[germanium]

Truth is after some more reading on the subject we are both right. Both wires in a b alanced input do not have to be hot as in driven by an amp to be balanced however that is the most (only actually in my case that I have seen but now i see the others does in fact exist) common configuration I have seen. The other uses a single ended source with the ground I.E. signal return facing a matching impedance as well some times called quasi-balanced but is in fact fully balanced. . This characteristic is a must in order to have common mode interferance rejection.

Balanced audio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by germanium /img/forum/go_quote.gif Truth is after some more reading on the subject we are both right. Both wires in a b alanced input do not have to be hot as in driven by an amp to be balanced however that is the most (only actually in my case that I have seen but now i see the others does in fact exist) common configuration I have seen. The other uses a single ended source with the ground I.E. signal return facing a matching impedance as well some times called quasi-balanced but is in fact fully balanced. . This characteristic is a must in order to have common mode interferance rejection. Balanced audio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have built both and they both work fine. The second method requires using a pot at first to get the correct impedance, though I left the pot in and all worked and sounded fine. That was in tube equipment, where I am more comfortable. :^)

 

[che15]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Samuels /img/forum/go_quote.gif Most of the digital volume controls are designed with a single power supply in mind. That means in order to design an amp, you have to implement INPUT & OUTPUT capacitors in the signal path. Doing that means the sound is no longer pure with out colorations. I do not like to put caps in the signal path of any of my amps. I had talked to many technical engineers of many manufacturers of digital volume controls, non of them ever heard of very sensative in ear monitors, as to few who replied that these digital volume controls were not designed for a critical listening specially with IEMs. They were designed for cars, computers & other portable devises where regular phones were used & a single power was the main supply. The best design is done when a dual power supply is implemented thus the need for caps in the signal path is no longer an issue. Ray Samuels

It sounds as you are saying that the shadow is not as good as you said before, with the digital volume?

 

[SengChangKo]

Just curious guys, would it be possible for someone, Ray for example, to develop a portable tube based balanced amp?

 

[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by che15 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It sounds as you are saying that the shadow is not as good as you said before, with the digital volume?

The digital volume removes the need to QC and discard potentiometers that may be fine for toasters but not so good for headamp use. I think he said the issue was trying to get a 'balanced' digital volume control working in a portable configuration. At this point its probably easier to QC the existing pots that will fit.

 

[CrackBerry9000]

Will it maintain the same level of quality and trouble free use that the high end RSA amps provide?

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SengChangKo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just curious guys, would it be possible for someone, Ray for example, to develop a portable tube based balanced amp?

The difficulty in sourcing any low voltage tubes makes this remote. The one tube used in the 1950's is hard to find and microphonic. I love tubes and if possible this would be great fun but the added circuitry and needs for balanced output circuitry after the tube make this type of amp difficult and fairly large. There are a few chips that have the "tube" sound and may be a possibility.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by che15 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It sounds as you are saying that the shadow is not as good as you said before, with the digital volume?

The Shadow does NOT use caps in the signal path because the single ended circuit is designed to not need them. He's saying that to use the digital volume control in the balanced amp that then it would require the caps, and he elected to not do that.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrackBerry9000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Will it maintain the same level of quality and trouble free use that the high end RSA amps provide?

Of course it will, it's "well-balanced", isn't it?

 

[ZephyrSapphire]

Balanced users would want an amp which uses real balanced inputs I would say. Audiophile is the name of the game, not compromise.

Now to find a portable source with balanced outputs before getting all excited.

 

[Audio Addict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZephyrSapphire /img/forum/go_quote.gif Balanced users would want an amp which uses real balanced inputs I would say. Audiophile is the name of the game, not compromise. Now to find a portable source with balanced outputs before getting all excited.

I would think the answer would be to license taking the digital directly out of the ipod and feeding it into a onboard DAC and then take that balanced to the amplifier. It would be something like the Predator but taking the digital directly into the DAC and then running the DAC into the amplifier and then taking it out balance. All this has to be no larger than the size of the Predator.

 

[OPTiK]

When is this amp going to be released?

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Addict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would think the answer would be to license taking the digital directly out of the ipod and feeding it into a onboard DAC and then take that balanced to the amplifier. It would be something like the Predator but taking the digital directly into the DAC and then running the DAC into the amplifier and then taking it out balance. All this has to be no larger than the size of the Predator.

Isn't the iTransport the only thing that does this? Hardly portable, and not balanced. The next best thing would be a Red Wine Audio iMod, where you can take full advantage of the two generations that Apple installed good DACs in the iPod.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isn't the iTransport the only thing that does this?

I believe Onkyo now makes a device similar to the Wadia, but again it is not portable.

 

[hockeyb213]

Which is why we are all hoping alo gets the gr9 device out soon so it can be done portably.