I'm curious about the images you posted Shaun, I can't get them to open for some reason.
For anyone interested, I have taken Shaun (shoom) up on his very kind offer of the DCB1 board. Although I am fairly content with my set up as it is just now, I want to get things balanced out better when I start using Dario's FE and this seems to be a good way of doing that.
Slainte
Davy
For anyone interested, I have taken Shaun (shoom) up on his very kind offer of the DCB1 board. Although I am fairly content with my set up as it is just now, I want to get things balanced out better when I start using Dario's FE and this seems to be a good way of doing that.
Slainte
Davy
I wish I d finish my D/A converter by now....
Unusually I got back to progressive house, Jon Digweed released album called Verus, and it sounded so good...
Same as Andaine "once you told be"
My friend invited me for a live jazz event but I could not part with my music tonight
Unusually I got back to progressive house, Jon Digweed released album called Verus, and it sounded so good...
Same as Andaine "once you told be"
My friend invited me for a live jazz event but I could not part with my music tonight
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Possibly, I never did any serious comparison about it but past experiences suggest so.
Hi Do,
you're selling your FEs, can you tell us which ampli beaten them?
Hi Dario,
The FE is a very nice sounding amplifier and I have nothing negative to say about it. Unfortunately I have way too many amplifiers so I have to start selling them. I currently have a FetZilla and ML-2 in the same chassis but prefer the ML-2 but same chassis means I have to keep both. I have a AMB B24 which I don't think I'll ever sell and a Goldmund Telos 390 Clone which I hold dear close to my heart. These days I have a thing for CFA type amplifiers so on the way is VSSA, GB150D, nx Amp and then VSSA-Fab.
I just sold my Jim Holtz Statements this week and I have to sell two amps just to keep going in the hobby. So as you can see your amp is in the league with the other ones but unfortunately I have to make some space and since it is not yet in a chassis, it is easier to sell.
However, I'm not in an immediate need for cash and thus not in a hurry to sell so I will enjoy it for some time. It is currently playing in my listening room and I'm still debating things...
Ciao!
Do
The FE is a very nice sounding amplifier and I have nothing negative to say about it. Unfortunately I have way too many amplifiers so I have to start selling them. I currently have a FetZilla and ML-2 in the same chassis but prefer the ML-2 but same chassis means I have to keep both. I have a AMB B24 which I don't think I'll ever sell and a Goldmund Telos 390 Clone which I hold dear close to my heart. These days I have a thing for CFA type amplifiers so on the way is VSSA, GB150D, nx Amp and then VSSA-Fab.
I just sold my Jim Holtz Statements this week and I have to sell two amps just to keep going in the hobby. So as you can see your amp is in the league with the other ones but unfortunately I have to make some space and since it is not yet in a chassis, it is easier to sell.
However, I'm not in an immediate need for cash and thus not in a hurry to sell so I will enjoy it for some time. It is currently playing in my listening room and I'm still debating things...
Ciao!
Do
If Google is giving me the correct results - the FEs are holding their own against the ML-2 at over $20,000.00. Is that what you are saying.
ML-2 monoblock.
ML-2 monoblock.
If Google is giving me the correct results - the FEs are holding their own against the ML-2 at over $20,000.00. Is that what you are saying.
ML-2 monoblock.
Actually what I have is the Mark Levinson ML-2 but a Clone version. I would love to have those Lamm ML2.2 monoblock but my wallet does not permit 20K + amplifiers...
Ciao!
Do
Aww Shucks!
It would be interesting to hear your comparison of the dynamics and speed between FE and the tube design. Not the whole sound quality thing - just those two elements.
Davy, I think madisonears has listened to units in that category, so his future reports will be very interesting.
It would be interesting to hear your comparison of the dynamics and speed between FE and the tube design. Not the whole sound quality thing - just those two elements.
Davy, I think madisonears has listened to units in that category, so his future reports will be very interesting.
Way out of my range Bob but impressions/comparisons from knowledgeable people are always interesting. The most I ever spent on a valve amp was £1200.00. It was pretty decent but the bass never really satisfied me. I prefer my current LM3886 amp and active pre setup to anything I have had before. Can't wait to hear the FE in my system.
Continuation of the C13 Saga
A little closer to home, at least to the world of FE's, I have some initial impressions of the Rike Audio S-Cap in C13. This is a German paper-in-oil aluminum cap that costs about the same as the Audyn True Copper and is rated in a similar range to the TC by Tony Gee at humblehomemadehifi. They are available at hificollective and I decided to try a pair while ordering some other things from hificollective.
When you first take the caps out of the box, they seem a little home made. The body looks like a small, plastic cup with a hole drilled in the bottom. The potting material is partially transparent and looks like 5 minute epoxy. The leads are not centered and the label looks like a stick-on mailing label that has been applied a little crooked by a real person. Of course, none of this should put you off because we really care about how they sound, not how they look.
The good news is that it appears to be a perfect fit for on board mounting on the FE board. Initial impressions of the sound quality are both unique in my experience and quite good. The first impression is that they sound very un-paper-in-oil like. You might even think they sound a touch bright on first hearing. I need to live with them for a longer time, but they seem very transparent and open with an excellent sound stage and good detail. The bass is clear and tight, but perhaps slightly less prominent than the TCs as I remember them. Overall, these seem to be worthy of your consideration. I will listen to them for a longer period and make a proper comparison with the K71-4 as a baseline and report back.
A little closer to home, at least to the world of FE's, I have some initial impressions of the Rike Audio S-Cap in C13. This is a German paper-in-oil aluminum cap that costs about the same as the Audyn True Copper and is rated in a similar range to the TC by Tony Gee at humblehomemadehifi. They are available at hificollective and I decided to try a pair while ordering some other things from hificollective.
When you first take the caps out of the box, they seem a little home made. The body looks like a small, plastic cup with a hole drilled in the bottom. The potting material is partially transparent and looks like 5 minute epoxy. The leads are not centered and the label looks like a stick-on mailing label that has been applied a little crooked by a real person. Of course, none of this should put you off because we really care about how they sound, not how they look.
The good news is that it appears to be a perfect fit for on board mounting on the FE board. Initial impressions of the sound quality are both unique in my experience and quite good. The first impression is that they sound very un-paper-in-oil like. You might even think they sound a touch bright on first hearing. I need to live with them for a longer time, but they seem very transparent and open with an excellent sound stage and good detail. The bass is clear and tight, but perhaps slightly less prominent than the TCs as I remember them. Overall, these seem to be worthy of your consideration. I will listen to them for a longer period and make a proper comparison with the K71-4 as a baseline and report back.
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It looks like it might be the start of December before I will get the components from mouser which I ordered a couple of weeks ago, several things are still showing as on back order and the latest date is 22nd November, not exactly impressive. Anyway It seems i have lots of time to think about the build. The cheapest option for me is to reuse the enclosure I already have for one board and transformer and order another (which I just did) for the other board and it's transformer. Things will be tight inside as these are fairly small, internally W=161 H=84 D=246 (ebay - Sep store case no 2109). The transformer will be very close to the PCB if I do it that way.
The other option is to fit both boards inside one case and the two 300Va transformers in the other case and have them connected together by a couple of short lengths of multi core cable, maybe road trailer cable.
Anyway I would like to hear folks opinions, I can always change things around if I have to but it would be nice to get it right first time.
The other option is to fit both boards inside one case and the two 300Va transformers in the other case and have them connected together by a couple of short lengths of multi core cable, maybe road trailer cable.
Anyway I would like to hear folks opinions, I can always change things around if I have to but it would be nice to get it right first time.
Funny you should ask.........
Hoping to ship out an FE build for a few people to audition this afternoon. The original plan was to send the amp minus the transformers. All the recipients didn't have optimum tranis so I decided to re-work the old liquid cooled chassis and create a "shipping container". The challenge was to fit everything into a standard USPS 11" x 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" - "flat Rate" box. It would have been relatively simple to mount the ApexJr 125 VA transformers, but though it's been months, I remember feeling the 300 VA units made a significant improvement in the body of the sound. Didn't want to take the time to do a comparison so just took on the 300 VA challenge. Just made it
The weight limit for flat rate is 70 pounds and this comes in at just over 17. The amp components are extremely secure. Three is a small bracket/hold down at the bottom front of the PCB modules. When I finish this post I'll build a removable plywood frame that spans from the amp base to the top of the box to eliminate any movement.
I was concerned about the field interference from the position/location of the transformers and had planed to weld up some shield boxes. Decided to test it as is and discovered dead silence. I still don't understand the "extra shield" on the Antek units. When they are connected to earth ground a horrible hum is created. I just left that connection open.
Don't know if it's self delusion, but I do perceive a slight advantage to the monoblock configuration this set came from. Now that I see how small the required space is - I'll translate this design to metal when the auditions are finished.
EDIT: A note of caution - The first test of this build produced the infamous temperature protection dropout. The cause was stripped threads on a LM3886 mounting bolt resulting in only the the top of the chip being against the HS. There is enough overhang from the PCB edege, but the assembly process still allowed a loose fit to develop. New screw, full chip to HS surface match - no trigger. So pay special attention as new builders put their amps together
Hoping to ship out an FE build for a few people to audition this afternoon. The original plan was to send the amp minus the transformers. All the recipients didn't have optimum tranis so I decided to re-work the old liquid cooled chassis and create a "shipping container". The challenge was to fit everything into a standard USPS 11" x 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" - "flat Rate" box. It would have been relatively simple to mount the ApexJr 125 VA transformers, but though it's been months, I remember feeling the 300 VA units made a significant improvement in the body of the sound. Didn't want to take the time to do a comparison so just took on the 300 VA challenge. Just made it
The weight limit for flat rate is 70 pounds and this comes in at just over 17. The amp components are extremely secure. Three is a small bracket/hold down at the bottom front of the PCB modules. When I finish this post I'll build a removable plywood frame that spans from the amp base to the top of the box to eliminate any movement.
I was concerned about the field interference from the position/location of the transformers and had planed to weld up some shield boxes. Decided to test it as is and discovered dead silence. I still don't understand the "extra shield" on the Antek units. When they are connected to earth ground a horrible hum is created. I just left that connection open.
Don't know if it's self delusion, but I do perceive a slight advantage to the monoblock configuration this set came from. Now that I see how small the required space is - I'll translate this design to metal when the auditions are finished.
EDIT: A note of caution - The first test of this build produced the infamous temperature protection dropout. The cause was stripped threads on a LM3886 mounting bolt resulting in only the the top of the chip being against the HS. There is enough overhang from the PCB edege, but the assembly process still allowed a loose fit to develop. New screw, full chip to HS surface match - no trigger. So pay special attention as new builders put their amps together
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