Oh Sh#7! Eddie Current Studio B

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by purr1n, Aug 15, 2020.

  1. Tommy

    Tommy Acquaintance

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2018
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Canada
    Thanks all for the comforting words. It definitely sounds spectacular so won't go messing about with it. :)
     
  2. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2018
    Likes Received:
    2,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NW Pennsylvania
    which could be why I consider my amp slightly boring with many of my dacs... my tubes are dead silent...
     
  3. Contrails

    Contrails New

    Joined:
    May 11, 2017
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    New Zealand
    I am looking at an used Studio B Jr. But I am located in Australia (240v) but the amp is 110v. Is it possible to buy a 240v PSU from EC?
     
  4. joch

    joch Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,397
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    the other side of the big ocean
    Looks like the Studio B is still open for orders.

    Someone please convince me why I shouldn't take the plunge!
     
  5. AdvanTech

    AdvanTech Friend

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    May 13, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,667
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NYC
    Do it :D
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 2
    • List
  6. capt_wacky

    capt_wacky New

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Likes Received:
    34
    Trophy Points:
    13
    Location:
    New Jersey
    I regret not a single thing about buying that amp. It sounds lovely, it looks lovey, and it's a pleasure to use. I suspect it will hold its value quite well, should you decide it's not your cup of tea.
     
  7. Josh Schor

    Josh Schor Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2020
    Likes Received:
    885
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Ann Arbor Mi
    I agree wholeheartedly, the amp is a joy, using as a speaker amp and headphones.
     
  8. capt_wacky

    capt_wacky New

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2020
    Likes Received:
    34
    Trophy Points:
    13
    Location:
    New Jersey
    You inspired me to try to setup the Studio B with my original Klipsch Fortes. I hadn’t really used it as a speaker amp since some limited experimenting with Heresys when I first got it. Holy crap, this sounds amazing.

    It plays quite well at normal to slightly loud levels. I didn’t want to go past 3 o’clock on the volume knob, but it got quite loud by that point. Bass is not shy (Massive Attack was thumping away). Slight bloom, but the fortes add a touch of that with any amp. It’s quite pleasing. The dynamics are not what I expected from 4 watts.

    Joanna Newsom in particular sounds magical. Between the amp and the old speakers, there’s a romance to the sound that I haven’t heard in any of my home speakers.

    Now I’ll have to re-arrange my entire setup.
     
  9. Josh Schor

    Josh Schor Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2020
    Likes Received:
    885
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Ann Arbor Mi
    I spend most of my listening with speakers, use the headphones some but 90% speakers. The amp really sings .
     
  10. Josh Schor

    Josh Schor Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2020
    Likes Received:
    885
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Ann Arbor Mi
    I changed out the Jupitor 0.1 caps for Dueland cu/silver 0.1, wow they have about 300 hours on them and they amazing. Tremendous attack on the leading edge of each note, Top end has sweetened without loss of detail, added space around each instrument, well worth it.
     
  11. Empyah

    Empyah Facebook Friend

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2020
    Likes Received:
    156
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Earth
    Can you please give a link to the exact modell of the caps (Duelund's site barely has any information) and a few pic's of the internals with them would by much appreciated if it's not to much of a hassle.
     
  12. Josh Schor

    Josh Schor Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2020
    Likes Received:
    885
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Ann Arbor Mi
  13. Bourne Perfect

    Bourne Perfect Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    43
    DCA Ether 2 is astounding from my Studio B-best I've heard yet. Couple caveats as I know this is a polarizing headphone, that I've now owned twice. First pair was boring, bland, lifeless af, muted, congested, no dynamics, and only thing noteworthy was the deeeep, beautifully textured bass, and female vocals here and there. Sold em. My latest pair (on same exact chain) is very dynamic, 3d like, balanced across all frequencies, extremely detailed, with hauntingly realistic tone. So good in fact that I've lost any desire to go further up the road with a Utopia, Hifiman, Meze, LCD4 etc etc.

    What changed? Driver variation? I heard rumblings of early issues many had. I bought both used, and my recent one was #500 if it matters-no idea what my first was. An important word on pads: these impressions really only hold true for the suede pads. The perforated pads were trash imo-felt like I lost 2 levels of resolution across the board, and also just sounded hazy and confused in a way. Stock pads were more intimate, more forward vocals and impactful bass, but also way less microdetail, and very very recessed highs. Fwiw.

    Putting this in the Studio B thread because out of my ss amps I lose 20% of this Ether 2 magic, just as my AD2000s do...and the Ether thread is prone to dogpiling haters.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2022
  14. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

    Pyrate IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,724
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    California Bay Area
    Home Page:
    ^Nice...glad you found System Synergy and a pair you love. This is what we hope for when we try stuff and make moves!
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agreed, ditto, +1 Agreed, ditto, +1 x 1
    • List
  15. Tommy

    Tommy Acquaintance

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2018
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Canada
    Is anyone using a preamp to add gain to their Studio B (e.g., Sage+)? My phono preamp has perfect gain for using the Studio B with headphones, but I'm having to turn the Studio B volume up to maximum to get a decent sound level from speakers (speakers are relatively efficient at ~94db). I'd like to squeeze out just a little bit more on the speakers. Would the Saga+ (or equivalent) be the best bet? I've read on SBAF that it's the most transparent and adds a touch of gain in tube mode.

    I've figured out that my phono preamp puts out approximately 0.5V with my current cartridge and I've read that the Studio B needs 1.5V for maximum volume.

    Thanks all. :)
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    The best most transparent option is a phonostage with more gain - if possible. Saga+ doesn't have any gain really.
     
  17. Tommy

    Tommy Acquaintance

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2018
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Canada
    Thanks purr1n, I thought that might be the case. I'm very enamoured by my current phono since it was diy and took me considerable time to build, so might just have to live with what I've got. It's absolutely perfect with headphones which is my main usage. I just feel, likely unnecessarily so, worried running the Studio B with volume pot at max when the odd moment arrives when I wish to run through speakers. :)
     
  18. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 28, 2017
    Likes Received:
    7,980
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver BC
    Worth buying a cheap-but-good higher gain phono stage (and a switch - SYS or something without the pot) for the times you want to run speakers? Schiit Mani, $US 149, goes up to 60 dB with 4 independently-selectable input impedances and capacitances.

    You can borrow my Ifi Zen Phono if you want to try it and see. That has 60 & 72 dB MC gain settings at 1k & 110 Ohms input impedances respectively. Zen Air Phono has just the lower setting but is half the price ($CAD 149).
     
  19. Tommy

    Tommy Acquaintance

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2018
    Likes Received:
    63
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Canada
    Thanks, that's very kind to offer and I'll definitely keep it in mind. I'll play around with it a bit more as is and will let you know. :bow:
     
  20. bobmysterious

    bobmysterious Facebook Friend

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2016
    Likes Received:
    66
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Boca Raton, FL
    Does the Studio B have enough juice for something like the Abyss 1266 TC?
     

Share This Page