[kunwar]

Hi

This thread is aimed at MAD Ear+ owners who have gone on to make upgrades to the original amp.
I bought the 25th edition special which had some components that were slightly different to the HD and standard model.
These were namely Russian Paper-Oil capacitor.
Hexfreds were added when Dr. Lloyd upgraded the power supply for use here down under.
What I wanted to know was would there be much difference if I used Auricaps instead of the Paper -Oil capacitors.
Also how much difference would Black Gates make to the sound as such?
Does changing the resistors to the Caddock Metal Film variety help.
please advise.


Cheers
Kunwar

 

[TonyTripleA]

Hi Kunwar mate,

I'd also be interested to know if anyone here has heard both your anniversary edition and the standard ear+ and ear+HD and what differences might exist?

Lookin' forward to hearin' that amp!

Cheers,

TonyAAA

 

[kunwar]

I think the only one who might have heard all three would be Dr. Lloyd Peppard himself.
As for differences Some people believe that Paper Oil capacitors believe that they are the best you can get in terms of souond quality.
Although in a reamp Dr P. regards the Auricaps highly.

So for now that would be it.
if anyone else has any views
Please do tell.
Cheers
Kunwar

 

[Mikey01]

I own two Ear+ units. One is currently being modded, all five phases outlined in the link below. Plus another substantial phase number six is being done to it. I am going to call it the "EAR+ EXTREME", as it goes way beyond an Ear+ HD unit in sound and internal construction. You should be able to read a review in about a month on the finished product. Super detail, super warmth, super everything and very heavy duty. Follow this link for basic modding. It is a good one (http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...modding+Ear%2B). Tube rolling does only so much in the standard Ear+ but after modding, tuberolling becomes a joy. Even cheap Russian tubes become musical. And with the Ear+ you only have one tube that needs rolling, so it is cost effective. The other two tubes do not change the sound any. The Ear+ is one of the very great tube headphone amps you can buy. Dr. Peppard has done an excellent job in it's implimentation of design and construction. The Ear+ is very nicely priced too. And it is an even better value because of all the modding you can do to it, and very cheaply, if you do it yourself.

 

[robert]

oil/paper caps seem to be a love 'em or hate 'em thing. i was vacillating between the 25th and an HD kit. by the time i decided, the 25th was gone. i asked the Dr. for some mods (no LED, rear power switch, BG heater PS cap). the Purist is also neither stock nor standard mods; almost an HD. i prefer the Alps pot to the Noble stepped.

a really nice 5751 does sound better. my preference is a GE black plate 3 mica. next is Sylvania. last is the RCA. on the other hand, the RCA 12B4A has such nice big heaters. doesn't seem to affect the sound. folks on diyaudio have measured the tube. universally agree it's dead flat. (one Simon Busbridge built an amp using them PP. headwize has the thread. he also built a SET amp with a direct heated triode normally used to drive AM radio station transmitters.)

looking at the schematic, it's hard to see how one could build a simpler circuit. the classic definition of an amplifier is 'a straight wire with gain'. this amp has one gain stage. no feedback. transformers, yes; but i'm not going to connect my head to 300 volts, nope.

if i hit the lotto here's what i'll do with one of them: have a chassis fabbed from 1/4" aluminum plate, such that the pot sits about where the left 12B4A is, the 5751 is at the right 12B4A, and the 12B4As lined up centered. the knob is off center left on an extension rod. top plate needs about 1/2" more width. lines from the input jacks stay away from the output trans and high voltage hash of the tubes.

 

[kunwar]

Yep, robert I bought the 25th
sorry sbout that
anyway You are quite right as far as this amp being simple goes.
I mean an amp should add nothing to the sound. just clean the signal path and provide more power to the circuit as such.
if an amp does that I am perfectly happy with it.
I personally am using a philips Miniwatt which is quite fantastic and musical.
it provides superb gain and a clean sound.
I am putting the auricaps in soon along with upgraded blackgates and changing some of the resistors.
this should basically bring it on par witht the best models out there as far as the MAD ear+ is concerened.
I don't need another tube amp after this.