[Sovkiller]

Ready for the party tomorrow, everything is ready to go, we will post more impressions later on, it promise to be a very interesting Sunday....

[size=xx-small]Shhhhh....press Aaron for a mini-review, guys, he will do it better than me...for sure...

[/size]

 

[Sovkiller]

Well, back from Aaron's, first thing we have a wonderful time there, listening vinyl, and some SACDs and CDs, a little bit crazy IMO and we definitelly need more time for a proper evaluation of everything. I was not able neither of listening any other amp than the SR-71, which my first impression was not favorable at all, well now I feel it a lot more balanced (not that thin sounding as it was before) and a lot overall better sounding, still not my cup of tea but very nice small amp, obviously the last octaves need a little help, but this is just a matter of preference more than anything else, for those who like it, then the obvious conclusion on that NY crazy meet in the Qualia store was that the source was not doing it any justice, and that it could sound very decent...

Aaron, hope next time you will let me hear the HR-2, I know that Ray is your friend, but I promise you to be impartial and open minded in my commnets, at the end I have nothing agaist Ray nor any of the Ray amps, his work is top notch as we all know, and if you like it or not, as in many audio cases and choises, given certain level of performnace, it is just more a matter of preference than the quality of the product itself...OK??? (this time Aaron was hiden it under the bed....LOL...)

One remark, and I think that this is becoming a bad habit here in headfi, and we need to separate one thing from the other, as IMO, one thing has nothing to do with the other, but the fact is, that everytime someone goes into Aaron's place, his nice wife, spend her time, in preparing a delicious food and even make you eat. This time was pasta, sausages and onions, salad, and galic bread, Jesus, what a feast, I eat like a beast, I have no belt thanks God....that makes us feel a little uncomfortable, as this is an extra (a bonus) that we get for being part of this big family, but please we have to stop that, even while we know she like it, I feel that it is not fair for her, anyway is an extra work for her...

About the Qualia, well this is the second time, fully burned in, and still not my cup of tea, the presentation is very good, the extension and details are superb, but I don't know, it has something that makes it not my choise, I need the seduction and the euphony of the R-10, sorry guys, but this second time with the R-10 just comfirmed me that, this is the second time I have an eargasm, I put aside my CD3000, and bingo R-10 all the time baby!!!!!!!!!!

I will let the coments and even some pics of the amp, to Aaron, IMO it sounded very good, the R-10 sounded very good there, not just the Qualia, but as we have no other amp as a reference there, I have no elements to compare the RP33 with any other amp, as i would like, but maybe he can do it from memory...So thanks Aaron for the wonderful time, and I hope to be there again on the 30th....

 

[immtbiker]

Well...I had a great afternoon. What else could an Audiophile ask for, but an entire afternoon of good tunes, through good equipment, all the while, having your mate surprise you with a great dinner, that she slaved away for a couple of hours in the kitchen...while I had my ears in a spa.

Sovkiller came to my house with his brother, and an excellent time was had by all. It's easier to find out about a person, without using a typewriter and a monitor in between them. Sometimes people's opinions give off harsh mis-impressions, that can only be undone, by a face to face meet. But I knew it would be that way, which is why I invited Al to my home.

We started off with some vinyl (as I continued my unending quest to prove to naysayers, that besides a little extra care, obtaining the thing Head-Fier's desire the most, audio bliss...can be accomplished quite easily, with some wax circles). I could definitely see that Alberto enjoyed a little "Dose" of Gov't Mule, through the VPI, and a whole bunch of watts (speakers included).
He was open minded, sat patiently while I played DJ with some of my tastiest morsels. I then threw some multichannel SACD's (Roxy Music's "Avalon"- being one of them) on the fire, and were surrounded in sharps and flats. We then went (His brother included), to headphone listening, using vinyl, Ray's XR-2 phono stage, Rudi's RP33, and some R-10's/CD3000's/010's, and Senn 600's. Sorry to say...my Senns seemed a little lifeless, after some time with the Sony products.
Then we went digital. We were able to run 3 headphones at a time, as the RP33 has 2 different sensitivity outputs, and my Pioneer A/V receiver, has a decent headphone out. We played musical headphones, constantly switching between the 3 Sony's, going from rock to Jazz.
Then we added in a little Dolby Digital 5.1 Video, in the mix, while we watched the lobby shooting scene, in "The Matrix", at some wall shaking volumes (there is no spoon).
We then spent the rest of the afternoon BS-ing while analyzing discreet sounds in Pink Floyd's DSOTM anniversary edition.

I was having such a good time, I didn't really do a lot of analytical listening to the Rudistor RP33, but I can say, it is a fine amp...but I can't say it is better than anything else in it's price range, plus or minus $300. I will give it some serious attention, on the 30th...but I really need to be alone with equipment, with no outside interferences, B4 making critical remarks.


Sovey and Brother

 

[gsferrari]

That RP33 sure is a slick package!! Rudi does some fine hookup wiring and case work.

Sounds like you guys spent more time pigging out than listening but I dont blame you

Fine food comes first...

 

[Chisum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari That RP33 sure is a slick package!! Rudi does some fine hookup wiring and case work. Sounds like you guys spent more time pigging out than listening but I dont blame you Fine food comes first...

HAHAHAHA!

Now that you've seen a photo of Sovkiller you're getting a bit, let's say, nervous, he?

Don't mess with BIG AL!

(Sorry guys, I couldn't resist... just kidding

)

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chisum HAHAHAHA! Now that you've seen a photo of Sovkiller you're getting a bit, let's say, nervous, he? Don't mess with BIG AL! (Sorry guys, I couldn't resist... just kidding )

You havent seen me??

 

[Chisum]

the RP33 really looks beautiful!! These monstrous transformers are like a big power station in a box. No wonder that it's getting a bit warm inside there... I wonder what is the standby current (don't know the correct word, I mean with no input signal) that is running through the transistors??

 

[Chisum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari You havent seen me??

Sure, or isn't that you in your avatar?? Because my avatar, it's me

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chisum the RP33 really looks beautiful!! These monstrous transformers are like a big power station in a box. No wonder that it's getting a bit warm inside there... I wonder what is the standby current (don't know the correct word, I mean with no input signal) that is running through the transistors??

You mean the bias current, not sure though, I will ask him, but this is a technical detail, that I don't think he would like to publish, anyway it is not important at all, for the performance of a given design, all depends on the topology and parts used, ones may be able to let more current go through than others....

 

[jimbobuk]

I've asked the question of what amps would be good ones to consider here

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...74#post1174874

I'm considering a selection, and i'm hoping to be able to hold off and be patient as i can "break in" my new CD3000s to pass a few weeks or so..

I was thinking originally that a PPA amp would be best... seeing as you have a pretty high spec PPA sovkiller i was wondering if you could elaborate on your feelings between the PPA and the RP33..

Tonight i've spent about 3 hours trawling through headfi and have discovered the Graham Slee Solo (made in the UK, where I am at for a change) and finally these Rudistor amps (made in italy, a lot closer than the US and in the EU) that i'd never really heard of before..

The RP31 is very close to the Solo's price, the RP33 is a few hundred pounds more but perhaps just at the very top of a potential budget i could have.

There are a few questions i have about them, if anyone could answer them for me

i) The twin phono sockets thing is quite interesting.. do many other amps have this kind of a setup, i know that you can get headphone splitters etc but i've always thought they could be a bad idea.. am i right in saying that the RP31 and RP33 can both power 2 headphones simultaneously well, with no impact to the quality compared with driving those phones on their own.. this would be a kind of nice thing for me whenever you are demo-ing music to people via cans and have to sit in silence next to them twiddling ones thumbs... I think earlier in the post sovkiller you mention that you are using your CD3000 on the H output with no problems (you said the other port had some resistors at the back of it i think, maybe i'm hallucinating, its too late and too big a thread to read back over just now

The idea of being able to drive my HD600s and CD3000 at the same time is really appealing

ii) You guys have done one mini meet with the impressions of immtbiker just above this post... but you hint of another meet happening at the 30th of Jan?!? Its just i'd love some more peoples impressions of the RP33, and was just trying to figure out if there may be some more coming about then.. that will fit really nicely with when i can start to seriously consider buying an amp from somewhere..

iii) has anyone brought a Rudistor amp in the UK yet?! its just on their "about us" page it shows their offices are in Manchester.. I was just wondering if they can possibly ship their amps from inside the UK, and whether that is true for any potential problems and returns.. I will email Rudistor and ask them, just curious.. Its just i'm expecting that you still have to pay import duty with deliveries inside the EU, although i thought VAT was added across the whole of the EU..

Enjoy your music guys

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbobuk I was thinking originally that a PPA amp would be best... seeing as you have a pretty high spec PPA sovkiller i was wondering if you could elaborate on your feelings between the PPA and the RP33..

Ij ust received my PPA yesterday from LaRocco audio after soem upgrades, one thing is sure with the dynobias diamond buffer the PPA is another beast, with OPA627BP (I still have to tweak it to get the OPA637 to work completelly stable) it is a magnificent amp, gimme a few days and I will tell you wich I preffer, for now the battle is really hard, on one side the PPA has a little more punch, and dialobass, on the other the RP33 has a seductive relaxed and huge tridimentional soundstage, I love both.......utch!!!! my wallet is screaming, and you will see that I end with both here......LOL....

 

[immtbiker]

Sov...
I think you can better explain the reason behind the 2 jacks on Rudi's amps to jimbobuk, better than anyone else. He is asking about the ability to compare 2 headphones using them, and it's not really made for that.

 

[jimbobuk]

I appreciate the low, high rating of each socket... i am sure that Sov posted that he's using the high socket with his low impedence CD3000, but i'm not 100% on that..

I am sure that somewhere it says that you can drive two headphones at once.. its not so much for comparing as allowing 2 people to enjoy headphone music at the same time...

 

[jimbobuk]

In the tech specs page

http://www.rudistor.com/soundsystems/rp33.htm

it says "Output: For two headphones" ... i think i've seen it mentioned elsewhere, and as you can just use a splitter from one socket, albiet stressing an amp and lessening quality i'd imagine, i just expected this to be different.. maybe it'll be the same as using a splitter as far as the load on the amp is concerned just that one socket will have stuff to compensate for lower impedence cans in the loop.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbobuk In the tech specs page http://www.rudistor.com/soundsystems/rp33.htm it says "Output: For two headphones" ... i think i've seen it mentioned elsewhere, and as you can just use a splitter from one socket, albiet stressing an amp and lessening quality i'd imagine, i just expected this to be different.. maybe it'll be the same as using a splitter as far as the load on the amp is concerned just that one socket will have stuff to compensate for lower impedence cans in the loop.

I don't think that you will stress the amp hooking headphones, this amp is capable of driving a few headphones at the same time, both of the PSUs are huge, and both amps are high current amps, but as Aaron stated both jacks have different sensitivity, if you want to use two headphone for comparison sake, you may use the same jack and a spliter, or if the headphones have different sensitivities you could use the H for the lower sensitivity and L for the higher one.....