bingo!
My kit arrived quickly and was very well documented (except for the
potted bits). I lashed it together quickly and am VERY happy
with the sound!
My current passive pre is a Slagle autoformer that sounds
fine as well, but doesn't have the range of attenuation I require. I will be
moving to 110db front horns soon from my 87db monitors and the ability to turn down to silence (or at least close) was an attractive feature.
The sound of this device is quite addictive, and the clean sound is not analytical or overly detailed. The music hangs together as a cohesive
thing and not just a bunch of interesting sounds.
Thanks,
Matt McGowan
P.S. I can't wait to hear this thing when I finish my Buffalo II dac!!!
My kit arrived quickly and was very well documented (except for the
potted bits). I lashed it together quickly and am VERY happy
with the sound!
My current passive pre is a Slagle autoformer that sounds
fine as well, but doesn't have the range of attenuation I require. I will be
moving to 110db front horns soon from my 87db monitors and the ability to turn down to silence (or at least close) was an attractive feature.
The sound of this device is quite addictive, and the clean sound is not analytical or overly detailed. The music hangs together as a cohesive
thing and not just a bunch of interesting sounds.
Thanks,
Matt McGowan
P.S. I can't wait to hear this thing when I finish my Buffalo II dac!!!
I'm sooo glad and happy you like it Matt!...and if you keep going it will go completely silent WITHOUT a sudden drop-off like a muted circuit...even with a very sensitive set of speakers.
It must also be noted it is still being powered by a wallwart (is it still the case, Matt?), and not the recommended battery supply yet.
Thanks for your positive review...hopefully you'll come up with fine food sounding adjectives soon after you finalize the build...We have a successful Chef, fellow DIYers, hooked on our hobby!
Warpspeed #5 
It must also be noted it is still being powered by a wallwart (is it still the case, Matt?), and not the recommended battery supply yet.
Thanks for your positive review...hopefully you'll come up with fine food sounding adjectives soon after you finalize the build...We have a successful Chef, fellow DIYers, hooked on our hobby!
Warpspeed #5
Attachments
Woohoo!
Just got word of the first successful Balanced kit build and here are some initial quoted reaction...
"1. Dead quiet. There is no hiss, noise or anything. I have high gain amps and always hear noise with active pre-amps, even a zero volume. When the warp speed is at full volume, I hear the hiss from the DAC.
2. It seems a little subdued. I cannot place my finger on it. It may be high frequency roll off for some reason. It may also be to my bad soldering. I used Neutrik silver plated connectors and put the LDRS directly onto the Neutrik pins. There is no wire between the in and out on the warpspeed. I will try it with another pre-amp tomorrow. I would like to get a buffer eventually.
3. Imaging seems to be very good. Perhaps better that I remember but it may be to all the reading I have been doing on passives. Sound is crystal clear.
4. MUST GET A REMOTE !!! This will not only kill me but also limit what you can sell."
Hopefully he'll post more here soon, after it settles in his system and has given it a long, good listen...
Just got word of the first successful Balanced kit build and here are some initial quoted reaction...
"1. Dead quiet. There is no hiss, noise or anything. I have high gain amps and always hear noise with active pre-amps, even a zero volume. When the warp speed is at full volume, I hear the hiss from the DAC.
2. It seems a little subdued. I cannot place my finger on it. It may be high frequency roll off for some reason. It may also be to my bad soldering. I used Neutrik silver plated connectors and put the LDRS directly onto the Neutrik pins. There is no wire between the in and out on the warpspeed. I will try it with another pre-amp tomorrow. I would like to get a buffer eventually.
3. Imaging seems to be very good. Perhaps better that I remember but it may be to all the reading I have been doing on passives. Sound is crystal clear.
4. MUST GET A REMOTE !!! This will not only kill me but also limit what you can sell."
Hopefully he'll post more here soon, after it settles in his system and has given it a long, good listen...
ua100k, who took the leap and got an unproven Balanced kit just posted his reactions here: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/swap-meet/178839-warpspeed-optocoupler-volume-control-kit-3.html
A big breath of fresh air for me...his subjective reaction is very similar to the Unbalanced version. Also, I get a very consistent musical presentation across different musical genres which allow for more enjoyment. Albums that before sounded boring are reborn with more life/excitement than I ever thought. I had wondered why an artist would make such a lifeless work of art...thru the Warpspeed it has proven me wrong.
Who would have thought I'd enjoy Michael Jackson at high levels without getting ear fatigue. Not only the genius of MJ is heard but the production genius of Quincy Jones is realized as well.
I'll stop for now, and let other builders speak...please go thru the wormhole at Warpspeed and check out ua100k's experience! Yeah, "Beam 'em up Scotty!"
A big breath of fresh air for me...his subjective reaction is very similar to the Unbalanced version. Also, I get a very consistent musical presentation across different musical genres which allow for more enjoyment. Albums that before sounded boring are reborn with more life/excitement than I ever thought. I had wondered why an artist would make such a lifeless work of art...thru the Warpspeed it has proven me wrong.
Who would have thought I'd enjoy Michael Jackson at high levels without getting ear fatigue. Not only the genius of MJ is heard but the production genius of Quincy Jones is realized as well.
I'll stop for now, and let other builders speak...please go thru the wormhole at Warpspeed and check out ua100k's experience! Yeah, "Beam 'em up Scotty!"
Warpspeed LDR Volume Control FM Acoustic test
A quick report on my most recent test with the Warp.
Gear comparison
HP PS
Hiface M2Tech USB to BNC/RCA
CI Audio (Channel Islands) VDA-2 with VAC-1 DAC - RCA/Line
Custom RCA cables, silver plated copper. Neutrik silver plated connectors. Switchcraft RCA.
Warp Speed Balanced Circuit. * Using only half for the RCA/line input to Amp
Silver core, silver plated Copper braidCustom Silver cables RCA/Line. Neutrik/RCA same as above.
FM Acoustics pro amp (yes Swiss FM Acoustics).
Kimber Kable
Dali Helicon 400 Mk I
The longest interconnect cable is 6 feet from warpspeed to the amp. The custom tube used 6 ft cables to the amp as well.
The challenger - custom Tube pre-amp that beat Melos, Dartzeel in other tests with much higher configurations. I was not here, however a slew of people provided the feedback.
It is difficult to do a full A/B comparison because the cables are slightly different. Cables to the warpspeed are custom and cables to the custom tube pre-amp are stock RCA. Everything else is the same.
With FM Acoustics being a top of the line amp and the Custom Tube Pre-amp having such a good history (this is the exact pre-amp used in all the tests mentioned above), I thought this would be a good test.
Music played for both the pre-amps. Tone Wik / Barokkanerne (2L Audiophile Reference Recordings) VIVALDI: Recitative and Aria from Cantata RV 679, Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley, Leila Josefowicz Bohemian Rhapsodies, 20 bit DMP sampler, Andrea Bocelli Incanto, Claudio Arrau, Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op. 13, "Pathetique" and Op. 2 No. 3. All albums were cut short.
The test started out with listening the newly acquired FM Acoustics professional amp (not the consumer versions so I don't have part numbers).
The ability to reach out an touch the instruments, hear every detail, see down the throat of the singers was amazing. The 3 dimensional ability of this amp was amazing compared to other amps I have had/heard. I can go on with the descriptives but you get the idea. I have to admit I was very skeptical of the ability of the FM Acoustics to do anything better then standard consumer equipment and thought this was just high priced like the DarTZeel - same country. The FM Acoustics is in the range of $50k. Looking at what they do, it is mostly the closely matched components they use. Everything is measured and only the best are used. I can see why they charge so much. It is mostly used by professionals in recording and mixing.
The Tube-pre had already been on its rounds for more then 6 months to various places with rave, initially disbelieving reviews. I am the last - still in possession of both amp and pre-amp. The Tube-Pre is truly amazing in sound. It is build as 2 large units, one the pre and the other the powersupply which has multiple supplies on it. Each unit weighs at least 50 pounds.
At first Warpspeed was discarded. Later to see how "nothing" in the middle can compare, I plugged in the warpspeed. Initial impressions were fabulous. Part of this was the bias that it should do well. Continuous listening shows that this stands up to the custom tube-pre. Given the size and price difference - about 20 times, I would say it is hands down the winner. It does not, in my opinion better the sound, staying around the same level, at a much lower price. Both units are not pretty - open chassis, so cosmetics are not in play here.
The custom tube-pre had a slight bass roll off, known because of the transformer mismatch - too low an impedance. All things considered, Warpspeed is great!!. Also the ability to go dead silent, not have any noise (quieter then the customer tube pre) were added benefits.
More comparisons to be done. I am also going to bring in the Mark Levinson 332 amp which has single ended and balanced inputs. This is to compare the ML 332 to the FM Acoustics amp. In that I will compare the Warpspeed VC to the custom tube pre when using the ML 332.
A quick report on my most recent test with the Warp.
Gear comparison
HP PS
Hiface M2Tech USB to BNC/RCA
CI Audio (Channel Islands) VDA-2 with VAC-1 DAC - RCA/Line
Custom RCA cables, silver plated copper. Neutrik silver plated connectors. Switchcraft RCA.
Warp Speed Balanced Circuit. * Using only half for the RCA/line input to Amp
Silver core, silver plated Copper braidCustom Silver cables RCA/Line. Neutrik/RCA same as above.
FM Acoustics pro amp (yes Swiss FM Acoustics).
Kimber Kable
Dali Helicon 400 Mk I
The longest interconnect cable is 6 feet from warpspeed to the amp. The custom tube used 6 ft cables to the amp as well.
The challenger - custom Tube pre-amp that beat Melos, Dartzeel in other tests with much higher configurations. I was not here, however a slew of people provided the feedback.
It is difficult to do a full A/B comparison because the cables are slightly different. Cables to the warpspeed are custom and cables to the custom tube pre-amp are stock RCA. Everything else is the same.
With FM Acoustics being a top of the line amp and the Custom Tube Pre-amp having such a good history (this is the exact pre-amp used in all the tests mentioned above), I thought this would be a good test.
Music played for both the pre-amps. Tone Wik / Barokkanerne (2L Audiophile Reference Recordings) VIVALDI: Recitative and Aria from Cantata RV 679, Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley, Leila Josefowicz Bohemian Rhapsodies, 20 bit DMP sampler, Andrea Bocelli Incanto, Claudio Arrau, Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op. 13, "Pathetique" and Op. 2 No. 3. All albums were cut short.
The test started out with listening the newly acquired FM Acoustics professional amp (not the consumer versions so I don't have part numbers).
The ability to reach out an touch the instruments, hear every detail, see down the throat of the singers was amazing. The 3 dimensional ability of this amp was amazing compared to other amps I have had/heard. I can go on with the descriptives but you get the idea. I have to admit I was very skeptical of the ability of the FM Acoustics to do anything better then standard consumer equipment and thought this was just high priced like the DarTZeel - same country. The FM Acoustics is in the range of $50k. Looking at what they do, it is mostly the closely matched components they use. Everything is measured and only the best are used. I can see why they charge so much. It is mostly used by professionals in recording and mixing.
The Tube-pre had already been on its rounds for more then 6 months to various places with rave, initially disbelieving reviews. I am the last - still in possession of both amp and pre-amp. The Tube-Pre is truly amazing in sound. It is build as 2 large units, one the pre and the other the powersupply which has multiple supplies on it. Each unit weighs at least 50 pounds.
At first Warpspeed was discarded. Later to see how "nothing" in the middle can compare, I plugged in the warpspeed. Initial impressions were fabulous. Part of this was the bias that it should do well. Continuous listening shows that this stands up to the custom tube-pre. Given the size and price difference - about 20 times, I would say it is hands down the winner. It does not, in my opinion better the sound, staying around the same level, at a much lower price. Both units are not pretty - open chassis, so cosmetics are not in play here.
The custom tube-pre had a slight bass roll off, known because of the transformer mismatch - too low an impedance. All things considered, Warpspeed is great!!. Also the ability to go dead silent, not have any noise (quieter then the customer tube pre) were added benefits.
More comparisons to be done. I am also going to bring in the Mark Levinson 332 amp which has single ended and balanced inputs. This is to compare the ML 332 to the FM Acoustics amp. In that I will compare the Warpspeed VC to the custom tube pre when using the ML 332.
Hey Merrill! A very thorough listening session and write-up only means you like what your getting. A diy effort being connected to a $50k+ equipment, getting favorably compared to a well received tube pre, and getting the satisfaction like you described is quite thrilling for me...
Keith and I are collaborating on a box that hopefully
will match the excellent sound we are experiencing...you know, how a good looking front panel can take the sound to the next level Would you like to take the first crack when 001 is ready?
Keith and I are collaborating on a box that hopefully
will match the excellent sound we are experiencing...you know, how a good looking front panel can take the sound to the next level Would you like to take the first crack when 001 is ready?
Warpspeed with Mark Levinson 332
A quick update. After getting excited about the last listening. I carried the Mark Levinson amp down the flight of stairs (and survived) to the set up with warpspeed.
This is not a A/B comparision as I changed out the speaker cables from Kimber to Silver Symphone 32 from Silver audio and the xlr also from them.
The Mark Levinson had much more bass then the FM Acoustics but the imaging seemed cramped. I have to switch back to the FM Acoustics with the same cables to see if it my imagination or if the cables make a difference. Then of course to try the Kimber Kables if they are both cramped.
Warpspeed works great with the ML though, no issues.
Thinking about the whole set up
1. The Custom tube amp probably is limited by the set up I have. So while Warpspeed is holding even with it, I may not being come to the ultimate edge to see the difference, if there is any and what that is.
2. I probably need a new DAC. While the CIaudio VDA-2 is good, I am sure the Musical Fideliy or Theta or other will improve the sound. Any suggestions will be welcome.
3. The custom cables, going from XLR to RCA may show up in better systems as a problem but not here. So with perhaps adding RCA in/out onto the Warpspeed that does not short the inverted input to ground will be good. This would use half the LDR/LED units but will not be a converter.
The main item is that the Mark Levinson 332 specifically works well with Warpspeed, for now at least. More comparisions to come.
Still dead silent, since the ML is dead silent. Also going to zero volume is truely there with the Warpspeed.
A quick update. After getting excited about the last listening. I carried the Mark Levinson amp down the flight of stairs (and survived) to the set up with warpspeed.
This is not a A/B comparision as I changed out the speaker cables from Kimber to Silver Symphone 32 from Silver audio and the xlr also from them.
The Mark Levinson had much more bass then the FM Acoustics but the imaging seemed cramped. I have to switch back to the FM Acoustics with the same cables to see if it my imagination or if the cables make a difference. Then of course to try the Kimber Kables if they are both cramped.
Warpspeed works great with the ML though, no issues.
Thinking about the whole set up
1. The Custom tube amp probably is limited by the set up I have. So while Warpspeed is holding even with it, I may not being come to the ultimate edge to see the difference, if there is any and what that is.
2. I probably need a new DAC. While the CIaudio VDA-2 is good, I am sure the Musical Fideliy or Theta or other will improve the sound. Any suggestions will be welcome.
3. The custom cables, going from XLR to RCA may show up in better systems as a problem but not here. So with perhaps adding RCA in/out onto the Warpspeed that does not short the inverted input to ground will be good. This would use half the LDR/LED units but will not be a converter.
The main item is that the Mark Levinson 332 specifically works well with Warpspeed, for now at least. More comparisions to come.
Still dead silent, since the ML is dead silent. Also going to zero volume is truely there with the Warpspeed.
Thanks for the quick answer. I have to admit, that my experience with battery packs is limited to my RME ADI-2 DAC, which can be easily driven by different kind of AC- or DC-sources. I ran it with 18V selfmade battery packs. The performance became very clean (duh!) and more coherent, but also a bit dull. With the original supply the show was far more direct and fast, not to say a tad more aggressive. So I changed back to the supply.
A few months ago I got the chance to run the DAC with commercial cap-bypassed battery packs (made by Thel Audio Germany) and considered this solution "the best of two worlds".
Just some subjective impressions. Of course a DAC is a totally different kind of device. I'm still a greenhorn technically and happy to have the chance to learn at this excellent place.
A few months ago I got the chance to run the DAC with commercial cap-bypassed battery packs (made by Thel Audio Germany) and considered this solution "the best of two worlds".
Just some subjective impressions. Of course a DAC is a totally different kind of device. I'm still a greenhorn technically and happy to have the chance to learn at this excellent place.