RSA SR-71 Review in Stereophile

[Jahn]

This was an opportunity for Stereophile too, because they just got one more person to buy their mag that wouldn't have before

Congrats Ray! If my SR71 wasn't subsumed into the HP2 trade I did, I'd still use it now! *hugs HP2s*

 

[Watchdog]

Many Head-Fi members will go on about differences in cables, power supplies, etc... that make quite a difference in the sound. A Steps power supply for the PPA is supposed to make a big difference.

So why is it so hard to believe that a product that uses 120 VAC doesn't sound better than a product that uses two 9V batteries?

I realize there are some advantages to battery power that may work in the SR-71s favour, but if a designer had a choice between designing a power supply that uses 120VAC and is for all intents and purposes able to deliver as much current as you want vs two 9V batteries, I would think they'd choose the former.

I'm sure the SR-71 is great and that's what the review said, the reviewer just said he thought the MF was a bit better. He did laud the SR-71 for being portable. There was nothing negative about the SR-71, I don't understand people's reactions to the review.

 

[Ray Samuels]

I can't be more happy for the great review that Mr. Philips wrote about the SR-71. After I read it, I thought I would send him a note to clarify some info about the SR-71 & it's gain, before the review was getting published. But probably due to a very bussy schedual that he has I got no reply.
I listen load, sometimes, well ok, all the times, & if I am using the SR-71 with the high impedance headphones like HD600, which are my favorite, I find the volume control on the SR-71 to be around 2-3 O'Clock. Which really does not matter to the amp, as I am not pushing it beyond it's capability but trying to get more gain due to the gain of 6 that the SR-71 has as a stock amp, This gain works very well with in ear canal phones & does very well with Sennheisers. This gain of 6, sometimes, fools the listeners by thinking that the amp is running out of steam, or they are pushing it beyond of it's capability.
If I would have known that Mr. Philips would be listening very load with HD650 to find out if the amp is going to do it for him at those high levels of sound, I would have send the Stereophile Meg. a HIGH gain SR-71, this way the amp would drive the HD650 very load with out going beyound 12.00 O' clock.
I have all the respect to the other amp that the SR-71 was compared to, even though I have never heard it, but I am sure it did not have the gain of 6 niether it was desighned to be portable to be carried around.
Gain is a tricky feature, many fall for it, even if you listen to two amps through A/B switch if one is higher than the other by so little margin, our ears pick it up as a better amp.
I am not complaining over hear at all, as I can't be more than thankfull to the effort of both Mr. John Atkinson & Mr. Wes Philips, but at the same time wanted to kick my self in the rear end for not sending the higher gain amp.
Do I need a better review for the SR-71 than this, NO. Did I get good response out of this review, HELL, BIG YES.
Ray Samuels

 

[cpw]

Ray,
Glad to hear that you're getting a good response from the review.
Can the gain be changed later on the SR-71 or does it need to be "born" w/ a certain gain setting? What exactly determines the gain of an SR-71?
CPW

 

[Ray Samuels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpw Ray, Glad to hear that you're getting a good response from the review. Can the gain be changed later on the SR-71 or does it need to be "born" w/ a certain gain setting? What exactly determines the gain of an SR-71? CPW

It can be stepped up to the gain of 11 like your HR-2, or stepped down to the gain of 3 for those who want lesser gain for their sensative in ears phones. Either one will require changing one resistor in each channel only.
Thanks.
Ray Samuels

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Samuels It can be stepped up to the gain of 11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Tufnel This one here goes to 11!!

EDIT: for anyone who doesn't get this, it's from the movie This is Spinal Tap. It's a joke about an amp that goes "one louder".

This is particularly funny, as my friend Ray listens to his headphones as loud or louder than anyone I know. It only makes sense to me that he could up the gain to 11...

 

[cpw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom EDIT: for anyone who doesn't get this, it's from the movie This is Spinal Tap. It's a joke about an amp that goes "one louder". This is particularly funny, as my friend Ray listens to his headphones as loud or louder than anyone I know. It only makes sense to me that he could up the gain to 11...

LOL

I may be one of the few who doesn't turn down when Ray takes off the cans and hands them over! I'm not necessarily proud of this. It's mostly an indication of past as well as future hearing loss! But hey, nothing gets you into the music like a little volume!
CPW

 

[bhd812]

I also don't turn the volume down on the amp when Ray hands over the cans to me. I think he listens at a high but perfect volume, I like to listen a bit louder at home cause I like the thrashing metal in your face...

Now where Ray and I majorly differ in our sonic volumes is in speakers, I can listen all night long without waking up nobody threw my speakers at my volume I like..Ray on the other hand, well just be glad your not his neighbor...



3 houses down! (j/k)


At the last minimeet Audio Addict had Ray was listening to some hp's and I was 3 ft away listening to AA's book shelf speaker setup. I not only heard the hp's over my comfortable speaker volume but I turned around and asked Ray if the speaker setup was intruding on his headphone sound, he laughed and said "nowhere close Beely"..lol lol

 

[immtbiker]

Ray...as I said in our phone conversation, Stereophile has a section in the back of every issue from Manufacturers to make comments regarding mistakes written during the review.
I think that it should be made clear that there are 2 different gains available for people with different needs, and also, another mistake that was made, was that there is only one dealer, which is direct from you. I don't think this is fair for Todd TVJ, because it cuts him out of the loop, and he has worked very hard to sell the SR-71. If you call Stereophile soon, you might be able to have the ammendments in the next issue.

Kove

 

[rhythmdevils]

congratulations ray, the sr71 is a great amp. this is the second time ive tried to sell it and im already having second thoughts again. ahhh! good job mate

 

[insomniac]

So the next issue of Stereophile just arrived in the mail yesterday. It's the 500 Recommended Components issue and lo and behold, Ray has not one but THREE products on the list. His XR-10B is a Class A recommended component and his XR-2 and SR-71 are Class B in their respective equipment categories.

Once again, kudos to Ray!

 

[dariusf]

Just finished reading the review for the XR-10B and its a great one. Congratulation on such great recognition of your great products.