[kawhia]

I just stumbled in here after a long while and learned these sad news this is terrible news. My condolences to Tomas‘ family and close friends…
I ordered a silver citadel in Feb 2022. Tomas was super helpful and forthcoming to answer any of my stupid questions. After quite some back and forth I decided otherwise and went a different way with my amp. Tomas was very understanding and professional when I told him I wanted to do something else. The citadel I didn’t order in the end was earmarked for September 2022. this makes me sad
Rest in peace Tomas.
Tack.

 

[Isaacc7]

When I first started talking to Tomas about my amp I mentioned that I had all sorts of drive available from my preamp. He said that if that is the case we could actually skip the input tubes altogether. Apparently he made an amps like that for someone primarily using it with synthesizers. They can have quite hot outputs of 10v or even 12v. I wonder if that person hangs out here on head-Fi.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Speaking of Oblivion, anyone here that also opt with 6.3mm output? I just want to share a bit about Oblivion SE Mode.

When Oblivion switched to Single Ended mode (by toggle at the back), all output become single ended, include pre amp, speaker amp, and xlr 4 pin output. However, the amp itself still running fully balance and push pull. Even the output power also exactly the same. When I switched from SE mode to fully balance mode, I don't need to adjust the volume at all.

I asked my friend who know a lot about amp building, and he said that it is actually possible for tube amp to do this (not possible with solid state amp). I'm still not sure what the theory behind this, but I think it is really fascinating.

 

[UntilThen]

My Oblivion doesn't have 6.3mm output. Something I wish I had so I can plug my Grado phones in it. When you plug Grado into Oblivion, is it quiet?

 

[VanHai]

My Oblivion doesn't have 6.3mm output. Something I wish I had so I can plug my Grado phones in it. When you plug Grado into Oblivion, is it quiet?

Same here, i have a low impedance switch on my low profile Oblivion but can not use it due to balanced out put. Waiting for my 2 sets of shipibo and will cut the cords on all my Grados.

 

[baronbeehive]

Speaking of Oblivion, anyone here that also opt with 6.3mm output? I just want to share a bit about Oblivion SE Mode.

When Oblivion switched to Single Ended mode (by toggle at the back), all output become single ended, include pre amp, speaker amp, and xlr 4 pin output. However, the amp itself still running fully balance and push pull. Even the output power also exactly the same. When I switched from SE mode to fully balance mode, I don't need to adjust the volume at all.

I asked my friend who know a lot about amp building, and he said that it is actually possible for tube amp to do this (not possible with solid state amp). I'm still not sure what the theory behind this, but I think it is really fascinating.

Not sure about this, it is either single ended or balanced, it can't be single ended and balanced at the same time. I don't know about Oblivion but it may be that either the 6.3mm output is balanced or that the XLR can output single ended by only having one side outputting through the XLR's.

Edit: I think I see what's happened. Sonic wouldn't have added SE wiring to the balanced output stage, what he did was just to provide a 6.3mm jack for convenience. If the jack was single ended, not the output stage, then only one side of the balanced output would come out of the jack.

 

[LoryWiv]

Same here, i have a low impedance switch on my low profile Oblivion but can not use it due to balanced out put. Waiting for my 2 sets of shipibo and will cut the cords on all my Grados.

I'll bite: what is shipibo?

 

[VanHai]

I'll bite: what is shipibo?

A company name nyczaj (formerly shipibo) from Poland. He makes gimbals and rodblocks that more study and better quality than Grado stocks. I will upgrade my Grados headphones with these hardware.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Probably what was done with the single ended output - the balanced output transformers are wired balanced on the primary, and there is a switch to change from balanced to single-ended on the secondary. This is done by grounding one end of the transformer winding.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

My Oblivion doesn't have 6.3mm output. Something I wish I had so I can plug my Grado phones in it. When you plug Grado into Oblivion, is it quiet?

No hissing at all with Grado. Oblivion is the most "silent" tube amp I ever tried.

Not sure about this, it is either single ended or balanced, it can't be single ended and balanced at the same time. I don't know about Oblivion but it may be that either the 6.3mm output is balanced or that the XLR can output single ended by only having one side outputting through the XLR's.

Edit: I think I see what's happened. Sonic wouldn't have added SE wiring to the balanced output stage, what he did was just to provide a 6.3mm jack for convenience. If the jack was single ended, not the output stage, then only one side of the balanced output would come out of the jack.

Yeah I couldn't believe what I read too at first. This information wrote down in Oblivion manual instruction (that the amp still running in balance push pull regardless the output plug).

Probably what was done with the single ended output - the balanced output transformers are wired balanced on the primary, and there is a switch to change from balanced to single-ended on the secondary. This is done by grounding one end of the transformer winding.

Thanks for the knowledge!

 

[UntilThen]

No hissing at all with Grado. Oblivion is the most "silent" tube amp I ever tried.

I'm kicking myself now for not having a 6.3mm output in my Oblivion.

 

[Isaacc7]

I might actually get a pair of headphones soon lol. They will mostly be for sparing my housemates my bleeps and bloops as I learn analog synthesis. It got me wondering how Tomas designed the output circuit for headphones. My amp is absurdly powered for headphones, I assume he put in some resistors to soak up extra output power. For those of you with both headphone and speaker connections, do you know how he wired them up?

 

[UntilThen]

I assume he put in some resistors to soak up extra output power.

He does that in Odyssey but it still have trememdous power for Susvara, a most inefficient headphone. 83db and 60 ohms.

 

[UntilThen]

I might actually get a pair of headphones soon lol.

You can use the speaker taps to connect your headphones. It won't blow the headphone if you turn up the volume gently. You will be surprised how good it sound. I have use it with Beyer T1 v2, HD650 and Verite Open.

This is the cable. You can have it terminated in xlr or 6.3mm

 

[Isaacc7]

You can use the speaker taps to connect your headphones. It won't blow the headphone if you turn up the volume gently. You will be surprised how good it sound. I have use it with Beyer T1 v2, HD650 and Verite Open.

This is the cable. You can have it terminated in xlr or 6.3mm

I had him put a standard headphone jack on the amp. Depending on the tubes I'm running, I could have up to 30 watts of output power. Really don't want to hook headphones up to my speaker outputs!