bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
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Post by bullpup on Sept 14, 2018 17:35:28 GMT
Time for a bit of thread resurrection - I tripped over one of these and it is hopefully on it's way...
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 14, 2018 19:25:19 GMT
Time for a bit of thread resurrection - I tripped over one of these and it is hopefully on it's way... Nice one Bullpup! If you need valves I've got brand new never out of the box Mullards...... GENUINE NOS You'll love the WAD, it's a gorgeous sounding amp mate.
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bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
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Post by bullpup on Sept 15, 2018 10:21:26 GMT
Thank you Mike It has arrived, unpacked and I’m listening to it as I type albeit plugged into a tuner. Initial impressions are that it’s fabulously detailed with deep base but that it is ruthlessly revealing of the quality of the source! The FM carrier wave which really wasn’t noticeable via the Fatman is pretty well overpowering. At least it works though. I will try it with a bettter source and report back hopefully with photos. What is the best image hosting option now?
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 15, 2018 11:04:16 GMT
Thank you Mike It has arrived, unpacked and I’m listening to it as I type albeit plugged into a tuner. Initial impressions are that it’s fabulously detailed with deep base but that it is ruthlessly revealing of the quality of the source! The FM carrier wave which really wasn’t noticeable via the Fatman is pretty well overpowering. At least it works though. I will try it with a bettter source and report back hopefully with photos. What is the best image hosting option now? I use fotki, it's excellent, but I pay for the hosting.... not sure what free fotki is like though. rockgrotto.proboards.com/thread/4940/wad-hd-83-headphone-amp
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bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
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Post by bullpup on Sept 15, 2018 18:11:39 GMT
I will look into thank you.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 15, 2018 19:35:26 GMT
I will look into thank you. I've been with them for a year and they're genuine people / good ethics (not like that coke snorting photobucket bunch of unethical wankers) damned good service! An Estonian company who are very big in Eastern Europe, I recommend them 100%. ATB MIke.
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bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
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Post by bullpup on Feb 22, 2019 14:45:39 GMT
Unfortunately, just after this arrived, I had to pack away most of my office hifi. As a result I have only recently unpacked it. I'm afraid I'm now completely underwhelmed!
Admittedly I'm not using a decent CD Player rather my trusty rockboxed Iriver H140 but overall it sounds as if everything is over polite and even veiled. Headphones are either my HD580s or SR225s.
It is currently running Amperex ECL83s
So much for just plug and play listening - I am going to have to dig out some different valves - I have some Mullards somewhere and indeed a different amp to compare it with.
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bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
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Post by bullpup on Feb 22, 2019 15:54:13 GMT
I hate to think what this says about my office but I have now found the Mullard valves: ECL83 with no obvious marks apart from Mullard LF1 B415 OR 6415.
The ones already fitted were Amperex Bugle Boys.
I will give them a listen
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bullpup
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How much is that doggy in the window?
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Post by bullpup on Feb 22, 2019 16:49:47 GMT
Well I had obviously forgotten that this needs more than half an hour to come alive - wow.
The Amperex seem rich and rose tinted but I have now swappped to the Mullards and we are talking a whole new ball game here! Lean, fast, detailed with some serious base slam. The Amperex sounded better with the more strident Grados but the Mullards really do blow the the Sennheisers into life.
A quick look under bonnet suggest that this has a lot more to give - it seems to be a much more basic version than yours was to start with Mike. It still doesn't seem as nice as my modded V1 or the Aune T1 but 3 hours later I dont know if my office phone has rung and I have progressed or should that be moved from Nina Simone to Def Leppard's Hysteria.
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nando
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The Frying Dutchman
Always look on the bright side of life
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Post by nando on Mar 6, 2019 19:49:42 GMT
Some mullard valves laying around? Wonder what else you can find in the other corners of the office.
Good stuff.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 13, 2019 21:26:02 GMT
More on bullpup's HD-83 soon....... it's with me
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 17, 2019 21:59:42 GMT
pics soon
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 19, 2019 19:55:52 GMT
I'd forgotten just how awkward these amps were to work on (what with the awkward to access solder points on the PCB) but that's a minor gripe considering this is still one of the best headphone amps I have ever heard.... well worth the effort to get down and dirty on it. I gave it a general tidy up........ the capacitors were over 20 years old so I gave it a full re-cap with good quality capacitors. I managed to (just) squeeze in 680uF / 450V EPCOS power caps, the stock caps were 470uF / 450V. The 680uF / 450V caps have definitely lowered the noise floor to an inky black silence (using my ears as a reference point). I remember Rick always said "keep it simple stupid" and he wasn't wrong. This amp is as simple as it gets and that's its main strength. I've essentially replaced all of the electrolytics with good quality ones (more capacitance where necessary / possible to fit due to limited headroom) and fitted good quality TDK / Takman / PRP PR9372 resistors in key areas of the circuit. The wiring from the transformers to the PCB is a nightmare to connect to the PCB pins so I decided to snip the wiring at the transformer end and bond some veroboard onto the top of the transformers...... makes for a much more sensible (easy) method of getting the board out in future (if necessary) without having to go in at funky angles with a soldering iron to get to those ridiculously positioned connection pins on the PCB.... f**k me, Houdini would have a hard time getting in there with a soldering iron In this instance I found that to be the most logical approach and it also allowed me to concentrate on the VERY poor transformer to board connections once the PCB was free from the enclosure and once it was stripped bare. A superb sounding amp (I'll say it again) but what were they thinking with regard to offering it as a kit with those bastard inaccessible board connection points? Anyhoo, that was my workaround and I think its a sensible and logical one..... it may be a veroboard hack but it makes things a lot easier. I had some copper sheet kicking about so made up a shield..... amazing what an improvement a piece of copper can bring about That's it folks...... I also went over every solder joint with fresh 60 / 37 / 3 (3% silver) to make sure every joint was cooking on gas and tidied the wiring up a bit. Stupid me didn't do a before and after photo but I'm sure Bullpup has a "before" photo he can share. This is a PROPER valve amp (with proper voltages)...... absolutely mindblowing sonics......... I'll say no more, over to you bullpup.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 19, 2019 20:44:28 GMT
I also clamped the signal path and power path with mama honker ferrite clamps...... forgot to add that........ Both = Discernable improvement in SQ to my ears.
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Post by freddypipsqueek on Mar 22, 2019 15:18:22 GMT
This is true 'amp-porn'. I missed one of these on ebay a few years back and have always regretted it. Is there much scope for improvement ?.
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bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
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Post by bullpup on Mar 28, 2019 14:44:53 GMT
Well it arrived back yesterday - thank you very much. Unfortunately my until today trusty Marantz CD85 is refusing to spin so I need to find another source before I an hear it!! Frustrating is an under statement
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Post by PinkFloyd on Mar 29, 2019 13:06:40 GMT
Sorry to hear that David, one of my CDP's refused to read the TOC a couple of weeks ago but it was fine after I turned it off for a few minutes. Hope you manage to get it sorted.
Mike.
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bullpup
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How much is that doggy in the window?
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Post by bullpup on Apr 8, 2019 17:09:24 GMT
I have been refraining from commentating about this amplifier for a week or so because every time I listened to it was a major league disappointment.
I don't do computer audio so I was reduced to using the sources I had been using with it in my office system before sending it to Mike: namely a fairly budget Marantz CD Player both with / without an external dac or my very trusty Iriver H140. Now I had been very happily using both of these with my usual music so the natural conclusion was the amp isn't right - may be it needs running in - which to be fair, Mike had suggested that the new caps needed some fire forming. Every track seemed flat, one dimensional, muddy with occasional thrusts of harsh treble.
So over the weekend I set to to get the cd85 running. This has been my main source for over 20 years since my CD10 was lost and while I have tried to upgrade several times, I never have. It was built at a time before Accountants dictated design or at least implementation so while it may not be the greatest thing since sliced bread, I certainly have no complaints.
Anyhow with this running again, earlier today I lugged it into my office and linked the 2 together and started over. And the fireworks were still on hold... until I realised that the problem is that this combination is so ruthlessly revealing that it doesn't gloss over crap it exposes it! Now while that may not matter with a lot of modern recordings, some of my favourite old Opera CD's , even those digitally remastered like a live 1951 recording of the Die Zuberflote or a 1971 le Nozze di Figaro are now unlistenable on this Amp as all the background noise is exposed detracting from the music. On more modern recordings for example a 1991 trumpet and organ recital from Oslo the sound of the instuments is wonderfully crisp and clear with very good bass extension. However the fireworks only really started with a 1997 re-mastered copy of Miles Davis Sketches of Spain which just sounded fabulous with the music sounding as close to live as possible.
Finally as I type this I am listening to Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi. I am using an ancient set of Beyerdynamic DT 880S which I never use because they don't seem to marry with my other amps however the fireworks are out in full force with staggering detail - I can even hear the knuckles of his bow hand tapping the violin!
So what I have learned so far:
I have a lot of poor recordings and several not very good sources. In fact I suspect the CD85 needs an upgrade.
I seem to like to listen to my music loud: with off at 6, I run the Grados 225s between 9 and 12 whereas the hd580s and 880s sound at their best between 12 and 3.
When you find empty CD Cases regard it as a compliment that your teenage children like your music!
I am going to need a new amp for everyday office use.
This amp sounds amazing: There is a very slight Zebedee like boing from the headphones on startup, thereafter the quiet pauses are an inky blackness with no intereference or hiss, on good recordings the detail is fabulous with a very detailed midrange, pin sharp but not strident treble and great bass - Def Leppard's Hysteria has never sounded this good by headphone.
I know Mike didn't really want to work on this because as he has already commented it is a total pig but I am very grateful he changed his mind because this is just mind blowing . I now know what he means about a special occasion amp.
If you find one I can only recommend you buy it and then go down on bended knee and beg Mike to work his magic.
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bullpup
Been here a while!
How much is that doggy in the window?
Posts: 517
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Post by bullpup on Apr 11, 2019 12:43:39 GMT
I have belatedly discovered Radio Paradiso so I no longer seem to worry about the quality of the source: so at the moment Radio Paradiso -> PC -> Aune T1(as a DAC) -> WAD hd83 -> Beyerdynamic DT 880S = Bl**dy amazing!!
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