Loaner Gear Request/Progress Master Thread

Good points but you haven’t heard this DIY SS amp.

Then again maybe the point isn’t good sound but a known entity rather than a great sounding obscure amp that no one can buy.

 

TBH I love @yotacowboy's idea but can't think of a single SS amp that doesn't have its detractors. This includes nominees like the BHA-1, GSX-Mini, Phonitor, RNHP, etc. Heck I thought the iFi Diablo is a great dedicated HP amp with DAC bypass yet a high-profile member recently shat on it at a local meet (I still love it though, their opinion be damned).

DIY is an awesome idea except that the baseline might not be scalably accessible to people that like and want it.

Might benefit from a poll to find what the right SS "palate cleanser" might be. I wonder whether there should be separate candidates for ortho/planars and electrodynamics.

 

Sparkos Aries is a great SS amp.

 

That's exactly the idea. More of an analytic tool than a golden schlong.

 

I think it the threat is of that assessment of analytical tool becoming too reductive.

I can speak no ill of the BHA-1 but vaguely recall @rhythmdevils citing it was either not a good match for certain pairings and/or dynamically compressed. Frankly I think the GSX (along with all KG designs I've heard aside from the DIY-T2 and KGSSHV Carbon) have outright offensive treble. And IMHO the Phonitors do not provide performance for lower-impedance loads that is quite comparable to how they do well with higher-impedance ones.

 

What about waiting for the Nitsch reissue of the 3F?

 

Might as well go with the LauX. The 3F is specifically and only made for Focals. Sounds like ass cheese with orthos and likely many electrodynamics.

 

Maybe Mjolnir the 3rd when it's released, but we will probably need a SS amp that plays nice with dynamic cans, and another for planars. Trying to decide on a single "reference amp" will probably be near impossible.

Fwiw the Nitsch Piety seems to kind of be the official budget option for dynamics atm.

 

That seems a bit too precious for the exercise I'm envisioning. But it's also straying further towards DIY by being a cottage-built short run amplifier.

Reading through a few threads here, a used GS-X mini sounds like a good candidate. I'll keep digging.

What I'm suggesting, too, is a compromising amp. And with compromise comes acceptance that no one will be completely pleased.

 

The amp @rhythmdevils is talking about is Sapphire v4.1, I have built quite a few and it really comes close and bests some of the known TOTLs. Clean transparent sounding without treble issues or thinness to the tone, and it slams. Its resolving enough to show differences in sources or HPs its paired with. Its a good to have such an amp for loaners.

 

Makes sense if it's to be equally compromising across different types of loads (e.g. dynamics to planars/othos; barring hypersensitive IEMs to be reasonable) with a level of performance that is consistent if nothing else.

The GSXes always have shitty treble so to that end I think they're not bad candidates

 

Have you heard the GS-X Mini? In my experience, it’s different than the other GS-X amps and can’t be lumped in the same “shitty treble” category.

 

Would a Jot 2 be a good candidate for a palate cleansing amp? It can drive everything competently and more affordable than the others.

I think Neurochrome HP-1 would also be a good candidate but might be hard to acquire.

 

Related idea, but I've always wished there were a reference headphone in the loaner library so we could try calibrating our measurement rigs to each other or at least see where they differ exactly. 6XX would be easy candidate aside from common pad deterioration issues. Would perhaps need two pairs of pads, one only for rig measuring and to be kept pristine, the other for listening.

 

I think a lot of people would be interested to hear the Gjallahorn, and a decent amount of us would be able to set up a pair as monoblocks.

 

What good DACs haven't we done already? Since I'm new here, I know at least I've missed out on:

• Yggdrasil LIM
• Holo DAC(s)
• Rockna DAC(s)

Is there a possibility for a SFD (1, 2, Processor 3) or an Abbas loaner, if SBAF hasn't already done these? Or just some good R-2R DAC that is outside the Schiit family (unless we haven't done Yggdrasil OG, in which case I would love to hear one lol).

 

As well, are there any good, DIY, custom or readily available OPT tube amps that we haven't done yet? The Decware loaner I know just ended, but is there anything obtanium that we could do? I would be very interested in anything SET/DHT.

 

I own most of the Kennerton/LSA line of headphones. Plus I have had most of the dynamic line modded by JM.
I also own a couple tube headphone amps and some Audio-GD stuff.

I have though about doing a loaner program for them but am concerned about things getting lost/damaged. I would be more willing to do a loan program with people who have been on successful loans before.

 

He's talking about the new Schiit amp. Nice sentiment though

 

Haha, I didn't realize there was a Schitt amp called the Gjallarhorn too.