individual tastes. In a Naim system, the Headline/Hicap is hard to beat, for sound quality, system synergy, aesthetic synergy, and an absence of cable worries. I also have a great fondness for the Hart amp, partly because I built it myself, and partly because it just sounds sensational (although it has been slightly modified by replacing the standard op amp with a Burr Brown 604). However, I could live with any of these amps. I should add that I haven't heard the Creek or Rega amps, but the vibe I get from head.fi is that they're not as good. The Musical Fidelity X-Cans is a piece of crap and to be avoided - like most MF products. My recommendations, in summary, are: 1. If you prefer tubes - and for headphones, tube sound can be very pleasant - buy an Earmax Pro. (The Hi Fi World HD83 kit is a good and cheaper alternative; marginally below the EMP in terms of sound quality, but only available as a kit, and I found it a real bitch to build.) 2. If you have a Naim system: a Headline and either a Hicap or new NAPSC. (I will be interested to hear whether the APX2 is better than the Hicap when it arrives.) 3. If you're handy with a soldering iron the Williams Hart Chiara/Andante is excellent. 4. If you don't have a Naim system, don't like tubes and don't know which is the hot end of a soldering iron (and especially if you live in the US) the Headroom Max and Maxed Out Home are excellent. As an alternative to 4, if you live in Europe you should try the Corda HA-2. I haven't heard it, but I have an HA-1 (which is excellent at the price), and the HA-2 is said to be much better. I will probably be buying the HA-2 or Prehead (the same amp with four inputs and a preamp output) later in the year. Ross

It puts the Chiarra amp in good company and against more expensive competitors.

Wordsworth

 

[wordsworth]

Its seems that both PinkFloyd and Nigel made comments on the thread the quote was taken from so they have already seen the comparison, though for me it is good to see the type of league one person puts the chiarra amp in.

Wordsworth

 

[PinkFloyd]

It is certainly better sounding than any of the commercially available amps I have heard. It's fun to build, cheap (as things these days go) and sounds absolutely first class.

It is effortless, revealing and I love it!

Pinkie.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Has your kit arrived yet Eddy?? When it does then let me know as I will send you pictures of how to omit the balance control from the circuit. It really does improve the sound and if you want to omit the balance control then let shaun know and he will make sure the hole for the balance control is not pre-drilled...... looks better without a gaping hole staring you in the face

I've changed the capacitors to Panasonic FC varieties but the dubilier varieties that come with the kit work very well so you may not want to change them.

The LF353 op amp that comes with the kit is an absolute dog of an op amp and I have tried out quite a few alternatives and presently favour the Burr Brown OPA 2132 which sounds awesome in the Chiarra. They are only a couple of quid so it's worth trying the 2132 in place of the LF353.

Apart from those tweaks I've left the rest of the amp well alone as it sounds absolutely superb.

Mike.

 

[eddy]

My kit arrived yesterday and I started assembly last night. So far I have populated the amps PCB with all the components and I am fairly happy with the results (few untidy bits but nothing major). I have just spent the afternoon in the sun spray painting the case, its a hard life

Tonight I plan to populate the PCB for the power supply (atleast partially) and spend some time looking over my soldering again in the hope of spotting any dodgy joints. With a bit of luck I should be in a situation where I can cable up inputs/outputs and mount the boards sometime tomorrow.

I have allready mounted the balance control but would still be interesting in learning details of the modification if its not to much trouble. I hope to swap the cases for some wooden ones once I have finished tinkering so the extra hole is not a big deal.

Thanks again for the advise, the pictures on your site have proved especially useful for double checking component locations (when paranoia kicks in and I convince myself I have gone awry).

Regards

eddy

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by eddy My kit arrived yesterday and I started assembly last night. So far I have populated the amps PCB with all the components and I am fairly happy with the results (few untidy bits but nothing major). I have just spent the afternoon in the sun spray painting the case, its a hard life Tonight I plan to populate the PCB for the power supply (atleast partially) and spend some time looking over my soldering again in the hope of spotting any dodgy joints. With a bit of luck I should be in a situation where I can cable up inputs/outputs and mount the boards sometime tomorrow. I have allready mounted the balance control but would still be interesting in learning details of the modification if its not to much trouble. I hope to swap the cases for some wooden ones once I have finished tinkering so the extra hole is not a big deal. Thanks again for the advise, the pictures on your site have proved especially useful for double checking component locations (when paranoia kicks in and I convince myself I have gone awry). Regards eddy

Hi Eddy,

The balance control is a piece of cake and simply involves removing it and placing a link from both channels to the center
pins. I soldered some solid core copper wire and linked them by solder on the top of the board just in case there was any gain issues and it would make it easy for me to put a resistor between the links without having to strip the board again.

The pictures will explain it better, I'll show you the links on the top of the board and then I'll show you the same pictures with a red line drawn in. If you are going to link on the bottom of the board them place the link where the red lines are.

It sounds so so much better with the balance control removed and I would chuck it in the nearest bin if I were you. I've got quite a bundle of op amps Eddy and I'll donate one to you in place of that awful LF353 thingy

If these pictures don't make sense I can explain further but basically both links go from the outer track to the centre track.... it will be clearer if you look at the board... just join the gaps.

 

[PinkFloyd]

And here it is with the red lines denoting where the link would be if you were placing it on the bottom of the board. You'll notice that I filled my hole with a black blanking off grommet.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Another thing Eddy,

Don't forget to run an earth wire to the ALPS potentiometer. you'll see the marking " E " on the circuit board next to the volume pot. Clamp it between the nut and washer on the pot. I formed a circle with a stripped piece of wire and soldered it so it resembled a round terminal lug.

Anything you need help with then e-mail me.

Mike.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Just thought I'd pop in and give my impression of this superb amp now it has had over 500 hours under its belt.

In a couple of words.......Absolutely incredible. This is the most effortless amp I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. There is nothing I don't like about the sound, I just switch it on and listen to the music and find myself listening for hours on end.

Compared to my upgraded Musical Fidelity X-Can V2 the Chiarra is in a totally different league altogether. The X-Can V2 tried to make music but always sounded as if it was forcing the issue sounding unnatural and highly coloured. The Chiarra doesn't have to resort to cheap tricks it quite simply makes music sound so natural and inviting.

I built one of these kits for Nigel, a fellow head-fi member, and his words just about sum up what this amp is all about. I quote from a recent e-mail:

" Isn't this amp wonderful? It just sounds so right you forget about Headfi & Headwize & Crossfeed filters they don't seem to matter anymore. You just play the music......."

I couldn't have said it better. This amp is quite simply enthralling and I'd class it as streets ahead (by quite some margin) of the majority of the commercially available amps on the market today.

I just cannot understand how the Sugden headmaster can sell for £600 when there are amps like the Chiarra that are available for £200 in kit form... maybe it's because not a lot of people know about the Chiarra or maybe they just don't want to take a chance on a kit amp without having first heard it?

I don't know, but I can honestly say that this amplifier would easily cost in excess of £800 if it was sitting next to the Sugden headmaster in an audio boutique. It is a truly great amplifier designed by the legendary John Linsley Hood and I believe it will soon become a legend in itself once people hear it.

If you've got soldering skills and £207.14 and are looking for the best headphone amp you are likely to hear then I can wholeheartedly recommend the Chiarra amp and andante power supply kits from Williams Hart Electronics. This is British Hi-Fi at it's very best in an affordable kit form and it will truly open your eyes and your ears to what good value and the very best sound quality really means.

Williams Hart: http://users.classicfm.net/williamshart/

Details of my kit: http://freespace.virgin.net/rock.grotto/index2.htm (headphone amp section link)

I have listened for a prolonged period to this amp and my conclusion is final, this headphone amp is the best I have ever heard and I believe it's virtues should be made known to the headphone community.

Pinkie.

 

[Nigel]

Hi Mike,

I thank God everyday that you built this amp for me. It's an undiscovered gem. It cuts through everything, all the crap & just plays music. Beautiful music. Never thought headphone listening would ever soar to these highs.

Talk about value for money.

Nigel