Hi please excuse me if i jump inbut i search through this very interesting thread but did not find listening impressions.
Could anyone point me to a specific post reporting some listening impressions ?
Thanks to anyone.
gino
What about this one?
The First Watt Model B1 Buffer Preamplifier Operating at the speed limit! Review By Dick Olsher
Hi thanks a lot. What about soundstage ?
Depth is quite good. Drums seem to be 15 feet behind the speakers on some recordings. My listening room is narrow so harder to judge sound stage but it seems adequate. Be sure to use high quality caps anywhere in the signal path. I user Mundorf silver/oil.
Thanks again. No more questions from me. I understand that when done properly it sounds really great. A soundstage well developed in the depth direction is a very telling sign of excellent performance imho.
B1 Sound
I live in the Twin Cities MN metro.
A friend had me retrieve his Audio Research SP9 after it received routine service at the factory so I had it for a couple months.
I compared it directly to my B1 on several occasions.
The B1 was always more transparent. Always musical. Not a drastic difference but after hearing them side by side I would always stick with the B1.
I live in the Twin Cities MN metro.
A friend had me retrieve his Audio Research SP9 after it received routine service at the factory so I had it for a couple months.
I compared it directly to my B1 on several occasions.
The B1 was always more transparent. Always musical. Not a drastic difference but after hearing them side by side I would always stick with the B1.
B1 Sonics
I've built 3 Copies of the B1. All boards and transistors from the Pass DIY Store.
I've tried both inboard and wall wart power supplies.
My favorite one uses decent quality parts, .1uf Vishay bypass caps a Goldpoint V24 attenuator and an old Panasonic phone wall wart power supply.
In use for years now... No desire to change.
I've built 3 Copies of the B1. All boards and transistors from the Pass DIY Store.
I've tried both inboard and wall wart power supplies.
My favorite one uses decent quality parts, .1uf Vishay bypass caps a Goldpoint V24 attenuator and an old Panasonic phone wall wart power supply.
In use for years now... No desire to change.
Hi ! it was just a feeling for me but now i understand this result has a technical reason ...
I am not an expert but i think that a good ability at rendering a 3D soundstage implies low noise and high linearity also for signal at low level.
Of course the listening room is fundamental to get the right perspective ... nevertheless keeping the room the same a good system should give an at least decent soundstage. The same system in a well treated room will give an excellent soundstage.
By the way, may i ask what DDR is ?
Thanks a lot for confirming a feeling of mine. I like when feelings and rationality go together ...
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DDR = Downward Dynamic Range. A term invented by the late Allen Wright to try to get people to think more techniclly abou the kinds of things that audiophilia uses terms like detail, small detail, and more.
The ability to reproduce very small pieces of information — even in the presence of a much larger signal. ie how does the device do 30–40-50 dB down.
These are the kinds of things that give flesh to voice & instrument and provide the tiny clues that allow the creation of a solid, 3D, stereo image/sounstage.
He made amps & preamps, bit is particualrily appropriate for speakers which tend to be worse than what comes before (but that is not alwaye the case).
The B1 is simple and well designed -- that means much less potential for information being lost.
dave
Thanks a lot and very very interesting. Still there must be a way to measure this parameter ...
but i understand the concept and i think the same. This is an undefined territory ... for instance many still swear for single ended no feedback designs implying that feedback takes out something.
I really do not know what to think. I read somewhere a term ... time constant that i did not understand at all but makes me think.
For instance the concept of delay ... up to a certain level of delay we do not perceive it ... i do not know. Impulse test on drivers i understand. I can see that a woofer is slower to react to an impulse than a tweeter and also has more ringing ... interesting but difficult
Thanks again
Yes, measuring a small signal in the presence of a large signal is basic stuffThanks a lot and very very interesting. Still there must be a way to measure this parameter ...
Agreed. Your statement brings to mind a number of amps I remember from the '50s and early '60s.
Hi Dave ! sorry for the belated reply but i have only the phone at hand during the weekend and write on the phone is a pain
Very interesting concept the transformer coupled single ended mosfet.
When so many people swear on singled ended amps there must be something of really good indeed. What sounds good is good.
I read somewhere how the first watt is the most important one for sound.
Then why not limit the single ended approach only to the first watt and from there one adopt something more standard ? i do not know if you see what i mean.
To be more clear ... will a B1 buffer preamp impose its sound to any power amp attached to it ?
i wonder if the above mentioned single ended amps perform well in this kind of test ... from what i understand they should.
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Ginetto, I suggest reading the description of the B1 Nelson posted on the First Watt website. One thing you'll read is, "The thing here is to try to make a buffer that is very neutral."
I don't think you need to worry, "will a B1 buffer preamp impose its sound to any power amp attached to it ?"
I don't think you need to worry, "will a B1 buffer preamp impose its sound to any power amp attached to it ?"
Thanks a lot for the very helpful link One thing is sure ... with dacs that output around 2V more than enough to drive power amps to their max output who needs gain in the preamp stage ?
still many preamps have V gain of 4-5 times .... unbelievable
So a good quality pot followed by a buffer looks like a godsend