# who is Kevin Gilmore?



## blargman

wikipedia is empty, someone should create one!

 i see his name alot in amp design. alot being the 1 day i've been looking into amp design.


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## MASantos

Dr. Kevin GIlmore is the designer of the Dynalo, Dynahi, KGSS, Dinatube, some of the best designs in headphone amplifiers.

 there is much more to be said about him though...


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## Thaddy

He's synonomous with some very excellent sounding amplifiers


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## Garbz

He was a lecturer at a university (was it stanford?) and a designer who produces some wonderfully musical however ludicrously inefficient amplifier design, and posts them on the board.

 He does (did?) regularly visit this board, especially if you mention really high voltages or other dangerous or crazy projects.

 He is responsible for the Dynalo, Dynamid (balanced dynalo), Dynahi, and Dynamight (balanced dynahi) designs, as well as having a ludicrous but so far untested Tube amplifier design.


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## zbuddah

Actually I believe he was/is a physics professor at Northwestern University.


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## amb

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *zbuddah* 
_Actually I believe he was/is a physics professor at Northwestern University._

 

Chemistry. And he is still there.


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## ezkcdude

When I read the thread title, I thought to myself, "Is that the protaganist of an Ayn Rand novel about DIY that I never read?"


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## zbuddah

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *amb* 
_Chemistry. And he is still there. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 


 Ah yes there we go!


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## EdipisReks

KG is awesome. so are his amps.


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## blargman

sounds like one smart dude. I think I am going to try and build a dynamite. Are there parts still available to do this? is it dumb to try and make one as a newb? there aren't any problems with the design are there? Are all the current designs at http://www.djgardner.com/headphone/gilmore/ ?

 It may take me awhile to build, but i can't find an amp that i've heard more good things about or anyone has panned. well except Garbz saying its inefficient. but he isn't a newb like me and could probably redesign it. no way in hell i could


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## MisterX

Quote:


 is it dumb to try and make one as a newb? 
 

If you think you can handle troubleshooting a Dynamite if you mess it up then by all means go for it. 
 If not you may want to start with something that is more n00b friendly.


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## 00940

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *blargman* 
_Are all the current designs at http://www.djgardner.com/headphone/gilmore/



_

 

No. You'll find his electrostatic amps in headwize's library and you'll find a cute hybrid amp here : http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80748 (easily adapted to balanced btw)


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## Andrea

For how very little I dealt with him, I think that Kevin is a honest person in an almost old-fashioned way.


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## Voodoochile

Inefficiency is bound to creep in when you are skating along the bleeding edge. There are a lot of other designs that are good, and more efficient if that's a prerequisite. Like a car, the most efficient is not apt to be the best performing, so you get to pick your path.

 Ask Kevin about his bird bath sometime. He builds other things, too.


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## blargman

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *MisterX* 
_If you think you can handle troubleshooting a Dynamite if you mess it up then by all means go for it. 
 If not you may want to start with something that is more n00b friendly. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 


 ya therein lies the rub. the actual amp looks rather simple, the power supply looks a bit tricky tho. all in all tho I mean really the hardwork was really done already in designing the thing. as long as the reference design that available off the site i gave is reliable. all i should need is a good multimeter no? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





 I'm surprised no one's said yet "He's the hardest working man in show-business"


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## jjcha

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *amb* 
_Chemistry. And he is still there. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



_

 

Really? He doesn't appear on the faculty directory.

 I always thought he was some sort of engineer there. Maybe sanitation?

 Best,

 -Jason


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## PinkFloyd

You're all wrong I'm afraid. Kevin Gilmore is an urban myth, many claim he is a portly bearded gent who designs amps.... WRONG! Kevin Gilmore is in fact leader of a very small tribe of Pygmies who hang out somewhere in the Ituri Forest in West Africa.

 True, he does have a beard, but he's far from being the large framed "portly" gent that people make out. Kevin (or "komonisabi" as he's known to his tribe) stands about 3 foot tall and has a bone through his nose, his beard is the only thing that distinguishes him from the rest of his tribe.... oh, and also the fact that he's of "white" appearance.

 This big guy from the States (him with the beard) is a fraud, no way is he the "real" Kevin Gilmore of the Ituri Forest. I have smoked from the uguroo pipe (in the nude I may add) with the "real" Kevin Gilmore deep in the Ituru Forest so I know this to be the case... this guy with his Dynahi amps is not the real KG.


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## 00940

There's a Kevin Jeffrey Gilmore in the faculty/staff directory of Northwestern University. He's an electrical engineer. 

 As a proof : http://www.chem.northwestern.edu/resources/staff/


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## flecom

his amps sound great, but he seems kind full of himself imo...

 he was also working on an otl capless tube amp, not sure whatever happened with that...


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## kevin gilmore

I'm just another lab rat that happens to live
 in the same cage as Pinky and the Brain.

 Narf.


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## flecom

so if one is a genious, and the other is insane, what does that make you?


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## kevin gilmore

The answer to that question should be completely obvious by now.


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## steinba

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *flecom* 
_so if one is a genious, and the other is insane, what does that make you? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





_

 

Why couldnt one be both?


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## evil-zen

insanely genius


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## thrice

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *PinkFloyd* 
_You're all wrong I'm afraid. Kevin Gilmore is an urban myth, many claim he is a portly bearded gent who designs amps.... WRONG! Kevin Gilmore is in fact leader of a very small tribe of Pygmies who hang out somewhere in the Ituri Forest in West Africa.

 True, he does have a beard, but he's far from being the large framed "portly" gent that people make out. Kevin (or "komonisabi" as he's known to his tribe) stands about 3 foot tall and has a bone through his nose, his beard is the only thing that distinguishes him from the rest of his tribe.... oh, and also the fact that he's of "white" appearance.

 This big guy from the States (him with the beard) is a fraud, no way is he the "real" Kevin Gilmore of the Ituri Forest. I have smoked from the uguroo pipe (in the nude I may add) with the "real" Kevin Gilmore deep in the Ituru Forest so I know this to be the case... this guy with his Dynahi amps is not the real KG._

 


 I heard he was really ten feet tall and shoots thunderbolts from his arse.


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## boodi

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *evil-zen* 
_insanely genius_

 

or also genially insane , ahah


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## PinkFloyd

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *PinkFloyd* 
_ Kevin Gilmore is in fact leader of a very small tribe of Pygmies who hang out somewhere in the Ituri Forest in West Africa._

 

I hope some of you guys (Including Kevin himself) realise my post was a joke 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I love KG (the real, bearded KG) and wouldn't say anything bad about him, so Kevin, this post was obviously in jest


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## Garbz

They say sarcasm and humor translate poorly over written media, but that was plain and clearly a joke


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## kevin gilmore

Hey pinky, i thought your post was well written and highly entertaining.
 I sent you an email on it, it bounced. As long as you were sober when
 you wrote it... I love sarcasm but most of the time people don't get my
 version.


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## EdipisReks

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *PinkFloyd* 
_I hope some of you guys (Including Kevin himself) realise my post was a joke 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I love KG (the real, bearded KG) and wouldn't say anything bad about him, so Kevin, this post was obviously in jest 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

oh... i thought you were making a documentary movie. i was hoping to preorder it


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## blargman

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *kevin gilmore* 
_Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati_

 


 you kinda look like Red green 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			






 *edit* thanks for all the info guys, sry for the dumb question 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 cool amp Dr. Gilmore, I plan to try to sling some solder at your design ASAP.


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## Andrea

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Andrea* 
_For how very little I dealt with him, I think that Kevin is a honest person in an almost old-fashioned way._

 

Alright, but didn't anyone get the subtle shade of irony in my previous post? I'm too much for you all. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





 (just making fun 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 )


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## Voodoochile

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *blargman* 
_you kinda look like Red green 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

Duly noted, grasshopper!


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## rsaavedra

Kevin Gilmore makes amps that exhibit some well known features: 
 - Sound great
 - Are rather difficult to build
 - Some newbies for some crazy reason choose those amps as their first DIY project
 - Those newbies (see my profile 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




) might blow a power supply, and/or might put resistors in the stepped attenuator in reverse order when building them


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## robzy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Kevin Gilmore* 
_*Kevin's Rules of Proper Audio Design
*
Capacitors in the audio signal path are BAD. Even the best silver-mica or poly caps exhibit non-linearities at low voltage levels. Capacitors belong in power supply sections and nowhere else. Capacitors used to compensate an amplifer generally mean that the amplifier is otherwise unstable, with poles in the right half plane and is therefore a bad design.
Transformers in the audio signal path are even worse: non-linearities in the gain structure, parasitic capacitance between windings, impedance problems.... Transformers belong in linear power supplies and nowhere else.
Ultra high open loop gain: REAL, REAL BAD!!! That basically means anything with an opamp in it. Opamp circuits with open loop gains of 10,000 or more require large amounts of feedback to make them usable. While this reduces THD, the intermodulation products, and especially the transient intermodulation products are much higher than they should be.
Servo loops MUST NOT be in the audio feedback loop. This rule is also very important. Two of my favorite high-end audio electronics manufacturers put servo loops into the minus input of their amplifiers. Most other manufacturers that use servo loops do the same thing. opamps used for servo loops do not have an output impedance low enough to make them suitable for this purpose. Furthermore the dynamic output impedance of opamps adds non-linearities to the audio when put in series with the gain resistor on the minus input.
_

 

http://headwize.com/projects/showfil...lmore3_prj.htm

 Rob.


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## philodox

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *thrice* 
_I heard he was really ten feet tall and shoots thunderbolts from his arse._

 

Well, he's not ten feet tall... that's for sure.


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## kevin gilmore

At the end of the day i'm lucky to still be 5 feet tall.


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## Viverr

Mr. Gilmore, perhaps a picture of this "birdbath" to satisfy my burning curiosity?


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## Duggeh

Some say He was born in space.
 Some say He never blinks.
 Some say If you tune your radio to 88.4 FM you can actually hear his thoughts.
 Some say He does not see like humans do, instead he sees numbers in green scrolling down.
 Some say He naturally faces magnetic north.
 Some say He is illegal in 17 U.S. states.
 Some say His heart ticks like a watch.
 Some say All his legs are hydraulic.
 Some say His breath smells of magnesium.
 Some say He is more machine than man.
 Some say His teeth glow in the dark.
 Some say He has a digital face.

 All we know is he's called Kevin Gilmore.

 [size=xx-small]And not The Stig.[/size]


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## Jahn

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Viverr* 
_Mr. Gilmore, perhaps a picture of this "birdbath" to satisfy my burning curiosity?_

 

Ak and ye shall receive, and I hope KG doesn't mind that I hacked the Northwestern server for these pics-

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/birdbath2.jpg
http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/birdbath3.jpg


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## a1rocketpilot

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Duggeh* 
_Some say He was born in space.
 Some say He never blinks.
 Some say If you tune your radio to 88.4 FM you can actually hear his thoughts.
 Some say He does not see like humans do, instead he sees numbers in green scrolling down.
 Some say He naturally faces magnetic north.
 Some say He is illegal in 17 U.S. states.
 Some say His heart ticks like a watch.
 Some say All his legs are hydraulic.
 Some say His breath smells of magnesium.
 Some say He is more machine than man.
 Some say His teeth glow in the dark.
 Some say He has a digital face.

 All we know is he's called Kevin Gilmore.

 [size=xx-small]And not The Stig.[/size]_

 

Holy crap!!! Kevin Gilmore is The Stig!!!! The mystery is solved!!!!!

 Aditya


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## Viverr

Somehow, Jahn's post slipped by me! Not good. A few thoughts:

 1: That's a hell of a birdbath! I'd like to be a bird in that thing.

 2: Some parts of it appear to be constructed out of stainless steel lab equipment and fittings. Hmm....

 3: Mr Gilmore. there's an ant crawling around on the brickwork to the left. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Naturally, I eagerly await the introduction of a DIY ant-farm schematic that requires extensive milling experience and deep pockets.

 -V


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## Azure

Is he really full of himself?


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## Thaddy

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Azure* 
_Is he really full of himself?_

 

Ask him yourself, he's reading the thead I'm sure.


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## blaken

I heard he killed a bear with a toothpic from a swiss army knife. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 BTW in the first birdbath picture you can clearly see bigfoot in the upper left hand side sitting under a tree.


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## shplorgh

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Azure* 
_Is he really full of himself?_

 

He's really full of the last person who asked him that..


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## Jahn

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *hungrych* 
_He's really full of the last person who asked him that..



_

 


 Oi, a Frank Sinatra reference!


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## shplorgh

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Jahn* 
_Oi, a Frank Sinatra reference!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

It was? Totally unintentional.


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## Viverr

Any takers on the next reference involving a band leader and a rather blunt suggestion? No? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 -V


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## kevin gilmore

quote
 2: Some parts of it appear to be constructed out of stainless steel lab equipment and fittings. Hmm....


 This might give you a hint
http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/p500-3.jpg

 Picture is of a round bottom 500mhz. My birdbath is a round bottom 300mhz.


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## PinkFloyd

Ok guys, time for the evidence to hit your screens!

 Here is Kevin Gilmore (Komonisabi) hanging out with his tribe (team Gilmore) at a secret location deep in the Ituri Forest (Africa)






 You can clearly see Dr. Gilmore and his tribe warming themselves by the very large valve which Gilmore "blew" himself from sand gathered at a beach 28 miles west of his forest camp.

 Have no doubts, this is the real deal, The man they call "Komonisabi" caught on camera for the world to see.


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## mb3k

Hehe, nice one Pink.
 Kevin may be developing a chemical amplifier in the deep forests for his tribe.


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## Viverr

Quote:


 This might give you a hint
http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/p500-3.jpg

 Picture is of a round bottom 500mhz. My birdbath is a round bottom 300mhz. 
 

It's an NMR Spec., right?

 -V

 edit: Part of one, anyway.


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## Samgotit

Quote:


 This might give you a hint
http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/p500-3.jpg

 

Everytime I see your avatar I would swear you're just a head. Those nitrogen tanks confirm my belief. That nitrogen isn't for NMR use. It's to keep the head fresh!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.


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## Sovkiller

IMO he is a very good designer among other things and titles, and royalty aside...LOL...well, he also likes Rolex, and Stax, Corvette, and Mark Levinson amps, like SACD and has very expensive TT in the basement, he is the person responsible for some of the better "speced" amps built in headphone amplification, his amps really measure very good....but unfortunately numbers say sometimes too little about the sound, and as a result some audiophiles may like them, and others may not, some find his designs rather analytical, and lacking of musicality, but that is another point of view for future discussions....


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