[rgs9200m]

Maybe Ray could chime in about this amp vs. the B52.
I also wonder if by any chance Ray offers any upgrades to the B52 (Ray never offers upgrades to his amps, as far as I know).
I love my B52 because it seems a very good match with my T1s, PS1000s, Edition 8s, , and if the recording is not too tipped up, the HD800s.
All of these can be too chilly or bright (each in their own way), and the B52 (with some Bendix 6900 and Telefunken 12AU7 tubes) makes them sound balanced and musical from top to bottom.
So is the new DarkStar "dark" sounding in a good way, as in warm and sonorous and natural but not covered up and still reasonably revealing, just not ruthlessly?
(That is how I feel about my still beloved B52 that I will never sell.)
 

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

are we talking about home amp or portable amp?  i thought this amp is going to be a home amp

 
the Dark Star is most definitely not a portable amp! it's a large, two chassis, powerful, home amp.
 
 


Quote:

I am thinking a price of $3000. Just my semi educated guess.

this is pure speculation - something that's dangerous around here as someone is likely to pick this up and run with it (despite your saying it's a guess). the next thing you know it'll become gospel. you may turn out to be right, but Ray himself doesn't know the price range yet as he doesn't know what it will cost him to build it.
 


Quote:

So is the new DarkStar "dark" sounding in a good way, as in warm and sonorous and natural but not covered up and still reasonably revealing, just not ruthlessly?

ttbomk Ray is the only one to have heard it so far. that will change at some point but for now it'd be pure speculation (and lord knows there's too much posted around here about how something sounds without the poster having actually heard said item(s)!)
 

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Quote:

this is pure speculation - something that's dangerous around here as someone is likely to pick this up and run with it (despite your saying it's a guess). the next thing you know it'll become gospel. you may turn out to be right, but Ray himself doesn't know the price range yet as he doesn't know what it will cost him to build it.

Should I edit it out? I can do that; I was just having fun guessing. There is a lot of unhelpful speculation here sometimes and I have been guilty of it sometimes.

Anyway, I can't wait to hear this monster. Sounds like a beast! Ray loves his bass, too, so maybe this could fill out the slightly lean HE-6.  Well, hearing is believing. 
 

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Maybe Ray could chime in about this amp vs. the B52.
I also wonder if by any chance Ray offers any upgrades to the B52 (Ray never offers upgrades to his amps, as far as I know).
I love my B52 because it seems a very good match with my T1s, PS1000s, Edition 8s, , and if the recording is not too tipped up, the HD800s.
All of these can be too chilly or bright (each in their own way), and the B52 (with some Bendix 6900 and Telefunken 12AU7 tubes) makes them sound balanced and musical from top to bottom.
So is the new DarkStar "dark" sounding in a good way, as in warm and sonorous and natural but not covered up and still reasonably revealing, just not ruthlessly?
(That is how I feel about my still beloved B52 that I will never sell.)
 

B-52 Rules! nuff said...seriously
 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

I was wondering if anything was going on with Ray's "inventions" but figured he was just busy putting out amps. So I ventured over to his site today and now he has a new amp!
 
 
'Ventured over ?' Dude, I'm convinced that you have a bot which pages your phone as soon as any of the text on an amp manufacturers site changes !

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Don't get what? Some manufactures are constantly pushing the envelope. That is their option. I like the variety and if I don't want to buy a certain amp because it doesn't fit my needs that is my option. iBasso produces a lot, Xin, when in business came out with new ones constantly (sometimes every few months) and others produce new versions constantly. Such is the nature of exploring the possibilities with us, if we choose, enjoying the results. 
 

Yeah I should have been more clear, I meant I didn't get what the person I quoted was saying, not that I didn't get what Ray was doing.  He can come out with as many amps as he wants and it's fine, though it does smell a bit of marketing gimmickery that he jumps on every amp trend so quickly.  Or maybe he just loves what he does and when he sees a possibility for a new product he gets excited and makes something new.  I don't know, but I sure would like an SR71b or one of these bad boys. 

 

[daveDerek]

Quote:

 I don't know, but I sure would like an SR71b or one of these bad boys.

or or and?

 
 

 

[rgs9200m]

I'm with you bhd812.

 

[estreeter]

DaveDerek, as always, you crack me up. We all want it all, all the time.

 

[jamato8]

Lol, I spend too much time on the web. The phone time from the US to here is over $1.5 a minute, so no more instant updates. :^) I do find the web a nice place to escape to though from working hours on images, research and field work. Island life can be nice but it is an island, hard to get lost here, and not my total cup of coffee (harder to find here than tea). 
 
I am surprised by the advancements the past few years in general headphone quality, both the phones and related equipment in that there is more available (greater number and lower price) in what IMO, is a higher quality. The Dark Star represents a power output that I don't think had been contemplated in the past but for possibilities brought forth by different headphones, new ideas emerge. I find the possibilities exciting and enjoyable in this hobby and for some, profession. 

 

[wsilvio]

 
Quote:

B-52 Rules! nuff said...seriously
 

I agree.  One hell of an amp!
 

 

[unclejr]

Dark Star might refer to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_RQ-3_DarkStar
 
 
 

 

[Ray Samuels]

That is correct, my friend.
Ray Samuels
 
Quote:

Dark Star might refer to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_RQ-3_DarkStar
 
 
 

 

 

[jamato8]

So, it continues as a total stealth. Very interesting. 

 

[Buyer no 1]

I'm not into all the technical stuff, so please forgive me if I'm asking a question to which the answer might be obvoius: We are talking solid state, no tubes, right?