[anetode]

Gain, shmain. Can it be shoved in an altoids tin and sold for 50$ on ebay? No? Then I have no desire to buy it.

 

[limpidglitch]

A group buy for the PCBs have been initiated over at DIYA.
 
Linky

 

[Currawong]

I've removed part of my post. Sorry, but it is frustrating to see people trying to make intelligent discussion about this amp yet have numerous peanut gallery replies to those people with genuine knowledge.  I'm going to leave it alone entirely from here. Good luck everyone getting something sane out of this.

 

[milosz]

I would be interested to see some A/B comparisons with this amp, especially some blind A/B comparisons. 

 

[deadlylover]

Quote:

I would be interested to see some A/B comparisons with this amp, especially some blind A/B comparisons. 

You are going to look forward to this weekend, I promise I'll stop being lazy now ^^, all the hostility in this thread kinda puts me off from doing anything, that, and I've been a busy little bugger the past couple of days with no free time.

 

[b0ck3n]

Quote:

 
Your full of it. 
 

 
You're right, I over-simplified. What I meant to say was that distortion levels are below audibility throughout the entire range.

 

[phrosty]

Very interested in this, but I don't know how to build my own.  I hope once it gets some testing, some enterprising individual will decide to start selling them pre-made.
 
Now we need an Objective DAC.

 

[arirug]

Same here. I want this headphone amplifier as fast as possible!

 

[bcg27]

Quote:

A group buy for the PCBs have been initiated over at DIYA.
 
Linky

 Thanks for the  link. I'm in for a couple of boards. Boards look like they will be really cheap so I won't feel bad if I don't actually end up building this thing.

 

[Soaa-]

Quote:

 
Now we need an Objective DAC.

NwAvGuy said that probably won't happen. It's a lot trickier to design a DAC than an amp, and there are already well engineered DACs on the market at fair price. He mentioned the Behringer DAC a few times, and although that alone isn't suitable to drive most headphones due to high internal impedance, the O2 presents a 10 kOhm load, which negates the side effects of internal impedance.
 
I'd say Computer -> Behringer -> O2 would make a sweet setup.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

I would be interested to see some A/B comparisons with this amp, especially some blind A/B comparisons. 

As long as people will be comparing it agains the big boys, toss in a couple cheaper amps like the e5 and a well made cmoy, and also directly off source when listening to an easily driven headphone.

 

[micmacmo]

Quote:

I would be interested to see some A/B comparisons with this amp, especially some blind A/B comparisons. 

I, for one, would be interested in reading your A/B comparisons. 
 

 

[Anonanimal]

Quote:

 

apples and oranges, but i have a M3 here with a gain of 8x.  i sat down for a listen this evening with my K702 and BM DAC1 (2Vrms).  with the pot mounted with pointer at about 7:30, i am hitting 2-2:30 with my ECM label recordings (new or old recordings) and the same for a couple of the Steely Dan albums i tried.  measured dB was 85 peaks with an analog Radio Shack meter stuck through a piece of cardboard to cover the driver housing.
 

That's interesting.  Any idea what the relative dB difference is between those 'quiet' albums and louder albums at the same volume pot setting?  I think if we could come up with a reasonable range of 'headroom' needed for various recording levels, we could come up with some solid Low/High gain recommendations for this and other amps.

 

[dfkt]

Or you could simply use Replaygain.

 

[nikongod]

Quote:

Any idea what the relative dB difference is between those 'quiet' albums and louder albums at the same volume pot setting?  I think if we could come up with a reasonable range of 'headroom' needed for various recording levels, we could come up with some solid Low/High gain recommendations for this and other amps.

12-20db of headroom is the general rule of thumb. 
Quote:

Or you could simply use Replaygain.

Until it runs into digital clipping.