[TheSatelliteGuy]

     A few years ago I called Headroom and told them I thought that one side of my Desktop amp was louder.  They said they never really heard of that but I could send it back and they would check it out. While I was considering sending it in I changed cables, checked connections, changed my source and still the right was louder. It was off center.
   Then I got into Stax and when I had a right and left volume control it all straightened out and I knew that my left ear was not hearing as well as my right. Well once I acknowledged that my hearing was off I could not get away from hearing the problem. What was not to apparent was not a problem that was driving me crazy. All the time, my center was off to the right side. I tried to cut it down with a attenuator. That crapped up the sound. So one day I was in my favorite electronic geek store and saw Hosa stereo female to right (tip) left (ring) mono male. I bought a couple of sets to try a experiment of feeding right into one amp and left into the other. Then joining them back together on the output side. Seeing that I owned about 15 portables I had a blast trying all the different combos.
    My Idea was to have a independent volume control for each side. The Hosa y connectors were a bit bright but for the first time in years I was able to center my sound stage on cans. Boy was I excited. I was now able to have headphones sound like my speakers, balanced.  Because my preamp has right and left controls so I all ways was balanced on my speakers because I set the balance by hearing it. A whole new of awareness of great sound with my  headphones.
    What I did not know my life with portable amps just changed for ever. You see when I went back to using one amp I did not hear a acceptable sound. It was muddled. Definitely not what it use to sound like. What was wrong? I could not figure it out. Spending days changing amps and cans I realized that isolating the signals into one amp for each signal changes the purity of each side. I guess having both signals in one amp they beat against each other and limited the pureness of the signal. The more I changed from one stereo amp to 2 portables giving separate right and left, I realized that when separating the signals the quality went up. I am not going to tell how much it went up because you will not believe it.
    I now have 2 RAS 71a, 2 Headroom micro amps, 2 Xin SM4 maxed, 2 Iqubes and I can not go back to one stereo amp. It may be a bit of grip to stuff into a tiny bag but it is worth it IMO. By separating the signals I not only was able to balance my ears but I now know why high end people go mono block. Ken at ALO has made me a few sets of cables to replace the Hosa and this is bliss. I have also had Kevin at Null audio make me Piccolos and Lune.  I am very busy person so I can not tell all right now but the Hosa cables are about $5 each and you will hear it the second you create your own portable mono block.  Best regards   TheSatelliteGuy

 

[qusp]

interesting story, when balanced it should not make any difference as any bleed would be common and cancelled out. glad you got your bliss on again
 
sounds like you need someone to DIY you an amp or perhaps do it yourself so you dont have to have 2 of everything, should be fairly straight forward to separate everything in the amp if need be

 

[TheSatelliteGuy]

   It is a very interesting elevation of awareness. To listen to a stereo portable amp and the instantly switch to mono block portable, you hear something that sounds more live, more captivating, more head swaying, more everything. To ME it was just another window to go thru. I have had 20 of these windows in my audio life and non of the real cool audio improvement mods, tweaks and finalized of Cd's are ever mentioned on this forum. The sound level that I enjoy is much higher than 80% of anyone that listens to high end audio. It is a real curse. I do not accept anything less than My bliss. I am not one to teach anyone anything about audio. I am only a monk not a missionary. If you want to go I might point the way. Beware you will enjoy your music much much better but will never accept less. BTW Xin and I screwed around with one of my SM5 Maxed. He made one side louder and For Me, I prefer using it mono block portable, anyway. I  was going to send it back to him to make them balanced but did not want to lose it for a couple months. Anyway it will never be used as a stereo amp ever again.  Start with Hosa y connectors. They are a bit bright but the effect is noticeable. You need 2x stereo female to mono male right and left. In and out. $5 each so all you got to do is invest a tensky. If you do not hear a improvement that is noticeable your Cd's are not finalized. If you do nothing to your Cd's you are quite a ways from this level of music listening. If you are not simply removing the Mold Release from Cd's(step #1 to bliss) you will have quite a surprise.   I have used 7 or 8 different brands and I know the Best that raises sound level noticeably. The ball is in your court. Good Day TheSatelliteGuy

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

     I knew that my left ear was not hearing as well as my right. Well once I acknowledged that my hearing was off I could not get away from hearing the problem. What was not to apparent was not a problem that was driving me crazy. All the time, my center was off to the right side.
[snip]
By separating the signals I not only was able to balance my ears but I now know why high end people go mono block.

Gary, it sounds like a ray samuels audio sr71b might do the trick for you as it has 2 volume pots locked together. loosen it up, get it set right for you, lock it down, and now you're in biz with a single amp solution without a lot of extraneous stuff to complicate things. and it's a great little amp to boot!

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Quote:

Quote:

     I knew that my left ear was not hearing as well as my right. Well once I acknowledged that my hearing was off I could not get away from hearing the problem. What was not to apparent was not a problem that was driving me crazy. All the time, my center was off to the right side.
[snip]
By separating the signals I not only was able to balance my ears but I now know why high end people go mono block.

Gary, it sounds like a ray samuels audio sr71b might do the trick for you as it has 2 volume pots locked together. loosen i tup, get it st right for you, lock it down, and now you're in biz with a single amp solution without a lot of extraneous stuff to complicate things. and it's a great little amp to boot!

X2. A balanced amp is essentially two amps in one which are isolated from each other, like your monoblocks. 
 
What is this disc "finalizing" you are talking about? I know there is plenty of snake oil in the audio world, but i also know many things in life defy explanation. 

 

[TheSatelliteGuy]

        Hi George, There are many many steps to bring the best out of discs and gear. If many are done out of order the ability to hear the difference in the sound will be very very slight. When people try these tweaks and they do not instantly hear the change they say that they do not effect the music.  I have heard many many negative comments about tweaks and mods that Supremacists do not hear instantly. One reason is they are trying to hear better sound while their boundaries of awareness are limited by their awareness. The journey is one of raising awareness es and going to much deeper level than you can possibly imagine. The term Grasshopper might help you understand some of this awareness.  
       I have thought of sharing some of what I know on the forum but as one of my pals said to me you can't help someone who is throwing tomato's at you. I have tried about 50 tweaks and mods that all positively make music recorded and live sound better. Some treat the space between your ear and the speaker, some treat the air space around you, some treat the equipment you are using, and some treat the discs we are playing.
      When we listen to a disc we are hearing many things besides sound. This is very very complicated but pleas accept a brief explanation. The laser reads info. That info is then corrected by error correction to make sure it is compared to a sample. What the laser reads on a brand new CD is not very high quality. First it is looking at the info Thur a protective coating called mold release. When you become experienced with removing this coating you are now going to be able to venture on to some wild sound. 
     The coating is like a tint on a car window. It causes a serious veil that limits the quality of what you are hearing and how far you can go in the future. I have tried every product on the market to remove the mold release over 7 years. They all work but not as good as some and not as expensive as others. I am gong to tell you about 2 products that do a perfect job. After you treat about 20 to 30 Cd's you will raise your awareness so far that you will not accept a new CD sound again. 
     The first product is Optic. It is cheap and if it is used correctly will treat a hundred Cd's for under $20. You can buy it from Galen Carrol Audio in Texas for $16 and get his Kimwiper for $4. Do not follow the instructions. Put a spray on the silver side of the CD and rub it around with your index finger. The clear liquid will soon be slightly milky. This is the mold release.Take a Kimwipe and wipe it all off. You do not need 3 sprays and use a wipe to apply. The wipe will absorb the liquid and your finger print is a great abrasive to break the mold release. If you look at the silver like it is a mirror with a light in the reflection you will be seeing the light go from a hazy ball to a much more defined light. I have done this to 500 Cd's and I have seen some go from a golden hue to a silver hue. You can then do it again with much less spray and remove a bit more. I use AudioTop as my second step. This is $100 a bottle. Once again they say put 3 full sprays and use a wipe. This product is a very powerful cleaner that will strip any stain left from step one. I just put a 1 inch wide puff on the CD and take a wipe pulled over my index finger and smir it around. While I work it around I can see it evaporate and leave the most brilliant cd surface that allows the laser to really give better digital reading. As a second step it is very cost effective. It is expensive as a first step. It is made in Switzerland and sold in the US by AAudio in Colorado. 
      I also have noticed that just because you have done a test track and removed the coating and listen again you might not hear any difference. Does that mean nothing happened just that the awareness of the listener hasn't changed to hear the changes. My housekeeper who doesn't even own any equipment came to me and said why do all those new Cd's sound so bad compared to the ones you wrote on. You see I make notes on my Cd's so I know what steps I have applied to them.  I sent a completely modified Cd's and portable amp and modified headphones to a very famous head-fier who promptly sent it back to me and said I hear nothing different. He wouldn't follow my instructions to take his time and tune into the finer vibrations of the sound over a few days.  2 tries, I hear nothing this is bull, snake oil. This is a start. If you do 20 Cd's with Optric only A/B each and every one you will never stop using this step. After this awareness there are 10 more steps that keep opening new windows of thrilling sound enjoyment. 
    The next steps are to get rid of jitter, then eliminate the vibration of the spinning disc which is slightly out of round, then prevent laser light from gettiong back into the CD, removing the silent vibration the spinning disc puts out which actually tightens your eardrum limiting your ability to hear, then strobe the CD to melt the glue and reduce the argon gas bubbles from the dried glue that holds the silver backed label on. I got over 1000 CD Thur this process and when a Grasshopper tells me Bull Crap it does not work, I can only smile and say AH SO Grasshopper maybe over time you will grow to hear a more pretty sound.
     Once this first step of awareness is accomplished reply on this thread and I will give you the next cheap step that will be amazing also. You have to be willing to grow to higher sound awareness. Be Well Gary

 

[TheSatelliteGuy]

Dave, Thanks for telling me about the 71b. Somehow I never knew that it had a split volume control. I own two 71a amps and they sound very good together. I do not think Ray even mentioned it to me. This is cool. More amps more cables more adaptors. 
 
Quote:

Quote:

     I knew that my left ear was not hearing as well as my right. Well once I acknowledged that my hearing was off I could not get away from hearing the problem. What was not to apparent was not a problem that was driving me crazy. All the time, my center was off to the right side.
[snip]
By separating the signals I not only was able to balance my ears but I now know why high end people go mono block.

Gary, it sounds like a ray samuels audio sr71b might do the trick for you as it has 2 volume pots locked together. loosen i tup, get it st right for you, lock it down, and now you're in biz with a single amp solution without a lot of extraneous stuff to complicate things. and it's a great little amp to boot!

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Thanks. I might try Optic sometime. It is very interesting trying to hear differences in things. A/Bing is very hard sometimes, and long term memory might better. A double blind long term test over a few days would be hard to do but very helpful.

 

[TheSatelliteGuy]

I agree with you completely. A/B can be a very difficult thing to perceive. New awareness are achieved by repetition. Optrix is only the tip of the ice burg. The thing is hearing is a very esoteric thing. No matter how far you go there will still be new windows and doors to pass thru. Some times I listen and say wow where did that come from. I start checking everything to see what might be off. Is this thing I am hearing static electricity, is it a cable at the wrong angle to another, is it emf, is it dirty electricity. Many times is is simply me becoming more aware of what I am hearing. For a balance check I take a new CD, go to a high end dealer of audio equipment, use a set of their high end cans and take a listen. I think to myself this sounds like crap. I look at the salesman and say I envoy people who have $200,000 extra to have all this. I quietly leave and say something like maybe someday I will be lucky enough to have this. Thanks, see you in a few months. What I am really thinking is wow my grip really blows the doors off what these people are providing. I do not even bring it up. Why. Simple, When you know it all there is no room or reason to look further. I am a novice in sound improvement am I know people that make me a Grasshopper. I am not a missionary that is looking to re cute anyone to walk the path of music blissness. If someone thinks what whey got is as good as it gets why should I rain on their parade. I leave them alone. If you choose to invest $20 and treat 20 to 30 Cd's. Learn what the first most basic level of awareness is. Know it so well that you can idendify which are not treated then Grasshopper will be ready for step 2. You have to hear what is missing rather than hear what is better. It gets better because what your listening to is filled with crap you are unaware of. There is nothing wrong with this. If it makes you dance like nobody looking, Rock side to side like Ray Charles, then look no further. If you have not lost your sense of adventure and want to find the finner vibrations of music bliss, email me and I will post step 2. Not just you. If any one reads this and wants to know I will share it with them because I have no problem sharing what I have learned with seekers. I have know interest trying to convince anyone. I rather put my ears on and listen to my favorites. Some times it gets so good that I might listen to the same CD 2 or 3 times In a row and be even more enthralled on the third time. In closing all I will say is once you know better you will feel different about what you hear. There will be a specialness to the sound and you will prefer the new awareness. Like who meditates for 5 years and says they feel no more awareness than day one. Only people that do not grow. I would prefer to make the journey than to stay at the same place day after day after day. 
 
Quote:

Thanks. I might try Optic sometime. It is very interesting trying to hear differences in things. A/Bing is very hard sometimes, and long term memory might better. A double blind long term test over a few days would be hard to do but very helpful.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Quote:

Gary, it sounds like a ray samuels audio sr71b might do the trick for you as it has 2 volume pots locked together. loosen it up, get it set right for you, lock it down, and now you're in biz with a single amp solution without a lot of extraneous stuff to complicate things. and it's a great little amp to boot!

Did Ray ever put out a "how-to" on how to adjust the pots?  I haven't opened mine up yet to see if it's real obvious.
 

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

http://www.elusivedisc.com/products.asp?dept=859
 
You might want to check this out if you love good sound, Sattelliteguy. It sounds right up your alley. 
 
As to the treating and tweaking, I am going to wait until my headphone rig is finalized. I am experimenting and switching headphones often these days, and that is not conducive at all for hearing improvements.

 

[TheSatelliteGuy]

Thanks for the tip. I have thought about buying some of these things. The reason I do not is I buy all my discs on amazon used for as cheap as possible like 3 to 5 bucks. My complete finalizing process is about 2 dollars for the 8 steps. After mold release things get wild and I would have to do these steps to make the sound appealing to my ear. At this point mp3 is really fine. All the other crap that I am getting out of the picture has so much impact on the beauty of the sound that investing that mush in a master would not improve the sound to any noticeable amount.
     I think you are dead wrong on what you said about changing cans is not conductive. Switching headphones helps a lot in getting your awareness up. When your real keen and can tell different cables and which tweaks have been applied and you can hear what has not been applied you have a real reference. One of the reasons that you have difficulty in perceiving change like A/Bing is exactly mold release. It detunes everything. Mold release is just like going into the Art Museum with sunglasses on. For me it is as important as washing your windshield on your car. Washing your clothes.Cleaning the scum from soap from your bath. I have gone to a point that I will be anoided with the sound if most of the steps have not been finalized. But that is the place I have grown to over years. I want to be here. If you are happy in wallowing in the realm of mediocrity then enjoy mediocrity.
      The info on a standard cd is plenty good to get what I want to be listening to.If it makes you happy is all that matters. BTW the second I put on my LCD2 and my HE6 I could hear their potential and I knew exactly what to do to bring it out. At first listen I said to myself this is going to be one of my most wonderful tweaks I have ever done. Mow I have tweaked Stax Beyers, Sunns, HE6, Lcd2, Grados, Sony, and much more. Step by step I was able to hear these adjustments transform from seed to flower. It has been a wonderful transformation. I know that if I was to listen to either pair but not up tweaked I would say "man that is not right". Now I am talking about headphone adjustments and your putting CD adjustments of for some reason. As far as your rig is concerned there are tweaks that will adjust ordinary grip into much better grip. 
    However you get your ears on is only important to one person  YOU  enjoy the music and be happy. You have to walk before you can run. Each tweak that I have found valuable was like opening a door. I just could not believe it could get much better. Then lo and behold bam here comes something else and you say I can hear what this relieves or I can hear how that puts to sleep something that was there but I had not defined dit as a problem. Once aware it is in our face and you will not be Happy with less. You might start to understand now that you have read so of my words that I am probably the only member of this forum that will admitt to this side of music. Most of the world are not ready for this. Only the ones that seek it will find the secrets. And grow with new awarenesses. 

 

[danialpit]

Battery is a high end headphone amp that compliments any digital front end. Connect it directly to your CD player, laptop, iPod, MP3 player or other portable device and experience detailed, dynamic sound.
 

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Gary, it sounds like a ray samuels audio sr71b might do the trick for you as it has 2 volume pots locked together. loosen it up, get it set right for you, lock it down, and now you're in biz with a single amp solution without a lot of extraneous stuff to complicate things. and it's a great little amp to boot!

Did Ray ever put out a "how-to" on how to adjust the pots?  I haven't opened mine up yet to see if it's real obvious.

 
i think it's just two simple allen keys on the volume knob that does the trick. loosen them up, adjust the knob, cinch them down and you're done. of course you can always check with Ray for confirmation.