[Towert7]

Thanks for the info.

 

[immtbiker]

For you, Drew...of course.

Your and your photography were sadly missed. The room just isn"t the same with out Mr and Mrs. Towert 4 and 5.
Please don't do that again, dude.

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Doug /img/forum/go_quote.gif no though both the KGSS and eXStatA are DC-coupled, they do not have anywhere close to the voltage swing of the BH

There will be a new version of the KGSS which will equal or even surpass the BH in terms of output power. There is also a new SS amp in the works will make the BH look like it is starved for power. You would have to be certifiable to build it though as we are fast approaching +/-1kV supply voltages here (the BH is +/-400V) plus the amount of heat involved.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just thinkin'... Are there any solid-state electrostatic amps out there that are as "great" (whatever that is) as the Blue Hawaii?

You need to head on over to the Stax thread and do some reading/searching. That thread is one of the best sources of Stax and 'stat-related information that you will find anywhere.

 

[davidhunternyc]

^^^ Thanks, I just started reading last night the Stax thread.

In terms of voltage swings and power, I am wondering about something. Let's take music that most of know here, such as Berlioz's - Symphonie Fantastique or Stravinsky's - Rite of Spring. These two pieces of music have very large, fast, loud, and complex musical passages. On a lot of headphones, when these passages are reached, the music tends to get smeared and congested. I can almost hear the sound becoming one homogenous indeterminate plain of noise on the surface of the headphone's diaphragm. Obviously, a lot of this has to do with the headphones themselves, but I often wonder how much of this has to do with the amplifier. I am wondering, with top-flight headphones, if the voltage swings on the Blue Hawaii are meant to alleviate this problem. On these loud, complex passages of music, does the sound stay open and clean, with each instrument delineated and positioned in space?

 

[pabbi1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Doug /img/forum/go_quote.gif no though both the KGSS and eXStatA are DC-coupled, they do not have anywhere close to the voltage swing of the BH

Vpp is not the end all measure for a great amp. I decided to no longer live with a BH and kept the eXStata. Ceteris paribus, there are tradeoffs to both the BH (expensive glass) and eXStatA (voltage swing, aka Vpp). The eXStatA _can_ swing about 1300 Vpp (with a 350v psu) where BH is about 1800Vpp - but, having spent years with the BH and about 8 months with eXStatA, I am yet to hear where this has any audible impact.

Note I made my choice, having built both.

That is the pity of headfi meets being notoriously poor listening venues - true head to head comparisons really cannot be made fairly, due to the time constraints of not rotating through enough music. Sure, one or two reference cuts tell you something, but nowhere near enough data to definitively say X <=> Y (or Z).

 

[Towert7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif For you, Drew...of course. Your and your photography were sadly missed. The room just isn"t the same with out Mr and Mrs. Towert 4 and 5. Please don't do that again, dude.

Aww.

I missed not being able to come, but the forces that be didn't want to this year.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif There will be a new version of the KGSS which will equal or even surpass the BH in terms of output power.

What's the name (or codename) of this new amp? Is it public knowledge?

 

[El_Doug]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is also a new SS amp in the works will make the BH look like it is starved for power. You would have to be certifiable to build it though as we are fast approaching +/-1kV supply voltages here (the BH is +/-400V) plus the amount of heat involved.

If you guys need any funding to prototype, let me know - I cannot tell you how excited I am about this amp, and I realize that these ultra-rare high voltage transistors can get expensive

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Doug /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you guys need any funding to prototype, let me know - I cannot tell you how excited I am about this amp, and I realize that these ultra-rare high voltage transistors can get expensive

there is also Kevin's new tube amp. To get excited about too.(electrostatic )

 

[immtbiker]

The 2 aren't one in the same?

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif What's the name (or codename) of this new amp? Is it public knowledge?

It's still under wraps mostly due to issues with making sure anybody besides us can build it. Unlike tubes, high voltage transistors are scarce and go in and out of production all the time. It has been problematic to come up with a design which uses parts that will be available two years from now. This is what "killed" the Dynahi as shortly after Kevin released it, Toshiba pulled the plug on most of the transistors used.

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Doug /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you guys need any funding to prototype, let me know - I cannot tell you how excited I am about this amp, and I realize that these ultra-rare high voltage transistors can get expensive

We are more then able to fund our own madness...

The transistors are expensive but the kick really comes when you have to match them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by markmaxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif there is also Kevin's new tube amp. To get excited about too.(electrostatic )

It you are talking about the T2 then the PSU is Kevin's but the amp is a faithful copy of the Stax design down to the last component value. It's also built with permission from Stax given that there will only be a handful made (10 or so) and the design is never sold commercially. There will be at least one of these amps at CanJam.

Kevin also has another tube amp which uses all directly heater triodes in a rather clever circuit. That design is kept under wraps as there are plenty of "highly regarded" MOT's here dishonest enough to try and steal these designs and try to pass them off as their own. We have already experienced this with the T2DIY project.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kevin also has another tube amp which uses all directly heater triodes in a rather clever circuit. That design is kept under wraps as there are plenty of "highly regarded" MOT's here dishonest enough to try and steal these designs and try to pass them off as their own. We have already experienced this with the T2DIY project.

What kind of world do we live in?

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif What kind of world do we live in?

Sucks doesn't it?

 

[tyrion]

I'm a little late to the game. I'm still recovering from Saturday night. Aaron, great job with the meet. It was good to see you and some of the other guys I haven't seen in a while. A little off topic, but the weather sucks up there. It was great to be back in sunny and warm Florida. Kerry, the BH you built for Aaron is as good as they get. It was great seeing Fang, Fei Fei, Jack Wu and Craig (and his assistant, sorry forgot your name). There were a couple of other MOTs I didn't make it to that I'm sure would have spoken to me had I made it over. There also was the other one that acted as if I didn't exist but you can't be loved by everyone.

There was a ton of great gear as is the case at all the meets I've been to. I spent most of my time listening to Craig's TWag cable for the JH13 with Pico Slim 0000 that Justin sent to me for the meet. The Slim is as good as a portable gets and with the JH13 and TWag, it was scary good.

Fang's HE-5 out of the matching amp was excellent and better than I remembered it the last time I heard it at CJ '09. If I didn't have so much invested in my Blue Hawaii and SR-Omega's I would consider it for a second set up. The Hifiman 801 (not sure about the name) is an excellent audiphile player. I might consider one when the ALAC issues are worked out

The only Woo gear I listened to was el doug's maxxed WES. If I didn't have the BH and had the extra $, the WES might be my next amp. It was great with the Yikes Jade and my SR-Omega.

Spent a little time with JP's Exstata and it was better than I expected it to be. I think I might prefer it to a KGSS but I won't go quite that far without hearing them both in non meet conditions.

Who did I leave out? Oh yeah, the guy that didn't acknowledge my existence. Needless to say, I didn't try out any of his gear.

Aaron, thanks again for a great time.