I rounded up another SE board, rebuilt it and stacked it to produce a balanced setup. Waiting on a new case, so here's the 'rough' of it 
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
whats the point of the SE-BAL for portable? I could understand with a headphone that needs a lot of voltage swing perhaps, but its of no benefit otherwise.
It just adds more noise and doesnt cancel anything except the impossibly small amount of THD from the buffers themselves, it does not cancel anything from before the conversion, SE-BAL conversion for portable amps on head-fi is....
I just checked the spec on the RE272.... very high 103dB sensitivity and 20ohms, you would just be making them a more difficult effective impedance (10ohms), thats all, for no benefit. methinks you need a better dream =)
without a balanced source, the only benefit is higher voltage swing, which is unnecessary for your RE, it would actually be a disadvantage
the SE-SE has lower noise than any of the other wire headamps, the BAL-BAL has lower even order distortion IF fed with a balanced source, otherwise the SE-SE is the better amp
It just adds more noise and doesnt cancel anything except the impossibly small amount of THD from the buffers themselves, it does not cancel anything from before the conversion, SE-BAL conversion for portable amps on head-fi is....
I just checked the spec on the RE272.... very high 103dB sensitivity and 20ohms, you would just be making them a more difficult effective impedance (10ohms), thats all, for no benefit. methinks you need a better dream =)
without a balanced source, the only benefit is higher voltage swing, which is unnecessary for your RE, it would actually be a disadvantage
the SE-SE has lower noise than any of the other wire headamps, the BAL-BAL has lower even order distortion IF fed with a balanced source, otherwise the SE-SE is the better amp
Last edited:
Well I hate to say it, but I purchased another builders completed amp, broke it down for parts, and rebuilt the board
It certainly was the round about way, but hey - I was determined.
@MisterRogers:
I would be very curious to hear what you think of the sound, especially compared to using just the SE version.
It's the only implementation of The Wire that I've never heard myself, and I regret not keeping enough boards to give it a try
Since both the LME49990 and the LME49600 can handle +/- 18V your setup could be run at that voltage and would provide the highest voltage swing of The Wire series. I'm not sure if it's of much use, but if you do have a pair of high impedance and low sensitivity drivers, then it would certainly be an advantage to have the extra swing.
If you pair the above setup driven directly off the NTD1 I just shipped you, I think you'll be a very happy camper. I don't know that you could have a better front end for driving headphones.
Post up a pic when you get it all cased up!
Cheers,
Owen
I would be very curious to hear what you think of the sound, especially compared to using just the SE version.
It's the only implementation of The Wire that I've never heard myself, and I regret not keeping enough boards to give it a try
Since both the LME49990 and the LME49600 can handle +/- 18V your setup could be run at that voltage and would provide the highest voltage swing of The Wire series. I'm not sure if it's of much use, but if you do have a pair of high impedance and low sensitivity drivers, then it would certainly be an advantage to have the extra swing.
If you pair the above setup driven directly off the NTD1 I just shipped you, I think you'll be a very happy camper. I don't know that you could have a better front end for driving headphones.
Post up a pic when you get it all cased up!
Cheers,
Owen
Owen; pairing the balanced SE/SE/SE/SE wire with NTD1 is exactly what I've been working towards for quite awhile I believe you're right - I expect it to be a chain I'll rest with for quite awhile (and I don't rest easy).
I'm driving HE-5's with a 4x gain. They're not very efficient but 50Ohms impedance; they may benefit a bit from the additional 'v'. Sonically as you'd imagine, the sound is more of the same. It has all of the characteristics of the SE/SE with more swing. It's dead quiet, fast, flat, dynamic and detailed. Yea, I like
I'll be sure to post pictures when the case arrives. I was trying to fit it in the SE case I had, but it's not quite gonna fit.
I believe you're right - I expect it to be a chain I'll rest with for quite awhile (and I don't rest easy).I'm driving HE-5's with a 4x gain. They're not very efficient but 50Ohms impedance; they may benefit a bit from the additional 'v'. Sonically as you'd imagine, the sound is more of the same. It has all of the characteristics of the SE/SE with more swing. It's dead quiet, fast, flat, dynamic and detailed. Yea, I like
I'll be sure to post pictures when the case arrives. I was trying to fit it in the SE case I had, but it's not quite gonna fit.
Owen; pairing the balanced SE/SE/SE/SE wire with NTD1 is exactly what I've been working towards for quite awhile
I'm driving HE-5's with a 4x gain. They're not very efficient but 50Ohms impedance; they may benefit a bit from the additional 'v'. Sonically as you'd imagine, the sound is more of the same. It has all of the characteristics of the SE/SE with more swing. It's dead quiet, fast, flat, dynamic and detailed. Yea, I like
I'll be sure to post pictures when the case arrives. I was trying to fit it in the SE case I had, but it's not quite gonna fit.
Great stuff! I really like that setup. I might see if I have enough spare SE-SE boards around to replicate it and try it out with the HE-6. I think I held back a few rework boards I might be able to salvage
Looking forward to pics!
As a side note, has the large parcel for the NTD1 arrived yet? It should be there today.
Cheers,
Owen
this
New Take on the Passlabs D1
an OTT 50W Class A IV stage
will upload some more recent pics when I wake up, as well as some of my portable BII->Bal-Bal I took if anyone is interested
Attachments
I received word a bit ago that the packaged arrived at home. Hopefully, all is intact.
Great stuff! I really like that setup. I might see if I have enough spare SE-SE boards around to replicate it and try it out with the HE-6. I think I held back a few rework boards I might be able to salvage
Looking forward to pics!
As a side note, has the large parcel for the NTD1 arrived yet? It should be there today.
Cheers,
Owen
Missed a few details there.
NTD1 is Owen's version of the pass D1 IV stage. There's a thread all about it on the digital line stage forum ...
Last edited:
Finally got my SE-SE board cased up... (I was lucky to snatch the last remaining assembled board ).
This year somehow I am pretty much into solid wood, so I had a friend mill a solid frame from Golden Madrona Burl... just big enough to house the assembled pcb and the headphone jack. Power comes from the PSU underneath which is covered by a rusty cover made of 3mm soft steel (was spraying that with salt water for weeks). The tiny floating front panel is basically held by the headphone jack and lit from behind by an orange LED, signal wiring is solid silver with 5% gold (left over from interconnects) in cotton sleeving.
Being the proud builder I like this one a lot, especially since it delivers soundwise to boot! I am very much into tube headphone amps (transformer coupled C3G-SE or Aikido parafeed etc.) and so far sold all my solid state stuff after a while (my M3 recently went to the Netherlands), but "The Wire" is a keeper. Even this being "only" the SE-SE it has tons of power, is V E R Y neutral and has bass control bordering brutality. It is also suited for all kinds of music although it tends to be a bit less forgiving on lesser recordings. It also needs some more mileage and listening evaluation since I finished it just a few days ago.
Thanks again OPC for coming up with this tremendous little piece of eqipment!
).This year somehow I am pretty much into solid wood, so I had a friend mill a solid frame from Golden Madrona Burl... just big enough to house the assembled pcb and the headphone jack. Power comes from the PSU underneath which is covered by a rusty cover made of 3mm soft steel (was spraying that with salt water for weeks
). The tiny floating front panel is basically held by the headphone jack and lit from behind by an orange LED, signal wiring is solid silver with 5% gold (left over from interconnects) in cotton sleeving. Being the proud builder I like this one a lot, especially since it delivers soundwise to boot! I am very much into tube headphone amps (transformer coupled C3G-SE or Aikido parafeed etc.) and so far sold all my solid state stuff after a while (my M3 recently went to the Netherlands), but "The Wire" is a keeper. Even this being "only" the SE-SE it has tons of power, is V E R Y neutral and has bass control bordering brutality. It is also suited for all kinds of music although it tends to be a bit less forgiving on lesser recordings. It also needs some more mileage and listening evaluation since I finished it just a few days ago.
Thanks again OPC for coming up with this tremendous little piece of eqipment!
Attachments
Now that is an absolutely stunning implementation!
I really enjoy it when people step out on a limb in terms on industrial design, and then have the skill to pull it off. I like the natural look of the burl on rust, and I can't believe how well that machined burl enclosure turned out! It really is a work of art.
In terms of implementation, I only really have two comments:
1. If it's not too much trouble, take the top enclosure apart and twist the two input leads (signal and GND) together very tightly running from the RCA jack to the input of the amp on both channels. By tightly I mean about 6-10 twists per inch. It really helps with rejecting 50-60Hz hum from the transformer and also helps with the overall noise floor.
2. Although I like the look of the 1/4" connector for the power supply, you'll have to make very sure that you don't ever unplug or plug it in live. The contacts will short together and connect to the wrong polarities as it's inserted, which isn't a great idea. A 3-pin XLR would have been a better choice overall, and if you're tight for space, they make a mini and a sub-mini version of those connectors.
Otherwise, I really like what you've done with it, and I'm glad you snagged the last one! I'm sure there are more than a few of these sitting unassembled in bags all over the world, so it definitely puts a smile on my face when I see one brought through to completion with such a professional outcome.
Cheers,
Owen
I really enjoy it when people step out on a limb in terms on industrial design, and then have the skill to pull it off. I like the natural look of the burl on rust, and I can't believe how well that machined burl enclosure turned out! It really is a work of art.
In terms of implementation, I only really have two comments:
1. If it's not too much trouble, take the top enclosure apart and twist the two input leads (signal and GND) together very tightly running from the RCA jack to the input of the amp on both channels. By tightly I mean about 6-10 twists per inch. It really helps with rejecting 50-60Hz hum from the transformer and also helps with the overall noise floor.
2. Although I like the look of the 1/4" connector for the power supply, you'll have to make very sure that you don't ever unplug or plug it in live. The contacts will short together and connect to the wrong polarities as it's inserted, which isn't a great idea. A 3-pin XLR would have been a better choice overall, and if you're tight for space, they make a mini and a sub-mini version of those connectors.
Otherwise, I really like what you've done with it, and I'm glad you snagged the last one! I'm sure there are more than a few of these sitting unassembled in bags all over the world, so it definitely puts a smile on my face when I see one brought through to completion with such a professional outcome.
Cheers,
Owen
hmmm... this got me thinking.
I might start a separate thread where people can post pictures of any finished project from The Wire series. I could then run a little competition for best overall design with some prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
It might encourage those with half finished projects or those who haven't yet started to, to finish up and post some pictures!
I have lots of goodies here, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with three pretty compelling prizes.
I'll think it over, and start a thread with some details. People who put the work into projects like the one shown above definitely deserve to be rewarded
Cheers,
Owen
I might start a separate thread where people can post pictures of any finished project from The Wire series. I could then run a little competition for best overall design with some prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
It might encourage those with half finished projects or those who haven't yet started to, to finish up and post some pictures!
I have lots of goodies here, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with three pretty compelling prizes.
I'll think it over, and start a thread with some details. People who put the work into projects like the one shown above definitely deserve to be rewarded
Cheers,
Owen