It’s all about practice, honestly I try and avoid soldering unless I have to.
It’s an easy skill to be good enough at, pretty much you just have to know what good looks like and the basics of getting there.
I’ve known people who did piece work on PCB assembly lines when through hole components were still commonly used, and that is impressive to watch, but being that good isn’t really useful unless your doing piece work on an assembly line.
2 Likes
Im using a little converter to plug them in instead of 6922’s. Those are getting real expensive and these sound sooo good. Old Decware CSP2
6 Likes
Oh yeah, after helping out some of my friends with their stuff, especially other DIY kits, it really expanded my practical skills with an iron, especially supplementing it by reading the books on here:
Different techniques, how to wire heaters, when to twist pairs, bare wire shielding on the audio signal from the Input to the pot to reduce noise, etc.
Honestly it just takes time, and practice, lots of painful, painful, but educational, practice.
1 Like
God I love the design, kinda looks like a Crack, also those tubes on the side, are those shunt regulators, phase splitters?
Wait, nvm, just realized the Large tube is the Rectifier, nvm, got confuesd, those on the side are probably there for just the second stage of amplification.
3 Likes
I really wish you guys had this conversation in the DIY forum so it could be in a good place for a search. Plenty of good info going back and forth…i like it when we prattle but its in the wrong thread. Makes it hard to look up info later on.
Just saying.
1 Like
Oof good point, this is a buy forum, huh I might post stuff there later, honestly I didn’t know there was a DIY forum. Thanks for the heads up.
1 Like
Hey @M0N, do we have a DIY category or area somewhere? There are guys who have allot of great knowledge that would be wonderful to capture. Can you make that happen when you have time, pretty please?
2 Likes
Yeah, I’d love to post my build when I’m done with it on there, also maybe give a guide or somethings, mostly though so I can see other people’s builds, want to see more experienced people in action, learning and stuffs.
2 Likes
Yes, yes…i don’t want the conversation to stop, i just really wish it were in a thread that can be referenced easier and more complete. Lots of great info and knowledge for someone like me who wants to learn!
1 Like
We have 3 Hermann’s tortoise and more recently a leopard. The Herman’s are all pretty much in hand size. The leopard is a fair bit bigger…
10 Likes
omg thats fantastic. SPL phonitor 2 with a smsl d1 dac. i wish i could have that. they stack well too.
1 Like
I mean you can just make a thread, but I could consider a diy audio category category
3 Likes
A DIY category seems appropriate as opposed to just dropping threads in whatever location. Simply on the off chance that guys or gals…(ha) want to share specific knowledge on builds and such. I caught a nice conversation going in this thread and it sparked the idea was all…
Makes it easier to reference and might encourage more topics on DIY stuff
2 Likes
Idek, it’s just so good, totally worth it imo, I got mine B-Stock tho, so check those out. I mean for 1200, these VUs are totally worth it, they even come with an amp!
God I’ve made that joke one too many times I think.
1 Like
The VU’s had me sold but your reference to it’s seeming lightweight power output made me second guess it. I like power, lots of it. What else is in this class of quality with sexy VU meters and gobs of power to spare? Hmmm 
Older models are ok to mention too, i don’t mind searching for good old used stufff. Good is good.
1 Like
Trying to convince my wife we won’t notice $500 missing from our tax return for an RNHP. 
6 Likes
Oh It has power, it’s just relative to what you use it for. It can drive 600 Ohm Loads (T1 MkII) just fine, you’re just maxing it out a bit on the pot (depends on the loudness of the waveform too).
I mean my Darkvoice has been modded head to toe and been optimized to have a bit more power, besides, OTL style tubes LOVE large impedances, they work well.
The Phonitor runs the Aeons (19 Ohm I think) super well, with more than enough power. WAYYY more than whatever the DV can do with a Planar, due to it’s design and general topology. It’s not an absolute power house but it can run quite a lot of things. Besides it runs what I have so well that I’m probably going to have to listen to my album library again just to see what else this baby can do.
Like my dad has a Magni Hersey and while it can drive my HD600s well enough, the Phonitor simply has much more power and drives them much better. And the Sound, it just . . . sounds better, obviously this has more power than a Magni so bad compariosn I guess.
Oh also @M0N does the Phonitor have a Gain Switch, kinda curious.
Like, it has power, don’t worry about power unless you have the HE-6 or something. Kinda Curious with Argons tho. Still Don’t get scared because of a lack of power, my DV can break an HD600 with the power supply tweaks I’ve done, so when I say that I run my DV at half pot, compared to the Phonitor, it means anything more than that and I can break some headphones, even on quieter tracks. Oh also, it can break stuff but incredibly it doesn’t distort even with the power increase, I guess since the Power Supply was also tweaked and not just increasing the signal itself. Like the tubes have a bit more voltage getting to them essentially.
Idk TL;DR:
Don’t worry about power, it has it, it can deliver, it sounds great, also what headphones do you use either way? Kinda Curious since I might be able to tell you if a Phonitor could run it.
1 Like
We have 5 gecko, 2 of them are leopard
3 Likes
Where did you find it b-stock?
1 Like
I bought the last one though. Let me see if I can find another one.
not as good of a deal, but take a look here:
https://hifiheaven.net/shop/SPL-Phonitor-2-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-Preamp-Black-Refurb?language=en¤cy=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsvTxBRDkARIsAH4W_j8cvrC-OcRLNY9cEV9nZO_HUCzXae4ruSCM4cJzuivcpSu371ER2RUaAvQnEALw_wcB
Wait take a look at this deal, It’s a Phonitor X, and the price seems good, ask why it’s labeled as Microphone Amp tho, since the pictures are clearly a Phonitor X: https://www.musicgoround.com/product/minnetonka-mn/41113-S000020384/Used-SPL-Phonitor-X-Preamp-Mic-Amp?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsvTxBRDkARIsAH4W_j_GAhQpQIJPSKo7xKlb6_1eyL6tgppE7vUBCBOvlbIaQg0XMLWJ3RsaAj86EALw_wcB
1 Like