[kwkarth]

Quote:

How 'bout the best of both worlds?
 

 

se

An orange power cord will color your sound. 

 

 

[bcg27]

How about one of these
 

http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/rvflyer.php?id=8
 
connected to something like this
 

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Bright-PW2300-12-Inverter-2300/dp/B002AMPGE6/ref=pd_sbs_auto_3
 
The ultimate in amp battery power 

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

An orange power cord will color your sound. 

 

 
Ok, smartass.
 

 

 
se
 

 
 

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

How about one of these

connected to something like this

The ultimate in amp battery power 

Now yer talkin'! Lugging that 162 pound battery will get your ass in shape in no time! Just one more benefit.
 
se
 
 
 

 

[Maxvla]

 

Indeed, that was me. To my mind, usability trumps any small gain made by this amp. The vast majority of other DIY designs manage good SNR with the volume pot before the gain stage, and there is absolutely no possibility of input stage clipping. So why the issue here, other than for self-indulgently clinging to measurements at the expense of usability?
 

Except for the fact that the second volume pot is still imposing an effect between the input and output stage. Two volume controls is a bad solution.
 
Play Doh knives indeed, Shike.

Why shouldn't people be interested in building something that's different? If everyone used the same design principles there would never be innovation.

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

Ok, smartass.
 

 

 
se

Now you're going to whitewash the sound.  Where's your sense of transparency man?
 
 

 

[SpaceTimeMorph]

You guys think so small...
 
http://www.fairbanksmorsenuclear.com/engine_colt-pielstickPA6B.php
 
Can be skid mounted too!!

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Now you're going to whitewash the sound.  Where's your sense of transparency man?
 
 

Get yourself a bundle of fibre optic cable, then do this: http://www.teralab.co.uk/Experiments/Conductive_Glass/Conductive_Glass_Page1.htm
 

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwkarth /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Now you're going to whitewash the sound.  Where's your sense of transparency man?
 

 
We gotcher transparency right heah, pal!
 

 
se
 

 
 

 

[kwkarth]

Quote:

You guys think so small...
 
http://www.fairbanksmorsenuclear.com/engine_colt-pielstickPA6B.php
 
Can be skid mounted too!!

Is the model 20V suitable for portable use?
 

 

[bcg27]

 
Quote:

Get yourself a bundle of fibre optic cable, then do this: http://www.teralab.co.uk/Experiments/Conductive_Glass/Conductive_Glass_Page1.htm
 

Pretty neat but at 1.1 kOhms per cm I think it is a bit of a stretch to call it conductive. I wonder how much additional treatments improve the conductivity. 
 
 

 

[Currawong]

Edit: Removed part of this post at someone's suggestion.
 
Quote:

Nice try, but it isn't a stupid idea if it works.  You're going to need to provide evidence that the impacts are clearly audible first.  You can say "but this wouldn't be an issue", it still doesn't matter.  It wouldn't be an issue if the source makers developed their gear properly.  If a source shoved a crapload of DC voltage on the output and the amplifier outputted it whose fault is it?
 

The point seems to be that the design measures well (ie: as I just stated, pitched at people like yourself) and, unless I understand wrongly, putting the volume after the gain stage results in better measurements. Now you're talking about audibility (ie: how it sounds). You can't have your cake and eat it too always. This is why I've suggested to others who argue about this stuff that they go and design their own amp.

 
Quote:

Quote:

 

Indeed, that was me. To my mind, usability trumps any small gain made by this amp. The vast majority of other DIY designs manage good SNR with the volume pot before the gain stage, and there is absolutely no possibility of input stage clipping. So why the issue here, other than for self-indulgently clinging to measurements at the expense of usability?
 

Except for the fact that the second volume pot is still imposing an effect between the input and output stage. Two volume controls is a bad solution.
 
Play Doh knives indeed, Shike.

Why shouldn't people be interested in building something that's different? If everyone used the same design principles there would never be innovation.

It's not about doing something different, it is about doing something that is usable.  I'd love a Firstwatt amp, for example, but that's not usable for me as it would murder my power bill and I don't listen that loud with speakers. I'm sure, likewise, many people wouldn't consider the D-class amps I use because they listen to big orchestral arrangements at loud volumes which they may not be as suitable for. This amp has been pitched as an all-round useful amp which, for little money DIY (but probably at least a couple of hundred dollars commercially) will perform as good or better than existing, more expensive commercial offerings.  That's a pretty tall order considering the large variety of headphones and sources it may be used with.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

 
Pretty neat but at 1.1 kOhms per cm I think it is a bit of a stretch to call it conductive. I wonder how much additional treatments improve the conductivity. 
 
 

So are you saying we should be making fiber optic resistors instead? 

 

 

[Satellite_6]

Quote:

 
It's not about doing something different, it is about doing something that is usable.  I'd love a Firstwatt amp, for example, but that's not usable for me as it would murder my power bill and I don't listen that loud with speakers. I'm sure, likewise, many people wouldn't consider the D-class amps I use because they listen to big orchestral arrangements at loud volumes which they may not be as suitable for. This amp has been pitched as an all-round useful amp which, for little money DIY (but probably at least a couple of hundred dollars commercially) will perform as good or better than existing, more expensive commercial offerings.  That's a pretty tall order considering the large variety of headphones and sources it may be used with.
 

Are you arguing it's not usable? It seems to be usable with like 99% of sources and 99% of headphones now, no? 
 
I guess we will have to hear the thing to see if it's all really all that though. He is is promising a lot! 
 

 

[Shike]

 
Quote:

The point seems to be that the design measures well (ie: as I just stated, pitched at people like yourself) and, unless I understand wrongly, putting the volume after the gain stage results in better measurements. Now you're talking about audibility (ie: how it sounds). You can't have your cake and eat it too always. This is why I've suggested to others who argue about this stuff that they go and design their own amp.

 
First, the accusation here is that the second volume control will impart a worse specification even when maxed out than if it were just in front of the gain stage.  This is probably true, but it's a level of magnitude.  It STILL may measure better or in-line with higher performance gear anyway, and needs to be tested.  The final question is whether one wants to try and jumper it and use a pre-gain volume control anyway which is also possible, but should be measured.
 
In regards to audibility, we're talking audibility as in "hey, can this be heard in an ABX" not "how it sounds" in the way you're probably most used to hearing it.  I'm not talking "does it sparkle", I'm saying "hey, is this distortion really audible?  What about channel balance", etc.  Other sub-$100 amps tend to have very audible issues, be quite power limited, or have other compromises some of us rather not make.  Once again, I'm not naming names - but for those of us that are aware of the current landscape in terms of objective performance this IS a breath of fresh air
 
Lastly, and this is important, this "issue" can be fixed by using the appropriate gain setting anyway making it a null issue.  Speaking of cake and eating it too, why are people wanting an amazing performing amp for under $100 and infuriated that they may need to use a switch?  The horror!