[neilvg]

Hey guys,

I've tried searching and was unable to find anything specific:

Is there a stand-alone HIGH Quality Crossfeed circuit available? I'd like to try something to put between a high quality amp and cdp that would minimize signal loss/distortions. I don't want to lose a high quality headphone jack by plugging my headphones into a noisy crossfeed. But I haven't seen anything anywhere other than from built in amps.

I think Xin produces a Xinfeed but I don't know much about it.

Thanks
Neil

 

[overlunge]

Hi neilvg,

You can try this product from Jan Meier:

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/cross1.htm

I have no personal experience with this unit, but I had a Grace m902 which had the Meier crossfeed circuit built-in, the result was more or less interesting and different. I would have to say it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it when I had it.

Hope that helps,

Overlunge

 

[canloader]

Hey Neil,
Did you see my external crossfeed circuit in the bottom right sitting on top of the c-moy tin? This was a DIY based on the Meier.. I think originally purchased from saint.panda and through a few more people before landing in my setup. Orig FS post: It is a really neat effect.

 

[neilvg]

Thanks! I see it. Can you elaborate on the sound (with the HE60's) I'm thinking of possibily using with the L3k's as well... but...

and also, does the sound suffer much by going through another chain of RCA's? Etc..

how is the quality of the unit.

Neil

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg I think Xin produces a Xinfeed but I don't know much about it.

Hm, the ampless (passive) Xinfeed is nice & well priced (& well made although it looks crappy

), but more aimed at a portable environment with its 1/8" jack&plug. Just costs about 1/10 of the Meier.

 

[saint.panda]

That DIY crossfeed from above was built for me based on the schematics of the Meier crossfeed published on Headwize. Unfortunately, it only has 2 levels of crossfeed but not one for bypass, so I bought the original Meier Cross-1 external crossfeed device for convenience sake since unplugging cables is a pain with the WBT Nextgen connectors. I think it's a bit on the expensive side but there's no alternative product that offers 3 levels of crossfeed including a bypass mode. Build quality is as high as with all Meier products I've owned.
But there's really a lot of information on how the crossfeed sounds in the forum archives and john_jcb did a review of it, too.

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

Is there a stand-alone HIGH Quality Crossfeed circuit available?

Quote:

Hm, the ampless (passive) Xinfeed is nice & well priced (& well made although it looks crappy ), but more aimed at a portable environment with its 1/8" jack&plug. Just costs about 1/10 of the Meier.

Not slamming the Xin device but would not be the first choice for anyone saying they need HIGH Quality in capitals which means that is the main emphasis.
to get portability and small size you need to make comprimises at the passive part level and when it comes to capacitors it has definable and audible effects.Small low voltage film caps just do not sound as good as very high voltage caps all else being equal and with the increase in voltage capacity comes size so multiply that by the amount of caps and "Highest Quality" and "small" don't quite work in the same sentence.What is good enough on the fly does not always translate well to the big rig.
I would do the Meier Cross with all 600 Volt film and foil crossfeed-network capacitors and if I had a triode stage feeding it would scale everytrhing "UP" by a factor of X2 to provide a higher input impedance even though the output Z would most likely not be the ideal into anything less than 100K ohms.

At least that is my experience and personal opinion.YMMV of course.

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 Not slamming the Xin device but would not be the first choice for anyone saying they need HIGH Quality in capitals which means that is the main emphasis. to get portability and small size you need to make comprimises at the passive part level and when it comes to capacitors it has definable and audible effects.

For sure! Yet it is the smallest available. Different purpose, different product, different price.

 

[Sinbios]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 Small low voltage film caps just do not sound as good as very high voltage caps all else being equal and with the increase in voltage capacity comes size so multiply that by the amount of caps and "Highest Quality" and "small" don't quite work in the same sentence.

What does the voltage limit of the cap have to do with quality?

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

What does the voltage limit of the cap have to do with quality?

All about the sonics.Take two identical caps in value and from the same manufacturer and all else being equal the 600 volt version will sound better than the 400 volt version.Neither will fit into any sane portable device so what you have are mostly 16-50 volt film caps and a sonic comprimise

 

[TheSloth]

Headroom made the 'Static' years ago which was a standalone version of their crossfeed box that they sold to go along with the STAX they used to sell.

You might find one on ebay/audiogon from time to time...

 

[neilvg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSloth Headroom made the 'Static' years ago which was a standalone version of their crossfeed box that they sold to go along with the STAX they used to sell. You might find one on ebay/audiogon from time to time...

I wonder if they'd make it again. How do you guys like the Headroom crossfeed versus the corda? For those who have experienced both. Seems like the Corda gives more adjustment flexibility, but headroom may be doing something different.

Neil

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

I wonder if they'd make it again. How do you guys like the Headroom crossfeed versus the corda? For those who have experienced both. Seems like the Corda gives more adjustment flexibility, but headroom may be doing something different.

Another one of those demand problems.If enough folks bought the original to make having it remain an active product worth while it would be still available but if i remember the way it went it was mostly "why should i pay $XXX for just the crossfeed when for a little bit more loot I can get the same crossfeed AND a headphone amp in a single package" so the justification was to NOT buy the product.
The way I see it is this is a tough product to market in any numbers though maybe now the climate is better than it was once with all the new interest in stats.The reason it is tough to market is bottom line profit and build cost which if you think about it a full 70% of all product cost goes into the chassis/connectors/power supply no matter what the circuitry inside the box so a stand alone crossfeed cost close to the same amount in build cost as does a full on headphone amp with built in crossfeeed and that is where you get the wise guys saying "it is a rip.All that cost for just half of what is in the amp ?I wouldn't buy it".Sucks but that is human nature.Rather than see a need and fill that need they would prefer to go without and only because they don't understand the dynamics of retail cost and profit margins.if the box eats up almost the entire build budget the product is harder to sell if there is less "apparent" in the actual box as another product from the very same manufacturer even though it is the only way to offer the device at any level of quality.

Not speaking for Tyll (he is fully capable

) but he watches market trends and demands and trust me.If he sees a market for something he damn sure WILL fill that hole with a quality device but only if he can build it for a reasonable retail rpice that allows for a normal profit.Businesses operate on the bottom line and nbot "nice guyism" even though he is a fairly nice guy

BTW-Not following you around or picking on you Neil i just happen to be interested in the same threads man and it is 100% coincidental that you are asking the questions i want to answer.Nothing personal dude

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 Another one of those demand problems.If enough folks bought the original to make having it remain an active product worth while it would be still available but if i remember the way it went it was mostly "why should i pay $XXX for just the crossfeed when for a little bit more loot I can get the same crossfeed AND a headphone amp in a single package" so the justification was to NOT buy the product.

In fact this is keeping me, having started this.. hobby.. with Headroom products, from buying other standalone amps - a) I have a very nice one already & rather experiment with portable amps, b) buying an amp without crossfeed would always mean that I either go nuts (crossfeed is addictive) or invest in a separate crossfeed unit, which again means another bundle for interconnects.

 

[neilvg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 BTW-Not following you around or picking on you Neil i just happen to be interested in the same threads man and it is 100% coincidental that you are asking the questions i want to answer.Nothing personal dude

Rick, your answers are very relevant and I should be thanking you for contributing to answering my questions!

So without further ado: Thanks!

Lol... no seriously, if I ever catch you following me around I'm going to tell on you! I'm going to tell on you to Jude! Are you some sort of serial thread question answering stocker????