[Tarzan]

Forum is a bit slow at the moment, so l will start with a question, l have to ask after reading through the Sensation manual, it states that you can attach 1" hobby magnets on the green parts of the casework!? Is this a light- hearted joke, if if it is not has anyone done this

More foolish questions to come.

[rollo]

Forum is a bit slow at the moment, so l will start with a question, l have to ask after reading through the Sensation manual, it states that you can attach 1" hobby magnets on the green parts of the casework!? Is this a light- hearted joke, if if it is not has anyone done this

More foolish questions to come.

   What ? Jane doesn't know ask Cheeta.  Couoldn't resist.


charles

[bardamu]

Hello,
They say it will reduce vibrations. I don't know if it will work. What i do know is that the heatpipe construction will tranfer vibrations easily to the board and the board is coupled to the green parts to make an electrical contact.
My sensation doesn't get warm so i don't think it needs the heatsink offered bty the chassis now. Maybe use a heatsink decoupled from the chassis, have the electrical contact ( screening? ) between board and chassis made by a wire and replace the standoffs by something that offers a kind of decoupling from the '' trembling '' green parts.
You can detect trembling with a stethoscope. The French people did use it for turntables and horn loudspeakers. Switch of the power supply and unload the caps before trying.
I don't know the temperature that the heatsink should become after a few hours of playing. The French did write in the past about thermal distorsion. Their idea was that the characteristic of some parts did change with a change of temperature. So they did develop the products in such a way that the temperature was kind of stable ( like class A ) Like the signal itself didn't have a big effect on the temperature because the temperature was already at a kind of constant level.
I should do some '' rereading '' these ideas date from the eighties.
Maybe use google??
It is true most members are in a kind of '' passive mode '' If i find something '' breathtaking '' i will distribute it by personal message.
Sincere greetings, Edward

[bardamu]

Hello Tarzan,
I hope you have broadband internet in the jungle so you can use some different '' search engines '' at the same time because with 160 views and no answer that could make you happy i think it would be better to call the forum a joke.
Maybe ask at diy audio com after all if it will better for the sensation it could be applied to other amps as well.
Sincere greetings, Edward

[classicjt2]

Yeah, I've tried the magnets. Makes my Sensation sound better than Audio Research. Hey, wait- It sounds better even without the magnets!

I should let Seth try to explain the use of magnets, but that idea probably came from me, as I sent my tweaked Sensation to the LSAF show with magnets on the steel chassis. The magnets are supposed to do something, like damping or drawing away stray magnetic fields or something. I actually don't remember, but I noticed it lowers the noise floor on components- not the static background noise, but lowers the grain and deepens the "blackness" of the background.

If you're willing to try it, make sure you don't place the magnets near the ferrite cores in the amp. Most components don't have a steel chassis like the Sensation, but you may attach magnets onto your steel framed equipment stand. Keep them away from turntables and phono cartridges. Also, rubberized or other weak magnets don't seem to work; they should be strong metal magnets.

James

[bardamu]

Hello James,
My sensation did go through some drastic changes . One of them was replacing the green steel part by a non magnetic aluminium one.
The top plate is attached in such a way that it is likely to vibrate in one way or another. I could replace it by something by something that is firmly attached and that can '' hold '' a magnet.
I am sure most devices made from metal are magnetic because that is the cheapest metal ( have been working with metal more than 20 years).
The ferrite cores are all over the place in a sensation. So one should use some small ones at certain spots. If the magnets are to big/strong they would influence the ferrite cores for sure.
If there is some logic behind the idea of using magnets one must be able to indicate the best place where they should be. ( leave them hanging from the top plate above the parts that amplify the signal? )
If there are benefits. I think Virtue should indicate where and how to use them.
Sincere greetings, Edward

[classicjt2]

Hey Edward-

I use one or more magnets on the back panel near the RCA connectors, and a couple more on the bottom plate. I try to take the top plate off so I can steer clear of the ferrites- yes, there are a bunch of them in the Sensation, but I've never run into any problems with the magnets.

If you have a steel structure equipment rack, you can attach them to the uprights; I usually have them at 90 degree compass points.

I saw your pictures of your custom aluminum chassis for the Sensation- very nicely done. And interesting post on the polystyrene bypass caps. The last component I had that used polystyrene caps was my old Counterpoint SA-5.1 tube preamp from the 80s, and it sounded fantastic. I use 2mf Mundorf Supremes bypassed by .22mf Mundorf Silver-in-Oils and the sound is sublime. If I had to do it over again though, I would try the Duelands. I bet they're great.

James

[bardamu]

Hello James,
If i would use some magnets in or around my sensation it wouldn't be to dampen vibrations because my chassis is non magnetic.
I can try attach some near the inputs.
The rack that is used for the virtue is 100% stainless steel so non magnetic.
Polysterene is only good if it is tightly wound. If i am right it is very sensitive to water. The ones i used are professional ones.
If you have a very high grafe with a low value like 2 mf would it still need a by pass? Of course using a cap with a 600 volts or even more voltage rating will make it BIG.
If you use a 30 volts dc power supply. I would try to use a 63 volts cap. Once it did use a big CSI teflon cap with 5600 volts rating. It was very big. Did use it for a few weeks. Then replaced it with Philips paper in oil 125 volts rating. MUCH MUCH better.
I am still waiting for some russian caps.
Did you ever try paper in oil in your sensation. Maybe i still have some Philips 2mf in stock.
Sincere greetings, Edward

[classicjt2]

Hi Edward-

The polystyrenes in the Counterpoint were of tiny values- something like .001mf, and high voltage (600v if I remember; it was 20+ years ago).

The person from whom I got the Mundorf SIOs tried them but ended up installing the medium grade Jensen PIOs into his BAT SE-150 tube monoblocks, then later the high end Jensens. He raved about the Jensens, but the BAT is a very different design from the Virtue. These PIOs are also too large for the space alotted in the Sensation. I wonder if the Duelands would fit; seemingly not the Cast.

James

[bardamu]

Hello James,
The philips 2 mf are rectangular metal blocks with glas sealed connections. Dimensions 46*31 mm and 50mm height ( the 2 connectors not included in the height)
I think they would fit. I mean 99% sure. Just solder some wire to the connectors and let the connectors face the board.
I am only only using using 100nf and use the switch to find out later if one of the russian caps will better thepresent French polysterene cap.
In the end should only '' abort '' the switch?
In the past i did replace sidereal or was it wondercap  which did came originally with my Daniel pre amp. Philips was way better.
Later also did use them in the filter for my Tad2001 horns after using different other caps like scr, csi, mit.
Once i was told that a cap could be considered as a coil. The bigger the coil , the more it will be influenced by disturbing signals in its neighbourhood. They say class d amps are real '' transmitters ''.
A pity i don't have the philips in smaller values.
Sincere greetings, Ed
P.s next time i will open my sensation i will check if the philips will fit in real life