Thursday, October 29, 2009

6080

















Twin Diode SE amp. Only 6W.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

SSSS


NIKE, ADIDAS OR REEBOK?
When you saw these 3 brands, everybody will start to think about shoes. Did you know that speaker stand spike also need a shoe?
Hence I  call this SSSS (speaker stand spike shoe).
Normally cost around a few ringgit per piece(if not mistaken I bought it around rm5.00 per piece) and you need 8 pieces for your stand.
 I have own this long ago but I lost 1 but finally found out from  my Aladdin cave floor(store room).



8 Happy reunion

This type of shoes is normally make out of brass. This shoe is replacing the 1 cent coin that I have used for a few years in my Foundation designer II stand.


Now these 1 cents is not enough to buy sweets.

So the did the SSSS offer any improvement?
Yes, a highly recommended tweak and 1 of the most cost effective upgrade that I have made to my system. I heard there seems to be a better foundation music been layout.Sorry i really don't know how to write it down.
Improvement is not just from the low but extend to the mid.I can't hear much changes from the high.Maybe i didn't pay much attention.
The imaging is more prominent and better separation too.



Beside better sonically I also find it make the stand much easier to move. As the spike sit at the groove of the SSSS, it will move together by sliding together with th stand.

So please go now and buy yourself the SSSS if you did not use it yet.


KLau

Monday, October 26, 2009

New parts



woww...my new parts arrived. My hands is itchy.This is for my...enough for a pair.Sorry no prize for guessing.


KLau

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Harbeth HLP3ES


Harbeth, an old school that work closely with BBC in it’s heyday. Now it come up with some innovative feature like super tune structure abd the radial driver. Run by Alan Shaw and he mention he use his daughter to voice his speaker. This is a good marketing as at least I still remember after all these years.


The original HLp3 is originally design to replace what is lack by the ls3/5a.It said to have improved upon on the dynamic, extension, high and low. HLP3ES is the second generation and even more improvement is expected. I have checked in a 1997 magazine and it stated a suggested price of GB$799 and a ls3/5a price at GB$699. It stated the HLP3ES as sound “Make beautiful music in a unflappable fashion, with a superbly unforced sense of scale.” The specification stated as 83 db, 120 watt, 6 ohm and dimension as 30 x 18 x 20 cm.

I listen to this speaker after the B&W 801 s3.
Upon listening there is more high in quantity. However the high lack the refinement that I used to be. This is unfair as this speaker may still some time to run in. Female voice is singing like the nose been cover up. Male voice is singing more “man” than I used to be. Bass is good but it really need a better stand. This speaker can handle much louder compare with ls3/5a. And again this speaker need more time to cook. I will come and to listen again later.

KLau

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The forgotten king 2 Second encounter,B&W 801 matrix s3

It’s more than 2 weeks and it time to visit this ‘king”(B&W 801 MATRIX s3) again. Yes,sound much better compare to last time.I can hear an integration between mid bass and the mid. I don’t feel the bass is lag behind from the rest. Although as a whole I still feel the music is presented slower than I used to be.

B&W use this tweak too, normally we put at the side but B&W put it below the tweeter.
This speaker can really handle mid. The midrange flow effortlessly. My only complain is the speaker should have more authority. It still lack the majestic sound of a big speaker. This system moving on the right track and I feel there will be more to come.

KLau

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Rogers 11 Ohm


In HiFi world, rarely anyone does not know about Rogers LS3/5A. I wonder whether LS3/5A makes Rogers famous or vise-versa. I thought I will not acquire Rogers 11 Ohm after fall in love with 15 ohmer until I saw these pair with Ebony veneer. They are not really perfect conditions but nice sounding! Dating with Wong's Rosewood 11 Ohm would be interesting.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Philips CDM4 Laser Head (3)


Philips 的CD系统构造合理、质量上乘,是目前世界各大音响厂商和电脑商采用率最高的一个系统。从编号来看,Philips 的CDM系统发展到现在共有12个型号,较早期的CDM-3、CDM-4和CDM-9在目前一些顶级机种中最为常见。在Philips的CDM系统中,从CDM-1到CDM-9都是用摇臂循迹的方式进行单光束读取信号。早期的Philips CDM-1、CDM-3结构相当科学,大名鼎鼎的Krell MD-2/10、Studer A730、Luxman D-500等Hi-End机就使用了它。CDM系统发展到CDM-4后,由于所有的线路都可作调整,兼容性好,结构得到进一步简化。CDM-4还有另一种使用铝铸底盘的称为"Pro"高级型的产品,世界上许多顶级的音响生产厂家纷纷将它用到自己的Hi-End机之中,一时间CDM-4似乎成了高档和靓声CD机的标志,它最成功的例子就是用在被誉为CD机王的Mark Levinson No .31中。在CDM-4之后,Philips又推出了另一个结构更为简洁、可以将可调线路固定化、同样也大受欢迎并被许多高档CD机所采用的CDM-9转盘系统,法国一代名品GOLDMUND Mimesis 36 PlusA就使用了CDM-9 Pro。
CDM-9的产量并不是很多,当Philips顶级CD机LHH-900R最后一台产品下线时,Psilips也宣称今后不再生产CDM-9系列产品。为了满足市场的需要,在1994年Philips又推出了一个全新的转盘系统CDM-12,该系统在目前的CD机中应用最广。
FH Wong

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Infected! By h1f1 virus (5) Express lane-PCB/Kit

PCB/ Kit set




Many people fail to start diy mainly due to they did not take the first step. You don’t have to start like me. If I were to start again definitely I will start with PCB/KIT SET.

When buying a PCB/Kit set actually it offers numerous of advantages:

1) Actually we are buying others expertise

The person who make it is more experiance  than us.(We are still green at that time)

2) Proven

The product normally been tested and function properly.I talking product from reputable seller.
In Malaysia, i only know Yeo from http://www.diyparadise.com/

3) Morale boaster.

It very fast to complete a kit set. You will feel the pinch if you have invested a lot of resources and later found out it is a failure. This is demorale especially for beginner and might quit diy.

I have completed this line pre amp base on CONVERGENT AUDIO TECHNOLOGY. I would say this pre is a much complex(4 tube) design but i have finished it around an hours.The question i am more concern is it don't hummm...yeah!


4)Suitable for complex circuit.

Another power supply base on Matisse Reference pre also finished in less than an hour.(Sorry i have desolder some of the parts for other project

So don’t stop.Many people have stop after the kit/pcb is build up.

Learn from the PCB.Use back engineer approach. Learn how they design the layout and the connection. Many thing can be learn from there. From here you may proceed further to do point to point/scratch

However there are several things you must know. The performance/sound is much restricted by the pcb(Sorry guy I like point to point).Pcb is not meant to be solder and desolder for many times. So testing out components/parts may not be viable. Different components have different size and the pcb might not be able to fit the size.

Please avoid SMD type of kit unless it is been soldered.I still remember i encourage a buddy to buy Kit but later he show me a Kit with SMD.

All i can do is open wide my eye and look at him.You know who you are.Now i still laugh when i think of it.
But i think he learn how to pay through paypal.Hahaha!
Solder Smd type require smaller  tip for the solder gun and i still can't do it nowsaday.So don't ask me about this.

KLau

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Hello!


Hi,


Old picture during house keeping last year!

Launch!



Today 10/10/2009  http://www.h1f1.blogspot.com/ is officially launched.So tell your friends, wife, or anyone.So now let cheers

KLau

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Infected! By h1f1 virus (4) Now everyone can Diy


This "play hifi or being play by hifi period" have keep me happy for around 10 years.Naturally I moved back to east Malaysia where I meet a person that have completely change my direction in hi fi. Its Shamsul, I meet him in Kota kinabalu where I’m on work. He highly recommends me the “DARLING Amplifier”.


I still remember I  ask him this question before decided to build the darling amplifier. What amplifier did you posses, Shamsul say I still have a Rogers E-40 and a Jadis Orchestra that put in the closet.(At that time every magazine is uuhhh-ahhhh about this 2 amplifier) OK~! That’s the answer that I want. I'm determined to build a Darling amplifier but I’m zero in electronic.

Shamsul say if you can’t make it sing just take it here I will “kautim” (solve) for you. He also helps me to source all the parts. The only technical question I ever ask him is”How to count the tube socket leg number”.

I stare at the schematic 3 days (no kidding) even it is just a simple circuit.

After all the preparation Darling amplifier is sing when power up without any hum(Maybe I’m lucky ,it even sing with many cold joint) and i recheck 5 time before dare to power it up. This is the sweetest sound I have ever heard.


A multimeter and soldering is all you need to build a tube amplifier


KLau


Monday, October 5, 2009

work in process





















'You win again' LP from Bee Gees.. oh yah.


Hai guys, this is my first post here. First of all congrates and thanks to Kenneth for taking the innitiative starting a new blog with a 'different concept' for exposing hifi friends' journey. I am Wan from Sarawak. Kind of a stubborn guy but finally complete something i'd longing for, the oh mighty Lenco tt source. Actually the process of building this Lenco based project took me long years. Total of 2 failure and only now shown in picture is successful.
How difficult is difficult to start vinyl? It can be very simple; replace your cd with a tt, that is all u need to do.
Cartrige is expensive and don't last forever- your valued Mullard or GEC is not for display too.
vinyl is expensive!! - your super recorded cd is not cheap too.
I don't have a phono!! - then don't spend too much on your dac!!!
tt is expensive!! - 2nd hand Rega P3 only less then 1.5k with great
cart, great deal, great sound. What cd can u buy at
that price?
Well, that is my opinion and how i start into tt. Cheers!!!