Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up
Jul 15, 2022 at 4:23 AM Post #96,316 of 155,069
Four R2D2's...! Can we get a Death Star next...? 😃
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If you have the time and some heat resistant paint, you could paint them like R2D2 too! :stuck_out_tongue:

Argh, shouldn’t have said that.. now when I close my eyes I can only see that black Freya with four R2D2:s sticking out of it… :unamused::upside_down:
 
Jul 15, 2022 at 5:33 AM Post #96,317 of 155,069
If you have the time and some heat resistant paint, you could paint them like R2D2 too! :stuck_out_tongue:

Argh, shouldn’t have said that.. now when I close my eyes I can only see that black Freya with four R2D2:s sticking out of it… :unamused::upside_down:
Laser Etched would look cool (IMO). More subtle.

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Jul 15, 2022 at 6:41 AM Post #96,318 of 155,069
What @Roy G. Biv said. Plus: Complexity.

A fully balanced (as in: differential, aka "proper and not fake") amp requires about twice the amplification circuitry. Which means more parts, more space, more heat, bigger transformer — considerably more expensive.
Where a balanced signal shines is in signal integrity, because it inherently cancels out noise introduced into the signal while it travels through the interconnects.
With headphone amps, the impact of that benefit is arguably small, since you tend to have really short interconnects between your gear. Short interconnects means a considerably smaller noise impact from potential RF sources.
Balanced interconnects make the most sense in speaker setups, especially if you place your power amp as close as possible to the speaker with longer interconnects and short speaker cables (which is the recommended way), instead of close to your preamp with short interconnects and long speaker cables (which works fine, but is not quite as ideal).

Note that balanced headphone connectors are a whole different story altogether. While those are being called "balanced," they're not the same thing. Balanced interconnect signals are two separate signals per channel, 180º out of phase to another, for a total of four signals transmitted through eight wires for a stereo setup. A balanced headphone signal is one signal per channel, for a total of two signals transmitted through four wires for a stereo setup.
So why do these "balanced" headphone cables exist? Because they allow for the separation of ground. A single-ended headphone cable has three wires in it, a positive signal per channel each, and a single ground wire shared by both channels. Giving each channel its own ground can (but not necessarily has to) offer slight advantages in channel separation, it helps keeping crosstalk at a minimum. How noticeable that benefit can be mostly depends on the overall quietness and quality of the amp, and how good your ears really are. An argument can be made that a little bit of crosstalk can actually enhance your overall stereo image, especially with older recordings where mixes often have a much stronger channel separation than is customary today. In some cases entire instruments are limited to just one channel (see the main title track on the soundtrack for the movie Charade for a particularly extreme but not exactly rare example). Too stark a separation sounds unnatural, especially with headphones, because your brain is used to always hearing the same sounds through both ears.

Long story short:
For headphone amps, truly balanced doesn't necessarily make as much sense as it does for speaker setups. The relatively small benefits you get from a truly and fully balanced chain in a headphone setup is not necessarily worth the added complexity and cost that doing so would entail.
Balance is basically for PRO (long distances) and us crazy HiFi-enthusiasts (ease of mind)
 
Jul 15, 2022 at 9:19 AM Post #96,321 of 155,069
I punched a hole in the wall, so all of the amps are in the garage with fans on them. That way I do not hear the fans and The two Tyrs and the five Vidars do not take up space in my living room.
Necessity truly is the mother of invention! 😉
 
Jul 15, 2022 at 10:46 AM Post #96,327 of 155,069
Hey all,

So I said that we'd be making an announcement this week, one that would help with the tube nervosa. Of course, as soon as I said this, Murphy mobilized his cosmic forces against us, so no announcement is gonna be made. Especially since it's Elvis' birthday tomorrow (our Elvis, not that Elvis), and I don't want to give everyone in Valencia double heart-attacks.

Which means next week is gonna be a heckuva week! Both before and during the Texas Audio Roundup.

But, because you deserve it, here's a peek at a part of the announcement:

freyaplus-LISST-front-1920.jpg

Stay tuned...

All the best,
Jason
It almost looks cooler than a regular tube!
 
Jul 15, 2022 at 11:54 AM Post #96,330 of 155,069
Hey all,

So I said that we'd be making an announcement this week, one that would help with the tube nervosa. Of course, as soon as I said this, Murphy mobilized his cosmic forces against us, so no announcement is gonna be made. Especially since it's Elvis' birthday tomorrow (our Elvis, not that Elvis), and I don't want to give everyone in Valencia double heart-attacks.

Which means next week is gonna be a heckuva week! Both before and during the Texas Audio Roundup.

But, because you deserve it, here's a peek at a part of the announcement:

freyaplus-LISST-front-1920.jpg

Stay tuned...

All the best,
Jason
I have so wanted a Freya with ICBM's!!
 

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