[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... sounds that are on the edge of the soundstage (like the extreme left or right towards the back for example) are very clear, whereas on some amps they become somewhat fuzzy and seem compressed a bit. Not so at this stage with the Reference. It still doesn't have the softer tubier sound of the micro, and probably never will, but it's edge detail (that is what I am calling the sounds on the edge of the soundstage) is better than the micro.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif One thing I noticed was that the music does not compress, which is to me, the sign of a rare amp. As you state there are sounds at the edge of the soundfield that are still clean and clear. I am getting the same thing with depth.

Okay guys, this amp is starting to sound very interesting!

 

[Wildcard30]

Thanks guys for all your impressions of this new Xin amp.

 

[vorlon1]

Having nothing better to do after work today, I prepared to check in with the Reference Amp to see how it was developing and then an idea came over me. Why not figure a way to let people actually hear this amp (at least to some degree). So I plugged my Imod into the amp and then ran a mini to mini out into my computer's sound card. I then recorded 60 seconds of 3 different musical selections with the output from the Reference Amp and my Imod. The cable from the Imod to the amp was an ALO cotton mini to mini and the cable to the computer from the amp was an RnB Diamond Reference. Having done this, I thought, "well let's record the output from other amps so people can hear the differences to the degree recording the output will let them." I then recorded the same material from 3 other amps, the Xin Micro, The SR-71, and the portable TTVJ Millett. I encoded them to high quality VBR mp3s and compressed them into a self-extracting zip file, which you can get from my server here, http://vorlon1.com/ampcomparo.exe

The file is about 13 megabytes and has 12 one minute cuts. WIth each of the four amps there is a Bach Violin Concerto, Eva Cassidy's, "Tall Trees in Georgia," and Diana Krall on her Beatles cover, "And I Love Him." Each mp3 file is named for the artist and the amp for easy identification, such as KrallMicro or EvaSR-71.

I loaded these one minute cuts back on my Imod and listened to them through my home system on a Canamp and K 701. While not sounding precisely the way they do direct from the amp into your headphones, they do capture the flavor of each amp and some of the subtle differences, in my opinion. These differences are more pronounced when heard directly, but this is an attempt to let people hear the subtle differences between these amps for yourselves in the way this medium allows. I hope you guys find it interesting and enjoyable. I have downloaded and tested the file and it is working fine. You may have to make some volume adjustments as I wasn't able to get the volume from each amp exactly equal.

 

[shiezan]

How do I get that file to work on my mac?

 

[vorlon1]

If your mac plays mp3's all you should have to do is download the file and double click it and it will extract the mp3 files, unless there is some mac reason I don't know about that will prevent it.

 

[mrarroyo]

New board is in the house, pic below. Tomorro I will be installing it and starting the burning process all over.

All the latest "sound related functions" are incorporated in it. The only thing it does not have is the blue light since the faceplate in my Reference is the Beta which does not include a separate blue light, instead the switch is lit.

 

[HiFlight]

Great job on the comparison files, Vorlon!!!!

 

[sbulack]

Vorlon1:
An interesting experiment. Given its limitations, I could definitely hear differences between the recordings of the different amps, and get a feel for the kinds of incremental differences that would be involved in listening to each. I'm really glad that you included the TTVJ Millett, because I own that one. My main observation is how beautifully balanced the sound from the SR-71 is. With all three cuts, all three of the other amps had things that I noticed that I loved, AND a few things that I noticed seemed over-, or under- done. Of all of the recordings, the ONE amp for which I got the most transported by such short tracks INTO the music and was not ONCE brought out of it by something under-, or over- done was the SR-71. Just to get a feel for how this method is conveying to us the essence of these amps, is that beauty of balance a distinguishing feature of the sound from the SR-71 direct? A VERY interesting experiment. Thank you so much for setting it up for us. Another act of real generosity from you.

mrarroyo:
What is that red thing with the transparent ends on the cap? Did that come on it, or is that something you added? It certainly is eye-catching. Hopefully, ear-catching too. It's SO great being virtually/vicariously "in on" these developments through your gracious and open-handed sharing of all of it with us.

 

[takezo]

interesting...the smaller cap's been taken out of the circuit...

 

[vorlon1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbulack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Vorlon1: Just to get a feel for how this method is conveying to us the essence of these amps, is that beauty of balance a distinguishing feature of the sound from the SR-71 direct?

The SR-71 sounds even better direct, it has great clarity and balance.

Also, Thank you, Ron.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbulack /img/forum/go_quote.gif mrarroyo: It's SO great being virtually/vicariously "in on" these developments through your gracious and open-handed sharing of all of it with us.

Yes, Miguel is very generous with his time and gear. I'm fortunate we live in the same city.

 

[mrarroyo]

Thanks guys! The red thing was added by Dr. Xin, IMO it was put there because w/o it you can hear the big cap hitting the case.

Good catch on there being one less cap. I guess "less is more".

 

[takezo]

thank you for the files vorlon1...it was unclear if the volume levels were equal
in all four amps as recording was done but i can clearly distinguish the higher
output by the sr-71 and the ref2...the millet being the lowest on that account...

taking into account the limited scope of these listenings, i did notice small
incremental differences between all four amps:

bass-wise, the REF2 is clearly the most salient with amazing texture and
decay...

the mids were dominated by the supermicro with that amazing liquidy tube-like
bloom and velvety quality...the ref2 didn't share that same characteristic...
this was most salient on the krall recordings...

the highs were most sparkling and salient on the sr-71 equaled by the
ref2...incredible texture and space between the notes...

 

[vorlon1]

There were slight differences in the volume I recorded at with each amp, so people will have to adjust their own volume accordingly. When I listened to the playback of the Krall recordings I was thinking what you were, I thought they demonstrated the sophisticated sound qualities of the micro very accurately.

 

[procreate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If your mac plays mp3's all you should have to do is download the file and double click it and it will extract the mp3 files, unless there is some mac reason I don't know about that will prevent it.

It's not the MP3 part, but the .exe part, which is Windows only. Could you make it non self-extracting, i.e. just a regular zip file?

Thanks!

 

[vorlon1]

I'm uploading a zip file called amps.zip. Let me know if it works. Give it about 4 minutes to finish uploading.
http://vorlon1.com/amps.zip