Here's a nice look of what point to point soldering skills are all about...

http://youtu.be/rLfL2Vz9SdI

Also this video is a bit of a teaser for the new TABOO amp coming just around the corner.  It was re-designed to be the best sounding amplifier for the LCD-2's and similar headphones.


Steve  :)

Amp Porn is Taboo....

What is the music Steve?
Zygi

Congrats to the sub-miniature cameraman walking around inside that unit...

This year our sales to headphone customers was at an all time high. The majority of these customers are using planar headphones like the popular Audez LCD-2's.  All used either our Mini Torii or the more popular Taboo with the planar headphone option,  many considering it an upgrade from their present top ten list headphone amplifiers.   We can appreciate that, after all, Audez LCD-2's if properly driven could arguably be considered the best $1000 headphones in the world so it makes sense to want to hear them with the best amplifier.   When you hear what is possible with such a combo you will understand why so many have given up on floor standing speakers and room treatments and gotten so enthusiastically into headphones!

So with that said, I couldn't help but get a pair of the LCD-2's myself, with the intension of developing an amplifier specifically for them.  The Taboo and MiniTorii sound good with them, But they were both designed as conventional speaker amplifiers.  I wanted something that was designed specifically as a planar headphone amplifier from the ground up.  I needed to know what the best ones out there were so I would know what we have to try to best.  Ironically, after spending about 3 days researching the best LCD2 headphone amps and new circuits along with possible new chassis designs - I found out that the top ten list of headphones amplifiers for the LCD-2's had already been beaten for at least 7 owners by the Zen Taboo... People who owned one of the top 3 and sold it for a Decware.  So apparently the Taboo is one of the amps to beat...

Being somewhat familiar with the Taboo, but a new owner of LCD's  I was anxious to spend some real time with the combination.  I ran the amp by itself without a gain stage in front of it, which I know is a handicap, but this is how at least half the Taboo owner's I found actually used it.  The sound was good, but I failed to see what all the fuss was about regarding the LCD2's.  I then thought, boy if this combination is considered better than the top three competing amps, they must be pretty ordinary. Bottom line, I was rather let down.  Then I realized, like many of my own speakers, good speakers and probably good ear speakers are often not the problem but the messenger.

I couldn't help but wonder how good these cans really were and how a purpose built amp just for the LCD's would sound, so I took what was already working and loved by many (the Taboo) and focused on how to remake it specifically for the LCD2's.  It was originally designed for loudspeakers, now lets see what taboo's await if it were designed for planar ear speakers!

I closed Decware for a week after christmas and spent the quite time in my shop in a highly focused and creative state (called heaven) and designed a new product. It's going to be a real ass kicker.   A lot of things were discovered about lucid mode and it's potentials for both speakers and headphones, and how lucid mode changes with different loads.  On an 8 ohm speaker it's pretty spectacular, but on 60 ohm planar headphones it's too reserved and sounds like it's almost in mono compared to what it could be doing…  of course lucid mode must be ON to use headphones on a Taboo if you use the 1/4" headphone jack... so there you go.

Now with Lucid mode and the entire amplifier designed specifically for LCD headphones and with fully upgraded parts , you'll swear there is a DSP chip inside this thing when you hear it! Instead you'll only find 19 resistors and 4 capacitors creating the most perfect soundstage and textures you've ever heard.

My goal was to make it sound twice as good as a stock Taboo.  I didn't expect to make it ten times as good, nor am I probably smart enough to anyway… but thanks to a happy mistake hooking up lucid mode for my wife, who helped in the final voicing, we discovered a happy little miracle that had me doing another complete re-design.  The results (dual lucid mode) are so off the charts that I can't honestly see how this wouldn't be the best sounding headphones/amp combination in the world.  

So I look forward to writing the design notes on this new product and getting it on the site.  It will replace the current TABOO and there will be a $500 price increase... but when you find out what we've done, not to mention hear what we've done, you'll be still be looking for a tip jar!  No kidding.

-Steve

Another request for upgrade!  I just purchased my Taboo this year with upgraded caps and would hate to have to sell it to buy a new one and go through the burn-in process again.

If the headphone jack is used as a preamp to another amplifier (other than the power section of TABOO) in a system how will this effect sound on a set of speakers? Is this "NEW Lucid" effect part of the signature of this new TABOO amplifier even on the speakers? IOW is the Lucid effect ubiquitous across all outputs (headphone and power tube) on this amp?

Famous quote?
Time becomes meaningless in the face of creativity.

Quote:


Chris,

YES.

The effect increases with impedance so it is more dramatic on headphones and more subtle on loudspeakers.