[charlesb]

MisterX built me a ppa and I am in heaven.

Longer review later, but: This has relegated my very nice META42 to my desk drawer and for travel. Unbelievable.

Light, airy, open, fast, huge soundstage.

All listening is ER4P/S. This amp makes me appreciate the ER4S a lot more. The P/S differences now resolve themselves much more in favor of the S. The detail of the Etys is almost -too- analytic and revealing with the ppa (8610 op amp).

I am stunned. Had no clue that I was still this far away from audio perfection.

My congratulations and thanks to the ppa team and to MisterX.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally posted by charlesb All listening is ER4P/S. This amp makes me appreciate the ER4S a lot more. The P/S differences now resolve themselves much more in favor of the S. The detail of the Etys is almost -too- analytic and revealing with the ppa (8610 op amp).

Well you can tell Mr.X to install a 637/627 instead of the ADs and you will get a more relaxed sound, if you feel the the AD too analytic, I found them less musical than the OP....

 

[xtreme4099]

or try the ad8065 a slightly darker 8610 .. a lot less fatiguing or some LT1122's ... nice smooth highs and midrange...

 

[purk]

xtreme4099,
Which op-amp do you like the best with your Senn? Do you rate the AD8065 better than the AD8610? I love my CD3K with OPA637.

 

[xtreme4099]

ad8065 right now ... 8610 can be to bright at times .... an if you can try the LT1122 ... very smooth ... i think smoother than the 627's

 

[Zoide]

How would you say that an an upgrade from Meta Mint to PPA would compare to an upgrade from HD580s to HD650s? I can only do one or the other, and listen to a very varied range of music (though I have lots of rock).

 

[xtreme4099]

in one word: BIG.

i used to own a meta42 and immediately dissed it once i heard a ppa, better imaging is the first thing i noticed, bigger soundstage, more clarity.

see if you can get yourself to a meet to listening to other amps as well, theres lots of fruit in the basket of amps.

 

[Bill Ward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raif JMT and I love it.

Me too.

BW

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

I got mine from ITZBITZ ( http://audio.campcreations.com/ ) and it's incredible. I listen to it everyday. ITZBITZ is a really nice guy, his prices are really low, and he's turned out to be a great friend. I highly recommend him.

I got mine with the Par-metal case, bass boost, STEPS PSU and OPA627/637 combo because the ADs were tough to listen to.

In the future I'll probably have him throw in a Diamond buffer and ladder stepped attenuator

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

I got mine used, but built by Doobooloo. Doosik is a great guy, he helped me do some op-amp rolling and gain changes, and his commitment was top-notch, even though I had purchased it used.

Great amp, but now that I've been spoiled with the HR 2 sound I lust for it....and I'm not such a fan of the Pot. I listen to my music pretty quietly, and often at low volumes their is an imbalance caused by the low pot settings. I would dig a stepped attenuator, personally.

 

[luukas]

Damned if a PPA doesn't sound intriguing - but there aren't any European builders, are there?

 

[photobob]

I have to cast another vote for ITZBITZ (Chris).
He did a great job and was a pleasure to deal with, being very communicative and very reasonable.
We are lucky to have these great designs and builders as resources!!!

 

[nauqneyugn]

Tossing in a word for Mister X. Awesome build quality, quick turn around, and almost constant communication. Oh and great prices to boot.

 

[harkamus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlesb Looks like there are multiple PPA builders now. Looks like I can almost afford one. Who built yours and how do you like it? I'm happy with my META42 (Thanks again Kurt!) but want to take it up to the next level. Main and only phones are the ER4P, with S adapter for variety. Comments on how that'll work with the PPA?

Mister X built mine. He can be reached via AIM @ x86inside. I love my PPA amp. While there may be a slew of DIY amp builders out there, there are few if any that offer the quality and service that Mister X offers, not to mention the prices. He will custom build your amp tailored to your specifications. If you want certain components, he will put them in the amp. Turn around time is quite fast. The transaction was smooth. He will leave you without doubts as to what you're getting. Some say you get what you pay for. I think with Mister X you get a lot more. He still keeps in touch with me to this day, and I've had my amp for over 5 months now. I recommend him whole heartedly.

BTW, a Meta42 doesn't hold a candle to a PPA. But, you should have figured that.

I say that at the very least you owe it to yourself to send the man a PM.

EDIT: If you will be using the amp on your computer, I suggest you get the op-amps to your sound card replaced by Mister X. They will make the SQ a helluva lot better. He upgraded the op-amps to my Audigy 2 ZS. Check my profile for more information on what op-amps he used.