EC Aficionado (was: The Studio Jr.)

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by AppleheadMay, Nov 10, 2015.

  1. Thenewerguy009

    Thenewerguy009 Friend

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    Ever heard of credit cards :)
     
  2. BillOhio

    BillOhio Friend

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    I'm guessing it's reasonable to hope that these will be available through at least the end of this year? I think that come November I'll be in the market to upgrade my amp. I realize that they aren't even available yet, but I saw the comment about the EC Owner looking to retire and I don't know just how limited a run this amp might be.
     
  3. yzap

    yzap New

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    Welp, the wait continues... but I've got my tubes now... :)

    [​IMG]
     
  4. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    What's the tube type for the power supply?
     
  5. Don Miller

    Don Miller Banned from FS; never sell me anything

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    Will the umbilical be the same type of plugs as Zana Deux?
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    5AR4 I believe. LOL, I actually did not look carefully. Definitely NOT 274B / 5U4G.
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Provided that Craig ever designs a low gain amp matching the the AF, the AF should be a great preamp. The downside is that the components would have to be matched together. The AF provides plenty of gain, all that would be needed is a lower gain power amp that would require less stages. All this is speculative. I am not sure if Craig has balanced, or err push-pull Class A in his heart.

    What is not speculative is as follows. After futzing around for a bit, we decided on no feedback once we were able to get a control on the bass. An unforeseen benefit of this was that the tertiary winding (previously used for the feedback) on the Cinemag OPTs could be used as a line level output. We actually discovered that the voltage from the tertiary windings tracked the secondaries exactly!

    This amp would be ideal for someone who who like to biamp and get the best of both worlds. The speaker output can be used for a moderate / high efficiency speaker. The preamp output, which tracks the speaker output exactly (but with less current capability), can be used to feed a solid state (or higher powered tube) amp to a woofer or subwoofer.

    An example could be something like the Omega Super Alnico on the top end, coupled with a REL on the bottom. Those who do not mind some elbow grease (custom xover work) could go with a more exotic horn speaker (Altec + compression driver, ORIS + AER, etc.) with the preamps outs to a SS amp feeding large woofers in a box.
     
  8. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    Debating doing exactly this. But I'd love to know the psu tube and have a little more concrete timeline before I order tubes.

    Probably going to preorder in the next week or two, just got a great price on Utopias. Yggdrasil soon too hopefully. I can't wait to try this thing and hopefully stop upgrading lol.

    Time to go try and remember how hard my JBL LSR4328ps would be for this thing to drive...
     
  9. ghoti

    ghoti New

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    Would this be a suitable amp for the Hifiman HE1000?
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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  11. ghoti

    ghoti New

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    Marvey, will it be possible to bring an Afictionado to the SoCal July 15 meet?
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    We proto will be there for you guys to listen to. We will also bring the painted metal (but not enough time to stuff it).
     
  13. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    wow THIS! makes me want to buy a flight into Cali and attend!
     
  14. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    Can't wait to see the paint job pics! Been hoping to see those for a while!

    Utopias arriving soon. Then Yggdrasil and this'll complete the dream!

    [edited question away]
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017
  15. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    Don't make this thread like Schiit happened. Every time Jason posts progress pics and new information people are just like so when is it coming out? Be grateful for the information you're receiving and it will be released when it's done.

    @Marvey Is good about giving us all pertinent information so just relax, listen to some music, or get out, and enjoy the now.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017
  16. JoshMorr

    JoshMorr Friend

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    I'm with cskippy here, let's not turn this into head-fi and post invoice numbers, email updates, general thoughts, tracking info etc. This is an amp that being produced, it will be out when its ouy, let the guys do their damn thing. We got the update on chasis, read the cues, we aren't 6 months out.
     
  17. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    I'd never do any of that stuff about order status after ordering. Bothers me too.

    I unfortunately don't really have the time flexibility to say I'll get it when its ready which is why I was interested in updates. I won't ask again, turning it into head-fi was not my intention. It's a question of getting it in time before a big shift in my life.

    Quick (unrelated) question. Initially it was mentioned that the only output will be a single four pin xlr. Is the 1/4" jack in the photos not going to be on the final product? Or was it mentioned already/implied? The only spot I see it in the thread was unanswered a few pages back. I'll make this my final post in this thread didn't mean to be a nag.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    4 pin XLR only. It's a better connector - explains why some people felt the XLR on the BW sounded better than the 1/4" phono jack even though the BW was not a balanced amp. In this case the AF is a balanced output amp.

    A phono jack would certainly have made the amp more flexible, more appealing, and increased sales. But in Craig's own words:

    The Aficionado, for people who know what they want and know what the f**k they are doing.
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    IMG_20170704_174839.jpg
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    Please pay particular attention to the available connectors, selectors, inputs, and outputs. This may not be the amp / pre-amp for you. Those who are interested, please assess if the Aficionado will meet your needs.

    Speaker connectors will be SpeakON. This may present issues with people who want to use certain kinds of audiophile cables. There will be a toggle switch on the back to kill the speakers. The XLR line out, SE line out, and headphone out will be active at all times. Headphone out will ONLY be 4-pin XLR, but NO 1/4" phono. High-end headphones should come with a 4-pin XLR option these days.

    There will be two inputs, SE and balanced XLR, selected by another toggle switch on the back. Switches are on the back to eliminate unnecessary wiring inside the chassis.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2017
  20. JK47

    JK47 Guest

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