Warpspeed Optocoupler

DavidS · « **Reply #260 on:** 21 Dec 2011, 03:44 am »

I'm one of those lurkers who has purchased a finished unit from Allan. Wasn't on the listening list ... with the affordable purchase price was no brainer to try out in my system. I have it connected to a Mactone 300b and thoroughly enjoying the sound (with either Audio Note or Penaudio speakers). My favourite ex is a Bent Audio Tap and every reminiscent of this passive in my system - lots of clean 3d detail. It replaced a 5k Lamm active preamp and don't think I would be doing the deal back. Call me a WS fan boy.

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #261 on:** 22 Dec 2011, 04:23 am »

Rclark, I can't thank you enough for this Thread...no pressure, no worries...it's on me to deliver the design. Sharing the list with very reputable brands on the 3D preamp Thread at Tube-o-phile is already a great honor, thanks to happy owners like you.

David, thank you for giving it a try and loving it...just comparing it to high dollar designs are worth every effort on my part.

A number of souls have asked about alkalines...here's what you can assemble to cleanly power a V4 and will probably take you 6 months to drain...cheap and easy dual 9V cells in parallel (1 more of the battery holder and you have 4 in parallel like the Neutrino)... http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/760/SC1051-ND/109416 and http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/227/227K-ND/102776

Rclark · « **Reply #262 on:** 22 Dec 2011, 08:50 am »

This thread was to satisfy my own curiousity, and boldly try out a new untested piece of gear. I love it so much, I certainly would, and could have bought a brand new one, but I had to save the extra 200 or so because this month I am spending several thousand dollars for my speaker's upgrades, which is a lot for me. A person here offered to sell me theirs and just build another for themself, so either way you benefit.

Keep kicking butt Alan, I can imagine growing into your expanding line, and buying perhaps two full featured units down the road, the next one as an upgrade to the WS I have now, which I will sell, and another for the inevitable system two.

At this point the sound is so perfect, and the consensus is very much on board with you. Combined with your prices, I see no need to look elsewhere for my preamp needs.

I wish you the best of luck with the rest of the tour. My system 1 is almost finished and then I can be done with forums for some time and just enjoy the music.

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #263 on:** 25 Dec 2011, 02:12 am »

Peace and goodwill to everyone! Merry Christmas!

Tonight, may your wine be chilled and your amps warm...

johnnycopy · « **Reply #264 on:** 25 Dec 2011, 04:48 pm »

Allan,

Happy and safe holidays to you and your family, and all who view here.

John

jk@home · « **Reply #265 on:** 28 Dec 2011, 06:37 pm »

Question; Is the Warpspeed control stepped or a continuous travel type pot?

usp1 · « **Reply #266 on:** 28 Dec 2011, 06:55 pm »

It is continuous.

jk@home · « **Reply #267 on:** 28 Dec 2011, 07:42 pm »

Quote from: usp1 on 28 Dec 2011, 06:55 pm

It is continuous.

Thanks!

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #268 on:** 1 Jan 2012, 10:16 pm »

Happy New Year, John!

Peace and prosperity wishes to all in 2012...

jk@home, the W'speed has a continuous 1080 degrees of usable knob control. Covers the very low to the very high gain systems out there...

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #269 on:** 2 Jan 2012, 02:18 am »

Found some time to work on the Remote section and the updates are as follows:

-Units already out in the field will not be upgradeable to RC. The W'squid which contains the dual VCCS must be built, calibrated, and therefore married to its precision pot. Replacing the manual pot with the new motorized version will mess up the calibration points and the voltage values will no longer match. As another aside the optocouplers will now operate at these new voltage points and not where they where originally matched -not good.

-For the reasons above, the RC option must be ordered with a new unit.

-The planned $700 (65% is motor pot price; 21% circuitry/RC; 14% or $100 for labor/overhead) on top of the unit price might not be appetizing to most.

-I still have to reconnect with the motor pot vendor and convince them to sell in small batches (1-3 units)

So to everyone in anticipation, it is a bit of a damper to all who are expecting it to be quite affordable. Having said this, it'll be great to see a show of hands if I should move forward or are we all happy getting off our butts to caress the knob and control the volume?

djbnh · « **Reply #270 on:** 5 Jan 2012, 10:47 pm »

I'm all in, let see how a V4x3 works in my system. Thanks to the Mrs. & Allan & gooberdude for a (hopefully) great Christmas gift.

I've perused the thread re: batteries, chargers. If anyone has any suggestions that are not already in the thread, please PM. TY. Seems like Amazon may have all I need to get off the grid with Allan's gear:

CTEK battery charger ; other charger
battery

gooberdude · « **Reply #271 on:** 6 Jan 2012, 01:54 am »

Dave, this should be a fairly painless transaction

My WS preamp is an excellent match with my NS amp(s) and sources.

gooberdude · « **Reply #272 on:** 8 Jan 2012, 01:01 am »

Will this battery psu work with the opto?

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=95740.msg1035322;topicseen#new

Its made by Empirical for a Pace Car, 12V. new battery.

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #273 on:** 8 Jan 2012, 02:45 am »

Matt, not sure with these types of battery supplies how the AC/charger circuit is isolated from its DC circuit. I'm comfortable only if the AC charger is unplugged when supplying DC...lots of AC hash gets through even on the Ground lines/plane. That is why I always recommend a simple alkaline or SLA battery supply with a separate charger.

Dave, thanks to your patience and persistence I was able to get work done on the V4x3...it is now officially part of the line-up of options.

Rclark · « **Reply #274 on:** 8 Jan 2012, 03:54 am »

I was told by another designer here that not all chargers are the same quality and that Ctek is totally fine to leave attached and that only the battery dc is powering even though it's co nected.

gooberdude · « **Reply #275 on:** 8 Jan 2012, 07:56 pm »

The charger won't be plugged in except when its charging the batteries, regardless of the system i buy. Just wanted to be sure the dc output was suitable for my preamp.

I've been looking for an all-in-one solution, gonna try the Empirical.

Early B. · « **Reply #276 on:** 9 Jan 2012, 06:09 am »

I just wanted to provide an update to post #197. I received my Warpspeed about 6 weeks ago and was unable to have a lengthy, critical listening session until tonight. Once again, I'm going to be brief and refrain from using the standard buzz words to describe the improvements. Instead, I'll describe my listening experience as being temporarily suspended in a time warp (pun intended). For about thirty minutes, I was so stunned by what I heard that I just sat there frozen in a state of "WTF?". The Warpspeed was so accurate and revealing on some songs that they sounded completely different (i.e., better) from what I was accustomed to hearing. In fact, a studio recording began to sound live -- or maybe like I was actually at the recording studio. Yeah, I realize what I'm saying may sound exaggerated or over the top, but I don't care. I'm simply reporting what I felt and what I heard. I don't know what else to say. The Warpspeed is an incredible product. Now, let's see if we can convince Allan to begin work on producing battery powered mono amps.

Geardaddy · « **Reply #277 on:** 9 Jan 2012, 07:54 am »

Difference between this and the Lightspeed unit?

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1276356977&openmine&Agear&4&5&st0

Rclark · « **Reply #278 on:** 9 Jan 2012, 08:46 am »

All the research I've done says users who've had both prefer the Warspeed and that this one is pretty much the best of the bunch. Curious to hear why as well, though.

gooberdude · « **Reply #279 on:** 10 Jan 2012, 01:58 am »

I could be wrong, but from what i've read it sounds like the Warpspeed LDR is the newest type of LDR to come to market. The Lightspeed is an older design. Doubt anyone can go wrong with either.

Searching the 'net for info on WS will take you to other forums. Look for posts by a fella named Blue (diyaudio maybe?)

What I am interested to know is if there's any difference in sound quality between the difft LDR's.