[spritzer]

Well the BH only costs about 1500$ or so to build if you have the chops to pull it off so it is a valid point for comparisons.

The KGSS and 717 are more realistic contenders against a TOTL transformer box as both have much more power compared to the T1's and even more detail.

 

[AudioCats]

True, but the BH is a lot more complex than a transformer box

basically anybody with entry level skill can do a transbox (7x multiplier, then stepping down with a zener string), in a day or two, while a BH will take a few weeks just for the planning if doing point-point style.

 

[luvdunhill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioCats /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am not too sure if a direct drive amp is by default better

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioCats /img/forum/go_quote.gif why do people keep bringing up the BH? Yes it is probably more powerful and better than most everything, but the purpose of a high end transbox is not to out perform the best, it is to provide good enough headphone driving capability for people who already have a good speaker amp. My guess is a Lundahl box driven by $600~$1000 SS speaker amp should be at least as good as, most likely better, than a T1s/W.

I think the Blue Hawaii was brought up because your first post seemed to imply that a transformer box can sound as good as a TOTL direct drive amp. This just isn't possible. A T1S, okay, that's a more reasonable goal.

 

[spritzer]

A DIY transformer box will be even easier to pull off once the new bias supply PCB has been beta tested.

I also wouldn't recommend the BH for a P-P wiring job as it simply is too complicated.

 

[AudioCats]

hehehe, looks like the BH is safe, for now...

From what I am hearing right now (Kenwood -->JRM -->ESP950), I can assume (only assuming) a high-end SS amp driving JRM transformers can be on par with a T1s. For speaker people looking for easy entry to electrostatic headphones, it is a rather low cost option as long as they have some DIY skills.

The JRM shines more when driving more difficult phones (such as ESP950), which brings up the main advantage of using higher-end transformer: there is no "power" issue, provided the speaker amp is up to the task.

 

[AudioCats]

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvdunhill /img/forum/go_quote.gif your first post seemed to imply that a transformer box can sound as good as a TOTL direct drive amp. This just isn't possible. A T1S, okay, that's a more reasonable goal.

I re-read the 1st post and....where did I mention "top of the line"?

anyway, so far there has not been any comparison review on using Lundahl transformers for electrostatic, let alone the amorphous core version. Anybody brave enough to be the first to build one? (amorphous core, of course!) Come on, even if they don't work as well as hoped, you can always use them for building that push-pull 2A3 amp, right?

(Don't look at me, even if I do want to build one such box I still don't have a good enough SS amp to drive it

)

Have fun

 

[luvdunhill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioCats /img/forum/go_quote.gif I re-read the 1st post and....where did I mention "top of the line"? anyway, so far there has not been any comparison review on using Lundahl transformers for electrostatic, let alone the amorphous core version. Anybody brave enough to be the first to build one? (amorphous core, of course!) Come on, even if they don't work as well as hoped, you can always use them for building that push-pull 2A3 amp, right? (Don't look at me, even if I do want to build one such box I still don't have a good enough SS amp to drive it ) Have fun

you didn't mention it, hence the word "implied"

anyways, if I was to do this I'd go with iron from Electra-print. I know they have worked with electrostatic speakers before and the brief conversation I had with Jack was promising.

 

[AudioCats]

but if the electra-print doesn't accomplish the "kill-all" goal, you can't use it for anything else (unless electrostatic pannel speakers), no?

 

[krmathis]

Keep the JRM impressions, and details, coming.

 

[AudioCats]

acutally not much to say, other than it is a LOT better than the SRD-6. Sound stage is about the same, more dynamic range, bass is much stronger( the clean kind), and goes much deeper (more bass than the T1, and goes at least as deep). Feels like it has unrestricted power. The sound is not rolled off at the top end at all; blacker background (not sure why I felt that).

Like the T1 it seems to provide the "there" feel. The down side is some of the micro sonic details are missing so it doesn't reproduce the ambient/atmosphere nearly as well as the T1s, so not as "there" as the T1s. It is the kind of situation that "if you listen for it it is all there", but if I have ot listen for things then I am not as involved into the music.

I seriously think the bottle neck is the amp, the Kenwood is just not that detailed to start with, plus it might have been stressed too hard: I don't think it is meant to drive directly wired transformers.( I did not use any 1 Ohm transformer, connection posts are directly connected to the transformer.) If I play Rock music hard enough the Kenwood will actually kick itself out, somehow the extra current demand can trigger the amp's protection circuit.

Lots of potentials. That is all I can say. I think a high end amp can solve the detail problem so the amp+JRM box will outperform the T1s, but again, I don't have one such amp to connect it to so that is still uncertain.

 

[AudioCats]

Lundahl's are on the way.

Lets hope they are better than the JRM's.

 

[burgunder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioCats /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lundahl's are on the way. Lets hope they are better than the JRM's.

It will be interesting to see if you can get better performance from the Lundahls or if the limiting factor migth be the amp?

Keep us posted!

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudioCats /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lundahl's are on the way. Lets hope they are better than the JRM's.

Aahh, sweet!

 

[AudioCats]

burning in (test configuration, of course)

Not sure if I want them to sound better than my other boxes or not. Deep down I kind of hope they don't out perform the JRM and the SRD-mod, because.... if these LL do sound better, the next logical step will be their AM (amorphous core) version..... the AM's are $400 a pop!

--- 7/2/09: bad news..... the Lundahl seems to be worth the major price differences. Debating when to try some AM ones.

 

[pidesd]

what lundahl trafos are you using? i d like to put these in my srd-6 (well not actually inside...

)

also can you describe how connect them?