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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2008 18:11:41 GMT
Managed to get the knob off it was just a case of using brute force ;D What a beautifully made little amp this is, Headroom sure do know how to build them well! Top quality spectrol pot, switchcraft headout, dale resistors, polystyrene caps....Lovely! If this was classed as their "budget" amp I'd love to hear one of their top end amps... this little beauty sounds gorgeous and pretty much as Rick described it earlier on in this thread... lovely and warm, you'd swear it had a couple of valves glowing under the bonnet..... Alas no, just a couple of opamps and not the OPA604 I was expecting to find either.... nope, this one has a couple of OPA2134 on board instead. When I was under the hood I just couldn't resist whipping out those two 2200uF caps and replacing them with a couple of Panasonic NHG 3300uF which are identical in size to the 2200uF Nichicon. So now there's an extra 2,200uF on board and it's definitely helped the SQ, no doubt about it! Anyways, I'll stop waffling and get straight to the pRon! God knows what's happened to my camera but it's taking some right shite pics these days...... The 2200uF Nichicon The new 3300uF Panasonics
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2008 18:52:28 GMT
28/06/04 written on the board so I presume this is the date of manufacture?
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Feb 27, 2008 18:57:44 GMT
Managed to get the knob off it was just a case of using brute force ;D What a beautifully made little amp this is, Headroom sure do know how to build them well! Pretty much like I at one time tried to tell folks at "another" forum who seemed to always take delight in crapping on the HeadRoom amps by saying "you could buy an amp from XXXX and save a bundle" then without fail there would always be the "my amp doesn't work" threads so being me would have to juimp in with a crack about save a penny spend a dollar or some such which led to way too many accusations of me being in some way a shill for Headroom with the truth being I just admire their build ethic and their innovation (they STARTED the damn Headphone Amps as Serious Hi Fi revolution !). built like a tank,sonic quality as good as anyones and best oif all BUILT IN HOUSE then backed up by an actual company you can get hold of on the phone. Also-if a person happens to be a meber of headfi and has a certain amount of posts they are (are or least were) very liberal with their "try and buy,or not" policy.Something the kitchen table guys will never give you I am also kind of pleased my description of the sonics and yours matched up because I read some of the information out there and I begin to doubt my own ears which is a thing I should know better than having been seriously conned into buying crap when I was an easily swayed,easily convinced youngster with little experience in the field and that is another thing.The internet has made everyone an expert but the part they leave out is 1-what is your experience.Have you compared other like devices over a period of time or is this just a slam job review 2-do you already have preconceived ideas on what your expectations are ? 3-personal prejudice.Where someone set out to find flaws then takes the minute and makes it out to be "the blue screen of death" in level. The fanboys are the worst because they crap on everything not their personal manufacturer of choice and more often than not outright lie about their findings but a newb has NO CONTEXT on which to judge the merits or lack of so they read and beleive. glad you like the amp Mike but to be honest I am REAL surprised this is your first experience with the HeadRoom amps.Don't go near the Max dude or you may never review another amp again ;D
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2008 19:48:20 GMT
Managed to get the knob off it was just a case of using brute force ;D What a beautifully made little amp this is, Headroom sure do know how to build them well! This beauty is WELL worth $200 (that equates to around £100GBP) it is well made, good quality components and sounds great into the bargain. I know the type you're on about Rick, in the real world they're the kind of guys who tell you "you paid how much??!! I could have got you it for half the price" Bloody armchair experts. ............and a CEO who wears loud shirts and exposes his stomach at Head-Fi meets So far into the listen: Senn HD-600 = shmaltz city! Syrupy, gooey, chocolaty with a cherry on top kind of presentation. VERY easy to listen to with a slightly old fashioned melliflous quality to the sonics. ATH W1000 = Superb synergy! Beautifully balanced, surprisingly detailed.... again, extremely comfortable listen. Grado SR-225 (reversed bowls) = The Little sure does tame them a bit but still a bloody uncomfortable listenening experience for me. They still occasionally "shout" and their physical presence on my head is extremely annoying, they can actually become painful after a while In my case, quite a lot of experience with headphone amps (in particular) over the years, building loudspeakers, building amp kits, have listened to a LOT of different headphones / amps blah blah blah No..... I expect the worst and anything else is a bonus. No, seriously, I don't have any preconceived ideas I always go into everything with a totally open mind and seldom judge a book by it's cover. Must admit I have done that a couple of times Over here we'd call them "bum boys" or the "brown nose brigade" I must say that "fan boy" is a very polite term for sheep. My first experience (and a very good one at that) hope it's not my last.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2008 20:59:34 GMT
NOT to be confused with our high profile member Fanboi who is quite the opposite! ;D
SandyK
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2008 22:11:30 GMT
NOT to be confused with our high profile member Fanboi who is quite the opposite! ;D Sure is quite the opposite according to the wikipedia definition of "boi" and I quote.......... "Boi is a term used within the lesbian community to denote a submissive butch in the BDSM community and a young butch in the butch-femme community. It is also used as a term of endearment for butches by femmes."
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2008 23:03:35 GMT
There's a certain aroma of "fine wine" to this amp. It may not be headroom's most expensive vintage but it certainly has a very fine nose for the money. I've been sitting here for most of the evening listening to a lot of music through the Little and, for the life of me, I can't think of anything negative to say about it. Well...... I CAN about 3 metres of thick cable with a brick shithouse of a PSU slapped right in the middle.... hell, the PSU is actually larger than the amp! Isn't it a pity "power" has to be so vulgar in appearance? Such a cute, dinky, great sounding little amp with spaghetti junction and a breeze block feeding her 15V DC ;D Of course, the juice box can be hidden away so not a problem.... I just HAD to say something negative though didn't I? This is a definite keeper and, IMO, an absolute classic in the headamp world, I wish I'd tried one years ago, a miniscule little thing that packs an almighty punch and also has crossfeed incorporated.... I'm very pleased with this secondhand purchase and will not be chip rolling! As the song goes "I love you just the way you are"By the way, the seller e-mailed and told me he's "missing it already" don't worry Marc....... she has gone to a very loving home
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 27, 2008 23:31:10 GMT
Glad you are enjoying it Mike. I do believe that HeadRoom loves the Senn HD580/600/650 and it may be that their amps are "voiced" for the Senn family. At least that is the theory. By the way man...... almost ready to participate in your show us your rig thread
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Post by senj on Feb 28, 2008 21:13:10 GMT
Didn't mean to cast any aspersions bullpup I'd somehow rather it did go to a grotto member (grottie?)though , it'd seem a waste for someone to buy it and never know what it was capable of. Sorry I didn't mean to imply that you were - My fault I should have added a smiley or something to show that I was trying to be funny!! You will be happy to know that i got it! Just and i really mean just! Someone grrr...bidded £55 which was my limit, but i got there first so the bad boy is mine Cheers for not bidding bullpub!
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Post by canjunkie on Feb 28, 2008 22:16:45 GMT
Congrats senj Welcome to the club
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Post by senj on Feb 28, 2008 22:48:09 GMT
I just wish i had it sooner, i'm going to a meet on Saturday.
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Post by charleyphogg on Feb 29, 2008 0:08:36 GMT
By the way man...... almost ready to participate in your show us your rig thread Excellent, btw I received the Oritek 4.1 DAC. Very nice sounding, now I have to get bit perfect out of the PC. Would be interested in hearing Ori 4.1 vs MicroDac if you;d be so kind, when the time comes. edit, don't know why I always type hearing instead of reading
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 29, 2008 0:37:36 GMT
I just wish i had it sooner, i'm going to a meet on Saturday. Nice one, you've got a nifty little amp there! They are a bit of a bugger to open up with quite a bit of prising and stretching of the abs but you'll get the knack..... god knows how they put them together in the workshop Maybe just me being a twit and not seeing the wood for the trees though ;D When I first got mine it sounded pretty, erm.... shit (remember we are talking about the QED MB-45 here guys NOT the Headroom Little) possibly due to the caps being 16 years old and being a bit leaky..... fired in some new caps and BINGO! different animal altogether So don't be disappointed if it doesn't blow your socks off initially.... it's not a biggie and cheap and easy to remedy. If you need any help or advice then visit the MB-45 thread.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 3, 2008 6:46:13 GMT
Cool Hey Mike, If your module has OPA2134's, it's definitely a completely different module than the OPA604. You probably have the "premium" module or possibly the reference module. If you can take a picture of the module I could tell you exactly which module you have. Is the power supply you are talking about hard-wired into your Little (small black box)? If this is what you have then yes it is regulated, but more than likely it's 120V so be careful. The upgrade will totally depend how many pins your module has, but I believe it will work in your amp. The Home module will fit your amp, but not the Max module. Also, I can't sell just the module, you will have to send your amp to the US for the upgrade unfortunately. I am very sorry about that stipulation. If you have any more questions, please let me know. Sincerely, Mike Olson Technical Services Manager mikeo@headphone.com HeadRoom Corporation 2020 Gilkerson Dr. Bozeman, MT 59715 1-800-828-8184 406-587-9466 ext. 104
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Mar 3, 2008 18:59:47 GMT
Told ya man.You deal with a class act and you get actual answers and service.I beleive (just a guess here folks) the reason they don't sell the modules outright is knowing how folks are many would buy the module and not the amp then put in in their own designs thus doing an end around to avoid buying the product.It wouldn't get them an actual HeadRoom amp or the backing of the company but we know that doesn't matter to some plus they would actually muck up the design anyway then we would have the inevitable "HeadRoom amps suck" threads ;D
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Post by kmanmx on Mar 3, 2008 19:14:55 GMT
Seriously, surely you only need ONE amp and ONE set of headphones ??
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2008 21:01:48 GMT
Theoretically, this should be true, but almost every product has it's strength and weaknesses. For most people it is a case of starting out modestly, then upgrading as they discover those weaknesses, and finances permit. Some people, like Miguel , seem to be on a never ending search for Audio "Nirvana". Musical tastes change too, as you get older. You have been given some advice that the majority of headphone amplifier, and headphone buyers aren't privy to. You are now able to start off with some of the best gear currently available, and upgrading shouldn't be an issue for a few years. By then, there will be new technology to tempt you. SandyK
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Post by kmanmx on Mar 3, 2008 23:04:55 GMT
Well, all i have to say is, that there is no doubt in my mind the Headphones are FAR better than speakers, all audiophiles have to try headphones
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2008 23:14:22 GMT
Unfortunately, the choice of favourite headphones is dictated by the other equipment used. Some headphones that are normally classed as mid range types, can really shine with the right choice of amplification, as the Singer HA review illustrates.
SandyK
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Mar 4, 2008 0:19:25 GMT
Well, all i have to say is, that there is no doubt in my mind the Headphones are FAR better than speakers, all audiophiles have to try headphones it is more like you can build a great sounding headphone centric system for FAR less than you can a speaker based system of equal sonic quality plus unlike headphones it usually comes with some "room correction" to get the bastards to behave
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Post by kmanmx on Mar 4, 2008 19:39:10 GMT
and i still perfer the sound of 'direct to your ears', that you get from headphones. I feel more engaged with the music im listening to.
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