Solo Diamond Ultra Linear - Oh My God!
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: Headphone Audio
Forum Name: Graham Slee Headphone Amps
Forum Description: Questions, answers and product information zone for Graham Slee Headphone Amplifiers
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1653
Printed Date: 16 Apr 2024 at 10:56am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Solo Diamond Ultra Linear - Oh My God!
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Subject: Solo Diamond Ultra Linear - Oh My God!
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 1:11pm
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Greetings All, First post! I took a bit if a gamble and ordered a Solo Diamond Ultra Linear amp purely based on the wisdom from the forum and various reviews. It turned up an hour ago. Well, oh my God, or for the trendy, OMG, is the perfect phrase to describe my reaction! I'm completely bowled over! What an amazing, amazing, amazing sound, and the thing's not even burnt in yet! I can't wait! I've put together a dedicated listening setup with a comfy reclining chair; iPod Classic with Apple Lossless tracks, an Arcam drDock and Arcam rDAC, this gorgeous Solo UL amp and my Grado 325is headphones. I'm hoping to upgrade the headphones to Grado GS1000i cans soon. I'm getting so pulled in to the music that hours just float by, leaving a smile, ears tingling with joy and a wonderful emotional response to the music. Graham, bravo on such a wonderful amp; I know I'll be enjoying it much more once it's had a chance to burn in. Also, thanks to all the wisdom here which made me take the gamble of ordering without auditioning, and leaving me so happy and pleased that I did! Cheers All, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Replies:
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 1:26pm
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Welcome to the forum Edmond. It is always nice to hear from someone who is happy with their new gear, especially when it is far from fully developed. You have only more goodness to come, just leave it powered on and enjoy it when you can. regards, Tony G |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 1:32pm
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Thanks Tony :-) Will indeed leave it powered on always. Am planning on playing music through it for a few days on end too. Will probably unplug the headphones though. Cheerio, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: morris_minor
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 3:58pm
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And a welcome from me, too Edmond.. As Tony says, the best is yet to come, so enjoy the anticipation  .BTW great pictures on your website...  ------------- 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 |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 4:23pm
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Hi Bob, Many thanks for the welcome and kind words about my work; much appreciated :-) I can't drag myself off this amp! Still listening away, smiling as I do! Can't wait to hear it once its had a chance to burn in properly. So pleased!! Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: discrete badger
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 4:59pm
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As someone who has owned both the SRxxx and the GS1000, my suggestion would be to listen to the GS1000i carefully before committing to a purchase. The GS1000(i) are in many ways exceptional cans, but their tonal balance may not be to everyone's taste. Personally I much prefer the SRxxx sound. The excellent amplifier you have will drive them all very nicely, of course! Enjoy.
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Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 5:22pm
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Thanks Badger. Appreciate the feedback. Always hard to do as it's all so subjective, but for you, what was lacking or not up to your taste with the GS1000? Trying to get hold of a pair to audition isn't proving easy, so I'm again basing my decision on getting them on the fact that I love my current SR325is and from what I've read, they will suit me perfectly. Seems slightly daft basing subjective things on others point of view! Your thoughts would be really appreciated though :-) Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: discrete badger
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 6:20pm
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When I put the GS1000 on my ears I hear a highly detailed and extended crystal clear treble with very low colouration. I also hear an extremely strong mid-bass. I hear little deep bass and little in the "presence" region. The soundstaging is very spacious and impressive in a technical sense. This makes me want, in a nutshell, to turn the volume down and listen to large-scale orchestral music. Even then, I don't find I can relax into the music and forget about the hi-fi, which, for me, is what it's all about. Anything guitar/drum/keyboard based is dominated by the strong mid-bass and for me it is a disincentive to listen to this kind of music. You're quite right to be highly sceptical of subjective opinions, if I may say so. All of my perceptions are a consequence of the way the unusually sized cups of the GS1000 interact with the shape of my ears and the way my brain prefers to experience sound. Many people love the way the GS1000 sounds. |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 7:35pm
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Thanks again Badger; much appreciated. Interesting feedback. I think with the Arcam DAC feeding out quite strong bass, it may fill in what felt was missing? Proof is in the listening though! I don't think you took offence at my comment, as non was intended and it was more aimed at me! I'm asking highly subjective opinions and we may well have identical taste, but we may not! I fully agree though, it's about getting lost in the music and not the HiFi. Food for thought :-) Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2012 at 11:36pm
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I had the GS1000 for a short while and returned it, it was all low end and top end with no mids. Much prefer the RS-1 or the RS-2 which I found much more musical and balanced while still retaining the Grado house sound. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 12:07am
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Thanks; a tad worrying! I've read a lot about how much these headphones need to be burnt in. Perhaps that may have helped?? Hard to tell. A lot of reviews seem to favour them, but I guess any review unit would be burnt in and ready? ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: discrete badger
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 8:51am
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I burned my pair in very thoroughly. The sound didn't change. |
Posted By: jamescodway
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 9:07am
Both professional and user reviews (including mine) are highly subjective. They can help narrow down to an audition shortlist but none (!) can be taken as gospel. Reviews from Users you are very familiar with (their writing) can be more helpful as some of the variables will be better understood (taste, equipment etc) to be taken into account. Not least though, many reviewers perceptions will vary over time. Hope this helps. James ------------- Voyager - HD25 |
Edmond_Terakopian wrote:Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 9:48am
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Thanks gents. Hmm, worrying to hear that Badger. Indeed, it is all subjective! ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: jamescodway
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 10:15am
Here's a subjective opinion... the RS1s are the 2nd most expensive can in my collection and yet I could not rate them anywhere near the top 5 in terms of any overall measure including head time. Yet on occasion they have a magic that no other can ive heard possesses. I'm hoping the DE will bring that more consistently. Especially with Grado being such a 'marmite' can, I do not find that worrying... frustrating sometimes perhaps as I want that magic all the time (!), but that is often the nature of this pursuit. ------------- Voyager - HD25 |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 10:26am
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I think so many variables come into it that one setup (source, amp, headphones etc) can't bring out the best in every piece of music. Genre is one aspect but I think quality of sound engineering and recording is another. My personal thoughts are it is a hobby and pursuit, but I'm conscious of not letting that get in the way (and become an obsession) of what I really like; getting lost in the music. One thing's for certain though, even without my Solo ULDE being anywhere near burnt in and ready, I'm hearing details and subtleties in music which I thought I knew well! It's fabulous as it's almost like they are new to me now and I have the joy of discovering them again, but this time, fully :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 11:28am
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I on the other hand believe the RS-1 are as good as it gets for under $1,200 and thus why they have been with me the longest. BTW, I ran the GS1000 for 400 hours before critical listening and they did not do it for me. A pity there is no shop around you where you can try them out first. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 11:34am
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Hmmm, interesting that after 400 hours they still didn't do it for you. Good to hear your thoughts on the RS-1. It's on my shortlist too (I hasten to add, not as well - it'll be just the one purchase!!). Out of interest Miguel, what is your favourite pair and generally what do you enjoy listening too?? Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Jog3004
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2012 at 9:53pm
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Hi Edmund, I'll try put my two penneth in, I too had the Grado SR325is & during the time I had these I loved them, albeit, comfort left a lot to be desired! However, I then heard the Denon ahd5000, these blew my Grado SR325is out of the water. Everything was better. I point this out as, like you, when I was thinking of upgrading, I too was stuck on Grado as the upgrade, but ended up buying Denon, & the bonus is the Denon just got better when I followed MarkL mods, which started to fix the slightly overblown bass, to me the only negative I can give to stock ahd5000. What I'm trying to point out is don't rule out other makes just because of the SR325is as I nearly did, incidentally, when I listened to the RS-2 I found these sonically different to the SR325is, mainly less bright sounding and more warmer sounding, maybe due to the wood?? I still bought the Denons & have never looked back. Just further food for thought. ------------- James |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 30 Dec 2012 at 12:21am
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Cheers James; appreciate the feedback and thoughts :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 30 Dec 2012 at 12:05pm
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My favorite cans are the old ADK K1000 ear speakers but these are a bear to drive well so a real stereo amp works best. For traditional dynamic cans I have a few favorites: 1. Grado RS-1 2. Denon AH-D2000/5000 with MarkL mods and Bubinga Wood Cups. 3. AKG K501 re-cabled with silver plated OCC wires ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 30 Dec 2012 at 6:53pm
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Cheers Miguel :-) Happy new year folks :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2013 at 12:17am
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Greetings All, Just wanted to add that a couple of weeks have passed and the amplifier is just sounding sweeter and sweeter. It's completely effortless no matter what I'm listening to. A beautiful sound. An absolute joy :-) Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2013 at 8:02am
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That's great Edmond, what are you listening to with it? What you've written is how I feel about my Proprius amps, and before that the Solo Ultra Linear! Jon ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2013 at 11:15am
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Glad you are enjoying the Solo UL Edmond. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2013 at 8:00pm
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Cheers Jon. My musical tastes are quite varied! I guess it's mainly Mozart and then Pink Floyd mainly, but lots of other classical composers and some opera. Also a fair amount of Dire Straits. Even a fair amount of pop music! This week has also had a lot of Norah Jones :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2013 at 8:01pm
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Cheers Miguel :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2013 at 8:11pm
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For anyone following the earlier part of this post about the Grado GS1000i headphones, here's an update :-) I had an opportunity I couldn't pass up, so after some thought (they are not cheap!) I finally took the educated gamble and went for a pair. Well, the first two tracks I listened to left me really uninspired. Very surprised by how ordinary they sounded. I then put on some Santana and my ears starred to tingle with delight, my smile appeared and my soul began to dance! Fabulous! Really fabulous! As I carried on listening to more things, the headphones started impressing more and more. It's definitely early days with these brand new headphones. Three days in and I'm enjoying them immensely. They are probably going to take weeks to break in and following Grado's advice, I'm not going to rush things. I'm hearing subtleties I'd missed before, enjoying the powerful, yet tight, bass. I haven't been left missing the mid tones which some comment on. The high tones are delivered with fidelity, yet not bright or out of balance. To top it off, they are extremely comfortable! Right, back to Mozart and the violins! Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2013 at 9:41pm
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To continue.... I forgot to say that I think the headphones opened up when I put on some Santana probably as firstly they were warming up literally from the cold and secondly they had never been played, so probably it was the beginning of the weeks ahead of breaking in?? I just put on some acid jazz and I think that it does lack a bit in the mid tone. Amazing bass and beautiful high end, but with some singers, the mids were perhaps a tad anaemic. I think though it hugely depends on the recording too. With Pink Floyd, all is in place and ounds great. With lower quality recordings, perhaps things are a bit different?! Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2013 at 11:06am
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IMO they do better after 200-300 hours of burn in. I personally found the mids missing in the GS1000. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2013 at 11:17am
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I shall keep you posted as time goes on and the headphones burn in properly. It really is strange though as even at this early stage of ownership, I've noticed the headphones behaving so differently with different recordings. With Mozart's Requiem, I was hearing some distortion at the high end and thought the headphone was malfunctioning or damaged. I switched back to the 325is and was stunned that I could just about hear the same distortion in the highs - the GS1000i just made it so much more apparent as it has a wider scale I guess. I need to see if this is on the original CD as I was listening to it as an ALAC file. Also, going back to my previous post on the Acid Jazz I was listening too, after posting my comment, the next song on this compilation had buckets of mid tone! I'd say to do a forensic comparison one needs a perfect recording that covers all bases and then compare one headphone to the next. For me though, this starts to get in the way of relaxing with some music and becomes a project! Regardless, my early thoughts are positive and I'm enjoying the GS100is a lot. Without realising, I was listening to them for almost seven hours yesterday! I do respect what you're saying though Miguel; my experience with high end headphones is limited to two pairs of Grados! I have some Beyer and Sony headphones I use in the field for video / audio recording and later, editing, so this is all a new voyage of discovery! Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2013 at 5:47pm
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This shows how much pleasure good hi-fi brings us! We listen to the music and enjoy it, sometimes noticing faults in the recording. Jon ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2013 at 10:18pm
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Indeed :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: yltai
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2013 at 4:53pm
| Just hooked up my new Calyx DAC 24/192 to my Solo UL. I think the combination is excellent in terms of soundstage and musicality. So far it plays pretty much everything really well, no glaring highs at all, and very realistic voicing. My previous DAC was a Musical Fidelity M1 which while on the whole is very good too, is probably a tad brighter on the treble but slightly more detailed than the Calyx. Switching it over, it really becomes obvious that the Solo is really an easy match in terms of pairing up with various DACs to bring out their good points - both have not sounded fatiguing at all. Just wish i could switch around to A/B it more easily. I wonder what it would sound like with a very clinical or aggressive DAC but so far, i haven't been able to find a more all-round amp in the market than the UL. |
Posted By: Jitter
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2013 at 7:32pm
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Just upgraded my SRG MkI to Ultra Linear Diamond Ed. I did the DIY thing. Very easy to do - everything so well engineered that they fitted perfectly. I'm using HD 650 with upgraded lead fed by a T+A DAC8 from a Bryston BCD1 (actually through a Perreaux 250i but that's pretty immaterial) Switching from the old Solo to the Diamond Ed, is really pretty significant. In fact I'm shocked. I thought that the Solo SRG was good. I've swapped back to the bare board again to compare and there is a real difference. More detail, greater depth to the bass. Astonishing really. Well worth the money. ------------- ...... and that's my opinion, take or leave it |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2013 at 12:41am
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I'm still thoroughly enjoying mine too :-) The combination of the ULDE & the new Grafo GS1000is was really showing up some of my ripped CDs, even though they are Apple Lossless. I've just started experimenting with XLD on the Mac & also using an old Lite-On IDE DVD writer in a Lindy USB box, with Sorbathane feet, plugged straight into my Mac (no hub). Initial results sound great. Still have some way to go to make sure I get the best quality copy. Cheers, Edmond ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2013 at 10:59am
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Yesterday I received a Solo ULDE w/ a PSU1. I immediately fired it up and was very pleasantly surprised by how good it sounds with no burn in. I left it running all night long (8 hours) and this morning I took a quick 5-10 minute listen and it is sounding so coherent and musical that I wish I had a time machine to fast forward 500 hours of burn in to see how it will sound when fully burnt in. More to come, for now a couple of lousy pics I took. Cheers! http://picasaweb.google.com/109437154048011247077/GrahamSleeSoloULDiamondEdition?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNT68KWu_u-ANg&feat=directlink ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: mitch65
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2013 at 11:11am
I love that 'can't wait' feeling.
------------- Greg Rega Planer 3 Gram Amp 2 Audiolab 8000A Auralic Aries Mini Russell K 50 |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2013 at 12:42am
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Well, my enjoyment is continuing :-) The ULDE just sounds better and better as does my Grado GS1000i. Great to see Grado using this same amp for the audio show in Bristol. It's a great partnering and one which I love :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2013 at 12:25am
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^ I concur my Grado RS-1 sound very nice out of the Solo ULDE. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: paulgh
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2013 at 5:57am
Good to hear. I received my Solo ULDE last week, and it will be paired with my RS-1's. For various reasons (work commitments) I have not had a chance to set it up yet and have a listen, but will be doing so tonight. I am hoping for good things (even before burn in)  Paul
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Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2013 at 12:24am
Great :-) ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2013 at 8:00pm
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After much prevaricating finally upgraded my old green solo to UL DE, it arrive about a week ago and after swapping the PCB over left it burning in, nice to have two matching LEDs on the top shelf Just tried my new copy of the Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique on my ath-900 Phones (SWMBO no likey) and whoa wasn't expecting that much improvement. Obviously its a bit difficult to go back to compare but everything seems airier, cleaner the bass firmer and that's just after a week. The Revelation UL is a big part of that as well as Sinatra at the Sands and Jake Bugg (SWMBO likey) are almost CD like in their silence through my speakers with just the music flowing through. ------------- Steve ------------- Various bits of GSP Kit ..well two so far, unless you count the cables that is. |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2013 at 8:32pm
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Nice work on the DIY and great records SB! ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Edmond_Terakopian
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2013 at 9:48pm
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Most nights I'm reclined by my ULDE, Grado GS1000i, totally chilled and being taken by the music. This headphone amp is spectacular!! ------------- ________________________________ ___________________________ www.terakopian.com photothisandthat.co.uk _______________________ |
Posted By: Bradders
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2013 at 4:38pm
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I'm waiting patiently in the queue here for the demo unit. Interestly enough I did email the Grado guys who seemed to think the Novo with rDac was good enough and that the PS1000 is the next true upgrade to my PS500 system, but I'm reading the differences stated here as night and day and my setup is already ultra impressive as far as I'm concerned. I just wish I had discovered headphones and Graham Slee amps years ago it would have saved me a fortune in speakers and amps
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Posted By: Bradders
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2013 at 8:01am
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OK so I have received the Solo Diamond Ultra Linear,thanks Jon, and to put it simply the it brings a capital B to the Bass and a capital C to Clarity.This is gona get costly for me and I'm not really going to want to give it back. Each time I have a rest from the phones then go back its a definitive wow moment! I'll give more feedback after more time. How long does a new unit take to burn in when compared to the demo I have?
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Posted By: morris_minor
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2013 at 8:33am
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It's good you've discovered the joys of the ULDE, Bradders! A new unit should be fully on song within a couple of weeks, but it'll sound good straight out of the box .------------- 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 |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2013 at 10:51am
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My experience with Graham's products is that they take a long time to settle, closer to 400-500 hours. Of course your mileage may vary. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: jrhughes
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2013 at 6:25pm
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Listening to some Porcupine Tree on mine right now. After all the time I've had mine, it still has the power to stop me in my tracks. Truly remarkable. ------------- Jason |
Posted By: Stewboss
Date Posted: 01 May 2013 at 1:54pm
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Ah the perfect combination of ULDE and Porcupine Tree. Divine Coma Which tracks are you playing? You got those recommendations yet Fatmangolf?
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Posted By: jrhughes
Date Posted: 01 May 2013 at 9:33pm
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I was listening to The Incident at the time. Came back later for Signify PTs albums sound fantastic on the Solo, partly because they're well engineered and mastered (Steven Wilson is a voice against the CD loudness war). As it happens, I do have a few CDs which are dynamically compressed to the hilt - "Fallen" by Evanescence is one - and I was astounded at how kind the Solo is to these. I really like that album but could only bear to listen to it in parts, occasionally, even with the Novo that the Solo effectively replaced, because it's so badly mastered to sound as loud as possible at the expense of dynamic range and clipping. There are others, too, but with all of them, the Solo results in a far better listening experience. In fact, as soon as I fired up my Solo for the first time I put "Fallen" on as a test, and could hardly believe my ears. That's not to say the Novo is no good. Quite the contrary (and I built mine, so it's superb ). The Solo just has that extra ability to make good recordings sound heavenly and badly mastered ones sound great. ------------- Jason |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 01 May 2013 at 10:15pm
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I agree with you about the relative merits of the Novo and Solo. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Ash
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 12:39am
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With my newfound bedroom space, I've been listening to the ULDE with PSU1 for a while through HD540II, from my mp3 player. Have just been playing 320kbps mp3 files so far and wow, the resolution is incredible. I have noted that the two-pin AC power chord that goes into the PSU1 has directionality....... I have tried connecting it one way, listening for a bit then switching the polarity and listening again. I'm sure the audio sounds very clear one way yet when it is switched around, the audio, whilst still sounding very good, seems to be somewhat congested... =/ More to come. |
Posted By: CageyH
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 8:00am
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Call me sceptical, but as the + and - change 50 times a second, I would be surprised if that were really the case. ------------- Kevin European loan coordinator, based near Toulouse, France. |
Posted By: Ash
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 8:48am
I agree with you Kevin. It seems ridiculous to suggest cable directionality when the symmetrical waveform of the 50 s^(-1) alternating current results in charge movement in both directions (oscillation) within the cable structure. Even if the conductor were a permanent dipole, I still don't understand how this would be the case.  I shall experiment with cable direction on my PSU1, Lautus phono-phono and Spatia cable/links. Oh wait, I think the directionality IS due to the conductor being a permanent dipole. It became a permanent dipole when its insulation was subjected to very high test voltages back when it was manufactured?? So maybe it's a charge cancellation thing?? |
Posted By: Chris Firth
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 8:49am
No it doesn't. The live is always live, and the neutral return is always the neutral return. The current changes between positive and negative parts of the AC cycle 50 times a second. |
Posted By: Cyreg
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 10:51am
You're absolutely right about this polarity and difference in sound  Has been discussed before here, a few years ago. As always, when changing the polarity on AC powercables, the sound becomes warmer with more 3D depth and easier going when the polarity is right. When not, you'll get a more tilted-to-mid sound, less warmth and slightly upfront
------------- TecnoDec/RB250/MP110>GramAmp2C/PSU1; Cyrus CD8SE; Cyrus FM7 > Exposure XXXV > Harbeth C7ES-3 '35th Anniversary' cabling: IC 3x DNM V3; LScable Exposure DMF-two; Furu TP60 + MWaY and AH! powercords |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 10:53am
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Han, you beat me to it, thanks for sharing your experience of this tweak. Ash is not the first to notice a difference from reversing the phase of the input AC. Whilst skepticism is a healthy defence against being sold "snake oil", when there is no cost and a possible benefit from a simple test, it might be as well to put the skepticism aside for a moment. I would suggest anybody try this for themselves on any unit powered by a PSU1, if you hear a difference then you have gained a free benefit and learned something new about system tuning. If you hear no difference then you have lost nothing, you will not however have proved that others do not hear a difference. I have recently acquired a rather nice preamp designed and built by a respected designer of pro audio equipment who, like Graham, also listens to his creations. It is fitted with a mains polarity reversal switch on the back and a signal phase inversion switch on the front panel, suggesting to me that he considers it a possibility that these could affect the SQ. ------------- Tony G |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 12:54pm
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This was tested by myself and Ifor a few months ago and was proven that there is a difference in sound between the two ways, unfortunately Graham saw fit to delete the posts for whatever reason,although I have my suspicions why ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: ICL1P
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 1:43pm
I keep meaning to switch it back again to see if I notice a difference that way, but I still haven't got round to it. Was there some suggestion that it might also be recording dependent? ------------- Ifor ===== Reflex M & ACCESSION M, CuSat50, Majestic DAC, a Proprius pair. |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 2:09pm
Yes ifor and I think that one or two people were trying to suggest that that was the reason for the difference rather than anything to do with polarity. ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 2:24pm
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A guy in Norway was off his trolley with obscene language of a threatening nature about views on diretionality. I have a duty to try and protect my staff members and family as the UK police are (still) not interested in dealing with such abuse. So the best thing in my opinion was to cool it off. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Drewan77
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 3:48pm
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When I originally used my PSU-1/Reflex M I thought it sounded really
good but over time I had a nagging doubt that there was something 'not quite right' - very slightly
brittle sounding treble with hollowness in the bass notes. I had no idea about
mains polarity until I saw references to it in the forum. Swapping the mains cable orientation gave a more focused bass, a noticeably smoother treble and a greater sense of a 3D soundstage. I did swap it about a few times to make sure it wasn't imaginary because the difference is actually quite subtle. Using CD versions of the same music to compare, it was easier to confirm which was 'correct' As everything else in my system uses 3 pin IEC plugs I wonder how polarity affects these - or if it is irrelevant? ------------- Older than I once was, younger than I'll be ............................. Andrew |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 4:14pm
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Just read your reply Graham thats fair enough none of that got through to us here on the forum now I understand .The phrase there are non so blind etc.springs to mind ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: Bradders
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 4:22pm
| Stupid question time if this works why doesn't the PSU come keyed so we can't muck it up and get it the correct way round first time? |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 4:22pm
The only way to check would be to swap the live and neutral round in the 3pin plug(the one that goes to the wall socket)BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SAFE TO DO SO AND ONLY IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. I must be honest I have never tried it myself, couldn't be bothered ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 4:26pm
This has also been answered by Graham although I can't remember where it has to do with how the transformer is wired which is beyond Grahams control ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: Ash
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 4:57pm
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Guys, by now, you should know that I don't do BS. I'm not going to be too quick to jump to conclusions on this directionality topic but I will be describing my listening observations in more detail, not intending to start a horrendous load of abuse directed either towards myself or towards Graham. Put simply, if the scientific theory correlates with audible results, I will be inclined to accept the theory as truth. There are infinite things that we do not understand. I will just describe what I hear. I have a gut feeling that this directionality topic will turn out to be truth but I need more time to make comparisons. I'm a music lover, not a gear lover, so if some aspect of my equipment affects my immersion and enjoyment of the recordings, I will tell you straight. Graham is not keen to elaborate more on this topic publicly as there are many people trying to bring him and his livelihood down. He's just a normal working man with a business so he can't afford to become embroiled in something that others will try to scandalise.  |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 6:13pm
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Pretty pointless keying the PSU1 mains inlet because those sold in Europe can be connected either way up at the wall socket - we have no control over that. And I don't want to upset the Norway bloke as he may have Breivik tendencies... OK, the neutral of the mains in the UK is tied back to earth at some point - at least the sub-station, or in older houses where a poor earth is found, that can be the point of entry on the supply side. So neutral is in fact earth, but with cable impedance the voltage on it rises due to all the households on a sub-station placing a load on the supply. So should we assume all equipments should be wired to a particular convention where live and neutral are identified? That would be OK apart from we don't know how the transformers in different products are wired. The secondary may follow the direction of winding of the primary and may not. The transformer may be centre tapped supplying the product's ground, or it may have a single supply where it can be either a full wave rectifier with one half supplying the product's ground, or again, a centre tap supplying the single sided supply's ground. Then again it could be switched mode where we wouldn't have a clue as to phase differences, because they work at ultra-sonic frequencies. Some power supplies are class 1 earthed and othes are class 2 double insulated - which phase is which? And does it really matter. Some of you notice a difference when changing the power inlet around. Say I found a scientific reason for keying it one way, but the science and what you hear didn't tally? I would be asked why I didn't give you the choice. At least you can try it and you may hear an improvement in phase, where the bass sounds more in keeping with the timing of the music for example, or the stereo image seems more well defined. And perhaps the minority who do not reach full satisfaction using our products should try swapping it around? ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2014 at 8:44pm
As are we all Ash but if by turning a plug through 180 degrees helps to increase your enjoyment of the music where is the harm? ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: Ash
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 10:10am
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No harm at all but some people will immediately assume that I'm off my rocker... I'm generally ignored by people in real life, even when I do have something useful to say, let alone when I suggest something that is difficult to believe. My perception alone that there seems to be a difference is not satisfactory evidence/proof that this is the truth. This is a test that the individual customer must perform themselves, in the asbence of other people. I was listening to my Solo ULDE the other day through HD540II, thinking "Wow, this is great. This is how headphones were always meant to sound. This amplifier is certainly a product of excellent judgement." I listened further and was starting to think "This Solo ULDE clearly needs alot more use though because it doesn't yet sound as pure as I think it is capable of... I think Graham would say that the intelligibility of the subtleties needs to be allowed some time to improve from 'cold'." Then I thought "Hang on a minute, will it still sound the same if I start swapping cable directions around?"  So I swapped the AC cable around to start with, listened again then thought "Wasn't this more congested before? It sounds pure now (Why?? O_o) but does still need more use to enhance the sound immersion even further."I'm quite a rational person most of the time so I'm not so sure that I'm imagining this... As I've said: "We don't see things as they are. We see things as WE are." |
Posted By: morris_minor
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 10:34am
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Since hearing, like all our senses, has to be interpreted by the brain and thus subject to myriad psychological influences it's a miracle we all hear in such a similar way at all. When you factor in expectations, prejudices, tiredness, moods etc it's no wonder people "genuinely" hear different things. And the lack of evidence for something just means we have to look harder . . . ------------- 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 |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 2:00pm
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The Solo ULDE differs from other amps because of its stability. Many an amplifier designer will push the phase margins to obtain a "wow factor" that is no part of the music - it envelopes it with a false halo (technically referred to as ringing). The Solo ULDE is so stable that little if any halo can exist, so the wow-factor is the music, period. That is the difference I have been labouring over all these years - to bring out the full performance extremes of the music, whilst adding as little as possible of the artifacts of the electronics doing the job. OK, some prefer electronic sounds and the market is full of equipment that will do that, often at very high prices to be considered high-end. To those people my sympathies ... but there is an alternative. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 2:24pm
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Graham nobody is doubting your ability as a designer and yes your equipment does have the WOW factor that's why we are all customers and we have all experienced that WOW factor.What we were discussing was something that even you have admitted is something beyond your control,namely the polarity of the transformer windings and if by turning the plug through 180 degrees gives us a WOW WOW Factor then...... ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 7:03pm
 ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: CageyH
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 7:52pm
I have to disagree with you. In AC, the polarity changes 50 times a second. Live remains live, and neutral remains neutral as you have stated, but the supply follows a sine wave form. http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/foundation/html/f3-1-4.htm - http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/foundation/html/f3-1-4.htm ------------- Kevin European loan coordinator, based near Toulouse, France. |
Posted By: LOINER
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 8:10pm
Nice one ------------- STUART SOLO ULTRA LINEAR DIAMOND EDITION LAUTUS DUAL MONO 1.5M INTERCONNECTS GRAM AMP 2SE |
Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2014 at 8:40pm
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As the GSP gear burns in, there's more and more of the music to enjoy. ------------- Jon Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC. |
Posted By: Bradders
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2014 at 7:56am
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I must admit this has me a bit confused and bit apprehensive about trying it.Surely its not possible to do a quick back to back experiment due to the amp settling down after the power has been put on and taken away?
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Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2014 at 8:11am
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Do it quickly and the amp 'shouldn't notice it'. ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Ash
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2014 at 12:09pm
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I was also thinking along the lines of what Bradders said. In reversing the polarity of the power cord, you remove power briefly. Although, the way I see it is the capacitors take time to discharge so quickly doing this change won't have any effect on the residual charge held in Graham's circuits. |
Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2016 at 11:01pm
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A quick question I didn't want to start a new topic for. I was thinking about getting a Solo ULDE headphone amp for use with my vinyl setup. Will it work and sound good directly connected to a Reflex M phono preamp? I've noticed a few of my other headphone amps didn't quite sound right when connected to the Reflex M so I thought it would be a good idea to ask. Most likely someone has used the combination on here. I love that the Solo ULDE is offered as an upgrade kit. Any chance of a phono preamp upgrade board in the future?
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Posted By: Ash
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2016 at 11:20pm
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The output of the Reflex M is at line level and it has dealt with record EQ duties so can be connected straight to any of Graham's headphone amplifiers via RCA cables.
------------- We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are. |
Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2016 at 11:27pm
| Anyone have thoughts on the sound of the Solo ULDE and Reflex M? Do they have good synergy? |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2016 at 11:22am
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OK, I'm obviously biased but the Reflex M and ULDE were developed together, and I know what you mean about some amps not sounding right with vinyl, but the ULDE was developed with vinyl as a primary source. Hope this helps. Graham ------------- That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2016 at 1:03pm
| Yes, exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks, Graham.When I was younger, playing something loud through speakers was the way to go. As I get older, headphones have turned out to be pretty convenient and space saving. They don't disturb anyone else in the house and you don't get the acoustic feedback through the turntable with headphones. |
Posted By: BAK
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2016 at 1:41pm
Shawn , you could borrow the Solo ULDE as a loaner, and find the sound you are looking for. I gather, you already own a Reflex M... if not you may borrow that too. I have both in the US Loaner Program. Bruce ------------- Bruce AT-14SA, Pickering XV-15, Hana EL, Technics SL-1600MK2, Lautus, Majestic DAC, Technics SH-8055 spectrum analyzer, Eminence Beta8A custom cabs; Proprius & Reflex M or C, Enjoy Life your way! |
Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2016 at 2:10pm
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If I didn't live in Middle of Nowhere USA, that would be a great idea. Getting it back to UPS or the post office isn't terribly convenient. I'd have to take a day off from work to be here to sign for it. Heaven help me if I miss an UPS delivery. Their nearest hub is at least 35 miles away. The good thing about Graham's designs is that you can almost be absolutely certain you are getting something you will really like. I bought the Reflex M based on my homebrew version of the Genera. I was and am still quite impressed with the Genera's simplicity and fantastic sound character. The Reflex M brought so much more refinement to the table. |
Posted By: BAK
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2016 at 3:29pm
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Here to help, Bruce ------------- Bruce AT-14SA, Pickering XV-15, Hana EL, Technics SL-1600MK2, Lautus, Majestic DAC, Technics SH-8055 spectrum analyzer, Eminence Beta8A custom cabs; Proprius & Reflex M or C, Enjoy Life your way! |
Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2016 at 1:21am
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Just received the Solo ULDE upgrade board this afternoon. Slid it home into the case and hooked everything up. I know it takes a while to burn in but I enjoy hearing it go from hmmm to wow as it goes across the record. It's cleaner sounding with more definition and separation of instruments and vocals. It has amazing imaging. Another good thing is it sounds great with either Sennheiser HD 600s or 650s. The 650s tend to sound overly bass heavy using any other headphone amp in the vinyl rig. While I can still hear them contributing more bass than needed, it's not objectionable with the Solo ULDE. As the Solo burns in, it seems to be taming the bass boost to some degree. On 45RPM British dubstep singles, the bass is thunderous and deep without bloat. I'll give some more impressions as I find time to spin more vinyl.
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Posted By: Paperweight
Date Posted: 25 Dec 2016 at 3:59pm
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Just for something different, I housed the board in a blue anodized aluminum case from Hammond. Drilled out all the end panels and it looks decent even though case work isn't my thing. I received a nice surprise and my stack of 22 new records arrived yesterday while I was at work. After a good night's sleep and 6 cups of coffee, I have the time and inclination to listen to records. At first I was trying to figure out what was causing so much surface noise even after using a dry record brush and cleaning the stylus after each side. I was curious if it was cartridge alignment. Maybe not. What about the anti-skating? I looked up how to set it on the Rega P5 since it had been a while since I used it. All the way out is 0 and all the way in is full. I had it set backwards of course. With the Audio-Technica AT150MLX, less is more on the tracking force and anti-skating. Got that set where I wanted it and it sounds great. So far, the 2011 Steven Wilson stereo remix of Jethro Tull's Aqualung is one of the more notable reissues I bought. The instruments are really well defined. The bass is tight. The noise floor is noticeably lower. I'm not much of a jazz fan but the reissue of Duke Ellington's The Feeling of Jazz is really nice. For what I assume is a recording out of the 1950s, this sounds fantastic. I'm hard pressed to say where the sound of the Reflex M ends and the Solo Diamond Ultra Linear begins. They're such an impressive musical pair. All I can say is the Solo drives a 9 year old set of Sennheiser HD-600s in a very euphonic, tuneful, toe tapping way. Nothing is over emphasized but you can pick each instrument out of the mix and the soundstage is marvelous in it's depth and width. As always, Graham never fails to impress. I had some doubts as to how much a seemingly simple thing as a headphone amp could further improve the sound of my vinyl rig. Now it's my new favorite. It just sounds amazing and does everything extremely well.
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Posted By: Hbuus
Date Posted: 25 Dec 2016 at 5:06pm
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Sold my Solo UL back in April, as having two expensive, high end headamps was one too much (I have one from another manufacturer which I was/am also very happy with.) I quickly started missing the Solo though. It has a different sound to the other head amp I have, but obviously a very nice sound. So I started keeping an eye on the used section here in Denmark. Long story short: I'm now listening to my HD-700s on a Solo with the ULDE board installed Highly recommended combo. (As Paperweight above, I also think SULDE matches Sennheisers very well.) EDIT: Still have the other head amp btw. I'll probably switch between them with some months' interval. What a luxury! But I've learned my lesson: I'm not gonna sell the other head amp - I'll no doubt start missing THAT one too then!! |