[Tjj226 Angel]

Those speakers in their multi driver configuration reminds me of the Genesis line of speakers.
Not exactly the same but they are also designed to achieve a similar desired output.
https://genesisloudspeakers.com/

And in contrast my 0.75w/ch SET amp driving a single driver set of HP's can reach to near 10Hz and at a fraction of the cost of the Audio Artistry Beethoven speaker system, let alone the cost of the Genesis speaker systems (up to the $300K+ range).

And yes TRUE Trouser Flapping (TTF) where the the pants actually do flap in the 'breeze' and can be observed moving, does embody bragging rights unto itself, but at a cost above and beyond the audio system itself.
Like loosening the ceiling rafters (with the accompanying falling dust), the window and door frames (they make more and more noise as they continue to loosen), the floor joists and subsequently the flooring itself will loosen and act as a drum head, along with the whole rest of the house, not to mention the houses in the nearby vicinity.

Of course if you can afford an audio system with 6-7-8 digits of dollars, perhaps the neighbors are so far away from your stone castle that the above concerns are but a moot point. hahahahahahahahahahaha

Still the contrast of being able to rattle my teeth and internal organs with under 1 watt, and NOT have the police show up asking me to turn it down because, blocks away, dishes and collectable ceramic nic-naks are falling to the floor, is a definite plus in my book…
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

JJ

AH $%^%$^%$ I forgot that I have all the parts for my planar headphones.

I had the diaphragms safely hidden away, but all this talk about crap that cost too much money got me thinking about diy again.

For that matter, I think I have everything for some electrostatics as well......hmmmm.

Might be a busy weekend.

 

[johnjen]

"Maaaa, he's doing it again…"
hahahahahahahahahaa

Lets see now, the active project count is at 14, I think…
WE ƒ'133-24 Speaker Amps (2)
300B Speaker/HP Amp
45 HP Amp
26 Pre-Amp
mystery Pre-Amp
Phono Pre-Amp
Dac
Planar HP's
Electrostatic HP's
Electrostatic HP Amp
TL Speakers
Horn Speakers
Field Coil Subs
Mystery-Hybrid-Amp

He keeps telling me 'he has a plan' and I know it's true, but we keep adding to the list…
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

JJ

 

[bcowen]

"Maaaa, he's doing it again…"
hahahahahahahahahaa

Lets see now, the active project count is at 14, I think…
WE ƒ'133-24 Speaker Amps (2)
300B Speaker/HP Amp
45 HP Amp
26 Pre-Amp
mystery Pre-Amp
Phono Pre-Amp
Dac
Planar HP's
Electrostatic HP's
Electrostatic HP Amp
TL Speakers
Horn Speakers
Field Coil Subs
Mystery-Hybrid-Amp

He keeps telling me 'he has a plan' and I know it's true, but we keep adding to the list…
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

JJ

Man, I thought *my* list was bad. You're making me feel much better!

 

[johnjen]

After all what are friends for?
hahahahahahahahahahahaha

JJ

 

[johnjen]

So the latest mods I've made to the Purp-Amp are wholly holey in nature.
That being the whole of this mod…

Yeah I drilled the top plate for lightness, and for additional transparency, and venting,
well sorta…

Actually I added 7) 1/4" holes to the Amp section top plate and 3 holes to the top plate of the PowerSupply in the vicinity of the heat generating CCS's and cathode resistors.

This in turn has further stabilized the B+ from the CCS's and subsequently the voltage stability across the 71A tubes.

Now really the amount of heat this amp makes is minuscule and the hottest I've ever measured the top plate (excepting the tubes themselves) was 115ºF (46ºC) as the peak, which is warm but not hot by any stretch…
And that was at the cathode resistors (≈3.6w each).
The new CCS heatsinks are dumping ≈ 2.2w each for a grand total of ≈12w for the vast majority of the heat being generated by the entire amp, well except for the 3 tubes which don't contribute very much heat at all, as the 71A tubes never get hot enough to even melt a plastic bag.

The top plate never even got above ≈120ºF as a peak temp, and in only 2 or 3 spots while the 'average' temp was in the 90-100ºF range.

BUT there was precious little air flow inside the cavity where the analog section resides.
And as it turns out SQ is more related, not to peak temperatures, but heat saturation and heat flow away from the sources of heat.
This is where air flow over hot surfaces comes into play.

Even small amounts of air flow can significantly increase the amount of heat shed via convection, which is where the wholly holes come into play as they allow the heated air to rise and escape thru aforesaid wholly holes.
AND the flow of air, even as slight as would pass thru 7) 1/4" wholly holes, has lowered the measured top plate temps down to 113ºF from 120ºF, with the CCS 'hot spots' dropping down from a peak of 150ºF to ≈138ºF and even lower over the majority of the heat sink.

Of course this is a 'rough' 1st trial at not 'trapping' heated air with little chance of 'escaping'.
I may get a wild hair and get one of those tiny low CFM fans and play with what happens if I deliberately huff-n-puff air inside the analog cavity, just because I can.

Of course it would be cheaper and easier to just drill more holes, which would also reduce the road hugging weight of this ≈ 50lb, 3/4w/ch headphone amp.
But of course I need to let the amp settle in to these new thermal conditions and evaluate the SQ changes before I go wholly hog wild with my step drill and make swiss cheese of the top plate.
hahahahahahahahahaha

JJ

 

[johnjen]

So another update & SQ report.

As I write this I'm listening to 'vintage' Rolling Stones from the 60's thru to their latest album.
And this collection (The - Forty Licks) has been re-mastered so there is that added degree of clarity and lack of the original mastering distortions, which does help raise the bar in terms of actually wanting to listen, w/o cringing like the original vinyl renditions of these early recordings.

Even so those original recordings, regardless of the mastering employed, have all taken a decided step up, along with everything else.
So the SQ has steadily risen and drug that SQ bar along with it.

And as usual all of my favorite descriptors have stepped up as well.
Which translates to the remaining veils are becoming ever more threadbare and falling apart.
And there seems to be several of these veils, all doing the 'fade out' routine, as more and more of the inner details become clearer and more focused and obvious that they are more REAL…

One of the newest more interestingly noticed SQ traits is the ease of listening to intentional distortion that musicians use to create 'a sound' that can capture the 'message' they want to convey.
Think 'effect pedals' like waa-waa pedals, along with additional harmonics and distortions that add richness to the 'voice' they choose to create etc.
These effects often are just heard as having a 'hard edge' or extra 'zing' etc.
Now these effects have an air of distinction and intrigue which was missing before.
A most welcome change for the 'better'.

All in all I'd say this hole experiment, in getting more holey, has on the whole, been a success.
And to date I have not succumbed to the swiss cheese syndrome of punching holes, semi randomly, on the top plate, based upon the theory that if a little is good, MOAR Has To Be Better!!!!
hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Next up and possibly the final mod, are new 'custom', mass tweako, output Xfmrs.
This could be the end of a long developmental cycle of tweaking to find out what can be done to optimize a low powered SET HP amp.

Of course this opens the door for a complete re-build of this circuit to dial in the placement of the circuit components for an optimal 'flow' of the music thru the circuit.
But I don't want to get ahead of myself…
hahahahahahahahahaahhahahaha

JJ

 

[bcowen]

Thanks for that! I've always loved the 'Stones, but the recording quality on *all* of the original LP's was just wretched. I don't consider myself an 'audiophile snob' where I'm not even going to listen to something unless it's a good recording, but the 'Stones took it so far into the land of crap that it was just impossible to enjoy the music. The MFSL remasters were better, but still not great. I'll give a listen to Forty Licks now, so thanks!

And speaking of resolution, ever listen to any Justin Johnson? Anybody that can make a guitar out of a shovel and then make it wail has my respect. A lot of his tunes have a lot of "artistic" guitar amp overdrive. Without the resolution it just sounds distorted. With the resolution, you can easily hear that it's intended overdrive to add to his desired effect.

 

[johnjen]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I'm searching on Qobuz and listening to what they offer.
And Justin does seem to use "guitar amp overdrive" with aplomb and his band equally 'gets with the program' as well.

And yeah being able to hear into the distortion lends an added degree of 'you are there-ness' to the music that I really like.
This degree of resolution also allows all forms distortion to be heard for what it truly is AND helps me identify it's source.
Like the mic being pushed, or the mic preamp, or the the mixer console going into overload, (think early Rolling Stones, which has ALL of these) etc.

Each of these types of distortions has it's own 'signature' or acoustic response that is unique and different, and when several all happen at the same time, that's when it gets REALLY fascinating.

This added resolution is also changing the overall acoustic space for each track and in ways that are not only hard to describe but in ways that are unexpected as well.

MOAR REALNESS fer shurrr…

hahahahahahahahaaa

JJ

 

[johnjen]

So all this time I've been letting the entire system 'get used to itself' or perhaps it's more like me getting used to it, or a combo deal…

There is a persnickety low level (≈ -45dB) crackle/kzzztt sound from the right channel that comes and goes and is really only heard when no music is playing.
The key voltages I've been tracking and adjusting, to keep them in their respective 'sweet spots', have bigly stabilized and are staying much closer to their target numbers.

But the BIG news is the SQ has risen to such a degree that the "crackle/kzzztt sound" is meaningless and doesn't matter.
Like at all.

Especially noticeable are the LEDI (Leading Edge Dynamic Impacts) such as percussive hits, that now have additional smack to them.
Even acoustic guitar plucks with nylon strings have more pluckyness.

And the extreme bottom end has sharpened up it's extension and so the amount of inner detail has risen to new heights as well.
Normally the very extreme bottom has limited inner focus and delineation which is why it is seldom mentioned, let alone achieved, especially on speakers where subsonic bass is 'problematic' to begin with.
But HP's can avoid these complex room interactions and can punch well below what would be considered possible.

The 'voices' themselves, along with their contribution to the soundstage, (either real or studio created) have melded into a seamless whole, which is another way of saying the 3d location of each 'voice' and the influence it has on its acoustic surrounding, have merged.

The term 'seamless whole' is apt as the entire soundstage contains all 'voices', and it too contributes as a distinct portion of each 'voice', yet it integrates them all.
This produces pin point, location specific 3d triangulation of each 'voice', as the music plays and things change, as in 4d.

It's like each 'voice' has embedded within it, it's own acoustic space, which determines it's 'REALNESS'.
This system now focuses it's created acoustic energy, to an ever greater degree to where it belongs and specifically NOT where it shouldn't be.

JJ

 

[johnjen]

So of late the system has refined itself so it's getting nearer and nearer to the SQ of the system I experienced back almost 50yrs ago in college.

It has a similar acoustic space projection and intimacy along with even more surprising bass inner detail, focus, and extension.
But these same traits also extend upwards so the entire audio bandwidth has a degree of effortless homogeneity and cohesion all the way up.

One way this can be perceived is, each 'voice', regardless of what or where it is in the mix, has presence and isn't 'pushed aside' by louder 'voices'.
IOW each 'voice' has 'standing' or is heard for what and where it is in the soundstage, regardless of how many other 'voices' there might be.

To date I haven't quite reached the individuation of massed strings (orchestra) down to each 'voice' in the string sections, but I'm still work'n on it…
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

But with less complex music (fewer 'voices') the delineation is delightful.

There is one sonic test that I have yet to reach as of yet however.
There is a particular 'voice' in the Stevie Wonder's album Talking Book track I Believe (When I fall In Love It Will Be Forever) where a series of finger pops are heard.
Back in the day we heard the musician inhale and stick his finger in his mouth and then pop it.
I can hear the 'voice' do the pop but not the rest of the sonic event, and instead of a finger pop it sounds like a wood block strike.

This is a most subtle distinction as most wouldn't think that it wasn't anything more than a wood block strike, but that isn't what is actually happening.

I'm hoping that the planned for new tweako output xfmrs will help this amps resolution to the point where I will be able to hear the inhale and finger pop again.
This would be the attainment and culmination of a long standing goal of mine, to re-create the acoustical experience of a CNST (Central Nervous System Tap) once again.

JJ

 

[johnjen]

So another insight into more of what the SQ has morphed into has popped up on the radar and made itself known.

One of our (us audiophools) modes of listening is to 'drill down' into a song and focus upon a particular 'voice' to determine how well it is being presented coincident with being able to perform this 'test' upon any and all 'voices' at any time.

This is a way of being able to figure out just how well the system can present all of the 'voices' one from each other so we can differentiate them and evaluate the degree of 'smearing' and 'overlap' between them all.
It's a handy technique we can use to evaluate the 'health' of the system and to employ to help figure out if changes (tweaks/mods) actually help or not.

But right now this system has surpassed the need for this sort of regimen, as the whole of the soundfield and acoustic 'stage' has become far more involving and captivating.
IOW the entirety of the musical performance, of each piece of music, as it progresses and holds me captive, is far more intriguing than utilizing analytic and evaluatory 'tests' and the like.

The experience of being caught up in the music and letting it carry me along exceeds the need to even want to spend the time to want to analyze anything.

Reaching this degree of SQ is surprising in that it 'snuck up on me' seemingly from out of the blue, but is most welcome.
Even albums that before had a lack of compelling SQ, have now become FAR more inviting.

This fits right into one of my goals, that being to be able to play ANY music without having to choose only those 'chosen' tracks that are favorites due to a 'lack of interest' in the rest of the tracks because they were 'uninteresting' (didn't 'grab me')…

So back to more of my collection that has remained obscure and under appreciated…

JJ

 

[gefski]

So another insight into more of what the SQ has morphed into has popped up on the radar and made itself known.

One of our (us audiophools) modes of listening is to 'drill down' into a song and focus upon a particular 'voice' to determine how well it is being presented coincident with being able to perform this 'test' upon any and all 'voices' at any time.

This is a way of being able to figure out just how well the system can present all of the 'voices' one from each other so we can differentiate them and evaluate the degree of 'smearing' and 'overlap' between them all.
It's a handy technique we can use to evaluate the 'health' of the system and to employ to help figure out if changes (tweaks/mods) actually help or not.

But right now this system has surpassed the need for this sort of regimen, as the whole of the soundfield and acoustic 'stage' has become far more involving and captivating.
IOW the entirety of the musical performance, of each piece of music, as it progresses and holds me captive, is far more intriguing than utilizing analytic and evaluatory 'tests' and the like.

The experience of being caught up in the music and letting it carry me along exceeds the need to even want to spend the time to want to analyze anything.

Reaching this degree of SQ is surprising in that it 'snuck up on me' seemingly from out of the blue, but is most welcome.
Even albums that before had a lack of compelling SQ, have now become FAR more inviting.

This fits right into one of my goals, that being to be able to play ANY music without having to choose only those 'chosen' tracks that are favorites due to a 'lack of interest' in the rest of the tracks because they were 'uninteresting' (didn't 'grab me')…

So back to more of my collection that has remained obscure and under appreciated…

JJ

Yes.

I first experienced “ANYMUSIC” after purchasing Yggy and feeding it files via Dante Ethernet/AES (2016). Sometimes I may sit down and seek a particular album or music type, or maybe see what new stuff Tidal is putting out.

But more often nowadays, I’ll just click on something. After a few minutes, that’s what I’m going to listen to. With NO desire to find something “better”. And as you describe, genuine system improvements (linear PS for Dante, Uptone boards and PS for my Mac Mini) make that satisfaction consistent among recordings, time of day, etc.

 

[johnjen]

Say there gefski.
And yes this consistency of SQ, no matter the condition of these other variables (day vs night, quality of the recording etc.), which used to sometimes significantly alter the satisfaction of the overall presentation, make for a much greater 'worry free' experience, as in no more wondering just what I'm going to get this time…

And when coupled with this newly added sense of acoustic freedom from feeling the need to 'evaluate', it just throws the doors wide open for a more satisfying musical experience all the way around.

And the interesting thing is, once experienced there is immediate recognition to it's presence vs. lack of same.
But to those who haven't experienced this level of SQ, these words may not have much validity nor real meaning…

Such is the range of experiences in audio.

JJ

 

[bcowen]

Say there gefski.
And yes this consistency of SQ, no matter the condition of these other variables (day vs night, quality of the recording etc.), which used to sometimes significantly alter the satisfaction of the overall presentation, make for a much greater 'worry free' experience, as in no more wondering just what I'm going to get this time…

And when coupled with this newly added sense of acoustic freedom from feeling the need to 'evaluate', it just throws the doors wide open for a more satisfying musical experience all the way around.

And the interesting thing is, once experienced there is immediate recognition to it's presence vs. lack of same.
But to those who haven't experienced this level of SQ, these words may not have much validity nor real meaning…

Such is the range of experiences in audio.

JJ

The problem you face now is knowing when to stop. Once you hit that 'magical' place, it's always hard to resist trying to make it just a bit more magical and end up losing the magic you had. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

[johnjen]

Been there done that…
D'oh…
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…

'Too much is never enough…'
'How high is UP?'
'When is good enough really enough?'
'I may not be able to describe it but I'll know it when I hear it…'
'A man has to know his limits'

All of these and more have been tested and approximate limits and boundaries established.
Of course that doesn't mean I won't blow right past them with the resultant, D'oh… yet again…
hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Even so I always make changes so I can reverse them and go back to 'better' if need be.
And once you get 'spoiled' (I call it getting calibrated) it establishes a 'high water mark' of sorts and sets a 'goal' to shoot for.

And having a target to shoot for provides context and a relative gauge as to where on the SQ chart of excellence I'm currently at.

Besides I am 'in the cue' for a custom set of tweako Output Xfmrs for this amp.
And as the saying goes what you are really listening to, are not the tubes, but the Output Xfmrs, and getting a set of 'exotic' dialed in (as in optimal materials with matched input and output impedance) OPT's to match this circuit, should prove to be icing on the cake…

And if this final major circuit tweak pushes me over the edge, well I expect I'm gunna be REALLY surprised either way…
hahahahahahahaha

JJ