The All Purpose Advice Thread

I need some advice. I’ve just moved my headphone system to an other room and noticed that if I turn on the electric heater I hear hum with all headphones from the Elekit Tu-8200 amp, and in the case of the Woo Audio 6-SE the actual transformer hums very loud (but no hum in the headphones). Both hum disappears if I turn off the heater. Is there any way to got rid of this kind of hum (other than turning off the heater)?

 

Sounds like you need a DC Blocker, though there's no way to be sure without trying one - well, short of sticking an expensive voltmeter into your wall plugs, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.

But usually transformer hum is cause by DC offsets from unbalanced loads by heaters, fridges and the like.

I'm not sure who makes them in jay-pan, my source is in east iurop.

 

Got a PM from wormcycle, thought it might be a good idea to post my response here.




Hi! Always happy to help if I can. I'll post this in the thread too so that others might benefit from the potential discussion too.

Might not actually be a ground loop per se, might be some kind of crosstalk/noise or transformer directly influencing the components in your amp. Not much you can do if that's the case. If it IS a ground loop though:

Hmm. Connecting monoblocks, as in left and right channel monoblocks, together, in this particular case, would probably do nothing, possibly worsen it. It's really simple to try and see, though, so go ahead. Ground loops are really easy to understand once you figure out what voltage referencing means. Basically, when you touch one pin of your aaa battery, it might very well be on ac110 or 220 volts which it picks up from walls, in fact. Your skin is, really, too. So why don't you get shocked? Well, in order for current to flow, you must complete the circuit. You have to touch both pins of the battery, and both pins are on 110 or 220 volts. Thing is, referenced to one another, it's 1.5 volts. That difference of potentials is the driving force. So let's say you have a huge chunky transformer, and a wire passing next to it. A ground wire. It should be ground reference, and it is - for you, that is. But for the amp, a little circuit forms that flows through grounding wire, interconnect shields, preamp, amp, and your wall socket earth - that transformer and that wire behave as a small "battery" (ac, but you get the picture). Referenced to you, it's all ground, but - that wire going beside the transformer - on one side, and on the other side, magnetic fields from the transformer create something like an aaa battery. Problem is, the resistance is very, very small - it's a grounding wire. So that 1 volt divided with 0.0005 ohms, and yeah.. It can produce big currents (well, not like 2 amps, but say 50 milliamps or more is quite possible) that your preamp/amp picks up and amplifies. The only way to eliminate it is to properly ground the chassis and try to isolate the transformer's magnetic field as much as you can, or use some sort of loop breaking circuits that might be potentially dangerous. That's not something a newbie should try, probably. So your only option is to break the loop. I might be of more help if you explain in full your chain.

One other thing to try is to plug your devices in different outlets - depending on your in home wiring, might be enough to remedy it or even completely break it.
Using balanced interconnects should help too if your gear supports that.

 

Hi all!

Tl;dr for convenience:
- should I build an M3 or a CK2III for the HD650+DA11?
- how good are both compared to popular options today like the Lyr 3 and the Massdrop CTH?

I’ve been roaming here and some other forums for a while now and finally worked up the motivation to take the next step.

I currently own an HD650 and a Lavry DA11 and want to improve the amplifier part of my chain. I’ve cycled through both O2 and Cmoy (both prebuilt; prefer the Cmoy between the two). I also want to use this chance to really dive into learning about audio and what people mean when they talk about their systems. Preferred budget is around 300-400 USD.

My goal for now is to create a synergistic system for the HD650 and DA11 to understand terms like macro/microdynamics and head stage as I believe I have a loose understanding of FR differences between headphones and amps. My second priority is become more familiar with amp parts, circuits and differences between designs by making a DIY amp. This is what’s stopping me from getting a Lyr 3/Jot/MCTH since id like to make this a hobby, not just a purchase decision. It’d be great to get some comparisons from those experienced.

Considering these limits, I’m considering:

1. the AMB M3, which @purr1n recommends among DIY amps and seems to be regarded as a good match for the HD650. I’d likely also try to build the Sigma11 to get the most out of it, which stretches my budget and might be too difficult as a first project.

2. the Cavalli-Kan Kumasi III, which @Jh4db536 (who owns the HD650 and M3) praises. It seems to be a simpler build and can be built cheaper than the M3. I’m mainly concerned about the lack of other detailed impressions and whether it is a significantly worse match for the DA11.

I’ve also considered the Whammy and the PM Starving Student Hybrid, but there’s not a lot of specific impressions on their synergy with the HD650. Additional kit suggestions are very welcome.

Other considerations:

This will be my first DIY build and I will have to figure out how to do the casing, sourcing of materials and procure tools from ground up. AMB’s documentation and both the AMB and Diyaudio forums seem to be helpful enough in these regards.

I also would like to avoid tube amps - even the Crack and Elekit kits - as there is enough comparisons to convince me the more impressive options are way out of my budget at this stage. In the long term, I would rather have a good SS amp and a good tube amp, rather than the latter and a mediocre one.

Thank you for reading through this packed post and I truly believe that SBAF members are knowledgable and frank enough to point me the right way.

 

If this is your first time holding a soldering iron... don't start on the M3. Get a cheap cmoy or whatever and just learn the ins and outs of not sucking on fumes first. There's always going to be blunders during the initial learning curve, and better to do that on something that cost tens of dollars rather than hundreds.

p.s. DIY is a rabbit hole that most definitely does NOT save you money
p.p.s. cheap tools will only bring regret, but see above

 

Thank you for the reply!

Perhaps it was misleading mention a budget... My intention is not to immediately order all the parts and solder the moment everything comes but to commit to a decision earlier rather than later so that I can work my way to getting it done from accumulating necessary tools to practicing etc. The budget was more to indicate the scale of what I’m aiming to achieve.

As it would be redundant to make another CMoy, I’ll find some other cheap kit to play with. Its been a few years since I’ve last soldered but I still remember the general idea.

 

On power supplies, I like Acopian linears. They are the only brand we will put in our scanning electron microscopes because they are super low noise and problem free. (But they are not for power amps in which one needs low-impedance/high pulse current and need to build your own...)

 

I think my WHAMMY sounds fantastic with my HD650s. Drives them with great authority. Easily as good as my Schiit Vali 2, better in a number of ways. This is with both a Modi Multibit and a Modi 3 (no idea how those compare to the Lavry). I haven't heard an M3 in years, so I really can't compare them. However, I will say that the WHAMMY, outside of casework, was possibly the easiest DIY project I have done. While my breadboard CMOY was a simpler circuit and took less time, it still wasn't as plug and play simple to build as the WHAMMY board and guide on the DIYaudio forums made it. With psu on the same board, including the transformer, it couldn't be easier. If you source your own parts or have some on hand, you can easily build for under $200. Depending on your time line, you might wait to see what case options DIYaudiostore comes up with to add to the WHAMMY kit, which will likely take care of most of the casework. FYI, I have built a CMoy, O2, Bottlehead S.E.X., AMB Sigma 11, hundreds of cables, and blew up some headphones trying to build an AMB B22 Outside of a CMoy kit, I don't know if I would recommend anything else to a first timer as a DIY kit.

 

Hello gents, sorry if something like this has been asked before, here it goes:
Looking for a DAC upgrade to my GO450 that doesn't break the bank. It will be connected to a Vali 2.
Headphones are the HD650 and various T50RP mods.

Priorities:

• Little to no treble nasties
  
• Soundstage depth
• Resolution
  
• Macrodynamics

Budget: < $250

Thank you

 

Modi 3? It won’t gloss over treble glare in shit recordings but I don’t hear any inherent issues. Modi also isn’t the last word in macro dynamics but does better than most budget DACs I can think of.

If schiit can shoehorn their new USB implementation into Modi it will be quite a thing.

 

I'm definitely happy with my Modi 3 in regards to how the treble sounds. Some of my shittier/hotter recordings are easier to listen to compared to my previous DAC (HeadRoom Micro DAC, CS4398 based). Really good for the money. Keep in mind the Modi 3 does seem to add a little warmth in the bass and mids--not sure how that will work with Vali 2, haven't heard it. If you can score a used Gamma 2, that may be worth checking out if macrodynamics are a priority.

 

Thank you for the thoughtful replies!

I'm glad to hear that you look back at these older amps fondly!

It's likely that most ebay options will be expensive due to shipping to Japan, but I'll read up on them as a possible precursor to building a S11.

I might've sprung for the WHAMMY kit if it also offered a case. The idea of having everything sourced from one place and arriving at the same time certainly sounds appealing. Honestly, if there were more impressions in the DIYaudio/Headfi/SBAF discussion threads I might end up springing for it just to save costs. But then again, why not one of the AMB amps or even a Butte...

I'm warming up to the idea of making a CMoy from scratch, or just taking mine apart and putting it back together. Could also play with opamp rolling just so that I know what to expect for other opamp-tweakable designs.

 

I'm interested in some amp recommendations for the Focal Elex. I currently own the Valhalla2 and the Jotunheim. The jot has some admirable qualities, but is a bit on the forward side for the Elex. The valhalla2 does a reasonable job, but I suspect the Elex would benefit from a warmer amp. Any thoughts on something that pairs well in the < ~$800 range?

 

If you're not dead set on going the DIY route there's currently an M3 w/Sigma11 on USAM within your budget:

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649504992-amb-m3-w-bass-boost-and-sigma-11-psu/

 

@Aelms Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I have an unbuilt M3/s1 kit sitting in my basement if you're interested... (actually, there's a partially built b22 in there as well)

 

Guys I need an advise. I've just bought a Jot to go with the HD650 and the ZMF Atticus ( using Modi3/Magni3 now). It's been delivered today, I haven't listened to it yet. Today an EC JDS (230V) comes up for sale, they are super rare in Europe and I'm sure it will go quick. Bad timing.

I'm not into tubes and sold the Vali 2 and the MCTH because they were messing with timbre and tonality on classical, especially with operatic vocals where some of the harmonics were replaced with nice, euphonic sound but it was more difficult to tell one performer from another. A masking effect, so to speak .

But those are cheap amps. I've never heard a TOTL or near TOTL tube amp. Would I still have that masking effect with the ZDS? If transparency is the goal and a slightly warm tilt is the only coloration desirable in the chain and the HD650 has enough of it would I gain anything with the ZDS which is 5 times more expensive?

Maybe @purr1n could chime in. Thanks

 

I'll let others chime in about the ZDS but I will say if you're a heavy classical listener, Jotunheim is not ideal... the soundstage sucks. It's flat and not very layered. And classical kind of demands a big layered stage. I would take even the Lyr2 over Jotunheim for classical (I've owned both). Tubes in general are going to not only stage better, but have better timbre for live instruments in my experience. Man I would not hesitate to pull the trigger on a ZDS, but that's just me.

 

Where to audition the holo spring 2 (or 1) in southern california? Looking for a companion to the Yggdrasil a2.