Sensation Dodd Tube Buffer

tabrink · « **Reply #160 on:** 4 Sep 2010, 05:52 am »

I am getting Claptonified! on the Mullard 12AX7 / ECC83
Big sound very big sound!

brother love · « **Reply #161 on:** 6 Sep 2010, 12:04 pm »

Seth posted on another thread that the Sensation owner's manual is updated/ released (http://www.wihifi.com/virtuemanual/Sensation_Owners_Manual.pdf).

I saw this nice nugget in the troubleshooting section w/ key find highlighted:

Issue: “I understand the tube buffer stays on as long as the main power switch on the back is on. I’m worried the tube will burn out prematurely if I don’t fully turn Sensation off after listening.”

Recommendation: The JJ tube included with the Dodd Tube Buffer option is guaranteed to last 5 years under regular use (and is rather inexpensive to replace). Gary Dodd says we’ll all be petrified before the tube fails in this usage. Just leave it on and enjoy until petrification sets in.

This is super great news, but I wonder how many hours per day or total tube hours is considered regular use?

Regardless, the point is that there are no worries about extending tube life by babying your time (constantly turning unit on/ off, etc.). Sweet !

j gale · « **Reply #162 on:** 6 Sep 2010, 02:49 pm »

A question. My battery charger only shows a green light when the amp is turned off (rear switch) If the amp is on so is the red charging light, even if the amp is not playing anything. Is the charger being fooled into overcharging the battery? Have never seen a green light with amp on. Often I will see green immediately on turning amp off.

Jason T · « **Reply #163 on:** 6 Sep 2010, 04:30 pm »

whats happening is that the amplifier even in idle is using just enough power to tell the charger that the batteries need charged.

also having the charger hooked to the batteries while using the amp defeats the purpose of using batteries, the whole idea of using batteries is to leave the bad wall A/C power behind but having a noisy charger plugged in introduces even louder noise than a PSU does.

the idea with batteries is to use the batteries any time your listening and charge any time your not.

unfortunately because batteries charge level changes so easily and often there is no good way to have a smart charger that wont start to run when you draw current from the batteries especially with a tube buffer unless you have some huge batteries.

another thing is that with your amp in standby it will still use a little power and will kill your batteries over night so be sure to shut off the rear power wsitch and plug in the charger while not in use.

jtsnead · « **Reply #164 on:** 10 Sep 2010, 02:19 pm »

So has anybody else recieved the Sensation 901? Thoughts?

virtue · « **Reply #165 on:** 12 Sep 2010, 01:46 am »

Jason,
You've not been involved in the selection of chargers so you're opinion on this one happens to be wrong. The chargers we are using can and should be plugged in all the time. They cannot be heard while plugged in. What is the down-side? The batteries will "dry out" a bit sooner. We still expect 4-5 year life.
Seth

Jason T · « **Reply #166 on:** 12 Sep 2010, 03:01 pm »

if the charger comes on while playing will it not be heard in the sound ?
I never have mine plugged in while using the batteries otherwise the chargers comes on while I'm using the batteries and doesnt that then introduce the ac circuit to the system again ?

virtue · « **Reply #167 on:** 12 Sep 2010, 04:27 pm »

Jason, you concerns make sense and are understandable.

In fact, not all chargers are created equal and practically for whatever reason, you can't hear these chargers charging unless your batteries are totally depleted and they're charging like crazy. Gary Dodd made this discovery using the Soneil chargers a long time ago and the phenomenon was validated by Danny Richie himself on 97db speakers.

My guess is that when these chargers are in "trickle" mode, the amount of current being provided by the AC line is very small and noise from the line is thus, very low. If you're playing loud, you are drawing more current than the line is supplying and it's coming from the battery nearly exclusively.

The primary objection WRT battery life has been raised by Vinnie Rossi and validated by Gary. But for most of our customers, the cost-benefit of a more expensive solution to get around this problem just isn't there. These cells are around $25 each, delivered.

The proof is in the pudding. Taste it!

Jason T · « **Reply #168 on:** 12 Sep 2010, 05:48 pm »

makes sense.
I'm running batteries now, I'll hook the charger back up and give it a try.

I must be oldschool

and stuck in my ways

brother love · « **Reply #169 on:** 13 Sep 2010, 03:47 pm »

Virtue Audio Sensation M-451 & M1 Piano initial impressions w/ 150 hrs. burn-in

System set-up in 17' x 11' x 8' room:

GR Research N2x speakers run full range (85 dB eff., 65 Hz -3 dB)
Rythmik Audio F12G sub (xover 45 Hz)
Virtue Audio Piano M1 CD player
Virtue Audio Sensation M-451 int. amp incl. Dodd tube buffer & complete Sonicap capacitor upgrades
Power supplies: Dodd net 28v x 5 amp battery ps & 30v/ 80 w ps
Nirvana 0.5 m interconnects
Room treatments: (5) 2” thk. 2’ x 4’ OC703 early reflection panels & (3) 4” thk. 2’ x 4’ OC703 bass panels

First several hours of listening to the M-451 & M1 without break-in was tough on the ears. Glare, harshness, sibiliance, you name it. After 40 hrs. run time, the system was sounding better, but soup still wasn’t ready yet. So Virtue Audio recommended 100 hr. break-in is a must. So yesterday w/ 150 hrs. of burn-in complete, soup’s on & time for a serious eval.

I first did a 10 Hz- 300 hz frequency tone check w/ Rat Shack digital SPL meter to adjust sub crossover setting & volume for best performance w/ mains run at full range. Check. I adjusted M-451 volume to achieve a preferred 80- 84 dB listening level.

Listening source material (redbook CD’s): Pixies- Doolittle, Smashing Pumpkins- Siamese Dream & Gish, My Morning Jacket- Z, Dave Brubeck- Time Out, Marianne Thorsen & Trondheime Solistene- Mozart Violin Concertos, I heard it on NPR- World

My initial impressions of M-451 w/ tube buffer & Sonicaps & M-1 Piano w/ preferred tube buffer “On” & battery power supply:

Smooth, liquid yet still very detailed, very musical & accurate, wider & deeper rock solid sound stage, great dynamics, super bottom end,. A big bonus for me was wonderful, subtle refined nuances… delicate yet aggressive on demand.

The biggest compliment that I can offer is that it was very hard to critique because I just wanted to listen to a CD from beginning to end without pulling snippets & sections to compare, switch CD’s, etc.. IOW, you become totally immersed, enveloped in the music.

On several songs, a little too much crispness was evident. The stock JJ 12AX7 tube neutral personality is impressive overall, but coupled w/ the N2x B & G planar tweeter was sometimes too revealing, esp. on poorer recordings. Tube rolling will remedy this synergy issue, as will additional break-in of the Sonicap Platinums (250- 500 hr. range).

Another added bonus, was when volume is lowered to more WAF levels (say 70 dB or so), detail & dynamics remained amazingly good.

I noted early in this thread that the Dodd tube buffer sounded like the perfect marriage w/ the Sensation int. amp. I’m happy to say that dream is a reality. Very impressive! Well done Seth & Gary.

virtue · « **Reply #170 on:** 14 Sep 2010, 03:31 am »

Thank you for the kind words!

Gary says he shipped 10 on Friday and 10 more today. There are still about 40 amps left to ship from the Melissa sale and he's building like crazy.

Even after all are shipped we have more than 50 Sensations left with more M901s coming in November.

Seth

jtwrace · « **Reply #171 on:** 14 Sep 2010, 11:07 am »

Quote from: virtue on 14 Sep 2010, 03:31 am

Even after all are shipped we have more than 50 Sensations left with more M901s coming in November.

Seth

Just in time for Thanksgiving. You know what that means...

I know, I know, you'll "NEVER do it again."

mamba315 · « **Reply #172 on:** 14 Sep 2010, 06:35 pm »

Hi Seth,

Once Gary is almost caught up on those last 40 amps, could you post a note in here?

I placed my order for the tube buffer on Aug 17 and have been waiting for Gary to get caught up before I send in my M901. Can't be without it for too long, ya know

Too bad about the cancellations. I don't mind waiting; it builds the excitement. Plus it already sounds so good, I have a hard time imagining ANOTHER level of improvement (typical audiophile statement)

virtue · « **Reply #173 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 03:27 am »

I don't think there is much to excitement in a 6 week wait for an amp bought-and-paid! I'm sorry and ashamed about it...

but we're a small shop and after resolving a certain parts shortage, Gary and Cami are going as fast as they can.

The upshot is that Gary now has an unlimited supply of parts for his buffer. This is huge news for a guy who deserves a break. Before getting into this business with us he was at the mercy of a little jack-wad in Hong Kong who would send him literally a handful of parts every few weeks. He kept running out of kits and was running up quite a phone bill chasing this guy.

Thanks to a few of my secret suppliers, we can now make the buffers in large quantities for Sensation and the forthecoming DAC!!! We just couldn't move forward aggressively until resolving this issue and now we can...

ZLS · « **Reply #174 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 03:32 am »

DAC! What DAC?

dboulet · « **Reply #175 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 07:36 am »

Quote from: ZLS on 15 Sep 2010, 03:32 am

DAC! What DAC?

Yes Seth, please tell us more.

antonio · « **Reply #176 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 07:50 am »

wow!!! DAC? oh! please tell us about it!

jtwrace · « **Reply #177 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 11:15 am »

Quote from: virtue on 15 Sep 2010, 03:27 am

I don't think there is much to excitement in a 6 week wait for an amp bought-and-paid! I'm sorry and ashamed about it... but we're a small shop and after resolving a certain parts shortage, Gary and Cami are going as fast as they can.

The upshot is that Gary now has an unlimited supply of parts for his buffer. This is huge news for a guy who deserves a break. Before getting into this business with us he was at the mercy of a little jack-wad in Hong Kong who would send him literally a handful of parts every few weeks. He kept running out of kits and was running up quite a phone bill chasing this guy.

Thanks to a few of my secret suppliers, we can now make the buffers in large quantities for Sensation and the forthecoming DAC!!! We just couldn't move forward aggressively until resolving this issue and now we can...

That's great news! Thanks for helping Gary.

I ~~like~~ LOVE my Dodd Buffer and whoever is waiting will too. Glad to hear that you were able to help the man out.

Now, DAC?

wsturner · « **Reply #178 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 02:57 pm »

I overheard Melissa talking with some friends. Said she wants a Virtue DAC as a wedding gift!

se-riously · « **Reply #179 on:** 15 Sep 2010, 09:02 pm »

Quote from: virtue on 15 Sep 2010, 03:27 am

I don't think there is much to excitement in a 6 week wait for an amp bought-and-paid! I'm sorry and ashamed about it... but we're a small shop and after resolving a certain parts shortage, Gary and Cami are going as fast as they can.

I got a call from Cami that my M451 with tube buffer will ship Tuesday. YES! For reference purposes, I ordered 30 minutes before the sale ended.