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- Feb 2, 2019
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Looks like it's discontinued for now
I thought it's discontinued forever. I think @tomchr has plans for a cheaper version.
Looks like it's discontinued for now
3) Higher cost, about the same performance as the HP-1 - maybe a little better. Much prettier chassis, no volume knob2) Higher cost, about the same performance as the HP-1 - maybe a little better. Much prettier chassis, larger volume knob, and better volume knob feel.
Should such an amp be digital-only then (i.e. USB, SPDIF, COAX inputs, no RCA/XLR)? Or still have analog inputs so you can use your favourite DAC?3) Higher cost, about the same performance as the HP-1 - maybe a little better. Much prettier chassis, no volume knob
I'd say still have analog inputs, no digital, so you could still use your favorite DAC and control volume there.Should such an amp be digital-only then (i.e. USB, SPDIF, COAX inputs, no RCA/XLR)? Or still have analog inputs so you can use your favourite DAC?
How about a volume control bypass option? Front panel switch + relay or something.I'd say still have analog inputs, no digital, so you could still use your favorite DAC and control volume there.
Do you have an email list to announce when you’re releasing new products? I’d love to get the next higher priced version of the HP-1Thank you for the recognition. I'll try not to let it go to my head...
I'll see what I can do about a $500 amp. I've had that price point in mind for a while. It'd be nice with something there. In the end, it all comes down to chassis cost.
Tom
I do. You can sign up here: www.neurochrome.com/newsletterDo you have an email list to announce when you’re releasing new products? I’d love to get the next higher priced version of the HP-1
I have good news for one of those of you who missed out on the HP-1. I now have one last HP-1 available. Or rather, to be available "soon". You can preorder it here: https://www.neurochrome.com/product/hp-1-ultra-high-end-headphone-amp-2/ I expect to be able to ship towards the end of the month, hopefully within two weeks.
Here's the story: I sold out three weeks ago while the chassis was still in manufacturing. My chassis vendor is having trouble with the manufacturing and keeps cutting the sides too short. It's only 1 mm too short, but that fails their own specs, which makes me wonder why they shipped them in the first place, but I digress... I also need to deliver a quality product, so I will keep pushing my vendor until they deliver the chassis as ordered. Anyway. At least the vendor is owning their mistakes and will remake the chassis. It just takes time. Unfortunately, one buyer got tired of waiting and has canceled his order. So I now have one left...
The buyer who backed out ordered the blue chassis, but that's traditionally been a slower seller. I'm trying to get my vendor to make it the grey version instead. I have the amp listed as blue, but there's a chance I can make it grey instead. I'll let the buyer decide and I will do my best to accommodate. Great sales pitch, I know. "Throw money at me. You get what you get..."
Ahh.... Life as a small business owner. Oh, well. The amp will sell.
Tom
Wow, lucky guy! Custom colors to pick from without the additional charge.Your enclosure will have to be done separately as it was the only blue one in the stack. I can certainly change it to grey if you wish. I just tossed you an email about that actually. You could also go with carmine red, blue, or black. Or... Go completely custom with 'wheat' (yellowish tan colour) or light grey. With the latter two, I'd go with black text. The choice is yours. I like the graphite grey. It's very stealthy. Just let me know and I'll let my vendor know which powder to spray on the chassis for you.
It’s great to be a part of history haha.Yeah... Might as well make lemonade out of lemons.
The final HP-1 will be black with white lettering. I realized this afternoon, that this project is coming to a full circle that way. The first two chassis I had made for the HP-1 were black.
Tom
Lucky guy.It’s great to be a part of history haha.
Thanks! I can’t wait to hear it.
As far as I know the chassis is the most expensive component. To hack this, best way is to select a small, off the shelf chassis and design the pcb accordingly. To be honest the size of o2 is really not small for a good headphones amplifier design. You can put 6800uF capacitors in theire and you can have protection circuit, power management circuit. Put some surface mount components on the bottom side of the pcb is also possible, etc.Lucky guy.
Hi Tom - I'm reminded of an interview once I read with Andrew Jones, once of Pioneer, now working for Elac. He said it's easy to design a state of the art, cost is no object speaker. He said you just put in the best of everything. He said, the *real* challenge, is to design something a lot more cost effective, where you try not to give up much in performance to the state of the art, cost is no object speaker. He said that you're basically trying to optimize for all the cost constraints, but without making too many compromises for performance. Hopefully that makes sense, and I'll be super interested in how the ~$500 amp comes out!
Yeah. There is that. Basically, if you throw everything and the (gold/rhodium plated) kitchen sink into the project, as I did with the HP-1, you end up with something that's way too expensive. So you don't sell any. So you start developing some sort of portfolio. You'll need models A, B, and C. They all need to be cost-effective at their respective price points, and need to offer increasing performance for increasing price, or offer some sort of selling point that justifies the higher price tag. It's unfortunate that it works that way, but that seems to be how we roll in this market.He said, the *real* challenge, is to design something a lot more cost effective, where you try not to give up much in performance to the state of the art, cost is no object speaker.
That's what I find as well.As far as I know the chassis is the most expensive component.
That sounds great in theory, until you realize just how few decent chassis there are.To hack this, best way is to select a small, off the shelf chassis and design the pcb accordingly.
Exactly!The only problem is that it won't look scary. It will look like a portable amp that's cheap and weak. That's a choice.
I wish it was entirely about performance, because I have that down like nobody's business! It's all the touchy-feely stuff that will be somewhat uncharted territory for me. As you point out in your self-contradiction, the touchy-feely matters too. Why would I pay more for an Audi when I can buy a VW for considerably less? Maybe the suspension in the Audi is tuned a little differently. Maybe the engine is. Who knows. All I know is that I love my (now ten year-old) A3. Even if it is "just" a fancy Volkswagen.In the end what counts is the true performance. Not some subjective garbage. Btw o2 feels 10 times better than atom.