[yogi1ab]

I know what you mean Mike... I can remember listening to the Studio Six prototype many moons ago and loved hearing all that extra (new) detail revealed in old familiar song. It really helped me reconnect to those old favorites and gain a finer appreciation for the recording quality and what the artists were really intending. There is so much detail that can get utterly lost on other systems. Some music is so rich and lush in its sonic detail, or just plain raw and emotional. The ST6 is one of those things that has, for me, lifted the veil of cloudy/muddy music reproduction. For example: Hearing the fingers on a guitar, the horsehair on a violin string, the key clicks of a flute, or some small detail in the music comes forward to add to the full bloom of the sonic experience. It's a very life-like, almost eerie, feeling. For me, listening to remastered The Cure albums with my Audeze LCD-2, is like time traveling with the band and joining them in the recording studio for the their first take.
 

 

[mikemercer]

Quote:

I know what you mean Mike... I can remember listening to the Studio Six prototype many moons ago and loved hearing all that extra (new) detail revealed in old familiar song. It really helped me reconnect to those old favorites and gain a finer appreciation for the recording quality and what the artists were really intending. There is so much detail that can get utterly lost on other systems. Some music is so rich and lush in its sonic detail, or just plain raw and emotional. The ST6 is one of those things that has, for me, lifted the veil of cloudy/muddy music reproduction. For example: Hearing the fingers on a guitar, the horsehair on a violin string, the key clicks of a flute, or some small detail in the music comes forward to add to the full bloom of the sonic experience. It's a very life-like, almost eerie, feeling. For me, listening to remastered The Cure albums with my Audeze LCD-2, is like time traveling with the band and joining them in the recording studio for the their first take.
 

LOVED the image you conjured here:
For me, listening to remastered The Cure albums with my Audeze LCD-2, is like time traveling with the band and joining them in the recording studio for the their first take.
 
VERY cool!
 
I've been rediscovering MANY albums I've loved over the years, but haven;t given them much thought.
Thanks to the Studio Six, I'm diggin' through crates again!!  Is there a better compliment??
 
I also loved Srajan's mention of my wife (qwho dubbed herself The Headphone Widow after I got the Studio Six)
is his review of the ST6!!
 
SMILE

 

[mfaoro]

I am really interested in this and like ALO in general. Three things keep hanging me up:
 
1. Lack of Balanced Outputs. As much as anything, I just do not want to buy new cables to use the amp. Even though its often incremental I have also always found the investment in balanced gear to be worth it from a sound-quality perspective.
 
2. It doesn't put out that much juice. Less than a watt into 50ohms (I have LCD3s). Audeze recommends amps with >1 watt which is why I have also been looking at the DNA Stratus (anyone listened to the Studio 6 and Stratus?). I don't understand these statistics that much and maybe they dont matter but it gives me pause.
 
3. (most important reason) There is no way to listen to it without ordering it. At this price point, I have always extensively auditioned gear. Dealers or showing up at Headfi meets would really help here.

 

[Ohmmzz]

Quote:

I am really interested in this and like ALO in general. Three things keep hanging me up:
 
1. Lack of Balanced Outputs. As much as anything, I just do not want to buy new cables to use the amp. Even though its often incremental I have also always found the investment in balanced gear to be worth it from a sound-quality perspective.
 
2. It doesn't put out that much juice. Less than a watt into 50ohms (I have LCD3s). Audeze recommends amps with >1 watt which is why I have also been looking at the DNA Stratus (anyone listened to the Studio 6 and Stratus?). I don't understand these statistics that much and maybe they dont matter but it gives me pause.
 
3. (most important reason) There is no way to listen to it without ordering it. At this price point, I have always extensively auditioned gear. Dealers or showing up at Headfi meets would really help here.

 
2.Less than a watt into 50 ohms (I have LCD3s too). The amp can drive the LCD3 without any issues. Moreover, the studio 6 can reveal more detail and bass quality/quantity than 5W or etc amp with higher specs that I have heard. You can try it.
I have Cavalli Liquid Glass, and RSA The dark star (fully balance and still on sale). I can say that the studio 6 is in another league.

 

[mikemercer]

Quote:

 
2.Less than a watt into 50 ohms (I have LCD3s too). The amp can drive the LCD3 without any issues. Moreover, the studio 6 can reveal more detail and bass quality/quantity than 5W or etc amp with higher specs that I have heard. You can try it.
I have Cavalli Liquid Glass, and RSA The dark star (fully balance and still on sale). I can say that the studio 6 is in another league.

I'm completely with you @Ohmmzz! I rock The Darkstar, Burson Conductor, and E.A.R HP4.  The Studio Six is definetaly in a class by itself!
 
My full review in Positive Feedback Online

 

[Silent One]

Will the amp make an appearance at the LA Meet?
 

 

[mfaoro]

Thanks for the replies Mike and Ohmmzz!!!!
 
Yah, I figure it must sound pretty awesome. 
 
To echo Silent One's question - will it appear at the upcoming Seattle Meet? I believe its on the 22nd...

 

[KB]

Hey all, just wanted to address a few recent posts, see below. We are busy chugging along slowly producing the Studio Six amps. We are all so happy to finally be at this stage and are thrilled with how everything is progressing. Viva La Head-fi and thank you!
 
Not balanced –
 
The ST6 does have some of the main virtues of a “balanced” amp being that its design and takes the audio outputs from the secondary of output transformers, which produce a perfectly isolated output. That being said of course its is not fully balanced, but in the end for us what mattered most was and always is the sound quality. If sound quality was superior it did not matter what we used to achieve that goal. Yes we could have made it balanced but we felt that what we were hearing from the first prototype was drop dead awesome so we wanted to capture this and move on it, I think we have succeeded.
 
Power output –
 
Many manufacturers such as Audeze purposely state their H-Phone drive requirements very conservatively to ensure no disappointments/blame incase people use amps which claim to be able to deliver sufficient power but lack actual 'drive capability'. With quality tube HP amps such as the ST-6, and the  E.A.R. HP4, and also premium solid-state amps such as the Bakoon HPA-21  (Note: ALL of these fine amps are Rated at "only" 1-Watt max output) the actual 'drive capability' far exceeds what simple wattage numbers might seem to indicate. Note also: Audeze themselves present the 1-Watt Bakoon HPA-21 as a ideal combo for their LCD-3. It is safe to say that even less than 1-watt, effectively delivered to the LCD-3, or perhaps 95% of other headphones, will render a person deaf in short order.
 
Auditions –
 
We have really invested a lot into the ST-6, we are thrilled that people are so interested in listening to one! However sadly, I am sorry to say that it would be impossible to send a loaner amp out to everyone who wanted to try it. We do have several review amps circulating and when they come home I can have a few to send out to head-fi members who want to audition them. I think we can get something like a loaner program going. Again there will be a wait time for this so some patience would be in order. We will try to make it to some shows also, for instance we just recently got back from the show in Newport. At this show we had 3 ST6s, we will do the same for RMAF and the one in Tokyo. As for the upcoming LA meet we will not be able to make that one but I do believe Mike will bring the one he has on loan, I think?
 
Thank you all for your continued support!
 
Crew @ ALO
 
PS: I dont think we really "promoted" this at all but FWIW I did my best to really use our in house cryo processor (Cryotron) and cryo treated every component I could that went into the ST6 amp, so everything was cryoed, all PCB boards, all hookup wire, all tubes, tube sockets, jacks, rca connectors etc. I think Lee would I think be proud of the effort.

 

[Silent One]

Thanks for the update! Also, was that a nod to Lee Weiland? If so, fantastic... may he rest in peace!

 

[KB]

Silent One,
 
Indeed, Lee was a wonderful person and very much miss my kvetching partner. Here he was running his own business just like I was, so we were essentially competitors. He selflessly assisted ALO in getting our Cryo processor as well as advice early on, I was helping him with wire weaving machines at the time of his passing.
 
Ken

 

[Silent One]

I admired his enthusiasm for our hobby and his views on life. Followed his business efforts, as well as his internet postings - smart, funny, informative. At the time of his passing, I was seeking his help; becoming his customer.

 

[mikemercer]

Quote:

Will the amp make an appearance at the LA Meet?
 

I will have the Studio Six at the LA Meet!!
 

 
 
 
Re: Lee Weiland - He was like a brother to me, and not only do I think of him everyday, but I miss him terribly every day because we spoke every day.
Can I say every day enough??
 
Seriously, he was my touchstone.  He was a pioneer of high end USB/computer/desktop/personal audio, and I'm keeping the flame burning for him.
When he died he took a piece of me - but I keep going because of how much he believed in me - and because he loved to read my words.  I'd often
write a review as if I was talking to Lee!  It helps me.
 
I wrote a piece saying farewell in PFO when we lost him (and me and Josh Heiner from Sonicweld had to put our heads together and raise money
for his family - and the response from manufacturers in this community brought me to tears - I will never forget the generosity shown).
 
Here's the piece if you wish to read it:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue56/lee.htm
 
I KNOW he would love the Studio Six.
I also know he would've bought one the minute I called him!  LOL.  Or the minute Ken sent him one...

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 
Re: Lee Weiland - He was like a brother to me, and not only do I think of him everyday, but I miss him terribly every day because we spoke every day.
Can I say every day enough??
 
Seriously, he was my touchstone.  He was a pioneer of high end USB/computer/desktop/personal audio, and I'm keeping the flame burning for him.
When he died he took a piece of me - but I keep going because of how much he believed in me - and because he loved to read my words.  I'd often
write a review as if I was talking to Lee!  It helps me.
 
I wrote a piece saying farewell in PFO when we lost him (and me and Josh Heiner from Sonicweld had to put our heads together and raise money
for his family - and the response from manufacturers in this community brought me to tears - I will never forget the generosity shown).
 
Here's the piece if you wish to read it:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue56/lee.htm
 
I KNOW he would love the Studio Six.
I also know he would've bought one the minute I called him!  LOL.  Or the minute Ken sent him one...
 

 

 
Oh man, I'm really looking forward to meeting you. Yes, I read the piece when it printed... and was touched. Gotta take my hat off to Josh, as well. I was wondering why Lee wasn't responding to my emails anymore. Josh was busy helping to bring order and responded on Lee's behalf. We had quite the exchange for a few days and eventually by phone. I learned so much about Lee in only one week from Josh.
 
Some moons back, I was reading Computer Audiophile (I think it was CA) and a poster was giving Lee a lot of gruff. Lee calmly replied that it's just audio. And that there's more important things in life to worry about. This perspective on having balance in life stays with me each time I encounter members on forums with the wrong energy.
 
Whether at the upcoming LA Meet or another chance meeting, I'll be sure to introduce myself. Have yourself a most brilliant afternoon!
 
Kind regards,
 
SO

 

[mikemercer]

Quote:

 
Oh man, I'm really looking forward to meeting you. Yes, I read the piece when it printed... and was touched. Gotta take my hat off to Josh, as well. I was wondering why Lee wasn't responding to my emails anymore. Josh was busy helping to bring order and responded on Lee's behalf. We had quite the exchange for a few days and eventually by phone. I learned so much about Lee in only one week from Josh.
 
Some moons back, I was reading Computer Audiophile (I think it was CA) and a poster was giving Lee a lot of gruff. Lee calmly replied that it's just audio. And that there's more important things in life to worry about. This perspective on having balance in life stays with me each time I encounter members on forums with the wrong energy.
 
Whether at the upcoming LA Meet or another chance meeting, I'll be sure to introduce myself. Have yourself a most brilliant afternoon!
 
Kind regards,
 
SO

 
yeah Josh is salt-of-the-Earth.  We were close friends through Lee, but became brothers after he passed.
His essay was far better than mine.  I love the guy. 
 
I've been telling him how much pleasure I've been getting through my Sennheiser HD800's (Lee left them to me) and the Studio Six!
We were just texting right now - strange.
 
Thanks for the kind words.  I wholly appreciate it!
Psyched to meet you!!

 

[x838nwy]

Ken, with respect, it has been pointed out to me in another thread that the transformers used, along with topology employed in the Studio Six is perhaps not quite on par with amplifiers at the same/similar price point. I am not saying that this is a fact - merely an impression of another member - but I think it will be fair if you can shed some light on the matter - specially of component sourcing and may be some design decisions involved in creating the Studio Six in this thread.
 
Thank you,
 
C