[fewtch]

Ever been to the Seattle area, Tyll?

Quote:

Seattle, Sat, July 30, day

Edit -- never mind!

 

[Hirsch]

I've just started a thread for a June 19th meet in the DC area:

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=119661

I have absolutely no clue how we're going to fit all that equipment in here, and have people come in also, but we'll find a way

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Here's the last update before we hit the road.

When last I left you I had built a crate. Here’s a view of the aftermath.

I was in pretty rough shape, too

But I wasn’t the only one as we’ll soon see.
Once the crate was done it was time to take the tables to HeadRoom and start building amps and such to put on them. At first, we didn’t have meny front panels or rubber bezels done.
Here’s Joe W. figuring our where everything will go.

Lovingly dubbed the shootout table, you can see our amps are no more than hollow blank aluminum at this point.

There was a lot of work going on in manufacturing however. The next day some micro boards showed up on the table to be installed.

but that wasn’t all they were doing in back. Mike was building modules.

Can you imagine picking away at these parts all day long?

Roger does it, too. Here he is dipping Home DAC boards in the vaporette. (It has 600 degree F vaporous Flourinert in it that melts the solder in an oxygen free environment.

Debbie and Lori (no pic sorry) have been working hard on the through hole side and putting boards up on the shelf. Here’s some desktop amp (left) and hybrid amp (right) main boards.

Here’s the tube standoff board that goes into the hybrid.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

But the first time a board goes in an enclosure, it’s Joe W. that gets to wrestle it into the enclosure. Here he is gently tapping threads in the Max Balanced enclosure.

I gotta admit, Joe W. can put some stuff together. Here’s the distribution amp for the shootout table. There’s a bunch of BB OPA627 op-amps in there. boy.

He can have his troubles, though. Here he is not so gently pounding on the table saying, “Where’s that screw? Sh!t, sh!t, sh!t, sh!t!”

But he wasn’t the only one having a heck of a time. In fact, he had it easier than most. Here’s Joe C. staring at the new four section vacuum chamber. His mind is saying, “I hope it don’t leak, I hope it don’t leak, I hope it don’t leak.”

Joe has been struggling with a very small vacuum system. Here he is in pretty good spirits after a good shot.

But that little chamber just doesn’t cut it for the bigger molds. You see, if you don’t have the whole vacuum mold shooting thing dialed in, you get little bubbles in the bezel. Let me show you.

You see that bubble in the closest bezel? That little stack is the complete world supply of desktop bezels. We’re probably not going to be shipping til the beginning of June because we’ve got to finish dialing in the whole mold room. But believe Joe C. and Jamey have been working like dogs on the new chamber.

Oh. They look like they’re having way too much fun. Let me show you a more typical look from the Joe who’s been around lately.

See, you can tell he’s a wreck.
Mario, our sales manager was working very hard. “Let me just listen for a few more minutes.” An iRiver digital out into a Max. It may be sacrilege, but it’s damn good sounding sacrilege.

Actually, he’s the poor bugger who has to sort through the headphones and weigh them all for the site. That was a sad job.

Once we got all the bezels we were going to get, it was time to bolt everything down to the tables. Well … Andrew kept coming by to take them upstairs for the real photos.

When he came down for the Millett Hybrid he asked what the glass things were. Kids! Bet, he doesn’t even know what an LP looks like. We had to show him they made lots of tubes back in the day.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Things started to look good by now! Saturday, we had our first look at what the stuff looked like. From the front:

and the back:

Still not close enough?! Here’s the Desktop Hybrid on top of the Desktop Amp.

And the back.

Here’s a better shot of the Hybrid, just for Nate. BTW, you’ll notice the bubbles in the bezels if you look carefully in these pix.

Here’s the front of the Desktop portable on the Power Supply.

And the rear.

A little more work on Joe W.’s part and thing we starting to shape up. Here he is putting the finishing touches on the shootout table.

Here’s the Desktop table with everything strapped down.

Maybe a couple of close-ups on the wireing would be fun.

And, of course, the portables table.

Let’s do some close ups. Look at this cool Coby DVD player. The screen looks like crap for movies, but it’s really a great digital CD player.

Here’s the Micro Bag and Micro Stack Bag.

Then the Micro DVD Bag.

Jeanne would kill me if I didn’t tell you they were all very early prototypes. I don’t know, they look pretty good to me! And here’s the Desktop Portable DVD Bag.

So, there you go, that’s it. Say what! What about the Max prototypes? Well you are going to have to drag the Max Amp out of Mario’s cube.

And you’ll have to take the Max Balanced away from me in the listening room where I’ve been writing this weekend.

But sadly, you guys get priority, and we had to put the stuff on a table. We’ll hook it up tomorrow.

No front or rear panel labling on these guys yet. We just powder coated them black. No worries, one listen and you’ll not be worried about the small stuff. Here’s the rear ot the Max Amp.

Now we’re done. So, tomorrow we pack up. Tuesday morning we start to drive. We’ll see you Detroiters on Friday. Remember to check in on the web site tomorrow night, the new one should be up. I’m looking forward to seeing you all.
Oh, one last thing: Remember! Come to one of the meets, and get a free coffee cup.

 

[ayt999]

wow.

 

[devwild]

The world's drool supply just increased by factor of 3.

 

[gsferrari]

Tyll - the new amps look a LOT...a LOT more "attractive" than the old style. The new Max/Balanced Max is gorgeous. This is not just a good job...this is a Freakin Awesome job!!

You set an example for everyone else to emulate...as usual

The Max had a rugged...heavy and SOLID feel. I wonder how these new amps fare in comparison (just the "feel" of it)

 

[YngwieJMalmsteen]

1/4 inch, and an 1/8th, how come I didn't think of that?!? But seriously Tyll, where're these blue and gold LED you've been touting? I'll claim my contest winnings at the bay area meet, can't wait to hear this stuff.

Good to see my new module is in the works...

 

[mrkangpae]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari Tyll - the new amps look a LOT...a LOT more "attractive" than the old style. The new Max/Balanced Max is gorgeous. This is not just a good job...this is a Freakin Awesome job!! You set an example for everyone else to emulate...as usual The Max had a rugged...heavy and SOLID feel. I wonder how these new amps fare in comparison (just the "feel" of it)

Sorry. No offense at all intended, but I have to reply. HeadRoom amps before were ugly as sin. I still think the new ones look ugly, in a more "Windows-XP-cartoony" way. I have had a great experience with HeadRoom, and have nothing at all against their amps, and I'm sure they sound phenomenal. But I still think they're really ugly.

 

[PITTM]

oh man, seriously, if i order my dac today i can have it in like 3 days, good lord that is too tempting, im buying it.

rj

 

[elrod-tom]

Wow!! What more can you say? I can't wait for this Friday and our Detroit meet!! This is going to be a real treat.

 

[markmaxx]

Thanks:... Tyll and team Headroom! I am looking forward to Friday. If you will be "bring in" any Micro DAC's to sell in Detroit will you take credit cards on the road or should I bring cash?

Great pictures some of them on the last post of yours will not open for me? Never mind they are working now maybe I need another coffee!

 

[bhd812]

ohhhh Free coffee cups? please bring box's of them for me..I mean us, in chicago.

Does it count if I have my doctor there at the meet saying each one of my personalties should each get their own coffee cup?

that would be a easy 8 cups alone, and I am having free Bacci's pizza and a real live starbucks employee working the meet serving free cappacino's and espresso's for all!

If I need espresso for music you shall all have espresso on me!

 

[zatara]

wow, you guys have been really busy. Can't wait for the NY meet.
Now just turn up the new site so I can order my Micro DAC and all
will be well with the world