Beezar Audio/ECP Audio History

Discussion in 'Beezar' started by TomB, Oct 26, 2018.

  1. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Real question at least to me is:

    1. Will it be for sale?
    2. Will it be better than a Rev. 2 Jot?

    If both are yes, called me very interested. Possible amp replacement for my main setup. I don't like to deal with t00bs.
     
  2. zonto

    zonto Friend

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    Yes, more details please. Before I sell my Utopia. ;)
     
  3. MisterRogers

    MisterRogers Ethernet Nervosa

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    We'll let Doug speak to availability - though level of interest here might help convince a bespoke amp designer such as Doug to throw in for a batch. From @purr1n it'll continue a tight mini-tour before landing again with @jexby (where it might suspiciously get 'lost'), then home. Hopefully they'll be more impressions with a variety of sources, headphones, etc.
     
  4. MisterRogers

    MisterRogers Ethernet Nervosa

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    This is the best amp I've ever heard driving Utopia. Full stop.

    I'll let others share more detailed impressions.
     
  5. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    [​IMG]
     
  6. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    @dsavitsk - Color me interested! As in, serious about buying, not just window shopping.
     
  7. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    Color me interested, too. Was considering to grab dsha 1 or 2 later this year because base idea is very interesting. If this newer SS is better (or different toward my liking), my plan will change for sure.
     
  8. Rthomas

    Rthomas Friend

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    Sounds interesting. Anyone tried this with the HD800S?

    Would be interested. Hope it's not $3K + :D
     
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Around there I believe. Good stuff doesn't come cheap. I'll post about it in an hour or so.
     
  10. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Oh dang. I wonder if it's the Copenhagen or Ravenswood amp I've heard about with almost zero details
     
  11. dsavitsk

    dsavitsk Friend

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    I would, of course, be happy to do a batch of these. Price is $2800.

    One thing to be aware of - the output is balanced and floats which means you must use balanced headphones with it. No XLR to TRS adapters, no using it as a preamp, etc. (unless you run the output through a set of output transformers, in which case you have a Ravenswood/DSHA3).
     
  12. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    @dsavitsk could you explain a bit more how the new amp (DSHA5?) differs from previous your SS amps, topology-wise?

    At least it sounds that the new amp is not transformer-coupled.
     
  13. dsavitsk

    dsavitsk Friend

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    It's not a particularly new amp, actually. The amp in question is the DSHA3F ("F" because it was developed for Focals). It is basically the same as the DSHA3 except it does not have any output transformers. It still has input transformers.

    The DSHA3 is also called the Ravenswood, or Ravenswood/DSHA3. This is different from the Ravenswood/DSHA4 which has the same output stage as the '3 but adds a driver stage.

    So, 3F is input transformer->DSHA buffer. '3 is input transformer->DSHA buffer->output transformer. '4 is input transformer->DSHA buffer->interstage/step up transformer->DSHA buffer->output transformer.

    Why is the DSHA3F not a Ravenswood? I don't know. It should be. So from now on, it is. Either DSHA3F or Ravenswood-3F is fine.


    Ravenswood is a neighborhood in Chicago where I used to live.


    Other amps I make are the L3, Copenhagen-V, Apsara 2, and T4. There are always others in the works, but those are the ones I make right now. I should update my website this year.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2019
  14. bengo

    bengo Friend

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    I'm sure many here would be interested to hear why you would use transformers in a solid-state design. Perhaps you or @TomB could write something.
     
  15. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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  16. TomB

    TomB MOT: Beezar

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    I remember the HPDAC5 well. Doug was so excited that he sent PCBs and a complete set of instructions and parts list to both myself and Colin Toole.

    Unfortunately, he probably over-estimated my capacity for DIY-prototype fiddling and designing my own power supplies (more than one required). So, one of my biggest DIY regrets is that I never built the HPDAC5 (not sure if Colin ever built one, either):
    [​IMG]

    However, as Doug has mentioned, it formed the basis for the DSHA circuit that he now uses and that sounds so good. Just to be clear, The T3 and now, the T4, both use the DSHA circuit (in principle). His ECP Audio DACs use the DSHA circuit principle as well, just as the original HPDAC5 first used.

    The Walnut X DAC also has that feature and unlike the HPDAC5, is capable of the latest 24-bit/192kHz streams for decoding music. We will be debuting this DAC soon as a match for the T4, which also could be called the latest ECP Audio Tube-DSHA amplifier. The T4 and T3 before it, are really a tube parafeed circuit combined with the DSHA. (At least as far as my limited understanding goes.)

    P.S. I'll try to post my last installment on Beezar/ECP Audio history soon, including the very first prototype of the T3/T4.

    P.P.S. I'm currently busy with constructing the first run of T4s and should have those shipping within a couple of weeks, I hope.:)
     
  17. Luckbad

    Luckbad Traded in a unicorn for a Corolla

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    Is anything in the current line-up a direct improvement over the L-2? This L-2 with CineMag output transformers is just heavenly. Someone noted on Head-Fi (who owned the L-2 and has an L-3) that the L-3 isn't exactly a direct upgrade, as it's a bit warmer and smoother.

    The L-2 is incredible for the HD650s in part because it's not very warm at all.

    I'm honestly not even sure I could find an upgrade to this thing. It has, however, made me far more interested in the ECP Audio amplifiers.

    I enjoyed the Torpedo 3 (maxed out) that I owned for a while, but I never found myself emotionally involved with that amp.

    The L-2... No hyperbole, I just got got chills listening to Isato Nakagawa with this thing.

    What could improve the L-2 for the HD650s for me?
    • Preamp outputs. I can't use the HP out on the L-2 as a preamp or tap somewhere along the line and add a pair, can I?
    • Maybe no tubes to deal with?
    It sounds damn near perfect. Thank you @dsavitsk for such a fine amplifier and @ogodei for such a fine deal on it. I can only hope I can prevent myself from doing something idiotic like selling it.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2019
  18. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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  19. Roman

    Roman Facebook Friend

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    Douglas Savitsky Headphone Amplifier maybe?
     
  20. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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