What amp are you using with Dodd pre/buffer?

S Clark · « **on:** 29 Dec 2011, 04:00 am »

Not sure which circle this best goes under, but I know Danny won't mind. I'm curious what other people are using with their Dodd pre's or buffers and what they are driving with them.

I have a Moscode 401HR driving a Dodd battery pre into LS9's, and a vintage Knight KB-85 driving the tube buffer into Neo2x's. The LS9s needed the extra gain, but the buffer is fantastic on the Neo2xs in a smaller room.

TrungT · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 04:12 am »

Spud amp

Jerrin · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 06:08 am »

A pair of Emotiva XPA-1 on LS9s.

HAL · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 11:57 am »

Using my Dodd Battery Buffer to drive my Pass Labs Aleph 2 SE monoblocks. The system drives the Super-V's.

Only three SE gain stages from source to speakers!

Ok Trung, how do you drive speakers with a potato?

jtsnead · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 01:12 pm »

Also using a Dodd Buffer with my dual mono ClassDAudio SDS-254 amp.

mboxler · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 02:20 pm »

Using a Dodd Buffer with my single ClassDAudio CDA-224 amp. With the high gain amp and 100dB sensitive speakers, I didn't need any pre-amp gain.

Mike

InfernoSTi · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 02:23 pm »

Quote from: TrungT on 29 Dec 2011, 04:12 am

Spud amp

Nice! 6CL6 tubes and "fully" modified or still "stock"? Are you driving them to A2?

John

Atlplasma · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 02:36 pm »

I use the Dodd buffer in front of a McCormack DNA 0.5 to drive two Salk Songtowers.

TrungT · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 02:47 pm »

Not just any spud, it's a Super Spud, fully mod.

Cheeseboy · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 03:51 pm »

Is a Super Spud an amp with a gigantic single tube? Supersized?

TrungT · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 Dec 2011, 04:21 pm »

^^^^^
Same tube, but every things else ...... Super Size

NeilT · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 04:51 pm »

Dodd Buffer / Class D SDS-470 / GR OB7's.
A trifecta, IMO.

Happy New Year
Neil

GregC · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 06:32 pm »

EVS 100M/Bel Canto Ref 1000 (modded) mono amps bi-amped into a modded Behringer 2496 with CS-2.7 speakers. I have one of the original battery preamps.

Cheeseboy · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Jan 2012, 09:58 pm »

I'm using the Dodd Generation 2 Battery Preamp with a Digital Amp Company modyfied Cherry Jr. powering the GR Research LS6 speakers.

Who has it better than we do?

Vedder323 · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Jan 2012, 05:33 pm »

Getting close to pulling the trigger in a Dodd but im worried it wont have the (volume) needed to get the dynamics I love. Going to be using it with the ST-500 from W4S. Thoughts? Anyone have trouble getting bass "slam" and dynamics from the buffer? Perhaps the newer preamp would be a better fit for me?

Cheeseboy · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Jan 2012, 08:14 pm »

Is there an impedance matching opportunity with the Dodd and the W4S? You may want to look intoi that. I opted for the New Dodd Battery Preamp because I wanted the gain, slam, bass and general higher dynamic presentation. I think we are splitting hairs on the subject if you don't play loud. The difference is only apparent if you like to disturb the neighbors and really turn it up.

Vedder323 · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Jan 2012, 08:17 pm »

Quote from: Cheeseboy on 11 Jan 2012, 08:14 pm

Is there an impedance matching opportunity with the Dodd and the W4S? You may want to look intoi that. I opted for the New Dodd Battery Preamp because I wanted the gain, slam, bass and general higher dynamic presentation. I think we are splitting hairs on the subject if you don't play loud. The difference is only apparent if you like to disturb the neighbors and really turn it up.

Well, I listen to 80-90 db often but like to let things approach 100db+ when im showing off

What do you mean about matching the impedance?

Cheeseboy · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Jan 2012, 09:57 pm »

Does the output on the pre/buffer match the input on the amp?. Is it enough to drive the amp at the volumes you like. I don't know enough about the Wyred to make the call.

Vedder323 · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Jan 2012, 10:06 pm »

Quote from: Cheeseboy on 11 Jan 2012, 09:57 pm

Does the output on the pre/buffer match the input on the amp?. Is it enough to drive the amp at the volumes you like. I don't know enough about the Wyred to make the call.

Not sure, but I know the W4S has a custom buffered dual FET input stage designed by Bascom King. The input stage has an input impedance of 61k to work with both solid state and tube preamps.

HAL · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 Jan 2012, 10:17 pm »

The spec for the amp that you need is input voltage to full output power.

As an example an amp need 2Vrms for 100W output into an 8 ohm load.

Then you need the full output spec for the source device.

As an example, most CD/DVD Players are 2Vrms maximum output.

As long as the buffer has very little loss (like less that 1dB at max volume) then the example Player with a buffer between would drive the amp to maximum output.

Only if the source device does not have an output voltage as high as the PA needs would you need gain.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: The other spec that maybe given is amp gain. You can use that to calculate the values above.