[Roy G. Biv]

The audio system at my vacation estate


has a new home:


I am fully envious of anyone who has the tools to cut in a straight line and the skill required to use those tools properly. This little project to make room on my chart table for that lap top so I can use a planetarium program to improve my mount/ telescope pointing accuracy. I'm about 1/3 of the way through the learning curve of that part of the program's capabilities and so far pointing error has been reduced to 25% of what it was.

Oddly, the music sounds the same. I had hoped for a little more appreciation from the electronics.

Did you raid @bcowen's supply shed?

 

[LobalWarming]

My Modi+ has satisfyingly subdued indicator lights. My Lokius has the standard blinding brilliance. Can anyone point me to a chapter that explains how Schiit are now able to have dimmer lights?

I heard the LEDs have the same brightness, but many of Schiit's customers have deteriorating light sensitivity. From excessively dazzling LED exposure.

 

[cricket]

My Modi+ has satisfyingly subdued indicator lights. My Lokius has the standard blinding brilliance. Can anyone point me to a chapter that explains how Schiit are now able to have dimmer lights?

It's possible that the light pipes attenuate the light or they might "leak" some of it inside the unit.

 

[RickB]

My Modi+ has satisfyingly subdued indicator lights. My Lokius has the standard blinding brilliance. Can anyone point me to a chapter that explains how Schiit are now able to have dimmer lights?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...bable-start-up.701900/page-1909#post-13996894

 

[wushuliu]

As someone who imported, built and sold hundreds of Class D amps using Hypex modules from when they first hit the scene until just recently when I closed that shop, I can say that yes the technology has gotten much better. But, in my opinion, they are suitable for subwoofer amps where 10% distortion is a good metric, and not for much else. So unless you start making subwoofer amps, I say your decision to stay away from Class D is a good one.

These Class D takes are bizarre. It's like people who say tubes are just distortion generating machines and any one type of tube amp must be representative of all tube amps.

Hypex aren't the only Class D amps out there. There's a whole universe of diy'ers who've locked on to the TI TPA amps for instance. A good TPA3255 or 51 amp can sound just as smooth and open as a tube amp minus the heat and distortion. But like anything else in audio you have to use quality components and design. The TPAs are old news at diyaudio but retaill is *slowly* catching on like the LSA Warp 1 Amplifier. One real hurdle I think relates to what Jason mentioned regarding 'general use' e.g. performing the same regardless of speaker impedance.

But saying Class D is only good for subwoofers is very 2010. Things have changed *a lot* since then.

 

[Ableza]

I'm a 2010 kind of guy, I suppose. Or maybe more 1972...

-edit- By the way, comparing what can be done DIY to commercial viability as a product is like comparing apples and hand grenades.

 

[bcowen]

Did you raid @bcowen's supply shed?

The chair in the first photo is way better than anything I have.

 

[Ripper2860]

Don't believe a word he says. Bill has much nicer furniture in his ATL 'rent by the hour' home.

 

[macdonjh]

Did you raid @bcowen's supply shed?

No. There is no cardboard at my vacation estate.

The chair in the first photo is way better than anything I have.

That chair used to be better than what I have now, too. Several years in a non-climate controlled building was hard on the fake leather upholstery. It's still reasonably comfy, though, and usefully raises and lowers to help keep me at a suitable height depending on where my eye piece is.

For anyone wondering why my new cubby is so tall compared to my mini-components, I anticipate @Jason Stoddard's announcement of a Mani/Modi-sized Urdlet.

 

[bcowen]

No. There is no cardboard at my vacation estate.

Then it can't be an estate. Maybe more like a hut?

FWIW, I don't think the wall cubby looks all that bad, considering...

 

[bcowen]

Don't believe a word he says. Bill has much nicer furniture in his ATL 'rent by the hour' home.

Lease by the hour. Lease. How cheap do you think I am?

(no pressing need to answer that)

 

[33na3rd]

These Class D takes are bizarre. It's like people who say tubes are just distortion generating machines and any one type of tube amp must be representative of all tube amps.

Hypex aren't the only Class D amps out there. There's a whole universe of diy'ers who've locked on to the TI TPA amps for instance. A good TPA3255 or 51 amp can sound just as smooth and open as a tube amp minus the heat and distortion. But like anything else in audio you have to use quality components and design. The TPAs are old news at diyaudio but retaill is *slowly* catching on like the LSA Warp 1 Amplifier. One real hurdle I think relates to what Jason mentioned regarding 'general use' e.g. performing the same regardless of speaker impedance.

But saying Class D is only good for subwoofers is very 2010. Things have changed *a lot* since then.

Class D has advanced enough to get the attention of folks like Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr Karsten's work, here's a picture of some of his tube amps followed by a picture of his Class D amps. Following images "borrowed" from a thread over at the Hoffman site.
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thre...amplifiers-could-it-be.1162911/#post-31053337

 

[sam6550a]

Lease by the hour. Lease. How cheap do you think I am?

(no pressing need to answer that)

I will not answer that question because I value my existence.

 

[artur9]

There were some Aegir users that thought Aegir sounded "sweeter" in stereo mode, rather than mono mode. I wonder if there are any Vidar users who preferred Vidar in stereo mode over mono mode?

Just a bit of clarity.

When I wrote

aren't really "bridged" as monoblocks, which apparently can cause some degradation

the "apparently" was meant to apply to amplifiers that are bridged, not the Vidar. The Vidar's bridge mode isn't a traditional bridge mode and should not cause that type of degradation.

 

[JamminVMI]

Class D has advanced enough to get the attention of folks like Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr Karsten's work, here's a picture of some of his tube amps followed by a picture of his Class D amps. Following images "borrowed" from a thread over at the Hoffman site.
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thre...amplifiers-could-it-be.1162911/#post-31053337

My lead developer has Freya S feeding a March Audio (Aussie Class D) P262 that drives his B&Ws. This amp “Feature (sic) the stunning Purifi class D technology developed by Bruno Putzeys…” whomever that is(was). I haven’t heard it, but he’s happy…