[mcgino]

Inspired by Nik's custom amp, I've entrusted Joe Lau with my R10s so that he can customize a Twinhead for them. His main office is only a few subway stops away from where I work. Hopefully, the 2A3s will have enough to drive the bass on the R10s the way they should be driven (not really getting it out of my Cosmic right now). I told Joe to upgrade whatever he felt would make the combo (R10, amp) sound better. Joe's company, ASL actually makes custom amps as well.

Needless to say, I am pretty excited and can't wait to hear the result... The king of dynamic phones in the hands of one of the most innovative and prolific amplifier designers in the world...

Feeling kinda like Christmas! Hopefully, the amp will be ready in time for our first Hong Kong meet next Saturday!

 

[taoster]

it is xmas soon

im sure that'd be an incredible setup!

 

[markl]

Please post your results here! What amp are you currently using with the R10, so we know what your original "reference" amp was? Also, what's your source? Thanks.

Mark

 

[kelly]

mcgino
I don't generally share the complaints about bass performance in the R10s as others here do, but I did compare the TwinHead and RKV with the R10 at a Dallas meet. The RKV bettered the TwinHead is bass performance and was overall less noisy, the TwinHead had a more extended and open treble. Both kept the excellent headstages the amps are known for and both had a liquid smooth presentation and I consider them both excellent amps.

This was with the stock unit and stock tubes. If Joe can clean up the noise and make you a slightly more solid bottom end, I think you'd be a pretty happy camper.

 

[markl]

Did you have the impedencer thing on the RKV? Isn't the 40 ohm Sony a bad load for the regualr RKV?

Mark

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by markl Did you have the impedencer thing on the RKV? Isn't the 40 ohm Sony a bad load for the regualr RKV? Mark

I've heard Dusty Chalk's RKV several times. One of the outputs is noisy with low impedance headphones, and the other is not. I have no idea why this is so.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by markl Did you have the impedencer thing on the RKV? Isn't the 40 ohm Sony a bad load for the regualr RKV?

This was without the impedancer. The impedancer is on its way to me but I don't have an R10 available to test again. I don't imagine it would change my impressions given that other phones exhibit the same flaws on the RKV.

Hirsch
One of Dusty's jacks is bad. I asked AudioValve if there was a difference between the two jacks and there isn't (by design anyway). One of mine had a problem with drop out and that was repaired when it was sent in.

 

[mcgino]

Markl:
Currently, I've just got a Headroom Cosmic reference with Base Station One. My source most of the time is an ipod, a Sony PCDP, and a LD/CD Player. My next upgrade is a source. Hard because I can't see myself justifying a high-end source knowing that new formats, etc. are on the horizon.

At our Hong Kong meet next week, we hope to have more amps (and more ears) to report comparisons against. Joe Lau has agreed to bring his whole line of ASL amps.

Kelly:
The Twinhead that I will be getting will be tuned to the R10. I got a schematic from Nik on his amp. Hard to make anything better since it is such a simple design. The important thing at that level are the components. Hope to upgrade the components and refining the Twinhead design to better suit the R10. He's already making sure that the impedence matches. The hum problem was solved in Joe's modifications to the commercial Twinhead.

There is a RKV in Hong Kong and will compare. If it has better bass than the Twinhead I'm getting, I'll get Joe to find a solution that improves the Bass on my amp.


If this all works out, maybe I'll give him my HD600 Cardas and HP1s to customize as well!

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly Hirsch One of Dusty's jacks is bad. I asked AudioValve if there was a difference between the two jacks and there isn't (by design anyway). One of mine had a problem with drop out and that was repaired when it was sent in.

I'll let him know. However, the noisy jack was dead quiet with Sennheisers or Beyers.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch I'll let him know. However, the noisy jack was dead quiet with Sennheisers or Beyers.

Both jacks should perform identically regardless of the headphone. I'd initially wondered if one was for a different output impedance but it isn't.

 

[The Quality Guru]

Wow, those RKV's all seem to have disabilities!

Kelly, 88Sound, and now Dusty have had problems!

I suppose that's the price one pays for a an alledgedly excellent tube amplifer.