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Post by ukemaxxer on Dec 30, 2012 18:07:14 GMT
Just spent an enjoyable afternoon building my Horizon kit. Easy enough build, chose to use stock components instead of messing with the circuit, I think Frans knows more about it than I do. Fantastic customer service from Jeremy as well, even over festive period, so thanks to him. Initial listening with my old sacrificial HD595, sounds good with plenty of bass, settings are on high resistance, sounds best to me with these phones. Bias steady at 12V, just need to let it burn in now before I start swapping tubes. I have two 12AU7 to try. One is a Sylvania, the other is an Electro Harmonix ECC82. Stock tube already sounds good though. Testing from my old iRiver Richard
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Post by ralfhutter on Jan 1, 2013 1:41:29 GMT
I've got a built-up Horizon coming from Jeremy myself.
Asked Frans pre-purchase question via email, got a reply back within 30 minutes. Ordered the Horizon from the Garage1217 website and got an email from Jeremy 2 hours later saying that it was already shipped. All this on Dec 31st, in the middle of a 4-day holiday. If the sonics of this thing are half as good as the pre-purchase service that I've already received, I'm really gonna be floored!
Happy New Year all!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2013 12:41:22 GMT
This is a wonderful amp and you have yourself a great piece of kit. THE best open frame design around in fact.
I wish that Frans would return here once a month to do some writing because he is missed. Even if we had 'Frans Corner' as a specialist area.
He has nutters like myself in mind with the configuration options available while making it as cheap as possible with the DIY aspect.
Mike put a kit together for me with a few mods and it is a cracker of an amp.
The ability to configure the output impedance. You wouldn't believe how good some headphones sound with this available. Previous 'screeching' headphones relax into a full bodied sound.
The amount of power available - this is unbelievable; even into 120 ohms output impedance and then into something like an AKG K601 which really isn't easy to drive. It thunders.
I find that headphones that are inclined to get thin/screechy/out of proper control behave like little babies on the Horizon and the sound suddenly blossoms into a full bodied, musical sound.
One of the best. Also, Jeremy will bend over backwards to help people too. You have a wonderful amp on the way.
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Post by ukemaxxer on Jan 1, 2013 14:12:28 GMT
Ive got it running my HD650's now, with no track playing and volume turned up full, it is deadly silent. And that's with it sat right beside my PC and mobile only a few feet away! Superb for an open air design. Set to low resistance
Just got my temperature probe in one of the heatsinks at the moment, sat at around 54C.
Still using stock tube, going to give this one a few weeks of good listening before swapping to others. Bass from 650's is fantastic.
Should also be noted that in the instructions I had downloaded, it said bias should be set at 12V. Frans has advised that on Horizon it should be 22V. Instructions have now been updated on Jeremy's website.
Richard
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2013 14:38:45 GMT
The best of its kind.
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Post by Telstar on Jan 18, 2013 19:18:32 GMT
I don't know the amp, but you did a beautiful work
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Post by ukemaxxer on Jan 18, 2013 19:35:27 GMT
I don't know the amp, but you did a beautiful work Thanks Telstar, made all the easier by a fantastic kit supplied by Jeremy and designed by Frans. Richard
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Post by ukemaxxer on Feb 1, 2013 19:10:35 GMT
Anyone tried replacing the SMPS with a linear one on Horizon yet?
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Post by ukemaxxer on Feb 5, 2013 16:57:21 GMT
Ian, have you tried any ECC81 or ECC82 tubes in yours. I just got two bargains from fleabay, both NOS 60's Mullards from Blackburn plant. I have the 81 which is also designated as a 12AT7, currently running, never heard bass so low from headphones.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2013 18:44:28 GMT
I haven't. TBH, I liked the eb so much I stuck with it. The other valve I liked was the Jan Philips.
Trouble with valves is you can swap and swap and in the end, you never settle. I just went from the stock to the eb and liked it so much better that I stuck with it and just listened to music.
It can take over your whole day before you know it!!
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