The Beresford Capella Headphone Amplifier

[StanleyB]

We are in the final stages of getting my new headphone amplifier ready for launch. Here are a few pictures of the first one that was completed. It's a bit covered in fingerprint marks, so I shall take some new pics next week and update them.

http://www.beresford.me/images/aos/TC-7110%20FRONT-900.jpg
A view of the front.


http://www.beresford.me/images/aos/TC-7110%20FL-900.JPG
Sideways

http://www.beresford.me/images/aos/TC-7110R-900.jpg
The back panel

[Firebottle]

Looking great Stan :thumbsup:

[Jabberwocky]

It looks great Stan, and will no doubt sound it.

Now you've got time to finish the design of the phono stage with built-in A-D converter...:D:lol::eyebrows::eek::doh::scratch:

[StanleyB]

There is a copy of the instructions on my support page at http://www.beresford.me/others/support.html

[TAD12]

Magic!

Cannot wait to get one.

Elegant and concise. Just what the doctor ordered.

Will have to get some more malt in for those late nights.

T12:thumbsup

[perbra]

Capella, interesting set of features. Price aprox?

[StanleyB]

The Capella will be offered with just the 2.1mm plug to plug DC flylead, or with the power supply and flylead. I promised to keep the price close to £150 plus VAT and shipping to EU countries. That's roughly £167 to non-EU countries. In order to keep my promise on the price I shall offer the Capella plus DC flylead at about £159.99 plus VAT, which includes delivery. The power supply, if required, will cost extra. Many people already have a battery pack or alternative power supply. So it makes no sense to add the power supply if it won't be used.

[StanleyB]

Some of the controls on the Capella are no doubt unfamiliar to headphone users, or even the purpose of them. So here is a quick explanation and purpose of them.

GAIN:
Most headphone amps have to drive headphones from say 32 to 300 Ohms, with only the volume control available to adjust the output level. Unfortunately a 32 Ohms headphone only needs a small turn of the volume control before it is loud enough. A 300 Ohms headphone will need to be turned up by a far larger amount in order to sound just as loud. So some headphone amps have a switch to select between low and high gain for different headphones. Unfortunately this is not good enough in many cases. So the Capella uses a variable gain to cover both headphone impedance and sensitivity.

DAMPING:
Different headphones have a different resonance frequency and bass response level. Using a bass control to iron out those differences does however also affect the low frequency extension of the headphones, and the impact of the bass response in general. So headphone designs tend no to have a bass control of any sort. The Capella uses a little circuit to provide one of four selectable current/voltage levels to control the voice coil damping. This gives a far more solid bass at its optimum setting. No two headphones are the same in the bass region, so that's why provided four settings to choose from.

HF:
Some headphones have a very pronounced treble, which can ruin an otherwise brilliant listening experience. Some headphone users also suffer from ringing in the ears etc. from even a modest amount of treble. the Capella uses a kind of HF flattening circuit to dampen the HF response gradually so that excessively bright headphones can be tamed to a more acceptable user requirement. The hf control won't give you more treble. It will only give you a reduced dynamic response in the high frequency range between the 12PM and 5PM position. So you'll still hear the treble in the music in that range, just that you can adjust the overall "loudness" of it. Below 12PM you start reducing the treble content, which would be useful for headphone users who suffer from HF discomforts.

DEPTH:
Depending on the design of some headphones, the vocals and some instruments can sound a bit detached from the rest of the music. It can sound a bit too far back, or far too forward. Once you combine that with a headphone amp that has a presentation that is already laid back or forward, the listening experience can be quickly ruined. The DEPTH control on the Capella can offer a reasonable amount of control of the apparent forward/backward position of the music.

[naitphile]

Some of the controls on the Capella are no doubt unfamiliar to headphone users, or even the purpose of them. So here is a quick explanation and purpose of them.

GAIN:
Most headphone amps have to drive headphones from say 32 to 300 Ohms, with only the volume control available to adjust the output level. Unfortunately a 32 Ohms headphone only needs a small turn of the volume control before it is loud enough. A 300 Ohms headphone will need to be turned up by a far larger amount in order to sound just as loud. So some headphone amps have a switch to select between low and high gain for different headphones. Unfortunately this is not good enough in many cases. So the Capella uses a variable gain to cover both headphone impedance and sensitivity.

DAMPING:
Different headphones have a different resonance frequency and bass response level. Using a bass control to iron out those differences does however also affect the low frequency extension of the headphones, and the impact of the bass response in general. So headphone designs tend no to have a bass control of any sort. The Capella uses a little circuit to provide one of four selectable current/voltage levels to control the voice coil damping. This gives a far more solid bass at its optimum setting. No two headphones are the same in the bass region, so that's why provided four settings to choose from.

HF:
Some headphones have a very pronounced treble, which can ruin an otherwise brilliant listening experience. Some headphone users also suffer from ringing in the ears etc. from even a modest amount of treble. the Capella uses a kind of HF flattening circuit to dampen the HF response gradually so that excessively bright headphones can be tamed to a more acceptable user requirement. The hf control won't give you more treble. It will only give you a reduced dynamic response in the high frequency range between the 12PM and 5PM position. So you'll still hear the treble in the music in that range, just that you can adjust the overall "loudness" of it. Below 12PM you start reducing the treble content, which would be useful for headphone users who suffer from HF discomforts.

DEPTH:
Depending on the design of some headphones, the vocals and some instruments can sound a bit detached from the rest of the music. It can sound a bit too far back, or far too forward. Once you combine that with a headphone amp that has a presentation that is already laid back or forward, the listening experience can be quickly ruined. The DEPTH control on the Capella can offer a reasonable amount of control of the apparent forward/backward position of the music.

Don't need one, didn't know I wanted one...but probably gonna get one looks really well thought through

[maxrob200]

Arrggh...I have no more outputs on my amplifier.

Looks like there will need to be a Caiman II+2 version released soon with two outputs. One output for the amp and the other to feed the Capella!

[Kit1cat]

Arrggh...I have no more outputs on my amplifier.

Looks like there will need to be a Caiman II+2 version released soon with two outputs. One output for the amp and the other to feed the Capella!

Could you not take the output from the DAC to the Capella input 2, then the output from the Capella to your amp?

[maxrob200]

IMHO, it would defeat the purpose of a high end DAC and Headphone amplifier.
I am trying to avoid extra connections, interconnects and the potential for signal degradation going through more circuitry.

[Xaval]

Stan, congrats on the new product. From a feature perspective, I think it's unparalled as well as more than affordable. It will be a hit for sure just in time for Xmas :)

[StanleyB]

IMHO, it would defeat the purpose of a high end DAC and Headphone amplifier.
I am trying to avoid extra connections, interconnects and the potential for signal degradation going through more circuitry.I am using the Capella as a preamp between the Caiman and my amp. With the Caiman output set to the FIXED position, the Capella Gatorized amplification stage delivers a clean analogue signal that is near impossible to describe. It is close to a well designed valve stage, but without the valve distortion.

[Theadmans]

I am using the Capella as a preamp between the Caiman and my amp. With the Caiman output set to the FIXED position, the Capella Gatorized amplification stage delivers a clean analogue signal that is near impossible to describe. It is close to a well designed valve stage, but without the valve distortion.

...Hi Stan - interesting that you should say the Capella sounds like a valve stage. At the moment I run a heavily modified Musical Fidelity X10D valve buffer between my Bushmaster MKII and Creek 4330 Integrated Amp. Not a purist thing for sure but I like the sound of the combination.

I am keen on adding a Capella to my setup. However, I too was concerned about adding another volume control and set of RCA phono leads to my setup. Maybe from you are saying I could kick the X10D into touch and replace it with the Capella. Do you think I will still get the valve like sound from the Capella even though I am running it into an Integrated amp?

Another alternative would be for me to simply link the Capella onto the Tape Out sockets of my Creek Integrated. However, the music by this stage would have come from my SBT->Bushmaster->X10D->Creek Integrated->Capella. What do you think would be best as I want to maximise the sound quality not only through my headphones but also my speakers.

[StanleyB]

Hi Adam, the only sure fire way is to give it a try yourself. What I think doesn't really matter. How it sounds like is all that counts. The volume control on the Capella can be used as an input sensitivity matching device into the amp. That was part of its purpose. A lot of people have amps with the old 350mV sensitivity. The 2Vrms output from a CD player would swamp a 350mV input. So being able to adjust the signal level into an amp is not a bad idea.

[Theadmans]

Thanks Stan - that is an interesting point about level matching. I never seem to get much above a quarter to the hour on the Creek volume knob. The X10D adds a little gain as well. I have even thought of getting those Rothwell RCA plug thingies - but have heard some bad comments about them. I guess the Capella will allow me to use more of the volume knob :)

[electroid]

Will the new amp have enough headroom in watts to power current-hungry planar magnetic headphones.....
Audeze LCD-2.1 ( 60ohms / 4 watts headroom needed)
+
Fostex T50-RP modified ( 50 ohms / 1 Watt headroom needed) ...?

So, from 1 watt to 4 watts of volume headroom dial after biasing in vs the usual 20-300 mWatts of dynamic headphones range.

I'm assuming/hoping the new unique amp features/buttons/dialability can zone into the planar current draw requirements......

[StanleyB]

Hi Mike, the Capella works a bit different than that. You adjust the GAIN control to suit the different power requirement of different headphones. The Volume control is then used to adjust the output level of the sound that you hear. So you can get the volume control to produce a near identical output level for various position of the volume control dial independent of whatever the impedance of the headphone is.
I think that you are trying to figure out the use of the volume control on the Capella compared to the majority of headphone amp designs. The others don't have a gain control, so the volume control position varies with the headphone impedance if you want to hear the same level of output. In the Capella those two functions are separated.

The Capella can produce up to 500mA at 9V of output if required. You do the physics calculation to work out how many Watts that is ;). But that is used far more efficient than on other headphone amps with just a volume control, which is why you can run the Capella from a 12V battery pack if required. Most other headphone amps would be incapable of doing the same, partly because of the way they are designed and the amount of current they draw even under zero signal condition.

As for the Audeze: A customer of mine is an Audeze agent and has bought a Capella last week. Make of it what you will, but he hasn't complained yet that the Capella can't drive his cans :).

[electroid]

Hi Mike, the Capella works a bit different than that. You adjust the GAIN control to suit the different power requirement of different headphones. The Volume control is then used to adjust the output level of the sound that you hear. So you can get the volume control to produce a near identical output level for various position of the volume control dial independent of whatever the impedance of the headphone is.
I think that you are trying to figure out the use of the volume control on the Capella compared to the majority of headphone amp designs. The others don't have a gain control, so the volume control position varies with the headphone impedance if you want to hear the same level of output. In the Capella those two functions are separated.

The Capella can produce up to 500mA at 9V of output if required. You do the physics calculation to work out how many Watts that is ;). But that is used far more efficient than on other headphone amps with just a volume control, which is why you can run the Capella from a 12V battery pack if required. Most other headphone amps would be incapable of doing the same, partly because of the way they are designed and the amount of current they draw even under zero signal condition.

As for the Audeze: A customer of mine is an Audeze agent and has bought a Capella last week. Make of it what you will, but he hasn't complained yet that the Capella can't drive his cans :).

Thanks for the fast reply.

500mA with a 9V supply would be:
P = V * I
P = 9V * 0.5A
P = 4.5W

500mA with a 12V supply would be:
P = V * I
P = 12V * 0.5A
P = 6W

[wee tee cee]

Received the Capella this morning. Plumbed it in as a pre amp just to give it a whirl. My system is battery powered -two Temple audio monoblocks and a battery optimised BM2. I utilised the DC jumper lead supplied by Stan to power the BM2 from the Capella.

Initial impressions are quite a shock, as a pre amp it is outstanding in my set up. I was running a Tisbury audio passive pre which I regard very highly but the Capella has surpassed it sonically by some margin. Its active as opposed to passive so a quick change to the monoblocks impedance settings was required to match up the output.

Most noticeable was the level of detail it extracts and the placement of instruments. Tracks I know really well-John Martyn Solid Air (pre noise war CD) made me sit up and replay it WTF reaction.

Im late shift today so will have a listen on the cans in the early hours when I finish.

As a pre amp this is excellent in its own right!!!

[StanleyB]

The preamp section is an updated version of the legendary Gator discrete amplification circuit. I use it with the Caiman MKII even. On one of the CaimanII prototypes I even had a plug in Gator add-on PCB because it sounded so good. Now I use the Caiman with the Capella preamp section as a feed for my power amp. It's a dream team so to speak.

[wee tee cee]

I got home and set up my cans rig with Senn 650s. The Capella has a bamboozling variety of different parameters but to be honest optimising for the 650s was pretty straight forward. I set the volume at 12 o clock and then adjusted the gain to my preferred listening level. The damping for the senns seems quite low. the depth and HF seem to benefit from being high up. Just my personal taste!!!!

As a headphone amp my BM2 superseded a MF M1HPA, the Capella moves the game on from the BM2. It is very good at Rock tracks that I thought were a bit shitty recording wise-Oh Yeah/chickenfoot......MAJIK!!!

I am a self confessed John Martyn fan boy but Nick Drake is starting to sound great!!!

I haven't considered spending more money on cans BUT I'm seriously thinking my life needs a pair of 800s.

[StanleyB]

The HD800 sounds absolutely divine through the Capella. My D7000 hardly gets listened to these days.

[wee tee cee]

The 650s sound really good with the Capella.....they can come across as a bit "MEH !!" sometimes with other amps but with a bit of fine tuning they have really come alive. The variable gain and treble really let them sing without any added nasties.
The most noticeable attribute it possess is the ability to really separate out different instruments and place them accurately, The treble finesse is palpable, hi hats and cymbals sound gorgeous. My bigbear is sibilance on voices, the Capella is excellent in this respect both as a pre and on cans.

I will endeavour to listen to my other cans, just to see what it can do.

[wee tee cee]

The Capella works really well with my superlux hd 660/akg velvet pads/foams removed. Totally different setting to the senn 650s-hf backed right off-far higher gain setting-damping to half way-depth to half way.
Budget set of cans but with the ability to match the Capella to each headphone they are sounding rather splendid.
I have 330s and 440s and a battle scarred pair of 668bs it will be interesting to try open/semi/closed just to see how much optimisation the capella can extract form the different configurations.

[Theadmans]

Tony glad you are liking the Capella. I am thinking of getting one to use with my HD650s as a wee Xmas to myself !

As at matter of interest what settings have you settled on for your HD650s with the various dials etc on the Capella. It will provide a useful starting point for my experiments when I finally get the Capella - thanks.

[wee tee cee]

My starting point is getting the main volume to 12 o clock, then set the gain to your listening level-that will alter as you experiment. I find the 650s dont need much damping so 1 or 2 seems fine. The HF is IMHO set towards the max setting. 650s can be a little warm....my preference/tunes of course.I reckon the depth about 11 o clock is just about right.The balance is spot on.

[TAD12]

Tony, I got my cappella last week. I use HD 650's too. Thanks for sharing your settings. Mine are almost the same, just a subtle difference in the HF . I've listened now for a good number of hours and can honestly say that I don't need as much volume as earlier this week.
Perhaps this shows just how high the quality of the output is compared to the Caiman II, which I also use.
Happy listening.
Kind regards,
T12:)

[Werner Berghofer]

Tad,

Perhaps this shows just how high the quality of the output is compared to the Caiman II, which I also use.
finally it is possible to assert publicly that there probably might exist better headphone amplifiers. In the past, a statement like this was considered heresy. ;-)

I’m glad to see that the “Capella” is very much appreciated.

Werner.

[StanleyB]

Tad, finally it is possible to assert publicly that there probably might exist better headphone amplifiers.
The Capella has only been on the market for 14 days, so it is far too early to say which position it occupies as far as its performance against other headphone amplifiers is concerned. Only time will tell how well it stands up against credible opposition when owners of both the Capella and other headphone amplifiers are able to do their own comparison and give their opinion. I am however satisfied that I have done whatever I could to develop a headphone amp that addressed several areas of complaint that headphone owners have highlighted over the years on audio forums. And with my generous returns policy customers have ample time to assess the Capella against any other headphone amp within their spending limit before deciding which one suits their needs better. Only when those results are mentioned on forums like AoS would we be able to judge whether your assumption is correct or not :).

[struth]

yes any comparisons have to be made within the same price bracket....no point in comparing Buck house with an end terrace:lol:
Stans record soeaks for its self.

[StanleyB]

yes any comparisons have to be made within the same price bracket....no point in comparing Buck house with an end terrace:lol:
Stans record speaks for its self.
I don't mind if the Capella is compared against far more expensive opposition. I have already done that myself when trying to find a headphone amp that could do justice to my more expensive headphones. Only the Phonitor at about £1100 was a credible competitor. I have heard from one Capella owner that the Burson at about £800 is on level par in some areas. But some other well known and expensive amps failed to match the Capella in performance. That's based on information received by me from a couple of headphone amp hunters who first went to that headphone and amp shop up in Bedfordshire. But don't take my word for it. Potential buyers are free to repeat the same experiment and line up the Capella in a head to head with any other headphone amp of their choice. The only proviso is that both headphone amps are within your intended spending limit.

[Werner Berghofer]

Grant,

any comparisons have to be made within the same price bracket
quite true. Both customers and manufacturers should consider this fact.

Werner.

[wee tee cee]

I ran a MF M1 HPA for some time, really liked it as intended and used it as a single line pre amp. The BM2 bettered it with my 650s, almost as if it had been tuned to suit the Senns.
The Capella surpasses the sonics of the BM2 offering a noticeable upgrade. As a pre amp it has displaced my Tisbury audio passive. What has surprised me is how effective it has been in getting the best out of my other headphones- Superlux various models. I rarely used them because the 650s were so much better but now I can tune the Capella to match the needs of the other cans. I am now seriously thinking of expanding my cans collection....maybe a cheeky pair of beyers might find they're way into my christmas stocking!!!!!

[StanleyB]

Grant,

quite true. Both customers and manufacturers should consider this fact.

Werner.
It is not a fact at all. The ticket price of an item is an arbitrary figure based on many factors such as retailer margin and advertising revenue. That accounts for about 30 to 50% of the retail price of most items. That I chose to sell so cheap does not mean that a more expensively priced item is also better. I don't have a retailer margin or advertising cost built into my price since I sell direct.
Using that kind of logic I might as well increase my prices in order to join a higher price band. It's a stupid logic that puts buyers at a disadvantage.

[StanleyB]

Werner, given the the veracity with which you have been attacking my products lately and trying to derail the customer experience with the Capella, I can only conclude that you must have ulterior motives. What are readers supposed to make of this thread about the Capella, when the apparent virtues of far more expensive equipment is offered as evidence as a far better product without any evidence to back up that claim? What threat exactly does the Capella pose to the likes of Shiit and SPL? Of course my far lower price and legendary value for money position is bound to be viewed as a worrying prospect? But I am not in the market to defend the status quo. Given the economic situation in the EU especially, customers are now looking with even more intensity at more cost effective solution. It's no use flashing a £1200 headphone amp in front of their face when their needs and finances are in search of something just as good and affordable in price and desk space. Given the level of interest shown in the Capella by both casual users and professional organisations, I am once again onto something good here it seems. If some other headphone companies are starting to feel uneasy about the high level of performance of the Capella, then so be it. But that's not reason enough to descend upon the Capella thread as if it is a dangerous competition that could destroy the market for the less capable and overpriced competition. Ambush marketing have been used on me before and on many occasion. I just hope that potential buyers are wise enough to see through that and try out the Capella. You can read more about it at http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S2/tc-7110.htm and order one from http://www.homehifi.co.uk/PP/cartview.html?id=32

[Werner Berghofer]

Stanley,

to keep things short and simple I promise to never ever again comment any of your statements regarding the undoubted superiority of your products. For the sake of Christmas peace and the purpose of this forum section any moderator should feel free to delete my posts which might unsettle your potential future customers.

There are personal reasons for writing and behaving the way I do, but I won’t declare them here in public. I can assure you that I have no business relationships to Schiit (who actually offer cheaper products than the Beresford brand) or SPL (Sound Processing Lab). There’s no reason for paranoia and other conspiracy theories.

Werner.

[wee tee cee]

Just out of interest, can other Capella owners give me a steer towards cans in the £150 range and advice regards impedance. I was considering Beyer 990s but dont really know enough about the different iterations-the pro model suits just fine Im not fussed about aesthetics just bang for bucks sonics.
The audio technicas look good?

[worrasf]

Just out of interest, can other Capella owners give me a steer towards cans in the £150 range and advice regards impedance. I was considering Beyer 990s but dont really know enough about the different iterations-the pro model suits just fine Im not fussed about aesthetics just bang for bucks sonics.
The audio technicas look good?

I have a pair of Beyer DT990/600's - very nice when they are working - just sending them back for repair for the third time :mental:

If it's bang for your buck you are after look no further than the Superlux HD668B (lot on here and the web) - they are a truly stupid less than £50 that sound like £300 - I have a pair and I often prefer them to my Grado GS1000's

[wee tee cee]

Stephen,
I have a full stable of Superlux cans 668b/330/440/660 bang for buck unbeatable-----might have to look at alternatives!!!

[worrasf]

Ah ha!
Well when I get my Beyer 990/600's back from the importer you are welcome to try them

[jxh]

i am waiting for my capella, i hope it will give a good job with my DAC bushmaster MK2 DAC and can be an upgrade for the amp part of this

[jxh]

I have received the capella today and i have a problem with it

When i connect it to the power it the box of the amp became "electric" ; when i touch the amp i take a little bit of electricity. I have change the cable for the bushmaster cable it is the same and when i connect the two it is also the same : i can feel electricity on the two (capella and bushmaster). Even my source connected by the coaxial cable has the the same trouble.






Edit : Stanley explain to me answering to a mail, that i can resolve that by using the earth tag

[StanleyB]

I have received the capella today and i have a problem with it

When i connect it to the power it the box of the amp became "electric" ; when i touch the amp i take a little bit of electricity. I have change the cable for the bushmaster cable it is the same and when i connect the two it is also the same : i can feel electricity on the two (capella and bushmaster). Even my source connected by the coaxial cable has the the same trouble.
I just spent some time replying to that question of yours in the email you sent me even though I try to also have only a 40 hour week like everyone else.
Follow the solution and procedure as explained in my email, as far as grounding equipment is concerned.
I'll be back on Monday during office hours to see how far you got in this thread.

[jxh]

I just spent some time replying to that question of yours in the email you sent me even though I try to also have only a 40 hour week like everyone else.
Follow the solution and procedure as explained in my email, as far as grounding equipment is concerned.
I'll be back on Monday during office hours to see how far you got in this thread.

At the same time you answer me here i have edited my post to tell you have given to me the solution.

I have connected a metallic cable between the earth tag and a metal part of the amp and the problem is solved.

[wee tee cee]

I received my new HD700s today. They work very well indeed with the Capella (not too shabby with the BM2 either). Settings on the Capella are quite different to what suited me with 650s. I need to get a couple of hundred hours on them to let them settle down but straight out of the box a great combo.

The Capella may well cost me a fortune in Shoe/Handbag equalisation purchases!!!!!

[brian2957]

But wot you gonny buy the wife Tony :lol:

[wee tee cee]

Aye mate....whatever she wants, cause they're worth it!!
Yer a long time dead!!!!

The Capella has made me realise the fuss about top end cans. I listen to cans a lot-might aswell make the most of it. Reckon by this time next year 800s will be on my ears.

[Gazjam]

Nae pockets in a Shroud as my old mam used to say....

[Gazjam]

Nae pockets in a Shroud as my old mam used to say....
(He says...having broke his own "time to draw the horns in" rule) :)

[wee tee cee]

A monkey on a pair of cans is salty by anyone's reckoning. But by fuck what a noise going into my noggin. JM nearly had me greatin with mister mister!!!

[Firebottle]

Liking the festive avatar Gaz :thumbsup:

[brian2957]

Aye it covers up some of his mush :lol:

[Gazjam]

Hoi! :)

[wee tee cee]

hose and bitches...

[StanleyB]

I received my new HD700s today. They work very well indeed with the Capella (not too shabby with the BM2 either). Settings on the Capella are quite different to what suited me with 650s. I need to get a couple of hundred hours on them to let them settle down but straight out of the box a great combo.

The Capella may well cost me a fortune in Shoe/Handbag equalisation purchases!!!!!
Welcome to the high-end headphone club :).

[wee tee cee]

Welcome to the high-end headphone club :).

Blew my sons digs money on a Caiman 2 Last night.....the Capella and 700s have really made me think about getting the most out of my time listening to music. My missus is super pissed-its gonae cost me big time!!!!

All kidding aside, bang for buck a good headphone rig is the best window to music your going to get- treat yourself, your a long time dead!!!!!

[Gazjam]

Cant argue with that... :)

[wee tee cee]

In a hair product type of sense.....because Im worth it!!!!!

[Gazjam]

Sennheiser...cos your worth it.

Beats by Dr Dre...cos your worthless. :)

[wee tee cee]

Majik.....

[WAD62]

Excellent...'Beats Bashing'!!!!...people won't take advice, perhaps ridicule is the only way to go ;)

Has anyone tried the Capella with AKG 701/702s?

And finally Stan, I presume you're currently 'out of stock' with regard to the Capella

[StanleyB]

Excellent...'Beats Bashing'!!!!...people won't take advice, perhaps ridicule is the only way to go ;)

Has anyone tried the Capella with AKG 701/702s?

And finally Stan, I presume you're currently 'out of stock' with regard to the Capella
I use the K701 with the Capella some of the time. I doubt that you can get the K701 to sound any or much better than the Capella is capable of doing. The K701 is completely transformed into a genuine quality listening device with proper bass.

I am already selling the 2nd production. The first one ran out last weekend. One of the most popular items that I have ever sold so many of in less than a month. Order today and you might get it tomorrow, or Saturday.

[wee tee cee]

Superlux 330s have really suprised me with the Capella. Foams removed and velvet pads they really get close to my Senns for a fraction of the price-the tunability of the Capella is very effective.
Received my Caiman 2 today, quite a combo!!!!

[StanleyB]

[QUOTE=wee tee cee;605075]Blew my sons digs money on a Caiman 2 Last night.....the Capella and 700s have really made me think about getting the most out of my time listening to music. My missus is super pissed-its gonae cost me big time!!!!QUOTE]
I thought that your recent spending was due to a win on the post code lottery.

[WAD62]

I use the K701 with the Capella some of the time. I doubt that you can get the K701 to sound any or much better than the Capella is capable of doing. The K701 is completely transformed into a genuine quality listening device with proper bass.

I am already selling the 2nd production. The first one ran out last weekend. One of the most popular items that I have ever sold so many of in less than a month. Order today and you might get it tomorrow, or Saturday.

...ordered!!! :D

[StanleyB]

With a bit of luck it will be with you tomorrow :).

[WAD62]

With a bit of luck it will be with you tomorrow :).
Hi Stan, I'm planning to use an old maplins linear PSU with it, identical to the one that's driving my Caiman II, I presume this will be suitable (1200MA/12V)...

I'm spoiled for choice as to where I'll use it...

Option 1 (Bedroom) ; SB3, Caiman2 (line out RCA), Capella as pre, AKG 702, Muse M21 EX2
Option 2 (Main Room) ; SBTouch, MDAC (L2 Toy, @ 0db), TC-7240 A/B, Capella, AKG 702
Option 3 (Kitchen) ; SBTouch, HiFimeDIY U2, Capella as pre, AKG 702, Mini-1 (power only)
Option 4 (Work) ; Laptop/Winamp, iFi DSD Nano, Capella, AGK 550

So plenty to play with over Xmas, It's a hard life...:eyebrows:

[StanleyB]

I know of at least one customer who is using the Maplin linear PSU with the Capella. He has even emailed me to find out what parts to upgrade in the PSU. He thinks that it sounds better on bass than the Anker battery that he also uses. But that's just one person expressing his personal opinion. Maybe you'll be able to add some more weight to the Maplin PSU discussion after you have had the chance to try it out for yourself.

[WAD62]

Hi Stan, the maplins PSU I'm referring to is the now unavailable VN10L...I had several for my now unused SB receivers.

Quick correction, it only goes up to 12V, which is what the Caiman is set to...not sure if this link will work

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=maplins+vn10l+image&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&imgil=5g3ryKLXjm0gfM%253A%253BeTr0-S2O6C5JYM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fleftclickhe re.notlong.com%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=5g3ryKLXjm0gfM%253A%252CeTr0-S2O6C5JYM%252C_&usg=__wI2xZokrBrnwg_h-i3G512GwFCg%3D&biw=1352&bih=677&ved=0CDwQyjc&ei=D_GTVOX4O8_paJfqgqAJ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=5g3ryKLXjm0gfM%253A%3BeTr0-S2O6C5JYM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.esellerpro.c om%252F2457%252FI%252F255%252F1%252Fvn10l_newlogo. jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fleftclickhere.notlong.com %252F%3B1024%3B1024

[StanleyB]

Save your money. There is no way in hell or on earth that the SMPS VN10L has better noise and performance figures than the one I helped to design for my products.
I don't even believe that you can find another SMPS on the market that has a better noise performance than the Caiman and Capella SMPS. A lot of medical and house alarm equipment manufacturers are now buying this PSU from the factory due to the quality of its performance.

[WAD62]

Save your money. There is no way in hell or on earth that the SMPS VN10L has better noise and performance figures than the one I helped to design for my products.
I don't even believe that you can find another SMPS on the market that has a better noise performance than the Caiman and Capella SMPS. A lot of medical and house alarm equipment manufacturers are now buying this PSU from the factory due to the quality of its performance.
Hi Stan, the current VN10L is indeed a SMPS, however its predecessor was not...it's a shame they changed, and also confusing that they used the same part number.

You'll find that the image I've linked to is the original linear one, the next button will show you the current SMPS one, different animals...and I won't be wasting my money as I already bought it for £12, 4 years ago ;)

[StanleyB]

Anyone thinking of getting a Capella for delivery within Europe is advised to do that before the end of this month. I just received notification from the case manufacturer that his charges are going up from the new year. I got enough stock of cases for things like the TC-7534 and TC-7220. So they should be OK for a while. But I need to place an order for more Capella cases. They are individually cut by laser, so the cost is quite high for small production runs like mine. But I fear for the TC-7533. The price increase of the case would soon make it uneconomical to make and sell the BMII at its current price. I need a solution, and quickly.

[wee tee cee]

[QUOTE=wee tee cee;605075]Blew my sons digs money on a Caiman 2 Last night.....the Capella and 700s have really made me think about getting the most out of my time listening to music. My missus is super pissed-its gonae cost me big time!!!!QUOTE]
I thought that your recent spending was due to a win on the post code lottery. I wish!!!!!
Sometimes you have to be good to yourself.....you never get a day back!!!

[WAD62]

Capella has arrived and is burning in nicely...

My doubts about where to place the Capella have been easily resolved, it is the natural partner for the Caiman II, the ability to power the Caiman via the DC power out of the Capella is a nice touch Stanley!

I've only had a brief chance to listen on my K702s, but long enough to realise what I'd been missing, I've not heard anything like that on headphones before...Wow!!!

It'll be interesting to see the various settings people are using with their respective headphones...:eyebrows:

[keeper]

DT770 Pro 80 Ohm
Gain is just after 9 pm
Damping middle
hf is just after 9 pm
Depth full left

[wee tee cee]

I tend to set the volume to 12 o clock then set the other parameters according to taste/cans.

Senn 650s i use quite a lot of HF maybe 4 o clock, damping two clicks/gain 11 o clock. depth 10 o clock (redbandmusic cable required far less HF)

Senn 700s HF 12 o clock/damping 3 clicks/less gain than the 650s they are easier to drive/depth about 2 o clock.

Superlux 660/440/330 seem to like a bit of gain/HF rolled almost off/damping on max/depth on minimum.

I really like the tunability offered and the ability to stay off the grid powering both from one battery.

My Capella is starting to really settle down sonically.....I think its either getting louder OR producing so much detail Im not compensating with volume!

Usual caveat my ears/tunes/cans....

[Theadmans]

Hi Tony - thanks for clarifying your settings. My Capella with HD650s is more or less on the same settings as yours (although my HF is quite a bit less than yours). I will experiment tonight with winding the wick up on HF !

I think you are right about the evolving sound of the Capella (swear it sounds better every time I listen to it). Burn in seems to be a factor with the Capella just like my previous Beresford DACs.

[TAD12]

Hi Tony,

Your point regarding less volume but still retaining detail is well made. I too noticed this after about a week. Glad to know that I'm not alone. BTW your 650 settings spot on.
Happy listening .

Merry Christmas to all.

T12:santa:

[Fi-Wi]

I have my Capella up and running for 5 minutes now and my first impressions are that my beyerdynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm) sounds the very same as it does when plugged directly into my BM2, only a little bit more spacious and with more volume. I hope that the sound improves over time.

I guess it needs some breaking in.

[StanleyB]

I have my Capella up and running for 5 minutes now and my first impressions are that my beyerdynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm) sounds the very same as it does when plugged directly into my BM2, only a little bit more spacious and with more volume. I hope that the sound improves over time.
That is a very important observation. I paid a lot of attention with the design of the Capella that it should be totally transparent where possible so that most or all of the signature from the original source can shine through. So a different sounding source plugged into the Capella will also sound different through the headphones due to the transparent nature of the Capella's design.

The thing that attracted my attention when I tried out other headphone amps in the past is that they more often than not ruined the original signature of the source equipment. So every source plugged into them sounded more or less the same. That's not what I was looking for. If someone just spent say £1000 to replace a £100 source then I would like to think that they can hear the difference between the two when the Capella is used for A/B testing. The Capella is not designed to take over the show and inject its own version of events. There are loads more headphone amps on the market that can do that far cheaper.

[wee tee cee]

I have my Capella up and running for 5 minutes now and my first impressions are that my beyerdynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm) sounds the very same as it does when plugged directly into my BM2, only a little bit more spacious and with more volume. I hope that the sound improves over time.

I guess it needs some breaking in.I regarded the BM2/HD650 as as pretty much spot on. I enjoyed it for a couple of years and couldn't justify changing. I got my Capella and in short order moved to a Caiman 2 and HD700s. No ifs or buts--- if you enjoy listening to music on cans-it moves the game on period!
It will ask some difficult questions of every component in your chain-but that's our hobby,extracting maximum enjoyment out of the music we love.

Most folk couldn't give a flying fuck.

[StanleyB]

I have ended up using the Capella with the Caiman as well when listening to my HD800 or D7000 headphones. The extra definition and detail from the Caiman shines through a lot better with my more expensive cans. The HD650 and K701 are quite happy with the BMII though.
I don't know if it is me or if it is a genuine observation, but I seem to get a better vibe when powering the Capella and Caiman via one of my old car battery. The battery measures about 14V with the two items plugged in.

[wee tee cee]

I notice a slight drop off in performance when the battery drops to about 12.2v. Time for me to swap batteries and put the tired one on the car charger. Less so when just using the cans on the Capella/CM2 which lasts for ages with the solar panel. The Temple mono blocks on the full rig draw an awful lot more juice. My batteries are in my unheated cellar which aint helping at this time of year.

[Fi-Wi]

I have been listening to through my Capella for about 20 hours now and find them very transparent indeed. A/B switch-testing between the Capella and the BM II confirms this.

Initially I thought the impact of this HF-amp would be more dramatic but I now hear that its role is much more subtle. What I really enjoy is that I no longer listen to my cans playing music to my ears but I actually experience every musical performance it presents. Classical, jazz, pop and chant are very spacious/3-dimensional and every single instrument and voice is in proportion and not intrusive. Also, the Capella (unlike the BM II) reveals little to none hissing with voices.

I played with various setting of hf/damping/depth but did not (yet) hear any differences with my beyer DT-990 Pro cans (250 ohm). Gain is the only setting that has an impact on what I hear. I followed the manual and turned the volume knob almost to its maximum and tempered the loudness by setting the gain. I guess hf/damping/depth could make/makes a noticable difference when you use headphones that are generally hard to drive but I understand from the manual that these settings are only supposed to take off the edges if necessary.

All-in all I am a happy listener.

[Jankoff]

Big thanks to Stanley! It is very nice to have someone around - in this case even permanently - explaining to you in detail how he designed a device, addressed previous issues etc., and giving advice. Happens very very rarely. Practically I am absolutely new to headphones, have only been using Koss Porta Pro with my smartphone commuting to work. Otherwise I have a very good setup that was complemented with the M2Tech small trio (see below) - battery power supply, clock generator, USB interface. The USB interface is fed into a valve DAC. The primary source is a HDD that now holds a large part of my music collection and for the first time in history I (and we all) have instant access (several clicks) to any track or album. Hence, I decided it would be interesting if I add headphones - to have another mode of listening, be able to listen at night, etc.
I got the Philips Fidelio X2 headphones as a Christmas gift, haven't received them yet. Then I looked around for headphone amps and came across the Capella. I wonder if the impedance of the Fidelio X2, 30 Ohm, would pose any issue and whether headphones with such an impedance need an amp at all. Thanks in advance.

[StanleyB]

I got the Philips Fidelio X2 headphones as a Christmas gift, haven't received them yet. Then I looked around for headphone amps and came across the Capella. I wonder if the impedance of the Fidelio X2, 30 Ohm, would pose any issue and whether headphones with such an impedance need an amp at all. Thanks in advance.
:scratch: . Why would 30 Ohms pose an issue? I don't think that Philips would have brought out a 30 Ohms headphone if it would be difficult to get sound out of it.
You need some sort of signal amplification to get sound out of any headphone. In general, you'll get a better sound and performance with a headphone amp instead of the headphone socket from say an iPhone.

[Jankoff]

Thank you, Maestro! :) I have no technical qualification but I like to read and I have many years of experience with hi-fi - and ears ...
Now I realize I asked a stupid question. I didn't have a smartphone in mind but the headphone inputs of some devices that I have - amps, old cassette decks, CD writers. I know they give different results - some cope better. But I also have a valve preamp (standard) that interestingly says on its front that it is "an earphone amplifier". I thought this might be good for the Fidelio - although it might simply be a printing (engraving) error of some sort. I have been using this for many years as a standard preamp.
Baffled, consulted a friend of mine who is in the hi-fi business. He talked me out of the idea of using this preamp for headphones, explaining things I didn't understand, and drew my attention to the Capella. Proposed to place an order for me, I agreed. Will do it soon - may have already done it.
So, after receiving the amp and the Fidelio, I will hopefully have better questions to ask :)
Looking forward to getting the gadgets and starting playing with them ... :cool:

[Jankoff]

Yes! Yes! Yes! The Capella arrived!
Unfortunately, I still haven't got the Fidelio - who is to marry the Capella. :D
Oh, the Capella! Not only is she a beauty, she sings! :D
Listened for minutes only, had to leave for work. Tomorrow further tests with lower grade headphones and burning-in starts. Will report in due time.
Thanks once again, Stanley! My friend Plamen Momchilov, who suggested and provided the Capella, is also very impressed and would like to collaborate with you, also with other products.

[jon1]

Plug the capella in to my main system using the preamp..Well:eyebrows:That is one excellent preamp leaving it in their for now ...How do you do it for the price stan?..BTW stan how about just a dac with out a preamp built in... and headphones?..Anything in the pipe line?;)




jon

[StanleyB]

Plug the capella in to my main system using the preamp..Well:eyebrows:That is one excellent preamp leaving it in their for now ...How do you do it for the price stan?
I am a mug :doh: :D.



..BTW stan how about just a dac with out a preamp built in... and headphones?..Anything in the pipe line?;)
Is there a market for such an item though? An excellent sounding one would easily cost more than the CaimanII to build. But current day expectations from that sort of price range expects just about everything to be included. But something have to give for that price. It's sound quality or feature packed. I am not into that kind of quantity sales to justify the R&D costs involved as far as adding features such as remote, DSD, etc. If it is built from a less complicated design it won't outperform the Caiman. And then there is the issue of USB. Not everyone needs it, but it adds at least 20% to the cost of a DAC.

[Canetoad]

I would have liked the option to order the Caiman II with a 2nd coax connection instead of the USB.

[Canetoad]

Stan,

Your mailbox is full. I'm trying to send you a PM. :)

[StanleyB]

Stan,

Your mailbox is full. I'm trying to send you a PM. :)
Sorted now.

[wee tee cee]

I use the Capella as an active pre in my set up...Its very good indeed. A few of the troops have heard it at my place and purchased one off the back of what they heard. I run it and my whole system on battery power.

It has proved to be a very good partner to a number of t amps and my valve monos.

[Jankoff]

With a great delay, the Fidelio, who was to marry the Capella (see my previous post), arrived yesterday. The day before it arrived, I read a review of it, just published, http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/headphones/philips-fidelio-x2-1281316/review A rave review!
But let me tell you what happened before that.
Meanwhile I had to test the Capella anyway, and did this with a pair of old and inexpensive (compared to the Fidelio) headphones, Beyerdynamic DT331. I had used these for many years and knew what they can do - without a headphone amp, that is. From the first moment I hooked them to the Capella, their sound dramatically transformed to the better - as if I had made a significant headphones upgrade.
Yes! The Capella rocks! :cool: And the tweaks in the Capella proved very useful, especially as the DT331 turned out very difficult to drive.
Yesterday, after the Fidelio-Capella marriage took place, from the very start the duo provided everything considered of essence in hi-fi/hi-end: very good overall dynamics; punch and bang solid yet pleasant; good highs as well as lows - highs smooth enough, not fatiguing, bass deep and well defined; voices and instruments pleasant and true to life, very good separation between them; good staging; good overall detail. Whatever I can think of, you name it, the duo has it. The problem is, I cannot say which of the two devices offers more contribution to the sound - whether the amp or the headphones. Probably both in equal measure. Of course, what I am saying is about a state in which both devices are new, with practically no burning-in. And another necessary note. The test was made with a decent but inexpensive SACD player as an analogue source (special interconnect, of course), presently available. I know what will happen to the sound when I connect the duo to my first setup - see the sources below, plus quality amplification, all the special cables (digital, analogue, power), the power-cleaning device, the platinum wall socket, the special anti-vibration gadgets, etc. :D :D But this will be due to the setup.
In any case, I am completely satisfied. I realize I have made two very good purchases. Even if the sound of the duo remains the same after burning-in, I will continue to be completely satisfied. If it improves, well, you know ... :D Great news not to have to buy another similar thing. For some time, that is ... :D
Bravo, Stanley! Bravo, Philips!
:mex::grouphug::rave::more:

[jon1]

With a great delay, the Fidelio, who was to marry the Capella (see my previous post), arrived yesterday. The day before it arrived, I read a review of it, just published, http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/headphones/philips-fidelio-x2-1281316/review A rave review!
But let me tell you what happened before that.
Meanwhile I had to test the Capella anyway, and did this with a pair of old and inexpensive (compared to the Fidelio) headphones, Beyerdynamic DT331. I had used these for many years and knew what they can do - without a headphone amp, that is. From the first moment I hooked them to the Capella, their sound dramatically transformed to the better - as if I had made a significant headphones upgrade.
Yes! The Capella rocks! :cool: And the tweaks in the Capella proved very useful, especially as the DT331 turned out very difficult to drive.
Yesterday, after the Fidelio-Capella marriage took place, from the very start the duo provided everything considered of essence in hi-fi/hi-end: very good overall dynamics; punch and bang solid yet pleasant; good highs as well as lows - highs smooth enough, not fatiguing, bass deep and well defined; voices and instruments pleasant and true to life, very good separation between them; good staging; good overall detail. Whatever I can think of, you name it, the duo has it. The problem is, I cannot say which of the two devices offers more contribution to the sound - whether the amp or the headphones. Probably both in equal measure. Of course, what I am saying is about a state in which both devices are new, with practically no burning-in. And another necessary note. The test was made with a decent but inexpensive SACD player as an analogue source (special interconnect, of course), presently available. I know what will happen to the sound when I connect the duo to my first setup - see the sources below, plus quality amplification, all the special cables (digital, analogue, power), the power-cleaning device, the platinum wall socket, the special anti-vibration gadgets, etc. :D :D But this will be due to the setup.
In any case, I am completely satisfied. I realize I have made two very good purchases. Even if the sound of the duo remains the same after burning-in, I will continue to be completely satisfied. If it improves, well, you know ... :D Great news not to have to buy another similar thing. For some time, that is ... :D
Bravo, Stanley! Bravo, Philips!
:mex::grouphug::rave::more:

Enjoy..;)







jon

[Gixer k6]

Hi, Could you give me some advice on what is the best way to power the Capella, I received one a few days ago and the standard power supply seems a bit cheap to be using it with this AMP, My question is could this be run off a Motorcycle battery and give better results, I did read about someone on hear that was using a bike battery but not sure who it is, I want to try to run it some way with a battery rather than spend on an expensive power supply, The battery I was thinking of using is a Honda cbr600rr which is 12volts, Could you give me ant advice.
Regard Neil

[Gixer k6]

Hi, Could you give me some advice on what is the best way to power the Capella, I received one a few days ago and the standard power supply seems a bit cheap to be using it with this AMP, My question is could this be run off a Motorcycle battery and give better results, I did read about someone on hear that was using a bike battery but not sure who it is, I want to try to run it some way with a battery rather than spend on an expensive power supply, The battery I was thinking of using is a Honda cbr600rr which is 12volts, Could you tell me if this would be worth using as a preamp with a Nad c325bee using the power amp
Regard Neil

[jon1]

Hi, Could you give me some advice on what is the best way to power the Capella, I received one a few days ago and the standard power supply seems a bit cheap to be using it with this AMP, My question is could this be run off a Motorcycle battery and give better results, I did read about someone on hear that was using a bike battery but not sure who it is, I want to try to run it some way with a battery rather than spend on an expensive power supply, The battery I was thinking of using is a Honda cbr600rr which is 12volts, Could you tell me if this would be worth using as a preamp with a Nad c325bee using the power amp
Regard Neil

Neil the preamp in the capella is excellent i use it in my main setup..as for the power supply use the one that you got with the capella.. that's all i use it works a treat





jon

[StanleyB]

Hi, Could you give me some advice on what is the best way to power the Capella, I received one a few days ago and the standard power supply seems a bit cheap to be using it with this AMP,
If you want one that looks expensive and is expensive, PM "Lurcher" on this forum. He builds a special Capella power supply to order. It's around £199.99. I got one and it is the last thing in performance extraction from the Capella.

[Gixer k6]

Hi Stan,
I was chatting to a chap on Head fi and he told me he uses a Anker Astro Pro to run his amp and dac, but it states the output as 5v/9v/12v yet the one you supply is 15v, Is he using the wrong supply?

[StanleyB]

I have no idea. If the chap on head-fi says that it works fine for him, who am I to question him? I haven't got or tried an Anker battery myself, so any comments regarding its suitability or not would be pure guess work.

[mkrzych]

Hi Stan,
I was chatting to a chap on Head fi and he told me he uses a Anker Astro Pro to run his amp and dac, but it states the output as 5v/9v/12v yet the one you supply is 15v, Is he using the wrong supply?

There are several posts even here that Anker Astro Pro 2nd Gen will work with Capella and CMII. I am using it with CMII and so far works like a charm on 12V. If you read the comments in the CMII guide it states that is optimised to be powered by battery on 12V.

[Gixer k6]

Thanks for you advise but I have decided to try I repeat try and sell it,
The last two emails I sent to the seller he has just ignored, Also these have just been reduced so that has been a big help with regards to selling mine,

[mkrzych]

I have two questions about Capella:
1. Which of the controls on the front facia of Capella are normal pots and which rotary switches?
2. Does the Balance control have fixed center position? I mean kind of position that you can feel that's central moving the pot?

[DreamKing]

I hear a faint scratch when the Capella is used as a preamp from the volume knob when its position is past 1 o'clock. Is this as normal/regular (as per the owner's manual) as hearing the faint scratch from the gain knob in main headphone amplifier configuration? I'll add that the sound is irregular, it sometimes cannot be heard at any knob position.

[coolblue]

I am planning to add capella to my system. I use cd player and digital player connected to caiman mkII and caiman connected to my pre amplifier. I have also tuner, cassette player and vinyl connected to my pre amplifier. In this situation how can I connect caiman to capella.

Can I use Single Phono to 2 Phono Sockets Audio Splitter from caiman 1 socket to capella and the other socket to my pre amplifier , or can I directly connect the tape output of my pre amplifier to capella.

[StanleyB]

You can connect the Caiman output to the Capella, and then the Capella output to the preamp. Or you can try a RCA splitter to connect the Caiman to the Capella or to the preamp, etc. I use the TC-7240 to do that sort of inter connectivity. One of its outputs goes to me amp, one goes to the Capella. The Caiman goes to one of its inputs. So I can connect the Caiman to the Capella or the amp.

[Old George]

My Capella arrived today (thanks Stan!),initially i tried to run both the Capella and Caiman off my old APC-20000 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Portable-Battery-Charger-for-Laptop-20-000mAh-/330919124943?rmvSB=true&afsrc=1&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=klJU3L1mBdw7jDie%252BOfwegnpICE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc)
All i got was weak low quality sound from right ear cup and nothing from the left.
Then i connected the Capella to the supplied PSU and the Caiman to the battery and that solved the problem. Shame really, the battery ran my previous Bushmaster 2 and the present Caiman 2 without a glitch, the old Ankar battery i owned had the dreaded 'power down' because the Bushmaster draws so little power. It seems the Caiman 2 combined with the Capella is a little too much for this battery.


Great product, running the Hifiman HE-400 phones from the Caiman MK2 i had to turn the volume to between 12 o'clock and 1 o'clock position to get a decent level of volume, now i'm running them around the 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock position and they sound clearer and more focussed, and it seems i have gained a little extra bass definition.(Gain set approx 2 o'clock).
From what i've read, planar magnet headphones really gain from a headphone amp that has 2 watts or more of power output, the Capella has 4 watts?

I'd like a battery pack that has enough output to run the Caiman MK2 and Capella together, what do you guys recommend?

[Old George]

Does the Balance control have fixed center position? I mean kind of position that you can feel that's central moving the pot?

Yes it has.:)

[Kit1cat]

This should cover your battery needs.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GSLRKJO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ianker-21&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00GSLRKJO

[coolblue]

You can connect the Caiman output to the Capella, and then the Capella output to the preamp. Or you can try a RCA splitter to connect the Caiman to the Capella or to the preamp, etc. I use the TC-7240 to do that sort of inter connectivity. One of its outputs goes to me amp, one goes to the Capella. The Caiman goes to one of its inputs. So I can connect the Caiman to the Capella or the amp.

Thank you Stan. TC-7240 looks nice .In this option I need extra rca cables.
cable 1 from caiman to TC-7240 input
cable 2 from TC-7240 out to pre amp
cable 3 from TC-7240 out to capella

Should I choose the same rca for cable 1 and 2 . Or it doesn't matter.

For the first option you mentioned , if I connect the Caiman output to the Capella input and capella out to my pre amp, soundwise does it make any difference than using TC-7240.

[Old George]

This should cover your battery needs.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GSLRKJO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ianker-21&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00GSLRKJO

Thanks Barry, odd that this is 20000mAh same as my old Ankaka, but the Ankaka not capable of powering both?

[Kit1cat]

Thanks Barry, odd that this is 20000mAh same as my old Ankaka, but the Ankaka not capable of powering both?

I don't know about the Ankaka, I would think the Anker 2 would power both with no problem, the manuals for both say they support a 12v battery pack, any users confirm? I have used mine to power my Bushmaster and Touch at the same time with no problems, now using it with a Raspberry Pi and dac combination.

[Jankoff]

For almost a year I have been listening from time to time to the Capella with the Philips Fidelio X2. Very happy. No problem. Great sound, coming from: Notebook + M2Tech Evo Power Supply + M2Tech Evo Clock High End Word-Clock-Generator + M2Tech HiFace Evo 24Bit/192kHz USB-Interface + Advance Acoustic MDA-503 + Capella + Philips Fidelio X2 (I am only referring to the headphone section of the setup). However, in the winter I live in another place where, because of my work duties, I am in front of a PC all day long. Here I use the following (slightly funny) combination: PC + M2Tech HiFace Evo 24Bit/192kHz USB-Interface + Philips CDR775 + Capella + Philips Fidelio X2, where the Philips CDR775 is used as a DAC feeding the Capella. No loudspeakers - until today. Today I decided I would also need loudspeakers. So I got a Tannoy Mercury VRi pair. I hooked them up to an old fine receiver just to check their sound. I was pleasantly surprised. So these days the Tannoy Mercury VRis will be hung over the two monitors of the PC - accompanied by a subwoofer, dug out from an old setup. I also dug out an old Cambridge Audio P500 power amp from another old setup and I will use it to fire the Tannoy Mercury VRis, whereby the Capella will feed sound to the Cambridge Audio P500. It's good to have a nice sound when working on the PC all day long - coming from BOTH loudspeakers and headphones. It is boring to uses only headphones.
To cut the long story short, in about a couple of days I hope to get settled in front of the PC with both the loudspeakers and the Capella in its capacity as both headphone amp and a pre-amp. And I will report the results.

[Theadmans]

I have a 1st Gen silver Anker battery which powers my Capella and Bushmaster MKII at the same time. It does power off though after 20 mins (so I added a grain of wheat bulb on a Y-Cable to cure this problem).

In fact my single Anker battery powers the Capella, Bushmaster plus Squeezebox Touch on 5v USB outlet !

BTW I believe the black 2nd Gen Anker linked to above can also have the 20 minute power off problem too.

It does appear that the problem is the Caiman (I only have BM so cannot test).

I think if I was you I would use your 2 batteries one for the Capella and one for the Caiman (I think I read previously that someone found separate batteries for each piece of kit sounds better).

[struth]

I believe the gen2 one doesnt put out as much current on the 12 volt line as the gen1 which was about 4 amps, so if current is arequirement then the gen1 is the one to go for although its dearer

[Audio Advent]

I believe the gen2 one doesnt put out as much current on the 12 volt line as the gen1 which was about 4 amps, so if current is arequirement then the gen1 is the one to go for although its dearer

The Beresford products have a particularly low current draw, hence why the original one powers down and one has to artificially increase the current draw.

[struth]

Yes I know, but folk might want to use it for other things too, that needs more current. The small bulb was the original method to stop it switching off. Dunno if there is a newer method. I used a linear psu when I had the capella

[Old George]

I have a 1st Gen silver Anker battery which powers my Capella and Bushmaster MKII at the same time. It does power off though after 20 mins (so I added a grain of wheat bulb on a Y-Cable to cure this problem).

In fact my single Anker battery powers the Capella, Bushmaster plus Squeezebox Touch on 5v USB outlet !

BTW I believe the black 2nd Gen Anker linked to above can also have the 20 minute power off problem too.

It does appear that the problem is the Caiman (I only have BM so cannot test).

I think if I was you I would use your 2 batteries one for the Capella and one for the Caiman (I think I read previously that someone found separate batteries for each piece of kit sounds better).

Looks like a 'damned if you do damned if you don't' scenario Adam, i had the 1st gen' Anker that cut out after 20 mins. The Ankaka (and it's various spin offs) don't suffer from this problem, but as i've previously stated it doesn't have the output of the Anker.
Stan informed me that the 12 volt PSU supplied with the Capella is a low noise model that will power both Caiman and Capella in tandem. It looks like the solution is for me to purchase the 2nd gen Anker and have a two battery system if i want to squeeze a little extra performance from my kit.

Does anyone have the 20 minute power down issue with the second gen Anker battery?

[StanleyB]

The Capella sold very well in the last few days after I priced it at a special discount. I got hardly any left and I am now worried if I'll be able to get some more made up before Christmas. These erratic sales demands are a right pain at this time of the year.

[Harvey13]

I have the 2nd generation Anker Old George and can confirm I have never had any power down issues :) I tend to swap between the Anker (mainly use) and the supplied 12v battery supply every so often as they sound a little different. The Caiman and Capella are a dream to use (currently using DT 880 600 ohm cans) and never had any issues!

[Old George]

I have the 2nd generation Anker Old George and can confirm I have never had any power down issues :) I tend to swap between the Anker (mainly use) and the supplied 12v battery supply every so often as they sound a little different. The Caiman and Capella are a dream to use (currently using DT 880 600 ohm cans) and never had any issues!

Dumb question time Rupert, so you have both the Caiman and Capella running off the Anker without the power down issue?

[Harvey13]

That is correct Old George! I would say the maximum I have ever had it on for in one go is for roughly 5 hours and that never cut out :D

[Old George]

That is correct Old George! I would say the maximum I have ever had it on for in one go is for roughly 5 hours and that never cut out :D

Cheers Rupert, that's £40 off to Amazon!

[Jankoff]

As I said the other day, I was going to set up a system for my home PC (tight space in a small room) with the Capella in it. It's almost settled already. Source is HDD + PC with a special "DAC-UP USB port" (the motherboard is Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z97). Whether this "DAC-UP USB" port makes a difference soundwise, I don't know - and will be grateful for advice. Then a decent special (but not expensive) USB cable sends digits to the M2Tech HiFace Evo 24Bit/192kHz USB-Interface and then through a very good DIY digital cable to the Advance Acoustic MPP-505 digital pre-amp. The signal is then fed to the Cambridge Audio power amp and to the Tannoy VRi (good cables throughout). I like the Tannoys' sound very much! No subwoofer yet. But there will be one soon. Although charming in the highs and mids, without a sub the Tannoys are "half-alive". The Capella receives sound from the MPP-505 and transfers it to the Fidelio X2 headphones.
Opinions (mine, entirely based on personal experience):
- the Capella is great as a Headphone amp;
- the Capella is very good as a preamp (when used in the above configuration instead of the MPP-505). However, it cannot match a higher class preamp. I tried the Capella in my first setup instead of my valve preamp (price in the €500 range, good valves) to feed my hi-end power amps. The Capella is acceptable, but not in the valve preamp league;
- as mentioned here by others, the Capella as a preamp gives some hiss. Being a layman in the technical sphere but having a lot of experience with equipment and in listening, I know that the elimination of hiss leads to softness, loss of dynamics and bang, etc. while at the same time costing a lot of money to the producer. It is the case with my MPP-505. It costs €900 and has no hiss. My valve preamp mentioned above, costing twice less and having a hiss, blows the MPP-505 out of the water in terms of dynamics and bang. I have observed this in other cases as well, where expensive equipment with no hiss offers less sound than "cheaper equipment" with hiss. I prefer "cheaper equipment" :D :D :D with better sound, better dynamics and bang to more expensive equipment - with guaranteed softness achieved at a price. Hence, even with the hiss, the Capella is OK as a preamp in a less demanding setup, like the one described here.
- I am utterly convinced that the USB interface is extremely important and that it can offer immensely superior sound to that from a CD - DAC combination (unless the CD is exorbitantly expensive). Contrary to some opinions here, I think that the USB cable is extremely important. Using a standard £1 USB cable for audio is a joke. The German magazine AUDIO publishes ratings for USB cables. I followed their advice with respect to cables (in the lower end of the classification) and can re-confirm their estimates. I am not saying one must use a very expensive USB cable, but the sound difference between a £1 USB cable and a £20 or £40 USB cable is considerable (given that one has the other relevant quality components, e.g. clock generator, DAC, battery power supply, etc.).
- My experience with USB interface is relatively new. I first bought the highly rated M2Tech HiFace Evo 24Bit/192kHz USB-Interface. Was immediately blown away! Hooked up to my Advance Acoustic MDA 503 (with upgraded valves) it easily beat the Advance Acoustic CD-Transport combo. Then I added the M2Tech clock generator and the battery power supply - and .... do not want to hear any more of a CD player or transport as sources to a good DAC (unless a USB interface is unavallable :D).
Hence my questions (mostly to Stan):
- Why do so many people here seem to be unaware of the benefits of the HDD - USB interface - DAC route for the digits?
- Why is the Beresford ASYNCH-1 "reduced in price to clear"? New model coming? Or due to be discontinued because of low demand? Would be very, very surprised to hear the latter;
- Why is the Caiman not equipped with an asynchronous USB connection? Will a new Caiman model be? Asking because, having the Capella, the Caiman might also be of use to me as both a DAC and a preamp.
Thank you very much everybody (and Stan in particular) in advance! :pub:

[StanleyB]

Hi Krasimir,

too many questions, and they could be dangerous to answer..
As for the Capella hiss: check the power supply. It should say 12V. If you are using it with the 15V power supply from the Caiman, or with a battery pack that gives out more than 12V, the current buffer tends to draw more current. The extra current drawn under no load condition can cause the current buffer to sound a bit noisier. If you accidentally got a 15V power supply for the Capella as well, and you are not using a battery pack, email me with your address and I shall send you a 12V power supply instead.

[Jankoff]

Thanks, Stan! I will check again.

[fourtetisburial]

Hi.

I have a question about the powering down cycle of the Capella. When i turn off the amp, there's a short crackling noise. I just want to do if this can be harmful to headphones or speakers?h

[StanleyB]

Not from a small crackle.

[tim1750]

Hi.

I have a question about the powering down cycle of the Capella. When i turn off the amp, there's a short crackling noise. I just want to do if this can be harmful to headphones or speakers?h

What would the crackle be Stan