[Orpheus]

hey... just thought i'd share.

at first i was begging pinkfloyd to build me a xfeed with a bypass switch, but he kept insisting that the switch would result in lower sound fidelity. but he finally caved in and built me a version with top-nothc components and a switch with SILVER contacts!--he said it would be the only switch he could live with.

so anyway, here's my unit:

but i guess now everyone wants the bypass switch cause it's easier to do a-b comparing.... so now he makes this:

now i think that's the best thing that has happened to the pinkfloyd xfeed! the effect of the xfeed was so subtle, i could sometimes hardly tell it was on.... but the switch makes it much easier to hear the effects.

great stuff!

though, honestly, now i leave it engaged all the time cause the xfeed really doesn't change the sound... just the stereo positioning.

but anyway... letting you guys know. so, if before you didn't buy it cause you didn't like the fact that there's no way to bypass it without totally disconnecting it, well, there's no excuse now!

 

[Sovkiller]

Hey that's mine...I thought it was an exclusive Sovkiller/Aniversary Edition based on the case for the aniversay edition, and I just requested to add the switch....let's see if I can find other pics from it....

 

[ooheadsoo]

Oh no, not another piece of gear to lust for!

 

[kartik]

I'm not so sure. I bought the X-feed version something (I forget which) and was really disappointed even with a rockin's source and amp combo and silver cabling throughout. Unless you are a crossfeed person, this might not be your cup of tea. It certainly wasn't mine. It is well made and Pinkfloyd is a great guy but I found the x-feed seriously lacking in bass and made the presentation too confusing IMHO to be of any use. I went back to the amp-adaptor and the straight cable and was fine. I guess I am a straight guy not a crosser.

(kidding, no flames please!)

 

[PinkFloyd]

LOL..... my god news gets out fast!! Sovkiller is correct... the X-Feed on the right of the 2 pictured at http://www.rock-grotto.co.uk/x-feed.htm is his

The one pictured on the left is Sovkillers prototype (ie the switch was too close to the RCA's so I had to make another one with better spacing)

So..... they are both Sovkillers, in effect

I've named this new X-Feed " X-Feed-S" can either be "X-Feed-Sovkiller" or "X-Feed-Switched"

As discussed in the e-mail Sovkiller.... you are the first person to own one of these and your X-Feed-S is number 1. I'ts packaged up and will be with you next week..... I'll send it tomorrow. I burnt it in for 4 hours and it's sounding superb, you'll be very happy with it.

Pinkie.

 

[Orpheus]

Quote:

It is well made and Pinkfloyd is a great guy but I found the x-feed seriously lacking in bass and made the presentation too confusing IMHO to be of any use.

you're kidding!!! i can't hear a dang difference between it engaged and bypassed! i mean, besides the very subtle crossfeed. i mean, no difference whatsoever. bass, midrange, hi-end.... it's all the same bypass or engaged.

 

[kartik]

Quote:

Originally posted by Orpheus you're kidding!!! i can't hear a dang difference between it engaged and bypassed! i mean, besides the very subtle crossfeed. i mean, no difference whatsoever. bass, midrange, hi-end.... it's all the same bypass or engaged.

One man's meat...
I am not trying to condemn the product. I like pinfloyd and I'm sure that there is a substantial improvement in most systems. There are two possibilities. Firstly, my system isn't evolved enough to benefit from cross-feed or secondly, that my brain is already crossfeeding enough internally to not need an external crossfeed filter. I am objectively sure that in my hands the sound was definitely inferior with the filter as I have previoulsy described. I am not generalising to other people or other systems. Just voicing my personal opinon.

 

[Orpheus]

hmm.... interesting. is it possible yours was defective? cause i swear.... i really can't hear any difference. i really find it hard to believe that if there is an audible difference in tonal balance, that it would be so great. but at the same time i trust you ears too....... so i think it's more possible that something else was wrong with your unit.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by kartik I'm not so sure. I bought the X-feed version something (I forget which) and was really disappointed even with a rockin's source and amp combo and silver cabling throughout. Unless you are a crossfeed person, this might not be your cup of tea. It certainly wasn't mine. It is well made and Pinkfloyd is a great guy but I found the x-feed seriously lacking in bass and made the presentation too confusing IMHO to be of any use. I went back to the amp-adaptor and the straight cable and was fine. I guess I am a straight guy not a crosser. (kidding, no flames please!)

Hi Kartik,

I offered to send you a new one in the original X-Feed thread as I was "really" concerned that you found the X-Feed to be "seriously lacking in bass" because bass is unaffected by the X-Feed...... I assumed, at the time, that your X-Feed must have been faulty and you said you'd give it some time to burn in etc.... why didn't you get back to me and take me up on my offer?

I quote your original comments and my response at:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...5&pagenumber=9


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by kartik
I just got my X-feed Mk4. I wonder what is the burn in time on the x-feed, because as of about 20 hours of listening I am not overwhelmed. If anything the soundstage appears much smaller and focussed. There also seems to be a significant dimunition of both the top end as well as the bottom. Just using the ADDAC passthrough of my sharp amp sounds better than using the X-feed. Any opiinons?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Hi Kartik,

Firstly, it's not a MK4 you've got it's a MK111... I sent it to you on the 11th August.

Secondly, I'm very disappointed to hear that your X-Feed is not up to standard, there should be no Diminution to either the bass or treble and certainly no "significant" reduction in frequencies.

The soundstage "will" appear more focused and slightly forward out of the head...... this is normal and what crossfeed aims to acheive.

You're the first person to be underwhelmed and, as such, that's a concern to me as usually the X-Feed is very well received. If you send it back to me I'll check it out for myself and you can either have a refund or a MK4 sent to you. PM me and we can make arrangements for it to fly back to the UK

All the best.

Mike.


That offer still stands and I assure you the bass is "totally" unaffected by the X-Feed. If you send me your X-Feed back I'll either replace it or give you a full refund..... whatever you choose.

Mike.

 

[kartik]

Quote:

Originally posted by PinkFloyd Hi Kartik, I offered to send you a new one in the original X-Feed thread as I was "really" concerned that you found the X-Feed to be "seriously lacking in bass" because bass is unaffected by the X-Feed...... I assumed, at the time, that your X-Feed must have been faulty and you said you'd give it some time to burn in etc.... why didn't you get back to me and take me up on my offer? I quote your original comments and my response at: http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...5&pagenumber=9 quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by kartik I just got my X-feed Mk4. I wonder what is the burn in time on the x-feed, because as of about 20 hours of listening I am not overwhelmed. If anything the soundstage appears much smaller and focussed. There also seems to be a significant dimunition of both the top end as well as the bottom. Just using the ADDAC passthrough of my sharp amp sounds better than using the X-feed. Any opiinons? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Kartik, Firstly, it's not a MK4 you've got it's a MK111... I sent it to you on the 11th August. Secondly, I'm very disappointed to hear that your X-Feed is not up to standard, there should be no Diminution to either the bass or treble and certainly no "significant" reduction in frequencies. The soundstage "will" appear more focused and slightly forward out of the head...... this is normal and what crossfeed aims to acheive. You're the first person to be underwhelmed and, as such, that's a concern to me as usually the X-Feed is very well received. If you send it back to me I'll check it out for myself and you can either have a refund or a MK4 sent to you. PM me and we can make arrangements for it to fly back to the UK All the best. Mike. That offer still stands and I assure you the bass is "totally" unaffected by the X-Feed. If you send me your X-Feed back I'll either replace it or give you a full refund..... whatever you choose. Mike.

I think all of you are getting the wrong end of the stick.
1. The reason I didn't take you up on your offer is because I AM really satisfied with my system as such. It sounds good to MY ears. However, I may need to share my system with others and for THEIR benefit decided to keep the X-feed as is.
2. I think that my assessment of the x-feed is a personal experience and stems from the world consisting of two kinds of people, those that can listen to crossfed sounds and those that can't. I belong to the second group.
The only reason I posted is to warn people who unknowingly belong to the second group to realise that if they are disappointed with the crossfeed that it is not because of the product, but because it is possible crossfeed is not for them. I have no personal animus against either the product or the people who appreciate it.
Importantly since my Xfeed was well packed and the sound was getting thorugh appropriately, I wuld be hard-pressed to figure out what specific defect this individual device had. I am sure there is little variation in Mike's quality control and being handmade and tested by him see little point in branding it as defective. I think that this is a device targetted to a spcific kind of listener. I don't think I am one of those. The difference is just like convincing a vinyl guy how he needs to move over to CDs. He will probably do it but never really like it. And he will say so.
IMHO rather than spending pots of money upgrading your amp or buying an enormously expensive cross-feed device, the X-feed is an excellent choice. The real question I pose is whether crossfeed is for you?

 

[tortie]

Quote:

Originally posted by Orpheus you're kidding!!! i can't hear a dang difference between it engaged and bypassed! i mean, besides the very subtle crossfeed. i mean, no difference whatsoever. bass, midrange, hi-end.... it's all the same bypass or engaged.... i really can't hear any difference.

Yes, I agree, the Xfeeds effects are virtually undistinguishable IMO, especially if you A/B the xfeed version without the switch.

BTW a question to some of the guys with switches on their xfeed: do you hear a very slight decrease in volume when you turn the xfeed on? Because I can hear some in mine. Is this normal Pink?

edit: There is a small decrease in volume but no difference in tonal balance.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by tortie Yes, I agree, the Xfeeds effects are virtually undistinguishable IMO, especially if you A/B the xfeed version without the switch. BTW a question to some of the guys with switches on their xfeed: do you hear a very slight decrease in volume when you turn the xfeed on? Because I can hear some in mine. Is this normal Pink? edit: There is a small decrease in volume but no difference in tonal balance.

Hiya Tortie!

I'm confused now! You've got an X-Feed "without" a switch but you can hear a very slight decrease in volume? Let me understand, you listen with the X-Feed in the circuit and then you unplug it and listen without it?

I can detect a minute change (negligible) but have always put that down to the soundstage tightening up as opposed to a drop in volume level.

Remember..... the X-Feed is in the circuit to make headphone listening more natural so there "will" be subtle changes to the presentation.... if there was no change then it wouldn't be doing its job

If you perceive it as a slight decrease in volume then just turn the volume up a notch.... no probs.

Mike.

 

[tortie]

I used to have an xfeed without the switch. I sold it & got an Xfeed circuit. I now have that circuit built-in my switchbox with its own switch.

Actually my xfeed is never turned off

But when I tested it to see if I can hear some sonic differences, I noticed the slight decrease in volume.

 

[tommyatkins]

Regarding Crossfeed and bass:

Quote:

"The only thing that might dissuade you from calling the Meier crossfeed transparent is a slight perceived bass drop when moving from the stereo position to crossfeed positions. Meier says this is a psychoacoustic phenomenon. Bass frequencies simply seem "louder" when they're heard exclusively in one channel or the other. To test this theory, Meier recommends switching while playing a mono recordings. I couldn't find any in my own collection, but I'll take his word for it."

- From Kelly's Corda Prehead-1 Preamp/Headphone Amplifier Review

Perhaps this is a contributing factor?

 

[PinkFloyd]

Probably the best example (and most noticeable) of what X-Feed does can be heard on track 3 ("Flying") of the Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" album.

Without X-Feed in the circuit you will hear the Bass guitar only in your left ear (same goes for track 4 "Blue Jay Way")

As you know........ bass is not directional ie: it is heard naturally by both ears in the real world ..... to hear it in one ear only would require you to place a cork in the other ear. (not natural)

Listen to those 2 tracks again with X-Feed and you'll notice just how "strong" the X-Feed effect is...... bass is in both ears, where it should be. The word "subtle" has been used to describe the X-Feed and that's because it will remain "subtle" with recordings that don't need it......

When crossfeed is required though, it will kick in like a mule. This is where X-Feed comes into its own. I urge anybody who owns an X-Feed to listen to this particular recording with and without it.

It works