What equipment are you currently working on?

jkeny · « **Reply #180 on:** 18 Apr 2010, 02:09 pm »

A full review of the modified hiface just published: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/review-jkeny-s-modified-hiface-483900/

Quote

Preliminary conclusion:

Contrary to what I am used to, I have made very few musical examples simply because it is very dependent on the associated DAC.
The modified Hiface is a very transparent device. It doesn’t have a sonic signature of its own. As far as I could tell, the overall sonic signature will depend more on the associated equipment and the recording itself than on the modified Hiface itself.
For more details about musical examples, I invite you to read my review of the DAC19DSP for which I used the modified Hiface as a transport. (See here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/review-audio-gd-dac19dsp-c2-amp-acss-connection-483899/).

While the modified version that jkeny sent me is still a prototype, I can say that it by far the best converter I have listened to in my system. I was expecting a small improvement (since I considered the stock one being excellent) but I was totally surprised by the level of performance of the modified Hiface. Its effect on the sound was not subtle at all.

jkeny described the sound of the modified Hiface as similar to that of expensive analog and I couldn’t agree more: his modified Hiface make the other converters sound broken.

Personally, I have already asked jkeny if I could send him my stock Hiface to have a similar mod done to it.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #181 on:** 18 Apr 2010, 08:37 pm »

Quote from: whubbard on 10 Mar 2009, 02:47 am

Nope,
...Lead filled Birds Eye Maple...
-West

WHOA! I'd love to see/hear/taste/smell/touch that! Well, maybe not taste...

face · « **Reply #182 on:** 3 May 2010, 08:15 pm »

Just upgraded from Auricaps to Sonic Cap Platinums in my Mapletree Line 2A. I maybe have 20 hours on them and so far I'm very pleased with what I hear. Next up are Vampire copper RCA jacks.

mgalusha · « **Reply #183 on:** 15 Jun 2010, 02:49 am »

Assembling a Transcendent Sound tube analyzer. It takes considerable time to assemble this, lots of point to point wiring but I'm getting close. I decided to paint it red, the chassis was bare aluminum and was just butt ugly IMO. Not that my paint job is all that good but it's worlds better than bare metal.

mgalusha · « **Reply #184 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:22 am »

Finished the tube analyzer last night, worked first try, which is always nice after a lot of work.

So far I can say this is a very cool piece, at least if you're interested in knowing what your tubes are really doing and wish to design/modify around them.

jrebman · « **Reply #185 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 04:53 pm »

Mike,

Nice piece of gear!

I'm currently working on 4 projects, but mostly in the wood/metal working stage:

A bottlehead Crack headamp, a new base and some small modifications to my BH s.e.x. amp, finally getting around to finishing my zigmahornets, and building a dual linear regulated PSU to power my music streaming computer (either the Asus EEE box or the Alix board) and one for the LDR attenuator. That will eliminate the last two switchers from the system and save one AC outlet as well. Plan to have internal felix board or boards, split-bobbin trannies, etc.

Pictures whe there's something interesting to post -- right now everything is separate little assemblies that have or have not been painted and finished.

-- Jim

56oval · « **Reply #186 on:** 21 Jan 2011, 03:38 am »

Hi
I was going to highly polish the copper top plate of my amp but I decided to go with a engined turned/jewelled look .Its given the copper a holygraphic look and the bonus the wife really likes the look of it .

I finished it off with 3 coats of Incralac sprayed on with a 1.7mm nozzle,which is a clear vanish for copper & copper alloy's .

Cheers

Mal

sl_1800 · « **Reply #187 on:** 21 Jan 2011, 02:04 pm »

56oval that is sweet.

JoshK · « **Reply #188 on:** 21 Jan 2011, 02:14 pm »

Wow, that looks sweet! How much did that copper stock cost? Is it an alloy? Also, where did you have it machined to look like that? Was it expensive?

56oval · « **Reply #189 on:** 21 Jan 2011, 11:32 pm »

Quote from: sl_1800 on 21 Jan 2011, 02:04 pm

56oval that is sweet.

Thanks sl_1800 ,it looks a bit more interesting than just plain polished copper .

Quote from: JoshK on 21 Jan 2011, 02:14 pm

Wow, that looks sweet! How much did that copper stock cost? Is it an alloy? Also, where did you have it machined to look like that? Was it expensive?

Hi Josh

The 5mm copper plate wasn't cheap ,I think it was around $400.00 for a sheet @ 900mm x 800mm the grade of the copper is C11000 temper=1/2 hard , bought enough to do 4 amps .

I done all the machining myself at home using a drill press ,grinder and a sander .To get the round swirls I used Cratex rubberized abrasive stick's in coarse grade and a grid pattern .Then sprayed it with Incralac to protect the coper finish.
Heres a shot after I sprayed the top plate and rectifier plates for each amp .

The plates to mount the chokes and power transformers and the brass stand off's I'm making .

This is the midrange amp ,I'm building a smaller version for the Raven R1 tweeter .

Cheers

nodiak · « **Reply #190 on:** 21 Feb 2011, 01:40 am »

Been very curious about the LM60 as it uses Hitachi Lateral Mosfets, claimed to have some nice tone and harmonic richness. Putting it in a Hafler 220 chassis. Resistors and caps soldered in, transistors to go. 300va, 30-0-30v transformer. Rated at 60 watts/8 ohm, 80/4 ohm. Current speakers are 90db/4 ohm. Working to finish it this week. Pic of fitting parts into chassis.
Finished the B1 to a working state, chassis needs faceplate and damping. Sounds good so far - open, big soundstage, deep bass. Currently using Classdaudio cda254.

56oval · « **Reply #191 on:** 21 Feb 2011, 01:05 pm »

Almost done just need to get 2 chokes gapped once there in position

Cheers

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #192 on:** 21 Feb 2011, 02:11 pm »

No need to go to a show. The 2C22 is a great tube. A predecessor to the 6SN7, essentially 1/2 of it.

Stupendous parts quality!

The state of the art is right here.

Anand.

P.S. Care to share the schematic?

56oval · « **Reply #193 on:** 24 Feb 2011, 02:59 am »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 21 Feb 2011, 02:11 pm

No need to go to a show. The 2C22 is a great tube. A predecessor to the 6SN7, essentially 1/2 of it.

Stupendous parts quality!

The state of the art is right here.

Anand.

P.S. Care to share the schematic?

Thankyou for the kind words mate

. My mate who drew the schematic up and made all the iron doesn't want me to put the circuit upfor public view until the amps are up and running and fully tested to make sure it works and is safe .The other issue is a number of the chokes are wound with custom values so you would need to get him to make them plus its his day job .

Cheers

mgalusha · « **Reply #194 on:** 24 Feb 2011, 03:38 am »

Amazing looking, just beautiful.

JoshK · « **Reply #195 on:** 24 Feb 2011, 02:53 pm »

Obviously a labor of love! Looks awesome!

GBB · « **Reply #196 on:** 6 Mar 2011, 10:09 pm »

Since I always have more plans than time, I decided to do something quick and dirty. I've been reading about the Lightspeed attenuator and its many variations over at diyaudio. This is a passive preamp using optocouplers as variable resistors. The benefit claimed from these is that it gets rid of the contact in standard potentiometers, leading to much greater transparency than any other volume control. I bought a quad of matched optocouplers and a small VCCS module (voltage controlled current source) from a gentleman by the name of "Blues" over on diyaudio. I put it in a small plastic box that I bought at Fry's and I'm running it off of a pair of 9v batteries. It's configured as 2 inputs (toggle switchable) and 1 output. I've also run it off of a small HP lab supply with equivalent results.
The sound is really good. As promised, it's got great transparency and shows lots of detail even at very low volumes. I think it might be missing just a bit of drive compared to a really good active preamp but that transparency is really something.

Here are a few pictures of the preamp.
---Gary

56oval · « **Reply #197 on:** 5 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm »

Still plugging away ,but getting closer

CHeers

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #198 on:** 5 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm »

Quote from: 56oval on 5 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm

Still plugging away ,but getting closer
...
CHeers

I think I just fell off my chair. Kudos

Anand.

jtwrace · « **Reply #199 on:** 5 Oct 2011, 12:46 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 5 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm

I think I just fell off my chair.
Anand.

You know what I want to do....the CNC is ready if / when you are.