New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Upgraded to Ultra Linear!
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Welcome to the Graham Slee Audio Products Owners Forum

 

Open to all owners plus those contemplating the purchase of a Graham Slee HiFi System Components audio product and wishing to use this forum's loaner program: join here (Rules on posting can be found here)

This website along with trade marks Graham Slee and HiFi System Components are owned by Cadman Enterprises Ltd


Upgraded to Ultra Linear!

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 7>
Author
Lucabeer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: Torino, Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 703
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucabeer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Upgraded to Ultra Linear!
    Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 11:49am
Today I received the Ultra Linear DE upgrade card for my Solo!

I have a Solo SRG since January 2009, and I have always been satisfied with it, never felt it lacked anything. After 10 years... well, I simply was curious about the upgrade!

Now, a word to those who might be afraid about doing the upgrade themselves: it's a breeze. The instructions here on the website are very clear, and if you have the right keys/screwdriwers it takes just 15 minutes. Really, it's completely error proof.

Of course now I will leave it plugged before giving it a complete evaluation, but may I say that the bass while not necessarily more plentiful seems much tighter and more controlled, with more slam? Not fatter, meaner.

And just a curiosity from other owners... I guess I had misunderstood this image:



Since I have low impedance headphones (Denon AH-D7000), I was expecting the Ultra Linear to be much louder compared to my early 2009 Solo SRG. I was expecting that the same position on the knob would be louder on the ULDE than on the SRG.

It isn't: I find myself listening at EXACTLY the same knob position I was listening to before the upgrade.

What didn't I understand about that picture? Is it the same for other owners who have done the upgrade?




Back to Top
morris_minor View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 27 Mar 2012
Location: Surrey
Status: Offline
Points: 6015
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote morris_minor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 1:53pm
My take on that diagram is - don't be afraid to turn it up for high impedance headphones or down for low impedance headphones; the sound quality at any setting will as good as at any other. (Which is to say excellent!). I don't think there's very much difference in output (if any) between SRG and ULDE.

I had some Denon D7000 'phones for a while . . . they worked very well indeed with the ULDE!
Bob

Majestic DAC/pre-amp
Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V
Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50
2 x Proprius + Spatia/Spatia Links
Back to Top
Lucabeer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: Torino, Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 703
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucabeer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 3:08pm
Thanks! So I guess that the meaning of that diagram is simply to say "it works great with any impedance", and not that the behaviour of the knob changes according to phone impedance. 
Back to Top
Lucabeer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: Torino, Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 703
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucabeer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 6:28pm
OMG, listening to "Little wonder" (David Bowie, "Earthling" album, green vinyl from MOV)...

It's so much more dynamic than it was before (I had listened to it yesterday before the upgrade), and even when played loud, that naughty infrasonic bass doesn't swallow everything: every intrument stays more separated from it instead of swamped, and detectable.

If it wasn't silly to dance with big headphones, I would be dancing now.




Edited by Lucabeer - 05 Mar 2019 at 6:29pm
Back to Top
Graham Slee View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar
Retired

Joined: 11 Jan 2008
Location: South Yorkshire
Status: Offline
Points: 16298
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 7:00pm
This was specifically developed for headphone dancing https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/interconnects-cables/headphone-extension-cable.html

Wink
That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
Back to Top
Lucabeer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: Torino, Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 703
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucabeer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 7:45pm
Originally posted by Graham Slee Graham Slee wrote:

This was specifically developed for headphone dancing https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/interconnects-cables/headphone-extension-cable.html

Wink


Clumsy as I am, I would get tangled in a few minutes!
Back to Top
Lucabeer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: Torino, Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 703
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucabeer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Mar 2019 at 6:03am
Another curiosity arises... I am a controls engineer, so I like to understand things related to gain, phase margin, etc

Since I tend to listen at rather loud volumes, and since I have some LPs which are not cut particularly loud, I tend to have the volume knob often in the 3 o'clock position even with low impedance phones.

If in future I found myself switching to headphones with a larger impedance (but similar sensitivity), would the Z-match system automatically adapt the gain and allow me to listen at the same volume or would I find myself always at 5 o'clock and maybe wishing for more power?


Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 7>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.