[corndog71]

When I think of the word “musical” I’m reminded of a few experiences.
1. I used to go see a Chicago funk band almost every time they played. One performance in particular struck me as odd. I was acquainted with the band members and they would sometimes ask me for feedback.
I said something like: you guys were playing the music but the feeling was missing. Like the performance felt fatigued. Lifeless. They took a break for a while and they eventually brought back the heart and some new tunes.

2. First time I heard an all Mark Levinson system driving MBL speakers. It was a similar feeling. The recordings were crystal clear yet didn’t move me. It was a bizarre feeling.

I have more to say but have to run.

 

[lemp]

I have nothing to do with this. Obviously my account has been hacked for the purpose of perpetrating this crime.

Moderator, please delete this account. No one should be able to distribute such heresy.

He certainly has mastered the ArmchairPhilosopher's avatar stare.

Typically, it's staff that acquire the master's characteristics, not the other way around. At least in my house.......

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Jason, Any update on the Aegir 2 (specs / power / etc)???

Thank you.

Soon.

Hopefully quite soon.

We were doing the stress-test on first articles over the weekend, which is what you do after you think you have the protection right. Except Zach, one of our techs, took one home and said it seemed like it shut down too easy. Even on a fairly high-efficiency load. Turns out both the peak current and 100mS current bounds were wrong in the firmware. Despite this, the first articles produced full power on an APx test. Another good reason to triple-check. So they go back to the torture chamber for a while. Then screwdriver test, then production.

 

[corndog71]

To continue,
3. The first time I heard a Rega Brio integrated amp I was struck more by how it made me feel despite not being the ultimate in resolution. It had a tube like warmth and had me tapping my feet and playing drums on my legs. That’s what I call musical.

If it doesn’t move you either physically or emotionally then there’s a problem. Granted this could also be affected by mood, the music being played, or other factors. I’ve heard a lot of systems over the last few decades and maybe a quarter to a third of them truly moved me.

 

[jmimac351]

Soon.

Hopefully quite soon.

We were doing the stress-test on first articles over the weekend, which is what you do after you think you have the protection right. Except Zach, one of our techs, took one home and said it seemed like it shut down too easy. Even on a fairly high-efficiency load. Turns out both the peak current and 100mS current bounds were wrong in the firmware. Despite this, the first articles produced full power on an APx test. Another good reason to triple-check. So they go back to the torture chamber for a while. Then screwdriver test, then production.

What is the "screwdriver test"?

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

What is the "screwdriver test"?

Building a handful to see whether everything fits together as planned.
(I think.)

Edit:
Nope…

 

[highgrovemanor]

My wife would get rid of me long before one of the cats or dogs went. Come to think of it, I'd keep them over her too!

Rule around our house is not allowed to be outnumbered. 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs.

Anytime the wife is talking about a new puppy, my response is okay - then which one goes back to the pound? Her response: YOU

Hahahaha.

 

[Timster]

How dare you.
I'd rather get rid of the Lokius, Gungnir, and Folkvangr than my cat.

Hmmmmm, But not your MJ3??

 

[Jason Stoddard]

What is the "screwdriver test"?

Building a handful to see whether everything fits together as planned.
(I think.)

Crank it up, short the outputs with a screwdriver while running. Sparky sparky. clicky clicky. Repeat 10x or so. No smoke = good to go.

Bonus: if you're doing it with music, you may get to hear the transistors sing briefly before everything shuts down. As in, the music will come out of the amplifier chassis, caused by rapid thermal expansion and contraction of the output transistors, emitter resistors, etc. It's a brutal test.

 

[jmimac351]

To continue,
3. The first time I heard a Rega Brio integrated amp I was struck more by how it made me feel despite not being the ultimate in resolution. It had a tube like warmth and had me tapping my feet and playing drums on my legs. That’s what I call musical.

If it doesn’t move you either physically or emotionally then there’s a problem. Granted this could also be affected by mood, the music being played, or other factors. I’ve heard a lot of systems over the last few decades and maybe a quarter to a third of them truly moved me.

For those paying attention / keeping score at home... regarding my previous mentions of output impedance / "rightness"... The Brio is decent on that measure - in terms of how I view that measurement based on my own experience. 133 damping factor at the low end, 53 at the high end. For reference, the current Aegir is listed at 100. I have never heard the Aegir, but clearly it's intended to be a "high sound quality" amp. I am pretty certain I would like it.

Perhaps this is helpful to some interested in connecting the dots... and why many other solid state amps are unremarkable. Swap out various home theatre receivers, for instance. You'll know the magic when you hear it - it's absolutely visceral. There is a rightness that just "IS"... If folks taste this sort of thing it might help change / confirm their perspective for what they like.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/rega-research-brio-integrated-amplifier-measurements

 

[jmimac351]

Crank it up, short the outputs with a screwdriver while running. Sparky sparky. clicky clicky. Repeat 10x or so. No smoke = good to go.

That's really cool that you simulate a big mistake like that. I guess it makes sense to do that and didn't occur to me. So when that happens, the idea is that the amp protects itself and is still OK afterward, even if no smoke? Circuit breakers / whatever trip and it just resets?

 

[Jason Stoddard]

For those paying attention / keeping score at home... regarding my previous mentions of output impedance / "rightness"... The Brio is decent on that measure - in terms of how I view that measurement based on my own experience. 133 damping factor at the low end, 53 at the high end. For reference, the current Aegir is listed at 100. I have never heard the Aegir, but clearly it's intended to be a "high sound quality" amp. I am pretty certain I would like it.

Perhaps this is helpful to some interested in connecting the dots... and why many other solid state amps are unremarkable. Swap out various home theatre receivers, for instance. You'll know the magic when you hear it - it's absolutely visceral. There is a rightness that just "IS"... If folks taste this sort of thing it might help change / confirm their perspective for what they like.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/rega-research-brio-integrated-amplifier-measurements

It's impossible to choose an amp based on damping factor, lack of feedback, or other factors, unless you really understand, in engineering terms, the tradeoffs associated with the design of audio power amplifiers. And even then maybe not. Because systems are different, preferences are different, etc.

That's really cool that you simulate a big mistake like that. I guess it makes sense to do that and didn't occur to me. So when that happens, the idea is that the amp protects itself and is still OK afterward, even if no smoke? Circuit breakers / whatever trip and it just resets?

Any competent audio power amp manufacturer does this. Sumo did it in the 1990s, when breakers and fuses were what we had. Now we have transparent, out-of-the-signal-path current measurement and microprocessor oversight with relay shutdown, so we can be extremely granular in how we protect power amps, with separate time constants for multiple current levels and much more precise, repeatable measurements.

 

[Cliffh93]

Freddy FedEx dropped off some toys today, so I’ve started off with them in the office rig. A couple of notes:

• The Gjallarhorn and Jot2 are disconnected and not in the chain. They are currently designated for assignment.
• Yes, I am aware of the poor cable management. No, I do not care.
• I will get proper power distribution in place before too long.
• Lately I've been trying to buy my DAC's and Sources in silver, and amps and pre-amps in black.
• Those Aegirs sure get toasty in the back! In fact, if I fire up the tubes on the Freya, this rig could double as a space heater.

See how nice the Gungnir sits with the Urd? Like they were made for each other. Let's hope Singularity ends up with that form factor, in fact let's hope they call it Gungnir!

This rig originally had my Qutest in place, but since I'm running balanced to the amps, I thought it would be nice to run balanced from the DAC as well. And no doubt, the Gungnir belongs here.

Sound impressions to come later, but clearly this is a step up from the desktop rig that was here previously. My Gungnir has Unison, so I am running the streaming source (an iPad) through the Urd, and loving the results.

 

[Cliffh93]

To continue,
3. The first time I heard a Rega Brio integrated amp I was struck more by how it made me feel despite not being the ultimate in resolution. It had a tube like warmth and had me tapping my feet and playing drums on my legs. That’s what I call musical.

If it doesn’t move you either physically or emotionally then there’s a problem. Granted this could also be affected by mood, the music being played, or other factors. I’ve heard a lot of systems over the last few decades and maybe a quarter to a third of them truly moved me.

Recently I've been listening a lot to a Rega Elex ('R' I think), paired with a RME DAC that although very competent, wasn't something I was really smitten with. With the Rega, the RME just disappears and does its job, while the tunes rock. I'm loving the way that amp sounds.

 

[filthy mechanical]

Crank it up, short the outputs with a screwdriver while running. Sparky sparky. clicky clicky. Repeat 10x or so. No smoke = good to go.

Bonus: if you're doing it with music, you may get to hear the transistors sing briefly before everything shuts down. As in, the music will come out of the amplifier chassis, caused by rapid thermal expansion and contraction of the output transistors, emitter resistors, etc. It's a brutal test.

I was expecting place the screwdriver/direct cable then turn the music up, but having it at 11 then applying the screwdriver works too. What power are you looking at, is it enough to worry about throwing arc flash/insulted gloves on?

With 400W mono being available on a Vidar I can see it hitting the the need for arc flash, but only seen the stickers put up, never got into the math behind it. For the cabinets that needed arc flash - 250V DC open knife switches on slate I let the licensed electricians deal with the LOTO.