# ALO The Continental



## travisg

I just ordered this amp and thought I would start a thread on it.

We are happy to bring you this LIMITED EDITION tube amp. The ALO audio Continental was designed to bring the highest aim of tube amplification - accurate and open musical presentation - to a portable, hand-held device. This aim has been achieved by paying close attention to the basic function of the device, while keeping the operation as simple and easy as possible. The Continental excels at driving all types of headphones especially large harder to drive headphones such as, the Sennheiser HD800, Beyerdynmic T1, AKG 701, 702, Audez'e LCD2 as well as 32 ohm headphones. The Continental will drive headphones to levels matching that of much larger a AC powered desktop amps. Because these Raytheon 6111 NOS tubes are rare and hard to find new in any numbers we will only make a short limited run of these amazing portable tube amplifiers. Comes with 100v - 240v-switching charger with LED indicator, 3 ALO silicone amp straps, box and manual. 

 

SPECIFICATIONS  

Tube type; one Raytheon 6111 NOS tube
Battery Type 1-Cell Lithium-Polymer 
Battery Play Time: Approximately 6 - 7 hours per charge 
Recharge Time: Approximately 3-4 hours 
Frequency Response: 40Hz-20KHz +/- 1dB 
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >100dB 
Total Harmonic Distortion: 1% 
Stereo Crosstalk: >85dB @ 1KHz 
Input Impedance 30K ohms Output 
Dimensions: 120mm (L) x 72mm (W) x 27mm (H)
One Year Limited Warranty



A brief note on the Raytheon 6111 sub-miniature vacuum tube:

The Raytheon 6111 vacuum tube is a sub-miniature low gain, ultra-low micro-phonics, dual triode with a characteristic open sound stage and smooth delivery.  It can deliver a 25VAC audio frequency signal into a 100K ohm load.

The 6111 vacuum tube, with its ultra-low micro-phonics, low power consumption and rugged build is ideal for portable amplification which is why it is at the heart of the Continental. The 6111 is built for rugged use, an ultra long life and low power consumption requirements. The estimated life of a 6111 tube is approximately 100,000 hours.


----------



## grokit

Looks nice, subscribed.


----------



## Anthony1

Well im interested in a new portable amp to go with the CLAS so subscribed too


----------



## skeptic

Interesting that this uses the same 6111 tube as the miu audio portable that was also posted recently.  (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/560507/a-portable-tube-amp)  I wonder who copied whom.


----------



## wsilvio

I ordered one too.  I guess I'm a sucker for tubes!  I think the truth is, I got tired of waiting for my JH-3A and needed a new toy to play with.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  I'm curious to see how these work with my sensaphonics 2x-s.  I know it probably isn't designed for that, but I used to use them with the TTVJ portable tube amp with great success.  Also curious how it will drive my hd800's.


----------



## rohanjd

wsilvio & travisg
   
  Was wondering if you received your amp? Was curious about your impressions of "the Continental".


----------



## evolutionx

Ordered one as well to go with my CLAS as i find the RX Mk 2 too tame for my liking.   I am a sucker for limited editions 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.


----------



## i_djoel2000

looks thick..


----------



## wsilvio

Quote: 





rohanjd said:


> wsilvio & travisg
> 
> Was wondering if you received your amp? Was curious about your impressions of "the Continental".


 

 The Continental is great!  No problem driving my HD800's.  In fact, it really sounds more like a desktop amp than a portable.  I've also used it with sensaphonics 2x-s' and sounds great too.  An interesting combo that I have also tried and like, is the etymotic er4s.  On the ALO sponsor threat, someone also mentioned that the K701's sound fantastic with the continental.  I might have to get another pair to try with the continental!
   
  I really think this is a fantastic sounding amp.  It is also very quiet.  It is a bit on the big side, but would make a great sounding office or bedroom rig.  I'm very happy with the purchase.  Also, the CLAS sounds great with it too!


----------



## Anaxilus

What's the output impedance btw?


----------



## Uncle Erik

What's the actual output power, in mW or W?


----------



## wsilvio

*SPECIFICATIONS* * *

 Tube type; one Raytheon 6111 NOS tube
 Battery Type 1-Cell Lithium-Polymer 
 Battery Play Time: Approximately 6 - 7 hours per charge 
 Recharge Time: Approximately 3-4 hours 
 Frequency Response: 40Hz-20KHz +/- 1dB 
 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >100dB 
 Total Harmonic Distortion: 1% 
 Stereo Crosstalk: >85dB @ 1KHz 
 Input Impedance 30K ohms Output 
 Dimensions: 120mm (L) x 72mm (W) x 27mm (H)
 One Year Limited Warranty

  

 *A brief note on the Raytheon 6111 sub-miniature vacuum tube:*

 The Raytheon 6111 vacuum tube is a sub-miniature low gain, ultra-low micro-phonics, dual triode with a characteristic open sound stage and smooth delivery.  It can deliver a 25VAC audio frequency signal into a 100K ohm load.

 The 6111 vacuum tube, with its ultra-low micro-phonics, low power consumption and rugged build is ideal for portable amplification which is why it is at the heart of the Continental. The 6111 is built for rugged use, an ultra long life and low power consumption requirements. The estimated life of* *a 6111 tube is approximately 100,000 hours.


----------



## rohanjd

Quote: 





wsilvio said:


> The Continental is great!  No problem driving my HD800's.  In fact, it really sounds more like a desktop amp than a portable.  I've also used it with sensaphonics 2x-s' and sounds great too.  An interesting combo that I have also tried and like, is the etymotic er4s.  On the ALO sponsor threat, someone also mentioned that the K701's sound fantastic with the continental.  I might have to get another pair to try with the continental!
> 
> I really think this is a fantastic sounding amp.  It is also very quiet.  It is a bit on the big side, but would make a great sounding office or bedroom rig.  I'm very happy with the purchase.  Also, the CLAS sounds great with it too!


 

 wsilvio,
   
  I was the guy who commented on the AKG K701s on the ALO thread. Last night I was using the Continental through the HD800s and they are remarkably better than the K701s. The reason I was blown away by the Continental + K701 combo was that I have never heard the K701s sound this good with an amp. I used the K701 for almost 3 years through an iPod/pc/xin supermini (go figure), and really only started to enjoy them with my Amphora over a year ago. The K701 compared to the HD800s is that the K701 sound a lot more musical, which is surprising compared to their usual analytical sound signature. The bass is also amazing (authorative, tight, deep) and the overall sound signature just rocks!
   
  HD800 takes it up a few notches with better clarity, imaging etc.
   
  But price wise I did pay 7 to 8 times more for the HD800s compared to the K701s. I do however love my K701s, and have had them for a looooong time.
   
  I do agree with you the ER4s sound amazing with this amp. The ER4s just blow me away...don't know what voodoo they use for that IEM.


----------



## wsilvio

Quote: 





rohanjd said:


> wsilvio,
> 
> I was the guy who commented on the AKG K701s on the ALO thread. Last night I was using the Continental through the HD800s and they are remarkably better than the K701s. The reason I was blown away by the Continental + K701 combo was that I have never heard the K701s sound this good with an amp. I used the K701 for almost 3 years through an iPod/pc/xin supermini (go figure), and really only started to enjoy them with my Amphora over a year ago. The K701 compared to the HD800s is that the K701 sound a lot more musical, which is surprising compared to their usual analytical sound signature. The bass is also amazing (authorative, tight, deep) and the overall sound signature just rocks!
> 
> ...


 


  Yeah, the er-4's are a surprise.  They were my first high end iems.  They were always good, but bass shy.  The bass is much improved with the continental.  Also, if you use the CLAS, and use the EQU app on the ipod touch or iphone, you can eq in a little more bass if needed.  I thought I might get some 701's for my office.  Even if they aren't up to the hd800's.  I don't think I want a pair of $1400.00 headphones laying around my office!


----------



## evolutionx

Listening to Sonic Youth's Star Power (Acoustic 09 version) thru the Continental with CLAS really blow my mind......make the RX Mk II feel like underpowered.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Powerful amp it is.


----------



## cooperpwc

Interesting amp. I wish that this would work with ultra-low impedance IEMs like the ES5 (20 ohm). It looks like the lower limit is 32 ohms.
   
  Maybe someone can try...
   
  Also they seem to be skirting the output impedance issue:
   
  Quote:


> Input Impedance 30K ohms Output


 
   
  What does this mean?


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





cooperpwc said:


> What does this mean?


 

 It means we still don't have answers.


----------



## Uncle Erik

wsilvio said:


> *SPECIFICATIONS* * *
> 
> Tube type; one Raytheon 6111 NOS tube
> Battery Type 1-Cell Lithium-Polymer
> ...




So power is 25V into a 100k Ohm load.

Forgive my rusty high school electronics, but if I recall figuring out Wattage, you square the voltage and divide by the resistance.

25V squared is 625. Divide by 100,000 and you get 6.25mW.

Did I get my math correct? Please feel free to correct me; it's been almost 25 years since I took that course.


----------



## qusp

yeah its a bit of an odd spec, 100k is 1000 x the likely load impedance this amp will see. do we have any useful specs?
   
  yes Erik, 6.25mW into 100k, of course the current would be higher into a realistic load you would think, but as is there isnt a lot of useful info


----------



## Uncle Erik

It would be nice if more information was provided.

6.25mW seems more like a tube buffer than an amplifier. An iPod gives you 25mW-30mW or so.

If this is mostly a transconductance amplifier, I would love to know more. IIRC, the only commercial one was the First Watt F1. If this is another, it would be a good idea to tell people. That would get the attention of a lot of serious tubeheads.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Just pulled the trigger on one of these. Cannot wait to test them. Will be providing a full review after some comprehensive testing. Gear used will be T1's, D5000's, T50RP's (modded/un-modded), SE535's and Westone 4's. maybe even the 1964-Q a bit later on if I can get the impressions over in time!


----------



## evolutionx

Just got my Continental for few days.  Wondering whether need burning-in to sound its best?


----------



## familiarsounds

Wonder if someone would be fortunate enough to have this side by side with "the continental".
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/562045/govibe-porta-tube


----------



## CEE TEE

Another Head-Fier called and spoke with ALO.  They said this amp wasn't for iems.
  
  Quote: 





cooperpwc said:


> Interesting amp. I wish that this would work with ultra-low impedance IEMs like the ES5 (20 ohm). It looks like the lower limit is 32 ohms.
> 
> Maybe someone can try...
> 
> ...


----------



## cooperpwc

Thanks, CEE TEE.


----------



## Anaxilus

I wish there was a better answer though.  There are IEMs that hit 100-125ohms.  Making a blanket statement like that might be selling themselves short.


----------



## CEE TEE

From Ken of ALO:
   
   
Dear Woodcans,

   

Yes the amps a little much for sensitive IEMs. Thats not saying you can not use them with IEMs but when I use them with the amp the volume gets loud very fast with little turning on the volume knob. The amp is best suited for harder to drive full size headphones.

   

Thanks

   

Ken

   

See posts #5 and #12:

   

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/563632/alo-continental-portabletube-amp


----------



## Uncle Erik

How do you drive a full-sized headphone with 6.25 mW of power?

That is about a quarter of the power from a stock iPod.

In other words, an iPod offers four times the power.


----------



## Sharklordy

Can someone compare the continental and sr-71b in balanced please?


----------



## wsilvio

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> How do you drive a full-sized headphone with 6.25 mW of power?
> 
> That is about a quarter of the power from a stock iPod.
> 
> In other words, an iPod offers four times the power.


 

 Yeah, there is something wrong with the specs.  The continental has tons of power and has absolutely no problem driving my hd800's.
   
  As for IEM's, it sounds great with er-4s'.  And I've also used it with my sensaphonics 2x-s'.  Although with the 2x-s, the volume comes up pretty quickly.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Any more impressions or photo's of this device? Ideally I'd like impressions of anyone who's used the Continental with the T1. I think my SR-71A and JDS cMoy aren't quite up to snuff on powering this behemoth. Despite being able to authoritively drive all my other headphones and IEM's.


----------



## Br777

really hoping to get this amp and some lcd 2's
   
  anyone tried the pair yet?
   
  also how does the continental fair as a truly portable amp?  can it bounce around in a bag as you walk without creating tube vibration?


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





br777 said:


> can it bounce around in a bag as you walk without creating tube vibration?


 

 Doubtful.  I don't think you should running on a treadmill w/ the LCD2 anyway.


----------



## Uncle Erik

No more information from the manufacturer?

I'm not sure what to make of these claims from a 6.25 mW amp.

Maybe one of the units will find its way into the hands of someone who will open it up, take some measurements and provide some real details.


----------



## Squirelrepublic

Quote: 





br777 said:


> really hoping to get this amp and some lcd 2's
> 
> anyone tried the pair yet?
> 
> also how does the continental fair as a truly portable amp?  can it bounce around in a bag as you walk without creating tube vibration?


 
  I tried this, but not with lcd2. It isn't very portable IMO, it's heavy and bulky, i didn't notice any tube vibration though, but it gets hot so fast (can be used during winter time as a hand warmer)
   
  as for the power, it power both my AT (esw10jpn and w10ltd) at 1/12th of its volume. (didn't even reach the first volume block of the amp)
   
  for the sound, i think i got myself a defective unit or it hasn't burned-in well (i just receive it yesterday) or this amp isn't suitable with low impedance cans. It sounds horrible currently no bass at all (and i'm not a basshead), very small soundstage, unclear treble, and everything feels veiled ....
   
  or maybe there's something that i need to do first before using this ....
   
  (i'm not an engineering student !!! I need some manuals ..... what i do know is plug in input then plug the headphone to the output jack ....)
  even running from DAC line out is a lot better....
   
  i will try burning it today ....


----------



## Daysleeper

Quote: 





squirelrepublic said:


> ** snip **
> 
> i will try burning it today ....


 
   
  don't burn em - you'll break em.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  i'll pm you my address so you can send em to me.
  i'll cover the shipping charges, insurance, and what not.
  plus, i'll take really good care of them.


----------



## maverickronin

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> No more information from the manufacturer?
> 
> I'm not sure what to make of these claims from a 6.25 mW amp.
> 
> Maybe one of the units will find its way into the hands of someone who will open it up, take some measurements and provide some real details.


 

 That was into a 100K ohm load right?  I wouldn't know how well it scales, but it should put more power into lower impedances.  At least if that tube isn't supposed to be a line driver or something.


----------



## Uncle Erik

maverickronin said:


> That was into a 100K ohm load right?  I wouldn't know how well it scales, but it should put more power into lower impedances.  At least if that tube isn't supposed to be a line driver or something.




Perhaps it does.

But the specs are vague. It would be a good idea to clear those up.

From what little we have to go from, this seems like a tube buffer, not an amp.


----------



## qusp

I find it really odd that nobody has filled in the specs in the only review thread for this new amp, not only for prospective customers, but it seems people who own the amp are unsure. i would say it just doesnt have the right outputz, or current for lowz phones by the sound of it, no amount of burning in will fix that unfortunately. sounds like ts got plenty of voltage swing though and that matches com quoted emails
   
  i guess nobody at ALO has seen the thread? i think a lot of people are interested.


----------



## Br777

my main concern with purchasing this amp is the frequency response spec... 40hz???  if it is only spec'd to go down to 40hz, thats gonna be a deal breaker right there for me.
   
  otherwise I am very interested in this amp.


----------



## fordski

In response to an earlier post I am using the Continental with the Audez'e LCD 2. I am enjoying the setup very much. I, also using the algorythm solo as well with the iPod classic with apple lossless files as a source. 

For a reasonably portable setup this sounds amazing. It digs low enough for my liking and the slam factor is very good. As a relative newcomer to headphone listening I'm also enjoying the incredible detail and hearing things in my music I hadn't heard before. I replaced a full blown tube stereo (AudioNote kits) and vinyl rig as I'm retiring, moving and traveling and wanted something I could take with me. 

I did have a pair of hd650s and there's no comparison between the LCD 2s and the sennheisers. There's just more of everything, more bass and the midranges are sweet and full. I love female vocals and the LCD 2s with the continental do them very well. Overall balance is terrific. 

I am very happy with this combo as a traveling companion and while i may get mor eout of the audeze'e with a home headphone amp the continental/solo/audeze setup is very nice. 

And no I haven't tried jogging or walking around with the continental, I got the rx2 amp for that along with some westone 4s also a nice combo. In a pinch the westones will also work with the continental but you're limited to first 2 positions on the volume dial with 2 being quite loud.


----------



## Br777

ooooh... fooey.. sr71b with balanced connector, or continental... hmmmmmmmmmmmm


----------



## Squirelrepublic

Quote: 





qusp said:


> I find it really odd that nobody has filled in the specs in the only review thread for this new amp, not only for prospective customers, but it seems people who own the amp are unsure. i would say it just doesnt have the right outputz, or current for lowz phones by the sound of it, no amount of burning in will fix that unfortunately. sounds like ts got plenty of voltage swing though and that matches com quoted emails


 
   
  If that's the case ... i guess i need to refund / sell it back ... sigh ...


----------



## Uncle Erik

I cannot think of another amp where the specs and measurements were not offered to customers.

ALO needs to tell us what this amp does.

If they do not, it is just a matter of time before someone measures it and posts the results.


----------



## cooperpwc

I am curious:  Who is the designer behind these ALO amps? With TTVJ it's Peter, with Meier it's Jan, with RSA it's Ray, with Triad Audio it's Phil, etc. The ALO enigma doesn't lead to any specific conclusions but an enigma is still an... enigma. It would be nice to know. One reason that I mention it is that a named designer probably would release and stand by specs.
   
  (We do know the committee that designed the CLAS which is a big reason that I bought it. Good people!)


----------



## Br777

i dont know if any of you guys read the in progress 6moons review of this thing, but one thing to note, for what its worth,  is that its being made in china.  They explain that Ken almost tossed the whole project, b/c his own supplier was starting to sell the Chinese Knock off b4 this thing even went to retail.
   
  http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/32ohm1/1.html
   
  I always have a good laugh at 6 moons reviews - 3 pages worth of "review", and basically no mention of the amp yet...


----------



## tankman

This is a chinese made amp which shares similar design with the one from alo. Do they have connection with each other?May be all the circuits for tube amps are similar, I don't know., Just curious.


----------



## Br777

clearly they are not using the same parts, but there is no denying that they look like the same layout.   I know nothing about circuits, or electronic parts mind you.


----------



## Squirelrepublic

some update from my continental .... Getting better and better.....  almost at listenable level now .... yay !!! But the bass is like ... boomm booommmm booom .....


----------



## evolutionx

The CLAS-ALO Continental combo really make my LCD-2 (Rev.1) sing.    Compared to Sr-71B, it sounded more natural and warm, and more musical for vocal and jazz.  For rock music, SR-71B still has the slight edge.   I will stick to ALO continental as it is less fatigue for long hour listening as it is more powerful to drive LCD-2.


----------



## Br777

Quote: 





evolutionx said:


> The CLAS-ALO Continental combo really make my LCD-2 (Rev.1) sing.    Compared to Sr-71B, it sounded more natural and warm, and more musical for vocal and jazz.  For rock music, SR-71B still has the slight edge.   I will stick to ALO continental as it is less fatigue for long hour listening as it is more powerful to drive LCD-2.


 


   
  hmm .. well i may be rethinking my purchase...
  i started off wanting the continental (will use with LCD2's also) but changed my mind to the Sr-71B.. wish i could afford both ... 
   
  can you tell me what the bass is like with the continental.. their spec of 40hz-20khz  spooked me.. that just cant be right.. does the low end start to roll off at 40hz?
  anyone who can confirm this, especialy via a sine wave would be much appreciated.
   
  more power to drive lcd2? wow thats hard to believe.. nothing personal, just hard to believe in general.
   
  thanks


----------



## evolutionx

Quote: 





br777 said:


> hmm .. well i may be rethinking my purchase...
> i started off wanting the continental (will use with LCD2's also) but changed my mind to the Sr-71B.. wish i could afford both ...
> 
> can you tell me what the bass is like with the continental.. their spec of 40hz-20khz  spooked me.. that just cant be right.. does the low end start to roll off at 40hz?
> ...


 
   
  Listening to the guitar feedback intro from Thurston Moore's album seems more real on the ALO Continental than SR-71B.    Really hard to choose between the 2 though my heart goes to the ALO.   Sorry I am not so technical so cannot help you with your technical question.
   
  For ALO Continental, my volume know is at 10 o'clock and i need to go to 12 to 1 o'clock on the SR-71B.     Thats how I interpret the power aspect (very layman...).
   
  I guess if you have the chance to audition both will be the best.   Cheers.


----------



## Dennis

Quote: 





squirelrepublic said:


> some update from my continental .... Getting better and better.....  almost at listenable level now .... yay !!! But the bass is like ... boomm booommmm booom .....


 


 Seems like the Continental has deep and powerful Bass


----------



## evolutionx

Quote: 





br777 said:


> hmm .. well i may be rethinking my purchase...
> i started off wanting the continental (will use with LCD2's also) but changed my mind to the Sr-71B.. wish i could afford both ...
> 
> can you tell me what the bass is like with the continental.. their spec of 40hz-20khz  spooked me.. that just cant be right.. does the low end start to roll off at 40hz?
> ...


 

 Hi Br777,  the other consideration is that SR-71B is more versatile to drive IEMs with CLAS.   ALO Continental is not ideal to drive IEMs, as I have tried them.   Cheers.


----------



## Uncle Erik

dennis said:


> Seems like the Continental has deep and powerful Bass


Or it could be bloomy and sloppy, like a lot of OTL tube amps. A 40Hz cutoff will not get the entire low end.

Still no specs from the manufacturer?

Odd.

As for 6Moons, I take them as seriously as my horoscope. The only difference is that it takes less time to read my horoscope.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Mine is at customs, should clear any day, so should be with me within the next few days. can't wait to compare these with the SR-71A and JDS cMoy. Mainly I'm interested in how well they'll drive my T1's. With the SR-71A I'm hitting at least 3/4 of the volume bar and with the JDS I'm having to max it and it's still not quite loud enough, though still a decent volume. Hearing about the warmth and bass heaviness of these, I think they should pair very well with the T1's fingers crossed.


----------



## crbc

I've had the Continental now for about 10 days driving my Audeze LCD-2 (rev2)'s.  I've never turned the volume control past 10 and usually leave it at 9.  Plenty of power and base to me, but I'm new to headphones (though I've had Sennheiser HD 600's in the past and returned Sennheiser HD800's after auditioning them when they came out.  The Audese LCD-2's are the first headphones to ever get me excited about can listening for the sake of can listening.
   
  My reference non-headphone audio system is unusual:  Bluray + SACD > Anthem Statement D2 > Anthem ARC + SVS AS-EQ 1> Anthem A5 Amp > seven (7) ceiling mounted Thiel Powerpoint 1.2's combined with dual (2) Velodyne DD-15 subwoofers in a treated room < Audio system developed around a home theater rig. primarily for music concert videos, increasingly Blu-ray. Have about 50 SACD's and hundreds of music concert videos.  I do know what musical low bass is supposed to sound like.
   
  In my NON-golden ears opinion, the Lyr is slightly better than the Alo Continental, but the portability of the IPod/Solo/Continental is fantastic for me 'cause I travel about 40% of the time. In fact, I may sell the Lyr not because it isn't good but only because I find myself listening to my LCD-2's via the IPod/Solo/Continental much more than the Lyr because when I'm home I'm more likely to listen to SACD and watch/listen to music videos thru my audio/theater rig. ( A Blu-ray Changer and a slowly dying 70" Sony Qualia 006 support the video portion + other various decks).
   
  Chris


----------



## Br777

Quote: 





sharklordy said:


> Can someone compare the continental and sr-71b in balanced please?


 


   
  a big +1.. these are the two amps.. well 3 counting the l3, that i am really considering for my LCD-2's


----------



## Br777

Quote: 





cooperpwc said:


> I am curious:  Who is the designer behind these ALO amps? With TTVJ it's Peter, with Meier it's Jan, with RSA it's Ray, with Triad Audio it's Phil, etc. The ALO enigma doesn't lead to any specific conclusions but an enigma is still an... enigma. It would be nice to know. One reason that I mention it is that a named designer probably would release and stand by specs.
> 
> (We do know the committee that designed the CLAS which is a big reason that I bought it. Good people!)


 


   
  my understanding is that its 32ohm audio.


----------



## cooperpwc

Quote: 





br777 said:


> my understanding is that its 32ohm audio.


 

 Thanks. I don't know who is at 32ohm Audio other than Ken. Anyway looking forward to more impressions including (maybe, hopefully) yours.


----------



## Br777

I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy the continental.. but its SOLD OUT!!!  NOOOOOOOOOO!  so... who's selling?? seriously - PM me...
   
  oops.. just got the email alert.. back in stock.. that was fast!


----------



## Naim.F.C

Holy moley...lol.
   
  I literally plugged her in, using the ALO Cricket LOD, not even fully burned in...and WOW. Instantly my fave portable amp for the T1's, no question about it. In-fact it's such a good match I'm not nearly as interested in buying the LCD-2's (for now lol). Thinking I might just re-cable the T1's with silver instead. Firstly, volume around half way to get the same volume or louder than what I had on my SR-71A at 80% of the knob. But the sound....the synergy with the T1, it's...it's just gorgeous!
   
  That harsh sparkle and ever so slight thinness from before is replaced with smoother highs, slightly more full vocals. The bass....that's where the bulk of the improvement is. A warmer and boomier lower end, more bass presence and quantity, but is it sloppier? No. I can actually hear all the texture in the bass, but just less synthetic and snappy than before, it's highly addictive. Listening to Phantogram - Running From the Cops, the background b-line, the sort of weird reverbial bass like sound, so poignant but still un-obtrusive allowing for everything else to flow in. Then there's the medley of drums early on in an overly busy beginning section of Watch the Throne - Murder to Excellence, it's a lot easier to make out each of the drum taps (they're thicker too) than with the SR-71A which had a slight bit of overt brightness to it.
   
  They do give the sound on the T1's a warmer sort of thicker, imo less clinical sound than the SR-71A. It's not as clean, but imo it's more engaging and fun. I always said before that I thought the slight lack of bass quantity and rare sibilance were really my only negatives of the T1, and the great news is the Continental does a good job of correcting most of that (though I need more listening and further burn in to confirm).
   
  I won't comment on sound stage yet, all I know is that it's sounds nice and three dimensional on the Continental, allowing a good amount of instrumental separation.
   
  In any case, thus far very pleased with both the Continental and the Cricket LOD. Will do a proper thorough and full review later. All I'll say is it's a shame these are out of stock because it is truly a beautiful portable amp. Different sort of warmer thicker, more bass heavy sound to other portable amps I've tried. Tonnes of power as well. I'm literally hitting max 6/10 on the volume knob with the T1's.
   
  Looks gorgeous too. Glossy finish with metallic shiny silver fancy typography, looks really plush. Amp is lighter than I expected it to be too. Top marks Ken. So far, so great.


----------



## Br777

as i updated.. back in stock.. thanks for the impressions
   
  I am so torn between continental and sr71b.. ahhhhg... such a tough decision.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





br777 said:


> as i updated.. back in stock.. thanks for the impressions
> 
> I am so torn between continental and sr71b.. ahhhhg... such a tough decision.


 


  Currently is most of your gear terminated with balanced plugs or standard single ended 6.3/3.5? Also, depends on what headphones you plan to use with these. I have not yet tried the SR-71B, but the Continental certainly has a lot more power than the Sr-71A single ended speaking.


----------



## Uncle Erik

Still no answers?

I pulled up datasheets for the 6111 today (http://tubedata.tubes.se/sheets6.html).

The 6111 was only tested out to 1,000 hours by its manufacturers. Lifespan was rated at 1,000 by one manufacturer. Raytheon only tested to 1,000 hours. Data from every 6111 manufacturer is in the above link.

Where does the 100,000 hour "estimated" lifespan figure come from? Nothing suggests that in the datasheets - they show failure rates. Private tests? 100,000 divided by 24 is 4,166 days, or a bit over 11 years. Has this tube been tested continuously for 11 years?

From what data I have:

1. This amp has 6.25mW of power. Or roughly 25% the power of an iPod. You can also say an iPod is four times more powerful.

2. Bass cuts off at 40Hz. Where is the low end?

3. The tube used has an approximate lifespan of 1,000 hours, or about 20 hours a week for one year. In no way whatsoever do the datasheets suggest a 100,000 hour lifespan.

It would be wise to provide some answers and explanations. People might start to get the wrong idea.


----------



## Frank I

Maybe they misquoted the hours lol


----------



## Br777

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Still no answers?
> 
> I pulled up datasheets for the 6111 today (http://tubedata.tubes.se/sheets6.html).
> 
> ...


 


  it is definitely odd that Ken is not in the forums answering questions.. it seems like he always pops up when a new product is released - especially something this "special".. they are certainly underplaying its release in a major way.
   
  maybe they are using the element of mystery, combined with "limited release" to allure customers into buying...  if so, its working.
   
  they mention somewhere in their description that the tube is being run a certain way that reduces wear and tear.. or something like that.. but i agree, they dont seem to have anything but "a good guess" backing that quantified statement up.
   
  on the other hand, given many people's impressions of "amazing", particularly with the likes of the k70x series, the lcd2, T1,  and others "big gun" cans there simply must be an explaination for the strange power spec, b/c clearly this thing has the juice it needs to run with the top end cans.
   
  from what little i can gather, people do seem to speak of boomy bass rather consistently, though bass is soooo subjective i never take anyone's word for it anymore, but the fact that they also mention warm and possibly rolled off treble, and the sheer fact that this is a tube, would lent to the high possibility that the bass does indeed roll off.. at 40hz.. wow i hope not, but probably at somepoint prematurely.
   
  put all this together, and I finally decided there was too much risk in buying this amp and am now solidly anchored in my decision to go with an sr71B for my LCD-2's instead.   I do hope to somehow audition this amp at some point though.. the prospect of a solid portable tube amp really does peak my interest.
   
  Mike at Headphonia has one, and though he is apparently putting off his review for another amp that was 1st in line, I do eagerly await his take on the matter, as he seems to have a level head in his reviews, and is often very informed about the product in hand.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Still no answers?
> 
> I pulled up datasheets for the 6111 today (http://tubedata.tubes.se/sheets6.html).
> 
> ...


 

 1. There's got to be a mistake somewhere because this amp is quite easily the most powerful portable amp I own or have personally tested.
   
  2. I also seriously doubt there's that cut off. I can actually hear more from the bass than with the SR-71A. Namely in the lower bass.
   
  3. 1000 hours is the maximum time the tube was tested. To say it has a 1000 hour lifespan could be disingenuous. Perhaps the manufacturers tested up to 1000 hours but did extreme testing the way car manufacturers do to estimate a maximum life span of 10,000 hours? If they used specially orchestrated testing techniques to speed up the lifespan process, it would make sense.
   
  In any case, I'm curious to know the real facts but it is not necessary since I have the product and can judge based on it's real world performance, not supposed paper specs.


----------



## DigitalFreak

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Still no answers?
> 
> I pulled up datasheets for the 6111 today (http://tubedata.tubes.se/sheets6.html).
> 
> ...


 

 I'm with Uncle Erik something seems really strange about the specs. It's almost as if ALO has no idea what the capabilities of this amp is. Looks like I'm going to be watching this thread closely to see how it all pans out in the wash
   
  subscribed


----------



## grokit

Just checked:
   
*"Out-of-stock *
*Notify me when available*"
   
  Again. They are offering a package with the CLAS, I didn't know that.
   
  Out of stock as well, in both black and silver (silver Continental?)


----------



## Uncle Erik

Spent some more time with the 6111 datasheets (link previously provided).

The 6111 looks like it likes to run hot. It was tested by several manufacturers at 200° C, which is twice the boiling point of water, or about 425° F. It's fair to say that would be a noticeable amount of heat. Just going by heat, it'd probably be dissipating a good 250°-300° to get the tube where it likes to run. Not much different from other tubes. There are four problems:

1. Most components are only built to withstand about 200° F. Higher ratings exist, but they're big and bulky. Those operating temperatures, especially inside a little case, would mean the amp would cook itself in short order.

2. Those temperatures would give users second and first degree burns. No one has mentioned extremely noticeable heat yet.

3. The battery would not last so long generating that kind of heat. Maybe a few minutes.

4. Tube life would be around 1,000 hours. Maybe a few hundred more. Certainly not 100 times more. (By the way, I linked the datasheets for a reason - go read about the failure rate. Those are the _manufacturer's_ tests from 50 years ago. Not my opinion or something.)

Alright, so the tube cannot be operating as it was intended to.

So, how do you contain the heat, extend battery life and make a 100,000 hour claim? Oh yeah, and a "special technique" for running the tube.

My guess is that there's enough current to light the filament so it looks like the tube is "working."

Then a very small amount of power is fed through the tube as an output stage. But so little that the tube doesn't degrade as it would if correctly run. That would keep the tube from burning out for years.

What little power there is comes from solid state devices in the input stage. That would explain the 6.25mW of power.

So, as far as I can tell, this is a 6.25mW solid state amp with a tube buffer. Though the tube is probably more of a decoration.

Interesting that it is out of stock. Taking a look into the crystal ball, it will probably quietly disapper and be resurrected as a new model when people have forgotten about this one.

Of course, I could be wrong. If something else is going on inside the box, I would love to learn all about it.

Especially how you get a lot of power and 100,000 hours from an ordinary tube cold enough to hold in your hand. That would be amazing. It would totally revolutionize tube amps. Because all the other ones get damned hot when producing a lot of power and only last 1,000-3,000 hours or so. Maybe everyone working with tubes for the past 90 years was wrong.

It would be the "cold fusion" of tube research. Patents and prizes would be in order.

Weird thing is everyone is quietly looking in the other direction and acting like they hope this thread will go away.


----------



## DigitalFreak

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Spent some more time with the 6111 datasheets (link previously provided).
> 
> The 6111 looks like it likes to run hot. It was tested by several manufacturers at 200° C, which is twice the boiling point of water, or about 425° F. It's fair to say that would be a noticeable amount of heat. Just going by heat, it'd probably be dissipating a good 250°-300° to get the tube where it likes to run. Not much different from other tubes. There are four problems:
> 
> ...


 

 So put in straight non technical noobish layman terms this new amp is nothing more then a scam with a tube that does nothing but act like a fancy candle? If this is true I hope someone rips ALO a second you know what for being such crooks.


----------



## Naim.F.C

With respect to the amp heat, it gets warm, but never hot. Certainly warmer than my other portables.
   
  It's an interesting theory you've come to, but even as you suggested, if using the tube as a sort of 'buffer', could you still extract some of the tubey sound? Because this amp is definitely slightly warmer sounding, with smoother highs and slightly more low end emphasis than my other traditional solid state amps. Also, what is your theory behind the power of the amp then? I'm not really well versed in these things, but clearly this amp has bags of power (at least a sizeable margin more than an SR-71A based purely on volume balancing driving the T1's).


----------



## RudeWolf

ALO The Controversial...
   
  Well, there are other examples that portable tube designs can work, right? And the 100'000h life for the tube seems a little weird. It'll be more weird when the tube actually burns out but the amp still manages to work, hehe.
   
  Though ALO has quite good reputation.


----------



## cooperpwc

Quote: 





digitalfreak said:


> So put in straight non technical noobish layman terms this new amp is nothing more then a scam with a tube that does nothing but act like a fancy candle? If this is true I hope someone rips ALO a second you know what for being such crooks.


 

 Do we really need Uncle Erik's nuanced intelligent analysis distilled down to a 'Yo dude' summary?
   
  We can reach our own distillations - and probably with more grace and less libel.


----------



## mrarroyo

I have had other portable amps that used the 6111 tube, in those applications the tube was driving a pair of BUF634. It was the BUF634 that was actually providing the power output to the headphone out. Wonder if that is the case with this Continental?


----------



## grokit

It sounds like it's a hybrid, I don't see the big deal except they should have called it that. And published more accurate specs.
   
  It obviously doesn't put much of a load on the tube, that's why it runs cooler and lasts longer. Hopefully ALO will be forthcoming with more information at some point.
   
  The bottom line to me is that those who have used it are pleased with its performance.


----------



## Skylab

I'm a little confused - I have not looked into this very carefully, but the 6111 is a 6.3V medium mu twin triode with an amplification factor of 20.  By way of comparison, the much more famous 6SN7 is also a 6.3v medium mu twin triode with an amplification factor of 20.  It is certainly possible to create a headphone amplifier from a 6SN7 that would provide more power than described above.  I assume the issue is that the battery power supply cannot provide the 300 ma heater current that the 6111 needs?  I didn't see a spec for the battery, but for a typical 9V battery to deliver the required 300 ma heater current that the 6111 needs to operate "normally", only about 1 hour play time could be expected.  So Erik I assume you think that the tube is being run far under the specified 300 ma heater current, thus impacting it's ability to provide it's rated amplification?
   
  BTW: for the record, while I love tube amps, I think battery-powered portable tube amps are a bad idea.
   
  EDIT: I just read above that it's also being theorized that the tubes are acting as nothing more than a unity gain buffer?


----------



## skeptic

Maybe the miu audio guys would be willing to provide us with some explanation as to how these 6111 portables work.  At least they haven't attempted to cover up/obscure the other components on the PCB per the  pictures of the internals that they posted (http://www.head-fi.org/t/547251/miuaudio-ih-tube-headphone-amplifier#post_7587506 ).  Seems obvious that transistors are doing the real work here.  I'll also give miu audio the nod on their case work as compared to the alo version...


----------



## mrarroyo

I am not so sure that ALO tried to obscure the components, that is if your comment is related to the "goo" on some of the areas in the amp. As I recall some builders use similar to help dampen the vibration and thus produce a better sound. Just speculation on my part, just like when I posted the use of a couple of BUF634.


----------



## logwed

Can I just clear up one serious misconception that Uncle Erik has about the amplifier, the fact that it only puts out 6.25mW of power *period*. While this is true at 100,000 ohms, this is not true at a normal headphone load (anywhere from 16ohms to 600ohms). If it outputs 25VDC into say, 300ohms, then it outputs 2.08 W according to Ohm's Law (I have no idea if it can actually output 25V into 300ohms). 
   
  I don't have anything to say about the rest of ALO's inconsistencies, and I'm in no way trying to defend the amp, but the accusation that it only can output 6.25mW is rather absurd. Blindly following statements is clearly a two way street on head-fi.


----------



## Skylab

OK, that makes more sense. I was having trouble figuring out why a medium mu triode with an amplification factor of 20 would be limited to 6 mW...but I can see that might be true into 100,000 ohms!

Still, to get 6 hours play time, I think you would need at LEAST an 1800 mAh battery to deliver the rated 300 mA of heater current required by the 6111 tube. Is it possible that the battery they are using can deliver that? And of course the rat of the circuitry also consumes battery, so in reality much more than 1800 mAh is needed for 6 hours if the tube is run at spec.


----------



## Uncle Erik

True, logwed. You could also have a circuit that puts 1 Kilowatt into 300 Ohms.

Of course, you need a circuit and components _capable of generating 1 Kilowatt in the first place._

All that is offered here is a rating that works out to 6.25mW. Clarification and explanation were asked for weeks ago. The only response was a third-hand testimonial that it "works."

As for a lay explanation, I chose to go after this in terms of heat for a reason.

Eyes glaze over when you talk electricity and use numbers. There is also a widespread perception that "numbers don't matter" and science isn't worthwhile.

Fine. But everyone understands heat. Everyone knows what boiling water is like. Everyone knows the blast of hot air from getting something out of the oven. You do not need an engineering course to remember what it is like to touch a hot oven.

Electricity and heat are deeply intertwined. Generate electricity and you get heat. Heat can generate electricity. The engine in your car generates heat when it creates power. Your body generates heat the harder you work. And I'm sure everyone understands why there's a fan on a CPU. I like to think people understand the relationship between heat and energy on a fundamental, intuitive level.

This is physics. There is a deep amount of research going back a good 140 years on the relationship between heat and electricity.

The 6111 tube generates heat when it generates power. A lot of heat. Fully driven, it will create heat on a level between boiling water and cooking a potato. If it were generating that kind of heat:

1. It would destroy the internal components;
2. It would give the user serious burns;
3. The battery would run out of power in minutes; and
4. The tube (per manufacturer's specs) would burn out in about 1,000 hours, not 100,000 hours.

The only possible conclusion is that the tube isn't really being run at all. It is mostly being lit up for show.

The only way there could be a slight amount of amplification is if other solid state devices (I only see one tube) are creating it.

Now, if someone contends that an an ordinary tube can be driven for 100,000 hours, create loads of power and be cool enough to hold in your hands, I am absolutely astounded. That violates the known laws of physics. It would change not only amps, but the way electric motors are designed, computers, the lightbulbs in your house, and, well, pretty much anything that runs on electricity.

So you can understand why I find this especially interesting.

On the other hand, it could just be an aluminum box with a paltry amount of power generated by some little chips and a lit tube as decoration.

By the way, if anyone wants a decorative tube, I have a box of tubes that sadly had their identifying marks rubbed off. I'll send you a decorative tube for the cost of postage - about $4 in the US. I'll tell you how to make it light up, too, free of charge. For another $25 or so, you could build a CMoy around it. Heck, a CMoy will give you about 35mW of power. You could have an amp with five times the power and a decorative tube for about $30.


----------



## Br777

when i mentioned they are running their tube some special way earlier, i think i mixed this amp up with another..


----------



## Uncle Erik

If a tube is creating a lot of power it must create a lot of heat.

There are no two ways about it.

Solid state is just the same. Look at those big, finned heatsinks on amps. You also put heatsinks on smaller solid state devices. Look at pictures of solid state desktop amps. You will see transistors connected to black, finned heatsinks. The heatsinks are often the biggest parts on the PCBs.

If you create power, you create heat.


----------



## Br777

welp.. the first one has hit the f/s forums.. now's your chance to find out


----------



## Uncle Erik

Maybe I'll contact the seller tomorrow. Today is busy.

I need to get my ears candled, spend some time exercising my pet unicorn and attend a séance after dinner.


----------



## Br777

boy, you really have it out for this amp...


----------



## DigitalFreak

Has anyone here tried messaging ALO and made them aware of this thread yet? I became sceptical of this product when I saw 100 000 hours of tube life in the specs. I'm no engineer and I've only started to dabble into this hobby but to my knowledge I've yet to ever hear of a tube that can last 100 000 hours. I've heard of 1000, 1500 2000 even as high as 4000 but never 100 000 hours. I say someone with authority on this forum should message ALO present the facts as seen on this thread and give them a chance to explain themselves *on the thread*. Either the specs are a typo or this product is a sham either way ALO should be given a chance to explain themselves and customers of this product should act accordingly to the final outcome.
   
  @ Uncle Erik
  Thanks for saying something, being a noob I didn't want to say anything in case it was just my ignorance of specs.


----------



## Br777

they have posted in this thread havent they?
   - nope must be in the official product thread....


----------



## DigitalFreak

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Maybe I'll contact the seller tomorrow. Today is busy.
> 
> I need to get my ears candled, spend some time exercising my pet unicorn and attend a séance after dinner.


 


  If you run across Jimi Hendrix at the seance tell him I said hi and I love his music


----------



## Skylab

In fairness to ALO, they are far from the only people who are using the 6111 in a mini tube headphone amp. I'm not sure who first came up with the idea, but there is a design frm a board in Korea that surfaced late 2005 (or sooner, hard to tell ):

http://www.headphoneamp.co.kr/bbs/zboard.php?id=diy_sijosae&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=239


----------



## DigitalFreak

Quote: 





skylab said:


> In fairness to ALO, they are far from the only people who are using the 6111 in a mini tube headphone amp. I'm not sure who first came up with the idea, but there is a design frm a board in Korea that surfaced late 2005 (or sooner, hard to tell ):
> 
> http://www.headphoneamp.co.kr/bbs/zboard.php?id=diy_sijosae&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=239


 

 That little amp looks mega cool 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Mr Skylab would you be so kind as to give out some reviews in the near future of little tube amps of that calibre and form factor please


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> True, logwed. You could also have a circuit that puts 1 Kilowatt into 300 Ohms.
> 
> Of course, you need a circuit and components _capable of generating 1 Kilowatt in the first place._
> 
> ...


 

 Is it possible however that a smaller tube of this kind, which I'm assumed was built as such with portability in mind, is designed to run differently? Perhaps this particular tube does not run as hot? It certainly isn't any where near as big as a regular tube. is it even possible the power delivery is different to that of a full size tube? This is Ken's description of the tube.
   
 *The Raytheon 6111 vacuum tube is a sub-miniature low gain, ultra-low micro-phonics, dual triode with a characteristic open sound stage and smooth delivery.  It can deliver a 25VAC audio frequency signal into a 100K ohm load.*

 *The 6111 vacuum tube, with its ultra-low micro-phonics, low power consumption and rugged build is ideal for portable amplification which is why it is at the heart of the Continental. The 6111 is built for rugged use, an ultra long life and low power consumption requirements. The estimated life of a 6111 tube is approximately 100,000 hours. *

  Certainly doesn't sound like it would be as powerful or hot as a regular sized tube. You talk about the correlation between heat and electricity, and cpu fans etc. You realise diodes and nm process chips get smaller and run cooler as they do? There's a reason why for example, lower end smaller performance generating GPU's can often be cooled by heatsink alone, whilst other higher end or larger chipsets or parts require high rpm fans and behemoth heatsinks. You have to appreciate that as you scale down, so does the level of heat output and power consumed.
   
  I think one of the problems I'm having with your assessment is it's very black and white. You're suggesting that it would be boiling hot if run at maximum power (how much truth is there to this anyway?), and if it's not, it must not be being used at all, only being lit. There is literally nothing in-between. It's either on and super hot, or not being used at all. I think this method of thinking is potentially flawed and even then, is full of a lot of assumption or conjecture.


----------



## Skylab

Ha! Not likely, sorry to say. I'm not really into portable amps anymore, and as I mentioned, as much as I like tube amps for home use, I really don't see the logic in using a tube in a portable amp. Tubes have some really excellent amplification qualities, almost all of which would have to be significantly compromised in a small portable amp. Even the data sheet for the 6111 says that maintaining heater voltage is critical to reliable to good performance. I don't think that's likely in the tiny battery power supply that a small portable amp has.

Let's face it, there are applications where little solid state op amps are ideal. A portable headphone amp is one of those.


----------



## logwed

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> True, logwed. You could also have a circuit that puts 1 Kilowatt into 300 Ohms.
> 
> Of course, you need a circuit and components _capable of generating 1 Kilowatt in the first place._
> 
> ...


 

  
  I said that it put 2.08W into 300ohms assuming that it can put out 25V into that impedance, I have no idea what you're getting at with this 1kW other than random hyperbole... I'm an engineering undergrad, so please don't lump me into those who are science ignoramuses. My calculation was meaningless because I don't know how many volts the amplifier can actually put into 300 ohms, it is undoubtedly much less. Your calculation is meaningless because 100,000 ohms is not a realistic load in any way, it doesn't tell us anything about how much power and current it can put out into a normal load.
   
  I was simply pointing out how you are clearly extrapolating meaningless data into condemning a product that you have never tried. 
   
  The 25V into 100K ohms is certainly a marketing bit meant to make the amp look impressive by people who will only look at the voltage swing. I don't disagree that an amplifier will create waste heat, but I haven't seen you put together any set of numbers that indicates that the heat created by the tube is dangerous. The fact that the tube is 220C at the hottest point doesn't indicate all that much if we don't know how effective the case is at radiating/venting  said heat, or really how much heat is released by the tube at all, temperature is not the same as heat.
   
  The 100,000 hour assertion is definitely the most suspect statement, since it is a radically unrealistic number, and the 'explanation' that it uses a unique design is vaporous and snake-oily at best.


----------



## Uncle Erik

*READ THE DATASHEETS.*

I'm citing temperatures listed by the manufacturers of the tubes.

Not my opinion.

This is data from 50 years ago.

Again, not my opinion.

From what I gather, the tube was meant for subminiature assemblies in aircraft. Much is made of how it does well at 60,000 feet.

Yes, chips can get more efficient and use less power as they are scaled down.

But this is a tube from the late 1950s. It generates a lot of heat when run. Again, go read where Raytheon tested it at 200° C/425° F.

Now look at the curves, also in the datasheet. To get the tube linear, you will generate heat that is well above the boiling point of water.

Yes, that is a black and white proposition. Some things in life simply are.

You are more than welcome to use a bench power supply to raise the tube to operating temperatures and use a thermometer to find out for yourself. Personally, I'll take the word of the lab engineers who ran the tests back in the 1950s. They certainly weren't trying to game stats for an amplifier made in 2011.

There are simply too many contradictions here.

Claims of huge bass, while the amp cuts off at 40Hz, missing the entire lower octave. How can that be?

Claims of huge power output, while listing 6.25mV of power. How can that be?

Claims of running a tube without actually running a tube. If it were run, it would be extremely hot (as per manufacturer's description), hot enough to destroy its caps and resistors (or force them to run at very different values), the battery would last for a few minutes, and the tube would burn out in 1,000 hours, not 100,000 hours. How can that be?

I would welcome explanation from the manufacturer. That is why it was asked for several weeks ago.

There was no response.

If you are going to claim a 100,000 tube life from a 1,000 tube, people are going to ask questions.

If you are going to claim huge power from what is listed as a 6.25mW output, people are going to ask questions.


----------



## logwed

I have no idea why you keep harping on this 6.25 mW output, it doesn't mean anything.
   
  The temperature of a tube itself doesn't mean much unless we also know how well the case can ventilate the heat.
   
  I agree with you on the 40hz cutoff, there are playable notes that are missed there, that does not make sense.
   
  I agree with you on the 100,000 hour life, that doesn't make sense when compared with the data sheet numbers or conventional knowledge at all.
   
  Do you know how much current the tube draws during normal operation from that data sheet? If so, we could compare that to how much current is drawn in normal operation by the amplifier on the whole to see if it is greater than the power draw of the tube, which would indicate that the tube is being used. If it is much/significantly less than the sheet value for the tube, then we could probably assume that the tube is not being powered/used.


----------



## Skylab

They draw 300 mA.


----------



## logwed

Quote: 





skylab said:


> They draw 300 mA.


 


  Ok, so all we need is to determine how many mAH the battery is rated to, and find out how long it takes for it to run all the way down.


----------



## Skylab

Dunno about the ALO, but in the Miu amp that is 6111 based, they use a 2500 mAh battery. However, the solid state devices are also drawing from the battery, so that would have to be factored in too.


----------



## logwed

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Dunno about the ALO, but in the Miu amp that is 6111 based, they use a 2500 mAh battery. *However, the solid state devices are also drawing from the battery, so that would have to be factored in too.*


 


  Mhm, but would it be fair to say that the other circuitry would likely cause less than 300 mA to be dissipated, correct? I'm only saying this based on the current drawn from a Mini3 (25 mA), so I may be wrong. If we were to get a value for the current draw of <300 mA, so less than 8.3 hours of battery life (assuming that they use a battery of the same size), we could definitively say that the tube is not being utilized because that's not even enough to power the tube, regardless of how much the other components draw.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





logwed said:


> The temperature of a tube itself doesn't mean much unless we also know how well the case can ventilate the heat.


 

 You're grasping a bit there.  The principles of Thermodynamics are pretty darned linear.   I'm not an EE but I build my own PC's and blueprint race engines and do aero/cooling mods for the track as a hobby.  You don't need to lose a multi-million dollar payload destined for Mars to know how efficient passive ambient cooling is.  I don't care how many holes or vents you have.  If there isn't a fan or Peltier cooler the temperature the amp is running at is absolutely indicative of performance and output.  Even gas exchange tubes will only get so far w/o active cooling.  Of course this wouldn't be a problem operating above 60,000 feet as was intended.
   
  In such case the tube is not functioning as the primary output stage.  If you can offer a better explanation for how a tube runs relatively cool as an output I'm happy to listen.  Ambient cooling is a no go.


----------



## Skylab

Tubes are designed to run hot. The bigger issue is whether the components around them can handle the heat they generate.


----------



## logwed

If you don't think that ambient cooling will cut it, I'm glad to believe you. 

 I was just thinking that the combination of the small size of this specific tube in combination with the venting holes and ability of the metal case to radiate heat effectively could be enough to deal with the waste heat from the amplifier. Obviously if you have experience with this sort of thing, you would understand it more deeply than I.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Tubes are designed to run hot. The bigger issue is whether the components around them can handle the heat they generate.


 

 Actually I thought the issue was the tube not running hot enough in this case?  If it is then I agree preservation is next.


----------



## Skylab

The tube running too hot would be an issue if it were running at spec. But it has been theorized that the tube is not running at spec and thus running cooler than it would otherwise.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





skylab said:


> The tube running too hot would be an issue if it were running at spec. But it has been theorized that the tube is not running at spec and thus running cooler than it would otherwise.


 

 Right, so the question is what is the tube really putting out.  Isn't there a shot of the board?  Guess not.  We could just look for opamps.


----------



## Tonyflo

It's weird that Ken is not here to explain, defend or clarify any of this. In the CLAS threads it seemed he was extremely active. Maybe he's on vacation or traveling or just swamped.
   
  Anyway, I bet there's just some issue with the numbers listed -- from the reviews so far it seems to be an excellent portable amp, one of the best according to those who've heard it. And I really love my Rx/Mk2 so if it's at the same level of quality, I'm sure it's awesome.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> Right, so the question is what is the tube really putting out.  Isn't there a shot of the board?  Guess not.  We could just look for opamps.


----------



## MulberryMadness

Quote: 





familiarsounds said:


> Wonder if someone would be fortunate enough to have this side by side with "the continental".
> 
> http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/562045/govibe-porta-tube


 


  +1  ...wonder why not the same fuss about the GoVibe Portatube, which is lacking in specs also, which seems a better competitor than the Mu (price wise, the GoVibe is far more expensive).
   
  Is anyone with the Continental on the GoVibe loaner list?


----------



## MulberryMadness

No opamps visible in this or the supposed Chinese made 'knockoff'. You can see the pale yellow wrapper on the transfomer, two black capacitors as well as two yellow caps. Some white colored silicone glue/sealant/adhesive? instead of black as in the 'knockoff'. Clearly more smaller components on the PCB in the ALO. The 'knockoff' has more resistors that I do see any of on the ALO Conti.
   
  Uncle Erik should go look at the specs on other amps, say the Fiio portables, @300ohms power output is 1/4th or less than @32ohm, just as an example. There was a thread here some time ago attempting to list the various output levels, but someone stated the folly of doing so...let me go find that thread.
   
  So has anyone PM'd Ken about this thread?
  
  Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


>


----------



## MulberryMadness

http://www.head-fi.org/t/550574/paste-and-copy-project-how-much-mw-do-different-amps-or-amps-dacs-have-at-different-ohms-help-if-you-want
  Quote: 





> [size=10.5pt]Ibasso PB1[/size] (Portable Amp)
> [size=10.5pt]1400mW into 32[/size][size=10.5pt]Ω[/size]
> 
> [size=10.5pt]Ibasso PB2[/size] (Portable Amp)
> ...


----------



## DigitalFreak

Quote: 





mulberrymadness said:


> No opamps visible in this or the supposed Chinese made 'knockoff'. You can see the pale yellow wrapper on the transfomer, two black capacitors as well as two yellow caps. Some white colored silicone glue/sealant/adhesive? instead of black as in the 'knockoff'. Clearly more smaller components on the PCB in the ALO. The 'knockoff' has more resistors that I do see any of on the ALO Conti.
> 
> Uncle Erik should go look at the specs on other amps, say the Fiio portables, @300ohms power output is 1/4th or less than @32ohm, just as an example. There was a thread here some time ago attempting to list the various output levels, but someone stated the folly of doing so...let me go find that thread.
> 
> So has anyone PM'd Ken about this thread?


 


  Thus far no statement from anyone from ALO. I'm hoping all this is just a mix up and the specs were a simple typo. I was saving up to get some gear from ALO hopefully all this can be explained away if it can't I'll just have to take my money elsewhere. Once my trust in a merchant is lost it's a hard thing to get back.


----------



## Uncle Erik

logwed, the 6.25mW is relevant because it is the only power spec listed for this amp. Yes, it will vary at other outputs but we don't know what those are.

You also must ask why this particular stat was listed if you assume the rest to be better. It's weird. It'd be like McDonald's advertising a Big Mac by showing you a corner of the wrapper with a couple of sesame seeds on it. If they're trying to sell a burger, then show the burger.

Stranger yet when the ad copy and the 6moons "review" (where a review is presented by someone who doesn't even have a review sample) advertise this as being a desktop equivalent capable of running AKGs, planars and other difficult headphones. If an amp has the power to drive the heavy hitters, figures are proudly presented. Go ask Ray Samuels, Craig Uthus, Donald North, Kevin Gilmore, AMB, Pete Millett, or Jack Woo about their amps. They're not going to pretend you didn't ask the question. You will get numbers and probably learn a lot about how they design.

Heat is very relevant to the discussion. The 6111 likes to throw off a lot of heat when you get it linear and producing a lot of power. If the 6111 is producing a lot of power it'd produce a lot of heat. There's no active cooling or heatsinks in there. Now, if you don't give it much power, it won't generate hardly anything to drive headphones and it'll go totally non-linear. All tubes are like that. Give a 6SN7 30V on B+ and it'll be a sloppy mess that won't drive anything. Give it 275V and it's a different story, albeit one where you'll get first degree burns if you try to carry it around in your hand.

So my guess is ths the 6111 isn't being driven at all here, let alone enough to power the toughest headphones. If, somehow, it is being driven hard enough to power a planar while remaining cool and extendin the lifespan from 1,000 hours to 100,000 hours, that is quite a trick. One that I would very much like to have explained.

Another very interesting thing is that this is an OTL amp. I don't see any output transformers in there. OTLs are notorious for having a high output impedance. If you have an output impedance above the headphone impedance, there's no damping factor and you lose control of the bass. Yet the claim is that this drives low impedance headphones. Again, that would be amazing if it were somehow pulled off.

So to sum up, we have:

1. Enough power to run the toughest headphones, though the only offered power spec is 6.25mW.
2. An amp that runs slightly warm to the touch while supposedly generating huge amounts of power.
3. An OTL with high output impedance masterfully driving low impedance headphones.
4. A new method of driving a tube that generates huge power while extending the lifespan from 1,000 hours to 100,000 hours.
5. All of this powered from a battery.

It doesn't add up.

If there is an explanation, it is time to tell everyone.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> logwed, the 6.25mW is relevant because it is the only power spec listed for this amp. Yes, it will vary at other outputs but we don't know what those are.
> 
> You also must ask why this particular stat was listed if you assume the rest to be better. It's weird. It'd be like McDonald's advertising a Big Mac by showing you a corner of the wrapper with a couple of sesame seeds on it. If they're trying to sell a burger, then show the burger.
> 
> ...


 


  Does all that really seem far fetched though? I feel as surprised when I hear similar claims out of products such as the SR-71B. Ray mentioning it can drive ANY headphone with great authority. It's still also a small portable (smaller than the ALO Continental), balanced and running off of a battery. Yet you do hear reports of people using headphones such as the LCD-2's with them and mentioning they sound very good and drive them comfortably. Or is it specifically it's use of a miniature tubes instead of opamps or whatever that's got you doubting it's capabilities?
   
  On another note, say Ken has figured out some masterful method of pulling this altogether (I certainly don't have a single complaint so far actually using the product besides perhaps the size and battery life, but it's worth it for the power), essentially a break through in portable tube amp technology, would he really want to spill the beans on exactly how he pulled it off? I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps answer one or two of the questions or confirm facts or figures, but I don't expect him to detail every little thing, though if he does, all credit to him.


----------



## RudeWolf

My basic knowledge about electronics tells me that one way to determine the heat output should be comparing the power input to power output. All power lost in the process should be converted in heat. Maybe we could find a similar amplifier design, determine it's efficiency and see how much heat energy should a sized down model be giving out. I think that common sense should be that a purely tube design gives out a lot of heat as Uncle Eric is telling us. If the heat signature is much lower than a sized down tube amp should be giving out then the transistors are to be blamed. Or it's a revolutionary design.


----------



## skeptic

Quote:


naim.f.c said:


> Does all that really seem far fetched though?


 
   
  It really is extremely far fetched Naim.  Take a look at some literature on tube amps (like Morgan Jones' books), and you will see that all of UE's comments and questions are firmly grounded in well established principles of tube amp design.  
   
  Solid state devices like the SR-71B are a _completely_ different ball of wax.  For considerably less than $100, it is easy enough to make a portable solid state amp with IC's, low output impedance, and ample current and voltage swing to drive just about anything.  Google up the open source "objective 2" headphone amp if you want to read more on the topic.  (The O2 is also discussed here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/565821/so-the-objective2-headphone-amp-designed-entirely-around-the-measurements-please-read-rules-before-posting/495 )


----------



## AndrewG

I'd never buy a product from ALO... if any problem arises they will not help you, as was the case with a $500 time I got from them. They are only in it for the bottom line. many people had this problem with them.
   
  71B all the way man, I even preferred the 71B to my WA6SE


----------



## fordski

andrewg said:


> I'd never buy a product from ALO... if any problem arises they will not help you, as was the case with a $500 time I got from them. They are only in it for the bottom line. many people had this problem with them.
> 
> 71B all the way man, I even preferred the 71B to my WA6SE




This thread is about the Alo continental. Please don't detract from the discussion with unsubstantiated claims of Alo service. I have had nothing but good experiences with them.


----------



## crbc

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> So to sum up, we have:
> 
> 1. Enough power to run the toughest headphones, though the only offered power spec is 6.25mW.
> 2. An amp that runs slightly warm to the touch while supposedly generating huge amounts of power.
> ...


 

 Having owned and enjoyed my Continental now for a couple weeks, I've read this thread of mind-numbing, techno babble with great interest. 
   
  Obviously, there are better headphone amps out there, such as the Cavalli Liquid Fire at the high end and the Schiit Lyr (which I own) at the moderate level.
   
  But the iPod/Solo/Continental comb delivers very, very pleasing sound to my Audese LCD-2's  relative to its tiny form factor weighing only 1.5 lbs., enabling me to have some great music with me as I travel and even when I'm playing catch with my golden retriever in the back yard.   It is a trade-off.  
   
  I don't know how the iPod/Solo/Continental combo does it, nor do I care.   Maybe there is a mouse running a treadmill inside the Continental's case.   But it sure sounds good to me.  Amazingly good in fact.  As an Absolute Sound subscriber since Issue #1 (1974), I subscribe to Harry Pearson's core philosophy - "Trust your ears".


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





andrewg said:


> I'd never buy a product from ALO... if any problem arises they will not help you, as was the case with a $500 time I got from them. They are only in it for the bottom line. many people had this problem with them.
> 
> 71B all the way man, I even preferred the 71B to my WA6SE


 

 I can't comment on the 71B, but many Head.Fi'ers have stated that the 71A is better than the 71B single ended. I can tell you that the ALO Continental to me anyway, is a much more accomplished portable amp than the 71A at least with the T1's, talking purely single ended here. It has a more dimensional sound stage, a warmer tone, smoother highs and better bass emphasis. It has a lovely smoothness about it that adds a much desired warmth, texture and naturalness to certain more articulate, sharp or bright cans/IEM's. It does all that with a lot more power and rechargeable batteries (so far 5 hours and counting since my last charge, which I'm taking time stamps on) to boot. Some might prefer the 71A (which is a bit more clinical or neutral in tone, perhaps slightly more high emphasised with less on the lows or bass), but with the T1's, The Continental is by far my most addictive combo.
   
  In other words, it's a fantastic portable amp. The best I've used yet in-fact. I can't comment on 71B vs Continental (neither can you since you've never used it and are just injecting loaded judgements) but do bear in mind the Continental is a good degree cheaper. For the power you get in the Continental, I honestly do think it's great value for money. You'd be hard pressed to find as much power from a portable for the same price.
   
  I will say that whilst Ken's responses do take some time (he's likely a very busy man), he has always been extremely helpful and informative on everything I have asked of or from him. So I have to reject your notion that ALO are just in it for the bottom line. They make sublime products of the highest quality that thousands have been immensely impressed with, and do it whilst retaining a good standard of customer service. 
   
  I forwarded this thread on to Ken and he did respond, his engineers and he will look to gather some clarifications.
   
  Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *crbc* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> I subscribe to Harry Pearson's core philosophy - "Trust your ears".


 
   
  This cannot be emphasised enough. Asking questions is fine. It's healthy, advisable and welcome right as consumers. But armchair engineers injecting random conjecture and judgement based on assumptions and misinformation is less flattering.


----------



## skeptic

Quote:


crbc said:


> I don't know how the iPod/Solo/Continental combo does it, nor do I care.


 

 I'm glad you are enjoying the sound of your rig crbc, but if it is ultimately determined that you bought a product that substantially deviates from how it was advertised (i.e. a limited edition portable "tube amp" which is using a _"6111sub-miniature low gain, ultra-low micro-phonics, dual triode with a characteristic open sound stage and smooth delivery"_ to amplify the signal), you really should care.  
   
  Given that you've evidently spent the last 37 years of your life reading about audio gear, it seems a bit surprising that you would try to write off all of the legitimate questions raised in this thread as "mind-numbing, techno babble."
   
  Edit: at the end of the day, I earnestly hope that we are talking about a simple error in the napkin math and/or the published specs, and that ALO can set this thread back on course.  However, I'm not sure what the supposed "misinformation" is that Naim is referencing.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





skeptic said:


> Edit: at the end of the day, I earnestly hope that we are talking about a simple error in the napkin math and/or the published specs, and that ALO can set this thread back on course.  However, I'm not sure what the supposed "misinformation" is that Naim is referencing.


 

 I was talking about the misinformation surrounding the specs or capabilities of the components. Running temperature, tube life span, tube use, circuitry (notion that the tube is not being used at all) and so on. There is a lot of conjecture without a lot of fact. This tube supposedly should run well over boiling degree temp, but what is that based off of? How do we know how these old tests were conducted, under what circumstances etc and how do we know how it compares to the specific use of the tube in the Continental? Simply put we don't (even though some are implying we do). We don't even know the life span of the tube as they were (from what I read earlier) never tested beyond the 1000 hour mark, yet it is has been proposed by some that the life span is exactly 1000 hours. Truth is, no one beyond the manufacturers, or people who have specific expert experience with the tube, can really confirm that.
   
  I found this data sheet of the tube. It does mention the very maximum stats, but also typical use. This at least shows us there is a good degree of variance in how they can run.
   
  http://tubezone.net/pdf/6111.pdf
   
   
  One thing I mentioned earlier however about how they may have used specific testing procedures to speed up or exaggerate stress points and times, similar to how car manufacturers do, evidently turned out to be accurate. Based on this excerpt. 
   
_*The conditions for some of the indicated tests have deliberately been selected to aggravate tube failures for test and evaluation purposes. In no sense should these conditions be interpreted as suitable operating conditions.*_


----------



## Tonyflo

Quote: 





fordski said:


> This thread is about the Alo continental. Please don't detract from the discussion with unsubstantiated claims of Alo service. I have had nothing but good experiences with them.


 


  +1, they handled my CLAS + Rx/Mk2 order flawlessly, talking with me on the phone and rushing shipment because I was traveling soon and needed the gear to arrive very quickly. 
   
  While I haven't had any "problems" I would feel 100% confident ordering from them again, and when I get the LCD2's in fact, I will be ordering the recabled version from them .... possibly with the RWA/Audeze amp. 
   
  Still, I'm just extremely surprised that nothing has been said or clarified about this product on any of the threads. That's s stark difference to how it was with the CLAS. I know the CLAS is a much more important product for them, but still am eager to hear Ken's thoughts on the specs and what the reality is. In the meantime, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt.


----------



## Squirelrepublic

Quote: 





mulberrymadness said:


> +1  ...wonder why not the same fuss about the GoVibe Portatube, which is lacking in specs also, which seems a better competitor than the Miu (price wise, the GoVibe is far more expensive).
> 
> Is anyone with the Continental on the GoVibe loaner list?


 

 I got this loan side by side with my continental (which i sold within 10 days). unfortunately my continental didn't pair well with any of my headphones and they are not fully burned, can't use them with any HD218/228/238 (they screech !!!! literary screech i dunno what happen ... sorry i'm a newbie) then went to meet and tried it with a pair of k701 but meh still doesn't work well, didn't tried continental with k1000 don't think it powers them, but somehow it works with my k430,
  here's comparison between them in akg k430 :
  my source is pico dac, ipod 5th gen, sansa fuze
  1. soundstage of continental is substantially bigger than portatube,
  2. I prefer the highs on porta tube, somehow i feel continental is too bright, porta tube's high is just sweet with a bit roll off especially on my esw10jpn which makes them sounds ..... more beautiful (i dunno the right word, sorry !)
  3. porta-tube sounds more detailed than the continental
  4. Separation in both are fine with continental in lead
  5. midrange in continental sounds a bit more forward
  6. Bass in porta tube is a bit lacking, but continental bass isn't that great either, i feel that continental's bass mostly is just mid-bass hump with least amount of deep bass and they sounds a bit boomy.
  That's my impression so far, keep in mind that this is just my opinion and this is tested with a cheap headphones and is not fully burned in so if you try it with better phones the result may be different.
  Anyway, they sucks with my Audio Technica, esw10 and w10ltd, it just sounds worst on them.
  Well, it's true that they aren't made for them anyway...
   
  Oh, porta tube dissipate heat better than Continental, and they are not prone to fingerprint unlike continental. and i feel them a bit lighter than continental. Battery life is about the same, connectivity porta tube has 6.3mm jacks so they are more convenient,
  pictures :

   
  Just my 2 cents.


----------



## Armaegis

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Another very interesting thing is that this is an OTL amp. I don't see any output transformers in there. OTLs are notorious for having a high output impedance. If you have an output impedance above the headphone impedance, there's no damping factor and you lose control of the bass. Yet the claim is that this drives low impedance headphones. Again, that would be amazing if it were somehow pulled off.


 

 One of the first things I tried looking for in those pics was some transformers. I was thinking maybe they just cranked the tubes for big sloppy voltage gain without heat or current draw somehow, then used some transformers to step it down... or something like that. I dunno, still doesn't add up. *shrug*


----------



## Uncle Erik

Naim, not simply far-fetched. These claims border on the miraculous. No other tube amp operates this way, assuming the claims are true.

As for possibly having some new method, well, possibly.

Though I doubt it for three reasons:

1. If you make a remarkable breakthrough, as this purports to be according to sales copy, you generally lock it down with patents and other IP. If it's true, it would significantly change electronics manufacturing. It'd be worth big money. A quick check of uspto.gov shows no filings. And a major advance would not cost ALO a dime to lock down. They could license it to a big player like General Electric whose army of lawyers would nail it down overnight.

2. The design was released to the public. If you have a major advance, you don't put it out without the IP. Quite a few countries allow first-to-file patents, so there would be loss of control almost immediately. The design is not complex. Anyone with moderate skill could draft its schematics in 15-20 minutes, then have it everywhere on the Internet shortly after.

3. If you have something remarkably new, you put it in the sales copy. The Prius isn't advertised simply as a car, is it?

As for the heat, the datasheets do advertise that they were tested at 200° C, yes. However, it looks like the tube is mostly linear roughly 75% of the way out. It's not like tubes stay at room temperature until they receive maximum power. The heat increases along with power applied, in a very predictable and normal manner. I work on a lot of old radios and other tube gear. One piece of gear I use is a Variac. It's like a big heavy-duty light dimmer. I can adjust voltage from 0-120V with it. Very useful. I can assure you that tube heat reacts in a very linear way as you increase/decrease power. So a tube that has a maximum heat rejection of 400° F will likely put out around 300° F run at 75% of power. That might vary a few degrees, but it certainly won't be room temperature. So if this tube is running where it was designed to, it'd be rejecting around 300° F. The amp isn't that hot, is it?

As for variable lab conditions, etc., that just isn't feasible. All these companies were huge manufacturers. They had excellent equipment. I know because I have old test gear from some of these labs. There was a lot of electronics manufacturing in LA and much of the surplus gear ended up at the W6TRW swapmeet. I've been going to the W6TRW swapmeet since 1986 or so. I've bought a bit of surplus test gear there. It's top-notch stuff. (One favorite is a HP frequency counter with a Nixie tube display - incredibly cool.) I just don't see how the old measurements could be that inaccurate.

Further, tubes are a major business these days. Lots and lots of people use and test them daily. If the old datasheets were inaccurate, you'd find tube hobbyist websites full of corrections and updates to datasheets. But those don't exist. The datasheets have proved accurate for decades.

crbc: how do your ears feel about missing frequencies from 20Hz-40Hz?


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> <Snip>





> crbc: how do your ears feel about missing frequencies from 20Hz-40Hz?


 

 I just downloaded each individual low frequency file from this site.
   
  http://www.burninwave.com/#lowsweep
   
  Starting from 20hz all the way up. Testing each individual sound file, (20hz, 25hz, 30hz, 40hz, 50hz, etc) there is not a single one of the lower frequencies I cannot clearly hear (even at very low listening volumes) using the Continental with the T1.
   
  There goes that loaded conjecture! Feel free to add more! 
   
  As I said earlier, textured, warm, high quantity bass is one of this amps strong suits, not negatives. 
   
*----*
   
*Mini ALO Continental vs RSA SR-71A comparison in-coming.*
   
  It packs more low end than the SR-71A does. In-fact I just did another short comparison (A/B'ing) of the two, not only with the above frequencies, but also playing Radiohead 15 Step/Weird Fishes over and over. Same as my opinions before. More warmth and low end quantity with the Continental, though just ever so slightly less defined (expected due to extra quantity), though the bass still has more texture. There's also smoother highs and slightly less forward, but thicker mids. Soundstage is also _much_ wider than the SR-71A's, however the SR-71A does still sound slightly sharper and more clinical. For my tastes and synergy/use with the T1, the ALO Continental is a better choice. Transforms the can in to something much more musical, realistic and sombre. The SR-71A is a bit more detailed, compressed and energetic.
   
  Sounds strange, but I closed my eyes listening to Weird Fishes with both and just wrote down whatever I could to describe how I envisaged the song being played.
   
  Here's what i got lol.
   
  Continental - Large'ish moody dimly lit club, atmospheric and addictive. Layered. Euphoric. Beautiful.
   
  SR-71A - Small'ish room, packed in, studio like clarity. Close, he's huddled near to the mic. Busy but concise.
   
   
  I could go in to more detail about specific instruments etc (which I can make out easier spatially with the Continental), such as drum beats having a more realistic oomph and resonance with the ALO, little miniature taps having a bit more energy or crispness with the 71A etc, but I'd be here forever. Save for the review. But I'll just leave it at that.
   
*----*
   
   
  In any case, the more I listen with the Continental, the more I love it.


----------



## Naim.F.C

On a side note, the battery finally ran out on this last charge. Lasted 6 hours 40mins, give or take 10 or so minutes either way.
   
   
  Just a simple iPhone pic for now (DSLR shots later).


----------



## Wedge

I 'm looking at the picture of the layout and the tube looks to me is at the input and their are 4 TO(somethings) at the output, probably some sort of discrete op amp output stage.  Looks to me this isn't an OTL amp at all something more like a hybrid.  The amp probably puts out more than 6.25 mW of power, but it certainly not a tube OTL output.  From the picture I'm pretty **** sure that tube is the input gain stage, or possibly even an input buffer just to give it a "tubey" sound.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





wedge said:


> I 'm looking at the picture of the layout and the tube looks to me is at the input and their are 4 TO(somethings) at the output, probably some sort of discrete op amp output stage.  Looks to me this isn't an OTL amp at all something more like a hybrid.  The amp probably puts out more than 6.25 mW of power, but it certainly not a tube OTL output.  From the picture I'm pretty **** sure that tube is the input gain stage, or possibly even an input buffer *just to give it a "tubey" sound*.


 

 This is what I was initially thinking when all the stir started. I'm not sure the tube is being used to full or normal potential but as you mentioned, perhaps just to inject some of the tube like sound, which thus far seems like it could be the case based on my use of the amp so far. Unless of course there are opamps that offer a similar sort of audio feel and sound that could have been used instead of the tube. Certainly looks seriously cool when it's lit up through the ventilation holes though.
   
  Looking forward to clarifications if Ken does provide any, if only so the rampant guess work and hysteria can stop and we can all get back to impressions of the amp itself. Though whatever happens, it won't make any difference to my enjoyment of the amp itself. It's everything I wanted it to be, though I certainly wouldn't say no to more battery life!


----------



## grokit

Quote: 





wedge said:


> I 'm looking at the picture of the layout and the tube looks to me is at the input and their are 4 TO(somethings) at the output, probably some sort of discrete op amp output stage.  Looks to me this isn't an OTL amp at all *something more like a hybrid*.  The amp probably puts out more than 6.25 mW of power, but it certainly not a tube OTL output.  From the picture I'm pretty **** sure that tube is the input gain stage, or possibly even an input buffer just to give it a "tubey" sound.


 
   
  Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> This is what I was initially thinking when all the stir started. *I'm not sure the tube is being used to full or normal potential* but as you mentioned, perhaps just to inject some of the tube like sound, which thus far seems like it could be the case based on my use of the amp so far. Unless of course there are opamps that offer a similar sort of audio feel and sound that could have been used instead of the tube. Certainly looks seriously cool when it's lit up through the ventilation holes though.
> 
> Looking forward to clarifications if Ken does provide any, if only so the rampant guess work and hysteria can stop and we can all get back to impressions of the amp itself. Though whatever happens, it won't make any difference to my enjoyment of the amp itself. It's everything I wanted it to be, though I certainly wouldn't say no to more battery life!


 
   

 Sounds like what I was saying 50-something posts ago, much ado about nothing:
   
  Quote: 





grokit said:


> It sounds like it's a hybrid, I don't see the big deal except they should have called it that. And published more accurate specs.
> 
> It obviously doesn't put much of a load on the tube, that's why it runs cooler and lasts longer. Hopefully ALO will be forthcoming with more information at some point.
> 
> The bottom line to me is that those who have used it are pleased with its performance.


----------



## moodyrn

In reading the description on their site, they don't come right out and say whether it's an otl, tc, or hybrid tube amp. But their description does give the impression that it is a tube powered amp. If in fact it is a hybrid amp, that's a bit misleading. The power section of a hybrid amp is solid state, and if this is a hybrid amp why not come right out an say it. Like Uncle said earlier, most respected tube amp manufacturers not only tell you exactly what you are buying, but will pridefully boast about their specs. Also, the claim of 100,000 life hours certainly leaves me scratching my head. Now there is a chance there may be some technological breakthroughs we don't know about, but there are many things to scratch your head about. The end result is about how good it sounds, but if they are being misleading, and/or dishonest, that wouldn't even matter to me. I believe the fiio e11 sounds good, and they are not making any bold claims about anything special it does that it actually does not do. So I really hope they chime in and give us an explanation. Do they legally have to? No they don't, but it would show a lot of good will towards the consumers who are on the fence about this. Even if it is a hybrid amp, preamp tubes get hot too. Not as hot as power tubes, but they do get hot enough to be too hot for pocket use.


----------



## Frank I

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Naim, not simply far-fetched. These claims border on the miraculous. No other tube amp operates this way, assuming the claims are true.
> 
> As for possibly having some new method, well, possibly.
> 
> ...


 

 EriK I agree with all your conclusions and you have done some research for the community which is much appreciated. I am kind of shocked that  Ken has not addressed the concerns nor commented especially since he is a sponsor here. I have never in 20 years of listening to tube amplifiers of ever hearing of any tube to last 100,000 hours. I think its only proper for Ken to step up to the plate here and advise how this amp works and to address the concerns here of the community. I for one thank you and appreciate you coming to the plate and bringing this to the attention to all potential buyers. Thank you for the effort you put into this.


----------



## Vinnie R.

All,
   
   
  IMO, the amp has to be a hybrid.  I listened to it at the last NJ Headfi Meet powering a pair of HE500s and it was one of the best portable rigs I've heard in a 
  long time.  The source was an iPod and CLAS feeding the input.
   
  But there is no way that single 6111 tube is driving the headphones.  I'm sure the tube is providing voltage gain, and there are transistors on the output that provide the current
  gain to drive the low impedance of headphones.  In one of the pics, I can even see what look to be 4 transistors next to the output jack.  Probably a discrete Class AB output
  stage.  It did sound really nice and had plenty of power.  If I was into portable amps, I would want one too! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  I can vouch for Ken and his reputation.  He has no intentions of "pulling a fast one" over anyone and he never has - I've worked with him for 4 or 5 years now and he is very honest
  and customer service oriented.  I tried calling him today and I know he is super busy this week, but if this thread was brought to his attention (which it sounds like it was based on a post above), then I know he is going to respond as soon as he gets a chance to clarify.
   
  Let's give him a chance to respond,
   
  Vinnie


----------



## MulberryMadness

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Muse-Portable-battery-tube-headphone-amplifier-pre-amp-/250878078835?
   
   
  ^if you do a search on ebay, you'll find a number of listings for the Muse TV-10 using that same 6111 tube, but only costs $100! ....but look at the posted spec's on that apparent (saying this bc I don't have the manufacturers website data?), using a 2-cell Li-Poly battery and only getting 3hrs RT? Output of 500mW?
   
  Considering the iBasso PB2 has a multicell battery to start with higher voltage, and likely current supplying capacity, and does spec'd up to (high-gain setting?) 2500mW (both channels in *balanced* mode only)... you have to start to wonder about all these claims of being able to drive some current/voltage dependent high-end cans.
   
   
  Quote: 





> [size=medium]3 hours cruising,the Actual situation with machine: clear voice,High resolving power,details performance skillfully,high frequency sounds mellow,neither too high or too boring.medium frequency sounds pure.Low frequency sounds good-nature,resistance to listen to but not turbid. The whole voice sounds pure, Ryan and Sharpay.Symphony performances well,the [/size][size=medium]sound of each instruments can be reconised clearly.[/size]
> [size=medium]Internal adopts miniature American tube 6111 or 6021.[/size]
> [size=medium]Suitable for LOW ESR earphones(performs well with 600Ω DT990 in test.)[/size]
> 
> ...


 
   
  ^have some doubts about that last sentence , and what is an "

 [size=medium]NE5532 amplifier[/size]
  "???
   
   
  Quote: 





> [size=x-small][size=large]*Performance parameters:*[/size][/size]
> [size=x-small][size=medium]Frequency response range：0-100K-0.1dB
> Output power：500mW
> SNR：99dB
> ...


 
   
  well that's just awesome, can someone please independently verify the FR specs, plz   "[size=x-small][size=medium]Frequency response range：0-100K-0.1dB[/size][/size]"


----------



## Vinnie R.

Quote: 





vinnie r. said:


> All,
> 
> 
> IMO, the amp has to be a hybrid.  I listened to it at the last NJ Headfi Meet powering a pair of HE500s and it was one of the best portable rigs I've heard in a
> ...


 
   
   
  Also, I don't think the Continental just uses one battery cell.  I think it uses one battery, but there has to be more than one cell in that battery.  The measured battery voltage would confirm it (or the DC output listed on the battery charger).
   
  So the spec's page on the ALO Continental needs a little cleaning up - but is clearly not the amp for $100 posted above.  An NE5532 opamp is not going to give the kind of output power and sound that I heard at the NJ Headfi meet listening to the Continental...
   
  Vinnie


----------



## KB

Folks,   
 ALO Audio has been in business a long time now. We were one of Head-Fi's first three sponsors, and have built a sterling reputation with our customers. Getting here has not been the product of pulling wool over our customers' eyes.  It has taken me a while to respond, as the engineers (my partners on this product) are overseas, and I wanted to pose the questions to them.  _Many_ Continentals have been sold, and any of the hundreds of customers who bought one can easily open it up, examine it, test it, photograph it and post about it.  That said, the following answers are as detailed a discussion as we're willing to have about our amp's design.  I hope what follows answers your questions, and addresses most or all of what has been brought up in this thread.     _"This amp has 6.25mW of power. Or roughly 25% the power of an iPod. You can also say an iPod is four times more powerful."_  The Continental has up to 2.5W power consumption - much powerful than a iPod , run time on the battery is 6 to 7 hours. Correct calculation is thus:  Calculation of power consumption:
 1) Power supply DC part: 0.15W
 2) 6111 valve filament：P=6.3VX300mA=1.89W
 3) valve anode power：Pa=2XVaXIa=2X90VX1mA=0.18W
 4) Transistor power consumption （+/-12V， 6mA）P=2X(12V+12V)X6mA=0.228W
     So total is: 0.15W+1.89W+0.18W+0.228W=2.448W  
_"Bass cuts off at 40Hz. Where is the low end?"_ 40Hz is +/-1DB, but it certainly does not simply drop off like a cliff below that, performance can vary a bit, depending on the load.
 
_"The tube used has an approximate lifespan of 1,000 hours, or about 20 hours a week for one year. In no way whatsoever do the datasheets suggest a 100,000 hour lifespan."_ 1,000 hours is testing time is, not its life time.   The tube was tested for 1,000 hours at high temperature conditions (see Raytheon 6111 spec sheet.)  The 6111 is a military grade pre-tube, used in the aerospace industry.  It requires stable performance and long life, operating in conditions of high temperature and vibration.  100,000 hour lifespan is estimated.
    Audionote also uses the same 6111 tube in their preamp, they also list the same life.   http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue2/audionotezero.htm   
 _"So to sum up, we have:

 Enough power to run the toughest headphones, though the only offered power spec is 6.25mW."_ See first response
 
_"An amp that runs slightly warm to the touch while supposedly generating huge amounts of power."_  Again the amp has up to 2.5W power consumption,  and can run warm to the touch, but should not run hot under normal conditions.   
_"An OTL with high output impedance masterfully driving low impedance headphones."_  This amp is a hybrid amp, 6111 is the pre-amp, power-amp is a transistor, not OTL.   
_"A new method of driving a tube that generates huge power while extending the lifespan from 1,000 hours to 100,000 hours."_ Regarding the posted data sheet: 1,000 hours is the testing time, not its lifetime.  Reading the spec, it is clear that high temperature testing was conducted in two samples (20 units and 40 units, respectively.)  Allowable failure rates for this tube in the application that it was designed for (service where severe conditions of high temperature and mechanical shock or vibration are encountered) were 1 and 3 inoperatives, respectively.  Test data published zero inoperatives during testing for both sample sets.
 Again, as stated in the original Raytheon spec sheet, this tube is “characterized by long life and stable performance.  It is designed for service where severe conditions of high temperature and mechanical shock or vibration are encountered.”  
_"All of this powered from a battery."_   The continental uses 12V1400 mAh battery, enough for 6-7 hrs playing time.  In addition, the caps used are Sanyo PX military grade: life span: 3000hr at 125℃; 6000hr at 115℃; 12000hr at 105℃; 24000hr at 95℃; 48000hr at 85℃; 96000hr at 75℃; 192000hr at 65℃。   
 We are sorry for the lack of specification clarification and confusion, we will update the information on the website as soon as possible. I would like to thank all customers who have supported ALO audio.     Ken @ ALO audio     PS: if your in the PAC NW please come to our local PDX head-fi meet Sept 17th we are hosting at our new 1500 SF production shop.


----------



## mrarroyo

Thanks for the information Ken.


----------



## MulberryMadness

Quote: 





kb said:


> Folks,
> ALO Audio has been in business a long time now. We were one of Head-Fi's first three sponsors, and have built a sterling reputation with our customers. Getting here *has not been the product of pulling wool over our customers' eyes.*  _"This amp has 6.25mW of power. Or roughly 25% the power of an iPod. You can also say an iPod is four times more powerful."_  The Continental outputs up to 2.5W power - much powerful than a iPod , run time on the battery is 6 to 7 hours. Correct calculation is thus:  Calculation of power consumption:
> 1) Power supply DC part: 0.15W
> 2) 6111 valve filament：P=6.3VX300mA=1.89W
> ...


 
   
  Uh, Ken; you know less about electronic technical details than I do...not too good! Your website says "Battery Type 1-Cell Lithium-Polymer " FYI it is not possible to have a single cell "1-cell" Li-Poly battery of 12v, the chemistry of Li-Poly would dictate 3-cell configuration to get ~12v. Yeah, but thanks for clarifying, even if you don't understand the tech behind the battery 
   
  You also don't seem to understand the difference between power consumption and amount of power available to drive the devices connected to the output.
   
   
  Quote: 





> Audionote also uses the same 6111 tube in their preamp, *they also list the same life. *


 
   
  Gross misrepresentation of the facts, I object! In fact, the Audionote website link you provided only lists a reviewer stating such. Ergo, 'weak sauce' ...man... epic fail in your _defensive_ argument!
   
   
  Quote: 





> [size=large]Zero System[/size]
> [size=x-small]as reviewed by Larry Cox, Francisco Duran, and Victor Chavira[/size]


 
   

 Btw, McDonalds has been making hamburgers since b4 most of these headphone & IEM's were being produced... do you know what a _non-sequitur _is?
   
  Your post seems far too defensive, which member (outside of Uncle Erik, which you seem to most want to reply to) here has said ALO was attempting to pull the wool over the eyes of? Merely, finding some claims and data that are listed for the Continental that just do not seem possible, like a single cell 12v Li-Poly battery


----------



## logwed

^^Grow up, man.


----------



## familiarsounds

@mulberry madness
   
  Well played. Putting up a post like that such that if Ken even tries to respond he'll look defensive from here on. Whatever happened to asking nicely concerning your points of query? Or did you forget text has no tone?


----------



## cj3209

You tech geeks really need to get a life. 
   
  I can't believe how many posts this topic is getting...ridonculous...
   
  BTW, I'm saving up for the Continental!  You guys convinced me.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





cj3209 said:


> BTW, I'm saving up for the Continental!  You guys convinced me.


 

 Well, looking at your sig it doesn't seem hard to do.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Who is this MulberryMadness character? What a joke of a post. Looks to me like he's trolling, trying to stir up some controversy or a reaction out of an otherwise very respectable, collected and detailed response from Ken. I hope nobody from Alo even bothers to respond to such a juvenile post.
   
  In any case, thanks for the response Ken. Pretty much confirmed many of the things already assumed, that this is a hybrid tube amp, that the tube life span was based on an estimate from a 1000 hour _extreme_ (well beyond ordinary conditions) test designed to induce failure, that still did not show up any errors. My assumption is that 100,000 hours is still a bit of a bold estimation, that said, when you get in to the realm of those sorts of numbers, it no longer really even matters. Point is, this thing is built to last.
   
  Anyway, whilst those who don't even own the amp continue to ramble on, I'm going back to my T1 + Continental combo. It has literally taken over my life lol.


----------



## Armaegis

I'd still like to hear an explanation regarding the heat conundrum.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> I'd still like to hear an explanation regarding the heat conundrum.


 

 Since the tube is being used as a pre-amp, and a transistor the power-amp, the assumption is the tube isn't being fully stressed, thus the lower running temps. Unless someone else would like to chime in with another theory. Ordinary running temps for the tube probably weren't as high as initially projected either, as mentioned by Ken and the tube manufacturers, those test conditions were set up specifically to mimic extremes only.


----------



## Armaegis

I got that, but I thought the tube required a rather high temperature to run linear, unless I misread something there. Or perhaps they just don't bother running that high and are compensating for it elsewhere or simply leaving it.


----------



## Uncle Erik

Ken, you listed power consumption figures. I'll take your word that they are accurate.

Can you give us the power _output_ levels? What are they at 32, 120 and 300 Ohms?

How do you calculate 100,000 hours of life? I have seen and experienced long lifespans for small signal tubes, but never for any kind of power tube.

Were tests run where tube deterioration was measured and then extrapolated? I would be very interested in seeing that data.

If bass does not roll off sharply under 40Hz, please provide a frequency response chart showing performance between 20Hz-20kHz.

What is the output impedance?

Why doesn't the sales literature reflect that this is a hybrid with most power coming from solid state devices? Will you rewrite that to reflect that this isa hybrid design?

Naim, the issue with heat is that you have to put electricity in to get power out. The more electricity, the more power you get. It is exactly like putting gasoline into a car. Give the engine all the gas it can use and you'll get maximum power. Choke off the gas and you won't get much power. Just like an engine, heat is a necessary component of generating power. The more power your engine makes, the hotter it gets. The more power a tube makes, the hotter it gets. A tube or engine will remain cool if not being asked to provide a lot of power.

The catch here is that a lot of power is being claimed, but the heat byproduct isn't there. Since I did not have any electrical figures to work from, I wondered where the necessary byproduct of energy was. If you create power, you create heat. Any basic physics text will cover that.


----------



## DigitalFreak

Hmph I'm thinking I'm just going to stay out of this from here on in. The last comment I will allow myself to say on this thread is I probably will be a little more wary from now on of audio products on here whether they're being sold by site sponsors or not. Kind of disappointing when you have to be extra wary of gear in a hobby that was originally intended to be fun. Thanks for fleshing some of this out Uncle Erik


----------



## grokit

Quote: 





grokit said:


> It sounds like it's a hybrid, I don't see the big deal except they should have called it that. And published more accurate specs.
> 
> It obviously doesn't put much of a load on the tube, that's why it runs cooler and lasts longer. Hopefully ALO will be forthcoming with more information at some point.
> 
> The bottom line to me is that those who have used it are pleased with its performance.


 

 Lol.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> So power is 25V into a 100k Ohm load.
> 
> Forgive my rusty high school electronics, but if I recall figuring out Wattage, you square the voltage and divide by the resistance.
> 
> ...


 

  
  Here you essentially omitted key aspects of the equation and missed out some key points. As Ken cleared up (power consumption being one of them).


  Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Or it could be bloomy and sloppy, like a lot of OTL tube amps. A 40Hz cutoff will not get the entire low end.
> 
> Still no specs from the manufacturer?
> 
> ...


 
   
   
  Here you run with the idea of sloppy bass (when those who have used it have said otherwise) and a complete cut off at the 40hz disregarding the idea of just the small drop off (or increase).


  Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Still no answers?
> 
> I pulled up datasheets for the 6111 today (http://tubedata.tubes.se/sheets6.html).
> 
> ...


 

  
  More conjecture. The tube as stated by others and in the data sheets, was testing under extreme circumstances, not ordinary one's. The 100,000 hour figure is an estimation (perhaps a bold one). In the same way car manufacturers will extreme test an engine and then calculate the final life span to be however many times the actual test period. You need to understand this.
   
  It is not 25% of the power of an iPod. You just did an underestimation of the figures provided.
   
  There is no cut off at the 40hz mark. You are running with sensationalist assumptions yet again.


  Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> *My guess is that there's enough current to light the filament so it looks like the tube is "working."*
> 
> Then a very small amount of power is fed through the tube as an output stage. But so little that the tube doesn't degrade as it would if correctly run. That would keep the tube from burning out for years.
> 
> ...


 
   
   
  Even more conjecture and false claims. With your very little and flawed understanding of electronics, testing methodology and heat (as can be surmised by your posts) you jump to the false conclusion that the tube is used as little more than 'decoration' and that the tube isn't actually 'working'. You really seem to have it in for ALO and this amp.
   

  Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> If a tube is creating a lot of power it must create a lot of heat.
> 
> There are no two ways about it.
> 
> ...


 
   
   
  Then how do other portable amps do it? With magic and fairy dust?
   
  Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> The 6111 tube generates heat when it generates power. A lot of heat. Fully driven, it will create heat on a level between boiling water and cooking a potato. If it were generating that kind of heat:
> 
> 1. It would destroy the internal components;
> 2. It would give the user serious burns;
> ...


 
   
   
  The first bolded part is just  laughable. Perhaps with your very flawed, ignorant theories and understanding of these things yes. Second bolded part, we're getting closer.
   
  The last bolded part is just pure trolling if you ask me. Even more shocking considering it's from a mod. 
   
   
  Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> As for variable lab conditions, etc., that just isn't feasible. All these companies were huge manufacturers. They had excellent equipment. I know because I have old test gear from some of these labs. There was a lot of electronics manufacturing in LA and much of the surplus gear ended up at the W6TRW swapmeet. I've been going to the W6TRW swapmeet since 1986 or so. I've bought a bit of surplus test gear there. It's top-notch stuff. (One favorite is a HP frequency counter with a Nixie tube display - incredibly cool.) I just don't see how the old measurements could be that inaccurate.
> 
> Further, tubes are a major business these days. Lots and lots of people use and test them daily. If the old datasheets were inaccurate, you'd find tube hobbyist websites full of corrections and updates to datasheets. But those don't exist. The datasheets have proved accurate for decades.
> 
> crbc: how do your ears feel about missing frequencies from 20Hz-40Hz?


 

   
  It is completely feasible. The manufacturer tested at extreme conditions and mentioned that these should not be taken as the norm, yet you are ignoring this and running with the extremes.
   
  Also, in response to your post about the cut off at 20hz to 40hz I responded by testing every frequency for you, a post that you completely blanked (not un-expected). You are choosing to ignore facts and posts from people who  actually own the device and are  instead running with flawed theories or inaccurate comprehension of the details outlined. The 20-40hz response is + and/or -, so it's not necessarily even a cut off, it could be an increase. Even then, 1db is trivial.
   
  ----
   
   
  No disrespect to you Eric, as I do appreciate some elements of the aforementioned posts, but based on all the above and more, if I was Ken I honestly would not bother to even respond to any of your posts further on the discussion. One question I have for YOU right now is, are you even going to buy one of these amps? Because it almost seems like you've had it in for the amp/ALO from the start of this thread and have no personal interest in the amp itself.
   
  There is literally no reason why he should have to post frequency graphs to satisfy your negative curiosity. It is absurd. You can take the opinions and statements of mine, Ken's and other people (who are actually using the amp), that there's no cut off. I posted a results of a basic test, I honestly think at this point anything further is getting in to the realm of obtuse and unnecessary. 
   
  This is turning in to a sensationalist merry go round of epic proportions.
   
   
*The truth is some of you may never be satisfied with the answers and have countless more every time. I would argue that it is now time to end this hyperbolic tact, one that is taking the thread off tangent, and let the real discussions about the amp itself and impressions take precedent. Any further questions you (or anyone else) have, should imo, in the interests of removing clutter and conjecture, be taken straight to Ken via PM's or emails and then should you see fit, you can post a summary of his responses here at a later date. Anything further, as mentioned, is de-railing from the actual meritable elements of discussion.*


----------



## RudeWolf

For me the only moot point seems the way how the t° is managed on such low levels compared to the datasheet. If less amount of juice is being fed in the tube and it performs well AND most of the listeners affirm that, then very well. Case closed. All in all I have heard little but praise about the Continentals' performance and the sound signature seems to be akin to the tech claimed by Ken.
   
  So far the only problem there lied solely in the [timely] communication failure.


----------



## Vinnie R.

All,
   
  Maybe this will help.  Ken (ALO) posts the following:
   
   
  Quote: 





> The Continental has up to 2.5W power consumption - much powerful than a iPod , run time on the battery is 6 to 7 hours. Correct calculation is thus:  Calculation of power consumption:
> 1) Power supply DC part: 0.15W
> 2) 6111 valve filament：P=6.3VX300mA=1.89W
> 3) valve anode power：Pa=2XVaXIa=2X90VX1mA=0.18W
> ...


 
   
  The tube heaters does run on 6.3V, and consumes 300mA (item 2 above)
   
  The plate of the tube is receiving 90V (item 3 above)
   
  The discrete FET output stage is running on +/- 12V. (item 4 above)
   
  The battery is 12V, 1.4Ah.  So it is clearly not one cell.  It has to be 4 cells (ALO should have stated "one battery" instead of "one cell" and will correct this)
   
  So now we know there is a step up converter for the plate voltage, a regulator for the tube heater to knock the battery voltage down to the
  required 6.3V, and there is a circuit to generate +/-12V for the output stage.
   
  The total power consumption is 2.45W.
  The battery is 16.8Wh.
   
  16.8Wh / 2.45W = 6.86 hours - which satisfies the 6 to 7 hour battery life claim, and it seems the customers are also getting this.  So
  the numbers check out.
   
  So the tube is being used correctly and is the *voltage gain stage*, and the transistor output is the *current gain stage* (buffer) required to power
  the low impedances of headphones.
   
  Regarding tube life, 100,000 hours is an estimate. Until someone has a tube that fails before 100,000 hours, nobody can say it is misleading even
  if it sounds unrealistic.  But let's say that you play every day of the year for 7 hours a day, for 10 years.  That would be approx. 25,000 hours on the tube.  How
  many people are going to play 7 hours a day, 365 days a year, for 10 years?  I'm sure the battery will need to be changed a few times before
  the tube.  So as long as tube lasts for as long one believes they are going to keep the amp for, I think it will be fine.  The tube is not being driven outside its
  normal operating range.
   
  What's missing? - *the output power*.  I told ALO to send me a Continental and I'll gladly test the power output at 32-ohm, 64-ohm, etc. and will report back.
   
  ALO will be updating their website with the correct info soon.  I know Ken never meant to mislead anyone.  But he could have been more hands-on with 
  the designers overseas in getting the specs more clear from the beginning.  The way in which this was presented to him in this thread could have been 
  more respectful, IMHO.  In other words, if Ken was at a local headfi meet and you met him in person (and those who have know he is a nice, laid-back guy
  who is very passionate about this hobby and very customer focused), would you have used more tact in your approach?  
   
  In the meantime, I think most people want to get back on track with this thread regarding *how the ALO Continental sounds, what cans they are using with it,*
*etc.  *
   
  I'll post my findings on the output power as soon as I get the amp, and Ken will be updating his website to clear the confusion.  
   
  Thanks for reading through this.
   
  I will close the way Lee of Cryoparts used to close his posts (who suddenly passed away this weekend at the age of 46, R.I.P. - *life is too short*) by saying:
   
  "Peace,"
   
  Vinnie


----------



## cooperpwc

Very sad news about Lee. It puts things in perspective. Music is part of life, a precious gift. Let's focus on enjoying it.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





cooperpwc said:


> Very sad news about Lee. It puts things in perspective. Music is part of life, a precious gift. Let's focus on enjoying it.


 


  very well said.
   
  Also great post Vinnie. R.I.P Lee. Very sad news. Though I did not know him, my prayers are with him and his family.


----------



## Armaegis

Now I've got this silly idea to integrate a miniature heat exchanger into a tube amp...
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-06/new-alloy-can-convert-heat-directly-electricity
http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/silicon-nanowires-turn-heat-to-electricity
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/thermoelectric.html


----------



## qusp

yes very sad news, i only heard monday night/tuesday morning from Josh, Lee was good people, you will be missed my friend 
   
  wrt UE and your rant, well you lost me at the point of asking for clarifcation, i agreed the numbers as presented made no sense and i was surprised at the lack of clarification (although past a point i wouldnt want to respond to you either), or rather they didnt really tell anything about performance into a real headphone load. i do find the 100000 number somewhat arbitrary and nothing but conjecture, but as i see it you then picked up the ball and ran with that one power spec into an unrelated load and kept harping on heat, yes the datasheet says it performs best and is more linear at high temps, perhaps its not running at its most linear, fine, its now been confirmed the tube is just doing what it does best and acting as VAS with SS current buffer, also fine (although this perhaps could have been mentioned). You are correct the equally inefficient (though excellent sounding) Class A power amps do need large heatsinks, there are also excellent sounding class AB and Class D amps that need bugger all heatsink to put out 100's of watts almost literally directly off the mains, the point is kinda meaningless
   
  the extent you took the argument and quite frankly transparently feigning genuine interest; is typical of your one eyed hatred of portable amps and the totally outmoded and imo flat out incorrect belief that they cannot provide enough power to be worthwhile, you just used this as a vehicle to rant about it using your newly acquired platform. personally i feel this is totally inappropriate for a (admittedly fairly newly appointed) mod. i doubt you have even listened to a portable amp for years


----------



## qusp

by outmoded i mean batteries these days put out power that has to be restrained, i'm sure Vinnie will agree after converting his dacs to lifepo4, that the amount of current lithium cells can put out has to be respected, to the point in a vain attempt to limit it in a failure mode i only used 20awg hookup wire on mine in my dac/amp, due to an incident soldering an A123 pack together that quite frankly scared the crap out of me.


----------



## Vinnie R.

Quote: 





qusp said:


> by outmoded i mean batteries these days put out power that has to be restrained, i'm sure Vinnie will agree after converting his dacs to lifepo4, that the amount of current lithium cells can put out has to be respected, to the point in a vain attempt to limit it in a failure mode i only used 20awg hookup wire on mine in my dac/amp, due to an incident soldering an A123 pack together that quite frankly scared the crap out of me.


 

 Yes - my LiFePO4 packs can easy output a few hundreds of amps if shorted.  I tested with an 18 awg solid copper wire.  It melted nearly instantaneously - like solder!   
  And when it dropped to the floor, it was glowing red hot...


----------



## estreeter

Wow, this thread is going well - from wild enthusiasm initially to something resembling the chainsaw scene from 'Scarface'


----------



## Anaxilus

If it means anything I've got a Portatube loaner running my HD800s sublimely atm.  I don't have my thermometer to measure the chassis or bulb atm but it certainly runs above warm.  Wish I had the Conti to AB.  I'm about 1 o'clock on the pot.  Sounds like about 85 dB.


----------



## qusp

Quote: 





vinnie r. said:


> Yes - my LiFePO4 packs can easy output a few hundreds of amps if shorted.  I tested with an 18 awg solid copper wire.  It melted nearly instantaneously - like solder!
> And when it dropped to the floor, it was glowing red hot...


 


  haha yep, thats what i'm talking about 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 me, i was soldering a 6 x m1 cell pack (capable of ~10v@280A +/-10@140A, when center tapped) up to a dsub for balance charging and briefly bridged the pins with the soldering iron, lets just say i cant use (whats left of) that tip anymore and ALWAYS make up any harnesses separate to the pack now.
   
  anyway, i'm actually pretty interested in impressions now i have more detail and hope someone grabs one in oz so i can perhaps hear it at the next meet. i dont need another portable, but could be convinced


----------



## grokit

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> If it means anything I've got a Portatube loaner running my HD800s sublimely atm.  I don't have my thermometer to measure the chassis or bulb atm but it certainly runs above warm.  Wish I had the Conti to AB.  I'm about 1 o'clock on the pot.  Sounds like about 85 dB.


 
  I wish you had a Conti to AB as well, I would like to know how they compare


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





grokit said:


> I wish you had a Conti to AB as well, I would like to know how they compare


 

  
  Same. Based on impressions sound sig wise they appear to share similar traits. However, some mentioned the Portatube's soundstage to be a tad cramped. I can tell you the sound stage on the Continental is brilliant. Very spacious and dynamic. Wider than both the SR-71A (by a very healthy margin) and JDS cMoy.  A few things that I also really like about it. Far as I can tell it also has zero noise, completely black on silent (though I'll test again to confirm) add to that, unlike my other portable's, the pop on turn on is very small and almost in-audible. On turn off there isn't one.
   
  Only things I'd want more from this amp are longer battery (10 hours please Ken!) and if it's possible, a smaller form factor. As is, it's just about portable but not exactly small. Size isn't a big concern though, especially given the power and SQ.


----------



## Uncle Erik

naim.f.c said:


> Here you essentially omitted key aspects of the equation and missed out some key points. As Ken cleared up (power consumption being one of them).
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Why the insults? Have I insulted you?

First, power consumption is only marginally relevant. I want to see the power output figures. My interest stems from claims that this will drive anything and will overpower IEMs. If that is true, some numbers would clear it up.

Power output is listed for other amps at the ALO site; why not this one?

Power output and frequency graphs are provided by almost every manufacturer for almost every product. Asking for them is not in the least unreasonable.

If you would like to perform your own tests, build a dummy load and use a DMM to measure the output. Run that through the power equation and you'll have an answer.

I sti take exception to the estimate of tube life. A hundred-fold increase is astonishing. Even if something might run for 2,000-3,000 hours under light conditions, you don't get 100,000 hours from it unless it is barely being run at all. If you barely run something, you don't get anything out of it. That's the point.

If you're keen on testing, open it up and measure what the tube produces. Find out for yourself. If you find a huge amount of power developed without consistent levels of heat, you might want to contact some scientific journals.

As for your other points:

1. Yes, I am _quite_ frank with people and unafraid to ask questions. I'm a lawyer and a landlord; strongly opposing opinions come up daily. I have asked a number of manufacturers - in person - for stats on their amps. I've never seen one who acted insulted by those questions. Every one is immediately forthcoming and will talk for hours about their design, design philosophy, and you'll have an interesting conversation. Try it sometime. Most are really nice people who will tell you everything.

2. Forums are for public debate and discussion. If there are questions, criticisms, concerns, whatever, you talk about it openly. Amplifiers have always been discussed critically and technically here. Please look at the thread about the Objective 2, the design is fully picked through. Same with a few hundred others. There are loads of negative reviews and criticisms here. I wouldn't want it any other way. Just like how you openly criticize me. That's fine. I'll be happy to answer.

3. I started asking questions because I have an interest in tubes. I use them all the time, work on my projects and read about them. When I see claims going against everything I've read, heard from others and personally experienced from working with them, I'm going to ask questions. See points 1 and 2, above.


----------



## Currawong

Uncle Erik: While I agree it'd be nice to see a full set of figures for the amp (I myself am suspicious of manufacturers who don't provide any at all) I think the problem is you didn't spot it was clearly a hybrid amp, something which is obvious from the pictures where transistors are shown and thus the tube itself isn't singularly responsible for the power output.


----------



## Uncle Erik

Currawong, the manufacturer's sales lit claims it is a tube amp, not a hybrid.

If the sales lit accurately describes a product, that's fine. The sales lit should give full measurements, as well. Especially if measurements are given for other devices sold by the same manufacturer.


----------



## grokit

"The Continental encorperates a tube voltage gain section followed by a discrete transistor current output stage to drive headphones."
   
  That sounds like an accurate description of hybrid amp to me, even if they misspelled incorporates.


----------



## Currawong

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Currawong, the manufacturer's sales lit claims it is a tube amp, not a hybrid.
> 
> If the sales lit accurately describes a product, that's fine. The sales lit should give full measurements, as well. Especially if measurements are given for other devices sold by the same manufacturer.


 

 I was always of the impression that the general term "tube amp" refers to an amp that uses tubes, not specifically whether it is OTL, transformer-coupled, hybrid or whatever.


----------



## Frank I

While people are flaming Uncle Eric I think his post brought forth some valid points. I for one have never heard a hybrid as being described as tube amp. When I hear tube amp I assume the amp is a tube design without transistors. The literature should describe the amp as such. I also have never heard any claims of any tube ever lasting a 100,000 hours either in all the years of having and owning tube amps. I think Uncle Erik is right on this issue. There needs to be clear cut answers and the questions he posed are not  out of line. Hybrid tell me that it is a tube pre amp section driving transistors and that the proper way to describe the amp. it may well indeed sound good but the facts need to be clarified further IMO. Insulting a respected member and moderator is not the way to get the facts out.


----------



## moodyrn

The thing I don't understand is, Why the "personal" attacks on Uncle Erik. All of his questions were valid. Maybe he could have been a little nicer in the way he asked them, but not once did he personally attack anyone. He didn't even personally attack alo. The things he asked were not out of line, and he never stated anything that wasn't true. Now you may agree or disagree with him. But to attack him personally shows the immaturity of some of you. That's one of the things that bothers me the most about some of the people here. Once someone has a different point of view one person, that person then goes on to personally attack that person instead of debating them on what they may disagree about. If you love your amp, that's all that matters. There shouldn't be nothing Uncle Erik, or anyone else for that matter, could say that should ruin you enjoyment.


----------



## moodyrn

Quote: 





grokit said:


> "The Continental encorperates a tube voltage gain section followed by a discrete transistor current output stage to drive headphones."
> 
> That sounds like an accurate description of hybrid amp to me, even if they misspelled incorporates.


 
   
   
   


  
  Grokit Your post is misleading, that info has been recently updated. Of course now it's obvious that's it's a hybrid, but a couple of days ago that's not what the description stated. I was advertised as a tube amp, and like Frank said, I've never seen a hybrid advertised as a tube amp. Actually the description stated that it was tube powered. A hybrid is not tube powered. I'm glad they have finally updated the description. But it's still lacking, but at least a step in the right direction.


----------



## Vinnie R.

All,
   
  I received the Continental from Ken today.  I won't be able to test it's output power until tomorrow.   What loads do you want me to try?
  I'll be using a TekTronics digital O'scope and will test output right before the point of clipping of the signal...
   
  Vinnie


----------



## moodyrn

That's great you are doing this for us. I would like to see it at 16, 50, and 600ohms personally.


----------



## Skylab

I vote for 32, 50, 300 and 600   Thanks Vinnie!


----------



## Pbvideo

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Currawong, the manufacturer's sales lit claims it is a tube amp, not a hybrid.
> 
> If the sales lit accurately describes a product, that's fine. The sales lit should give full measurements, as well. Especially if measurements are given for other devices sold by the same manufacturer.


 
   
  I'm not well versed in head-fi, but how many "hybrid" amps are on the market?  I'm wondering how common are the hybrid designs? Just curious!
   
  I've owned a Continental for several weeks and I have to say that it's an incredible amp. I examined the specs and took a chance based on my experience with my CLAS and was not disappointed!


----------



## Naim.F.C

Firstly, I don't see any personal insults towards Eric, only people calling him out for some questionable tact and posts. I'm not particularly well versed with Eric, so have no idea if he is anti portable like others have mentioned. Based on a quick peak at his profile, I'm not sure if he does own any portable amps. Based on his comment earlier about heat problems even in solid state portables, I'm assuming he doesn't, others he'd know you can output sufficient power from a portable without needing gigantic heatsinks.
   
  I post on a lot of forums (I'm a bit of a tech freak and geek), and generally from my experience, when someone is consistently questioning in a negative bias, or persistently posting with particular pessimism on a device or product, for example a person negatively questioning a game he has never played or has no intention of buying, an LCD fan opposing the technical merits of a Plasma TV and so forth, it's usually a pretty (obvious) bad sign.
   
  If I'm being honest, initially I was curious and appreciative of Eric's comment on this amp, but then certain posts changed that. For one, the negative persistance (how many posts in this thread essentially bashing a product he's never used?). Second, ignoring the posts from users of the amp and blindly following a misinformed logic (complete cut off at 40hz, lack of power, supposedly 4x less than an iPod etc) but then what really surprised me, were these comments.
   

  Quote: 





digitalfreak said:


> *The only possible conclusion is that the tube isn't really being run at all. It is mostly being lit up for show.*
> 
> *My guess is that there's enough current to light the filament so it looks like the tube is "working."*
> 
> *By the way, if anyone wants a decorative tube, I have a box of tubes that sadly had their identifying marks rubbed off. I'll send you a decorative tube for the cost of postage - about $4 in the US. I'll tell you how to make it light up, too, free of charge. For another $25 or so, you could build a CMoy around it. Heck, a CMoy will give you about 35mW of power. You could have an amp with five times the power and a decorative tube for about $30.*


 

   
  After reading the above, you have to question the questions, and the posters personal interests and technical acumen or knowledge on the matter, especially since the vast majority of us guessed it was a hybrid amp, and Erik instead, decided to support the notion that Ken was fooling us with a phoney product that used a tube for nothing more than "show". A bit of a bold and libel claim, more so considering it's towards one of the sites main sponsors. 
   
  In any case, I'm not a fan of witch hunt type forum circles, so again, in the interests of the thread, I suggest we ignore all further personal attachments or posts directed at posters instead of the amp. It's getting a bit out of hand and off topic.
   
   
  I'm glad Vinnie has the amp now to post the relevant tests. I'm with Skylab on voting for 32, 50, 300 and 600!
   
   
  On a side note, I'm assuming all the recent (of which there have been quite a few) portable tube amps are actually hybrids.


----------



## grokit

Quote: 





uncle erik said:


> Currawong, the manufacturer's sales lit claims it is a tube amp, not a hybrid.
> 
> If the sales lit accurately describes a product, that's fine. The sales lit should give full measurements, as well. Especially if measurements are given for other devices sold by the same manufacturer.


 
  Quote: 





grokit said:


> "The Continental encorperates a tube voltage gain section followed by a discrete transistor current output stage to drive headphones."
> 
> That sounds like an accurate description of hybrid amp to me, even if they misspelled incorporates.


 
  Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *moodyrn* /img/forum/go_quote.gifGrokit Your post is misleading, that info has been recently updated. Of course now it's obvious that's it's a hybrid, but a couple of days ago that's not what the description stated. I was advertised as a tube amp, and like Frank said, I've never seen a hybrid advertised as a tube amp. Actually the description stated that it was tube powered. A hybrid is not tube powered. I'm glad they have finally updated the description. But it's still lacking, but at least a step in the right direction.


 
   
   
  It's not misleading at all, I was merely following UE's post saying that the description was not accurate, when at the time he said that it clearly was, as you said for a couple of days. Also, well more than a couple of days ago I had asserted how obvious it was to me, a non-engineer with limited knowledge of amplifier technology, that this amp was incorporating hybrid technology.




  Now that the description has been updated, why can't we all move on to something more constructive like listening impressions.


----------



## moodyrn

Grokit the description he was referring to in that post was the description he read a few days ago, which at the time didn't contain the updated info. The info has just been recently updated. Based on the internals, someone could have come to the conclusion that it was a hybrid amp. But not everyone knows what they're looking at when they see internals which is why it should have stated that in the description which it "now" does but didn't at the time. And at the time the specs didn't add up. Now they make more sense. I want even comment bout the above poster saying there having been any personal attacks. One word that really sticks out is ignorant. Even if you don't call a person ignorant and say what he is saying is ignorant that is still a personal attack and is uncalled for. And also to make accusations toward that person is uncalled for. There's nothing wrong with saying lets just agree to disagree. I've said it many a times on here. I don't care one way or the other about what someone says about an amp or headphone. I will debate that person, but once it gets personal I'm out. Using words like ignorant is always personal. This thread have now reached point of being ridiculous. I would be nice to move on, but I have a feeling that even after the info has been updated, and owner are enjoying it, this whole debacle still might not be over which is sad. I really hope I'm wrong.


----------



## grokit

Quote: 





moodyrn said:


> Grokit the description he was referring to in that post was the description he read a few days ago, which at the time didn't contain the updated info. The info has just been recently updated. Based on the internals, someone could have come to the conclusion that it was a hybrid amp. But not everyone knows what they're looking at when they see internals which is why it should have stated that in the description which it "now" does but didn't at the time. And at the time the specs didn't add up. Now they make more sense. I want even comment bout the above poster saying there having been any personal attacks. One word that really sticks out is ignorant. Even if you don't call a person ignorant and say what he is saying is ignorant that is still a personal attack and is uncalled for. And also to make accusations toward that person is uncalled for. There's nothing wrong with saying lets just agree to disagree. I've said it many a times on here. I don't care one way or the other about what someone says about an amp or headphone. I will debate that person, but once it gets personal I'm out. Using words like ignorant is always personal. This thread have now reached point of being ridiculous. I would be nice to move on, but I have a feeling that even after the info has been updated, and owner are enjoying it, this whole debacle still might not be over which is sad. I really hope I'm wrong.


 

 I never used the word ignorant or attacked anybody or made any accusations, but ironically I am feeling a bit attacked at this point. I was simply pointing out that the information had been updated before that post.
   
  My earlier assertion that hybrid technology was being employed had nothing to do with the internal pictures and everything to do with elementary deduction from what had already been posted in this thread.
   
  If agreeing to disagree will let us drop this unproductive line of discussion and move on to how this amp sounds then I heartily agree to do so.


----------



## moodyrn

Grokit I wasn't referring to you but the poster before you about the personal attacks.


----------



## logwed

Moodryn, the problem is that it was coming from both sides. Just because UE is the mod doesn't mean that he was any less stubborn than Naim or myself. Everyone was operating on very limited information, and faulty conclusions were reached as a result.
   
  Regardless, that is obviously in the past, I for one am satisfied with the new posted specs and descriptions, and I await Vinnie's test results on the output power


----------



## moodyrn

I agree that it could have been handled better from both sides. But like you said, alo did chime in and give an explanation and have since updated their site. So hopefully everyone can move on and we can get back to sound impressions. This thread is so jacked up maybe someone else might have to create a new thread for that. But still some comments were taken too far, but that's behind us now......hopefully.


----------



## skeptic

Naim - please google up the phrase "ad hominem."  Your posts are full them, and that's not a good thing. 
   
  I'm glad that this thread has _finally_ caused ALO has to clarify the fact that this is a hybrid amp, but the insistence on continuing to advertise the 6111 as having a 100,000 hour life (estimated or not) is totally ridiculous.
   
  Vinnie indicated that he wanted an example of these tubes failing early before he would acknowledge that advertising them as such is misleading.  Well, here are a couple of examples for you, courtesy of _my very first hit_ on google: multiple pro audio users discussing the 6111's and reporting that their studios "went through 2 tubes in about 4 years" and that "after some 2.5 years it started to make noise, like a thunderstorm coming from far away."  (See http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/91875/0/ .)


----------



## logwed

Quote: 





skeptic said:


> Vinnie indicated that he wanted an example of these tubes failing early before he would acknowledge that advertising them as such is misleading.  Well, here are a couple of examples for you, courtesy of _my very first hit_ on google: multiple pro audio users discussing the 6111's and reporting that their studios "went through 2 tubes in about 4 years" and that "after some 2.5 years it started to make noise, like a thunderstorm coming from far away."  (See http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/91875/0/ .)


 


  Maybe the tubes were being used for 110 hours a day


----------



## grokit

Ah, thanks for the clarification moodyrn.
   
  Quote: 





skeptic said:


> Naim - please google up the phrase "ad hominem."  Your posts are full them, and that's not a good thing.
> 
> I'm glad that this thread has _finally_ caused ALO has to clarify the fact that this is a hybrid amp, but the insistence on continuing to advertise the 6111 as having a 100,000 hour life (estimated or not) is totally ridiculous.
> 
> Vinnie indicated that he wanted an example of these tubes failing early before he would acknowledge that advertising them as such is misleading.  Well, here are a couple of examples for you, courtesy of _my very first hit_ on google: multiple pro audio users discussing the 6111's and reporting that their studios "went through 2 tubes in about 4 years" and that "after some 2.5 years it started to make noise, like a thunderstorm coming from far away."  (See http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/91875/0/ .)


 

 Isn't it fairly obvious that the 100,000 hour tube life that ALO is asserting is regarding extrapolated usage in this particular amp?
   
  Or do you feel that ALO needs to clarify this better as well?


----------



## Skylab

I don't think there is any real point in making the claim anyway.  A portable amp used a massive 5 hours per day every single day would last about 5 and a half years if the tube lasted a very typical 10,000 hours.  Who keeps portable amps that long???


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Who keeps portable amps that long???


 

 Nobody.  They just post a review and move on.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






   
  Let's just wait for the power output figures and leave the rest so we can move on.  I'm going to rate the 6111 at 1,000,000 hours when left in the 'Off' position.


----------



## grokit




----------



## Naim.F.C

Does anyone know a way to reduce the volume of network interference when using this amp? The noise is outrageously loud. Would shielding the device help at all, or is my only bet simply to turn the phone to aeroplane mode/turn the network off altogether?


----------



## MacedonianHero

Quote: 





skylab said:


> I vote for 32, 50, 300 and 600   Thanks Vinnie!


 


  X2 for me...that pretty much covers the gambit.


----------



## Currawong

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Does anyone know a way to reduce the volume of network interference when using this amp? The noise is outrageously loud. Would shielding the device help at all, or is my only bet simply to turn the phone to aeroplane mode/turn the network off altogether?


 

 What phone and LOD are you using? Might be an idea for "process of elimination" to done here to find out what the culprit is.

  
  Quote: 





pbvideo said:


> I'm not well versed in head-fi, but how many "hybrid" amps are on the market?  I'm wondering how common are the hybrid designs? Just curious!
> 
> I've owned a Continental for several weeks and I have to say that it's an incredible amp. I examined the specs and took a chance based on my experience with my CLAS and was not disappointed!


 

 Good question.  Most, if not all the Cavalli (desktop, DIY) amps are hybrids. The TTVJ Millet portable hybrid was possibly the first well-known portable amp to use tubes (see here for an internal pic). I can't think of anyone else who makes any off the top of my head. Considering most designs are OTL or transformer-coupled and Cavalli's designs were more recent I can understand now how people would consider "tube amp" to not include hybrids. I was thinking more how I would have seen it when I started on Head-Fi, ie: if it has tubes, it's a tube amp. Semantics I guess.
   
  I originally saw this thread as for a while I've been interested in a transportable set-up, firstly for taking to local stores to try headphones and, secondly, to take with me when I travel.


----------



## Skylab

LOTS of hybrid desktop amps. But only a few portables.


----------



## Currawong

I must be having a brain-dead moment in not being able to think of many, so that comment was welcome.


----------



## Skylab

Been listening to the Schiit Lyr lately which is hybrid. So is the Apek Peak, and the RWA Isabellina. Then there is the HiFiMan EF2 and EF5. To name a few


----------



## cooperpwc

Let's not forget the DIY Millet Hybrid (including Millet Max and Starving Student editions). There may be more of those out there than all the others put together - at least prior to the new Schiit.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





currawong said:


> What phone and LOD are you using? Might be an idea for "process of elimination" to done here to find out what the culprit is.


 


  iPhone 4 with an ALO Cricket LOD. Oddly, I did notice that unlike my other AWG18 custom made LOD (viablue connector etc), the ALO one had all pins in the jack that connects to the iPhone, whereas the custom made LOD has only a few pins inside. Guess I'll have to do further testing.


----------



## Currawong

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Been listening to the Schiit Lyr lately which is hybrid. So is the Apek Peak, and the RWA Isabellina. Then there is the HiFiMan EF2 and EF5. To name a few


 

 I can't believe I forgot Schiit and Apex. For some reason my brain would only think of Woo Audio and Little Dot that don't make any at all.
   
  I look forward to Vinnie's measurements then.
   
  The last transportable battery amp I had was the HeadRoom Portable Desktop. While it had a good DAC, the headphone amp was somewhat lacklustre and it was quite poor using an iPod as input, so I'm pondering anything battery-powered that I can easily carry that has sufficient grunt.


----------



## Brooko

Not sure if you guys want to look at the internals of the GoVibe PortaPro.  Very little info on it around either.  I actually bought it - so I can open it up and provide photos if anyone interested.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





brooko said:


> Not sure if you guys want to look at the internals of the GoVibe PortaPro.  Very little info on it around either.  I actually bought it - so I can open it up and provide photos if anyone interested.


 

 Please do.


----------



## Brooko

Hope these are good enough.  Light in the room isn't great, and the macro on this camera is not the greatest (could be the operator too)
   

   

   

   

   
  It does sound absolutely magic


----------



## khaos974

Be happy! The web page now states 300 mW @ 30 ohms


----------



## grokit

Quote: 





skylab said:


> I don't think there is any real point in making the claim anyway.  A portable amp used a massive 5 hours per day every single day would last about 5 and a half years if the tube lasted a very typical 10,000 hours.  Who keeps portable amps that long???


 
   
  Well the first 50,000 hours or so would be just pink noise for burn-in


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





grokit said:


> Well the first 50,000 hours or so would be just pink noise for burn-in


 
   
  So bad......


----------



## qusp

agreed the porta tube sounded pretty nice with my jh13 and the rather fun merlin 5 driver hybrid custom demo at the Sydney meet


----------



## Brooko

Just as an FYI - I asked Josh at Jaben about the life of the tube in the PortaTube, and the reply was 'estimated 10000+ hours'.


----------



## Frank I

Quote: 





currawong said:


> I can't believe I forgot Schiit and Apex. For some reason my brain would only think of Woo Audio and Little Dot that don't make any at all.
> 
> I look forward to Vinnie's measurements then.
> 
> The last transportable battery amp I had was the HeadRoom Portable Desktop. While it had a good DAC, the headphone amp was somewhat lacklustre and it was quite poor using an iPod as input, so I'm pondering anything battery-powered that I can easily carry that has sufficient grunt.


 

 Music Hall and Shanling and Vincent audio also have hybrid amps


----------



## Naim.F.C

*Further Continental impressions.*
   
  I've realised another reason why I'm loving this amp so much. I didn't put much emphasis on it in all of my earlier impressions, but after more A/B'ing with the SR-71A and the cMoy, it's one of the first things that really stands out. That being the *sound stage*. It's a *good degree larger than the cMoy's and a huge degree larger than SR-71A's*. It's also more three dimensional. Not just horizontally wider. With the tubey warm, low emphasised sound, I was wondering why I might still be able to hear more in the music, and now I realise it's because of the sound stage. It also explains why earlier in my comparison with the SR-71A, I thought one gave me a studio like compact room sound, and why the Continental (playing exactly the same track) in my brain brought about connotations of a wide club and live performance of sorts. Quite a difference given I was using the exact same gear.
   
  When testing amps and audio gear, I do this thing where I open up notepad, close my eyes, and rapidly type everything I'm hearing. I noticed it's much easier for me to pick out different sounds and instruments with the Continental compared to the cMoy (which is less detailed, but has a wider soundstage but slightly less depth than the SR-71A), even though I can actually hear the same sound with all the portables. The difference is, with the others, sometimes when I home in on one sound, I find it hard to concentrate on another at the same time, or find switching hearing emphasis on the fly among the different sounds more difficult (though the T1 certainly helps). It's sometimes much easier to do this with the Continental, hence why my notepad was filled with a lot more descriptions of sounds compared to the same test with the other portables. There's just a bit *less congestion and more air or space around the instruments with the Continental*.
   
  Annoyingly, the pro's from The Continental have made me want to try the RX MkII now. Does anyone know how the RX MkII's sound stage and general sonic presentation compares to the SR-71A and/or cMoy?


----------



## jpelg

Are the tubes user-replaceable on any of these portable tube amps?


----------



## Frank I

Quote: 





jpelg said:


> Are the tubes user-replaceable on any of these portable tube amps?


 


  Thats a great question on the Shanling and  Vincentl the tube has to be soldered in thus I did not buy one for that reason Hal


----------



## Brooko

The Porta Tube is also soldered in.


----------



## Skylab

There are ways to take tubes with flying leads like the 6111 and make a base for them that would allow the use of a socket, but not practical in a small portable amp.


----------



## RudeWolf

What about resoldering when the tube finally goes dead? I guess that you would want to be gentle as with all board mounted components. Though it doesn't seem impossible provided you are able to get the right tube.


----------



## Skylab

6111 tubes are very easy to get NOS, and cheap, averaging about $10 per tube.


----------



## Vinnie R.

All, 
   
  Here are the measurements I got (these are clean numbers - before clipping):
   
   
  740mW @ 16 ohm
  500mW @ 32 ohm
  440mW @ 50 ohm
  250mW @ 300 ohm
  125mW @ 600 ohm
   
  With a 32-ohm load, there is 3dB attenuation at 20Hz.  There is very little attenuation at 20Hz with > 50 ohm headphones. 
   
  I hope this helps clear things up regarding the output power.
   
  Best regards,
   
  Vinnie


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





vinnie r. said:


> All,
> 
> Here are the measurements I got (these are clean numbers - before clipping):
> 
> ...


 

  
  Thanks for these. They seem higher than ALO's own reading. Perhaps they were being timid? In any case, how do these figures compare to other popular portable head phone amps?


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> In any case, how do these figures compare to other popular portable head phone amps?


 

 This is my go to SS portable though I'm using different opamps from stock so not sure how much if anything changes.  
   
  ALO continental:
   
  740mW @ 16 ohm
  500mW @ 32 ohm
  440mW @ 50 ohm
  250mW @ 300 ohm
  125mW @ 600 ohm
 Leckerton UHA6S:  Specifications 
 *Max output power:* 
 *25 mW into 16 ohms*
 *50 mW into 32 ohms*
 *75 mW into 100 ohms*
 *35 mW into 300 ohms*
 
 THD+N at 1 kHz (20 Hz to 80 kHz bandwidth, no weighting): 
 0.006%, 1 mW into 16 ohms
 0.005%, 1 mW into 32 ohms
 0.004%, 1 mW into 100 ohms
 0.003%, 1 mW into 300 ohms
 
 Dynamic range, A-weighted: 
 96 dB typical, USB input
 110 dB typical, optical input
 >120 dB typical, analog input
 
 14 dBu max into high-impedance load (>600 ohms)
 Frequency response: 3 Hz to 23 kHz, +0/-1 dB (48 kHz sampling rate)
 Output impedance: 0.4 ohm
 Op-amp supply rails: +/-6 VDC
 Battery life: 
 up to 35 hours, analog input
 up to 15 hours, optical input
 
 Enclosure: aluminum
 Dimensions: 4.0″ x 2.1″ x 0.9


----------



## Naim.F.C

Are figures such as the above not widely released or posted or something? Trying to find power output readings for the SR-71A/B and the cMoy but coming up blank. Maybe my search skills are lacklustre, can anyone point me in the right direction?


----------



## Vinnie R.

It also helps to keep in mind that the Continental is not using an opamp.  It is using a discrete FET output stage (push-pull), 2 FETS per channel,
  fed with +/- 12Vdc.  So it has a good amount of drive for a portable.  With LCD-2s and HE-500s that I heard it with, I was really impressed.  
   
  And the battery pack is a Lithium-Polymer (not LiFePO4), rated at 12V / 1.4Ah.  If it wasn't for the tube heater, I'm sure the play time would be much
  longer.  But I doubt it would have that kinda sound without the tube for the voltage gain stage...
   
  Vinnie


----------



## moodyrn

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Are figures such as the above not widely released or posted or something? Trying to find power output readings for the SR-71A/B and the cMoy but coming up blank. Maybe my search skills are lacklustre, can anyone point me in the right direction?


 


  I don't know. Ibasso publish power ratings for most of their amps. All you have to do is go to their website. I can recall reading power ratings for the sr71b can't remember where exactly. Even little dot publish power ratings for their portable as well as fiio. Power rating are not hard to find. Some only publish total power and some publish power into certain impedances. But most of them do publish power ratings.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Thanks again Vinnie, appreciate your posts on the subject. Do you guys think there's any way we could mod the amp to accept a larger capacity battery or would that negatively affect other elements of the amp?


  Quote: 





moodyrn said:


> I don't know. Ibasso publish power ratings for most of their amps. All you have to do is go to their website. I can recall reading power ratings for the sr71b can't remember where exactly. Even little dot publish power ratings for their portable as well as fiio. Power rating are not hard to find. Some only publish total power and some publish power into certain impedances. But most of them do publish power ratings.


 
   
   
  Found them for the Little Dot's. Nothing for the PB2, though they have overall/general power specs.​


----------



## Vinnie R.

I'm thinking a higher capacity battery could fit in there - if I get a chance
I'll look into it.


----------



## mrarroyo

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Thanks again Vinnie, appreciate your posts on the subject. Do you guys think there's any way we could mod the amp to accept a larger capacity battery or would that negatively affect other elements of the amp?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  I went to the iBasso site and found ...
   
  - 32V voltage swing, the highest voltage swing among portable Amplifiers
 - Up to 2500mW output power


----------



## Anaxilus

PB2 is a beast.  Sadly I decided against most iBasso products due to the 10ohm output z.  Too many IEMs in my arsenal.  Which reminds me.  Did we ever get a figure on the output impedance?  Should be up on the website eventually.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





mrarroyo said:


> I went to the iBasso site and found ...
> 
> - 32V voltage swing, the highest voltage swing among portable Amplifiers
> - Up to 2500mW output power


 
   
  No I saw that, hence the general power output specs. I was referring to specifics, such as the ratings at 30, 50, 300 and 600 ohms. So I could directly compare to the Continental. Namely the SR-71A/B and cMoy. Through listening, the Continental is definitely louder than the SR-71A driving the T1's, which in turn is louder than the cMoy. Just wanted to know what the volume difference converted to in terms of power difference.


----------



## qusp

I would be really careful replacing the battery, lipoly are not known for their stability (they are much less stable than lifepo4 and this chemistry is the reason we now have all these shipping restrictions and issues with flying wit laptops etc) and the charge circuit will be tuned for this particular battery. provided the charge circuit is internal and not in the wall wart, which you could change instead, changing to a larger capacity or different voltage could  make for an .....'interesting' listening experience 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 same with the tube, bias will be set up for this tube in combination with this output stage and this supply voltage, its not like rolling opamps (which themselves imo should not be rolled blind)


----------



## qusp

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> PB2 is a beast.  Sadly I decided against most iBasso products due to the 10ohm output z.  Too many IEMs in my arsenal.  Which reminds me.  Did we ever get a figure on the output impedance?  Should be up on the website eventually.


 


  10ohm on everything? what amp in particular? seems strange considering the amount of customization that they could even give such a number. also with balanced amps, do remember that this will be seen across 2 outputs, so its probably the equivalent of 5r single ended, (which itself isnt too great)


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





qusp said:


> I would be really careful replacing the battery, lipoly are not known for their stability (they are much less stable than lifepo4 and this chemistry is the reason we now have all these shipping restrictions and issues with flying wit laptops etc) and the charge circuit will be tuned for this particular battery. provided the charge circuit is internal and not in the wall wart, which you could change instead, changing to a larger capacity or different voltage could  make for an .....'interesting' listening experience
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Once again, appreciate the detailed response! I think I'll wait for other modders and more tech savvy engineer types to tackle this before I go any where near it! My ears are already quite sensitive and I want to keep them that way lol.


----------



## qusp

no problem, in general with lipoly and most lithium based batteries, you can increase the capacity only, the charge circuit is usually based on voltage thresholds to know what to do, ie. when to stop charging, it will just take longer to become full using the same circuit/charger. changing voltage however will screw everything up and in the case of the rather volatile lipoly chemistry this could lead to pretty serious ermm....'side-effects' hehe. and thats just charging, then you have all the other problems i mentioned.
   
  you'll probably see ive posted this type of thing a number of times around the forum, but i think it really needs to be done, as lipoly really shouldnt be messed with, without knowing what you are doing. the continental already has some pretty serious energy density, so you would definitely notice if it went  OTT


----------



## fromCN

各位好，
 ALO Continental is a copy.
 希望懂中文的朋友帮忙翻译一下。
 ALO这台机子完全是翻版。这机子是我朋友设计的。
 我朋友50多岁了。不懂电脑，平时也不上网之类。
 得知自己的作品被抄袭后他非常生气。这机子他设计了2年，推出后没卖出几台，结果却便宜了别人。他希望我帮他来这里给他讨个公道,也请大家帮 他评个理。
 各位请看下面这个链接：
http://www.erji.net/read.php?tid=1079105&page=1&fpage=2
 图片上涂了黑色胶水的那台是我朋友的手板机。跟ALO那台几乎是一样的。懂线路设计的朋友应该一看就知道2台机子是一样的东西。
 这机子我们早就有杂志评测过了。足以证明我们早在ALO之前完成了这台机子。
 ALO请你们出来给我们道歉。希望你们尊重别人的劳动成果，别给美国人丢脸。


----------



## estreeter

FromCN, any chance that you could restrict the use of other character sets to things like your sig, please ? I have no doubt that there ARE people here who read Japanese (and Chinese/Thai/Sanskrit etc), but this is an English language board.
   
  Thanks,
   
  estreeter


----------



## Armaegis

Google translated...
   
   
  Quote: 





> Hello,
> ALO Continental is a copy.
> Want to understand Chinese friend to help translate it.
> ALO is a replica of this machine completely. This machine is my friend designed.
> ...


----------



## Anaxilus

Sorry, but I see differences so I beg to differ.  To me copy means copy, not close or similar.  Does China value intellectual property now?  Sounds new.


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





armaegis said:


> Google translated...


 

 After reading the translation, I think I prefer the original


----------



## khaos974

anaxilus said:


> Sorry, but I see differences so I beg to differ.  To me copy means copy, not close or similar.  *Does China value intellectual property now*?  Sounds new.




That's disingenuous, while China doesn't have a sterling history when it comes to respecting patents, absolutely nothing can be extrapolated about this specific designer, China's history with patents is absolutely irrelevant here.


----------



## Skylab

Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but didn't ALO commission the amp from a Chinese amp maker?  I don't think ALO itself did the engineering work here.  So* if anything,* this would be a case of one Chinese designer "copying" another, although who knows if that is even the case.


----------



## moodyrn

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> After reading the translation, I think I prefer the original


 

 X2, I wonder if I could get my hands on one.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





khaos974 said:


> That's disingenuous, while China doesn't have a sterling history when it comes to respecting patents, absolutely nothing can be extrapolated about this specific designer, China's history with patents is absolutely irrelevant here.


 

 Not disingenious, surely cynical.  I'm less concerned about portable amps then the fact their Navy has the exact same AEGIS system we developed for our Cruisers but that's the tip of an iceberg over a whole other can of worms.  I really don't care that they have to shut down a new fake Apple store every week.  Just so you know I don't read Mandarin (there was no translation when I replied, it was all in Mandarin characters) so I wasn't addressing any specific designer.  I was, however, addressing the differences obvious to me from the pictures.  
   
  Besides, it takes more than just to say it's the same circuit.  Post both schematics and some sort time stamp.  Then you have to define 'copy' and explain what your criteria is.


----------



## purrin

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but didn't ALO commission the amp from a Chinese amp maker?  I don't think ALO itself did the engineering work here.  So* if anything,* this would be a case of one Chinese designer "copying" another, although who knows if that is even the case.


 
   
  It wouldn't be unheard of. In this case, it would be one Chinese "designer" copying the design of another Chinese designer. It could also be possible that the original inventor was duped by a company willing to market and/or manufacturer it for him - but instead the company sold off the design to ALO. A third possibility could be that is a bogus claim. It's pretty much still the "wild west" there in terms of patent law, intellectual property, and copyrights.
   
  Quote: 





fromcn said:


> 各位好，
> ALO Continental is a copy.
> 希望懂中文的朋友帮忙翻译一下。
> ALO这台机子完全是翻版。这机子是我朋友设计的。
> ...


 

 Instead of taking this issue here, perhaps you are better off taking it to your government authorities, courts, or regulatory agencies. It's difficult to push consumers to do the right thing, and in this case, we as consumers don't even have knowledge of who is truly right or wrong. It's best to let honest courts decide this issue.
   
  If your claim is indeed true, then I feel sorry for you. Two wrongs don't make a right, but it goes both ways. For example, the Matrix M-Stage so much discussed on the boards here, especially the version 1, is a clone of the Lehmann BCL.


----------



## Pbvideo

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but didn't ALO commission the amp from a Chinese amp maker?  I don't think ALO itself did the engineering work here.  So* if anything,* this would be a case of one Chinese designer "copying" another, although who knows if that is even the case.


 

 There was a little bit written about this amp and how it was developed in this review.
   
  http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/32ohm1/1.html


----------



## purrin

If those claims are true, then that's despicable behavior on the part of the OEM. I guess this is a risk when you want to manufacture cheaply.


----------



## Frank I

interesting.


----------



## Skylab

Quote: 





pbvideo said:


> There was a little bit written about this amp and how it was developed in this review.
> 
> http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/32ohm1/1.html


 

 Maybe that is what I was thinking of, which is even worse in some ways, since Ken should have had every right to trust the OEM (again, assuming it's true).
   
  But it makes the very idea that Ken/ALO were the ones to do the "copying" even more ludicrous.  Seems like the truth might be the exact opposite...


----------



## mrarroyo

I agree with you Rob. BTW if member (s) continue and it turns nasty this thread will be close.


----------



## Wedge

Quote: 





skylab said:


> Maybe that is what I was thinking of, which is even worse in some ways, since Ken should have had every right to trust the OEM (again, assuming it's true).
> 
> But it makes the very idea that Ken/ALO were the ones to do the "copying" even more ludicrous.  Seems like the truth might be the exact opposite...


 

 I'm not saying anything either way but the translate function in google tries to do a literal translation, and fact of the matter is the whole read could be taken out of context.  Either way if Ken contracted someone to design and manufacture his amp and they copied it from someone else, I wouldn't hold Ken responsible, but I think Ken should go back to his OEM and have some discussions.


----------



## Golden Ears

Ken is a stand up guy. If he feels a competitors item sounds better- he would tell you and lose the sale (he did it right in front of me at RMAF!). He is in this FIRST for sharing the joy of music not the money. Sure he deserves to make a profit- and I am sure he does make a profit- but he is also not afraid to turn away business to stay honest. SERIOUSLY if I had a sister and Ken wanted to marry her- he'd have my approval  (I'd be looking forward to family discounts!).
   
  I regularly host Headphone Meets at my Beachfront Los Angeles place- everyone that has come seems to like the way ALO does business.
   
  Ken IMHO would never steal some ones intellectual property. If there are similarities in this age of shared internet info..I'd chalk it up to "Convergent Evolution".  If Ken discovered a similar design to his existed- he'd likely wait to improve on the design and make it different enough to make a significant difference before releasing it.  Ken is not about making the same old products as others- he is into making them better.
   
  My dealings with him and Vinnie are all positive, and I am likely (read definitely) a PITA customer with too many questions.
   
  If only our banking system had guys running it with Ken's integrity we wouldn't be in the mess we are in today.
   
  I am dying to hear this amp. Anyone in the Los Angeles area have one I could hear???- I'll buy lunch.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





golden ears said:


> I am likely (read definitely) a PITA customer with too many questions.


 

 This is true.


----------



## monotune

AGREED! Ken is my guru for good reason. He is completely a stand up guy and has always steered me towards what he felt was the product based on what I was describing.
I love doing business with him. It is always a pleasure.


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





monotune said:


> AGREED! Ken is my guru for good reason. He is completely a stand up guy and has always steered me towards what he felt was the product based on what I was describing.
> I love doing business with him. It is always a pleasure.


 

 Get a room, guys.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that !)


----------



## ianmedium

For a while now I have been promising myself an L3 to replace my Stepdance but now I see this amp and must admit it is turning my head, I have a soft spot for tubes!
I would love to hear from folks who have owned the Stepdance and now own the continental what their thoughts are comparing the two?

Also, this would have to stack with my CLAS/ classic how do you get on with that in terms of keeping the ventilation holes on the continental l clear?

I just phoned ALO and they told me it should be back in stock by the end of the month. I have had great success with ALO so it would be nice to purchase something else from them!


----------



## Pbvideo

ianmedium said:


> For a while now I have been promising myself an L3 to replace my Stepdance but now I see this amp and must admit it is turning my head, I have a soft spot for tubes!
> I would love to hear from folks who have owned the Stepdance and now own the continental what their thoughts are comparing the two?
> 
> Also, this would have to stack with my CLAS/ classic how do you get on with that in terms of keeping the ventilation holes on the continental l clear?
> ...




I have the Continental and the 2Stepdance. I love both these amps - they each are a perfect fit for my setup(s). I use the the continental to drive a pair of k702 phones through the CLAS and an iPod. I tried my IEMs through the continental, but no go - the Continental has too much gain for the smaller phones. the 702s are a pig to drive, but the Continental drives them with ease! There is a bit of heat generated in the Continental, but it's not been an issue for me so far although I'd be concerned about putting the rig in a tight case that blocks the vent holes. I've just been using the rubberband method to group them together leaving the holes exposed. Also, the Continental's form factor is a good match for the CLAS, but I sometimes prefer the lighter portability the Stepdance offers. 

The sound on the Contenantal is very impressive as is the Stepdance through my IEMs. The Continental is pretty thick and bulky, but it packs quite a punch! It's really hard to compare the two as they are very different. If your looking for extreme portability, then I don't think the Continental can beat the Stepdance. If your looking for power to drive finicky cans, then the Continental may be a better choice!

PB


----------



## ianmedium

Thanks PB, I don't care about the size so much, I use the external battery on the stepdance so that bulks things up anyway. I also think the Continental might have the advantage with my ER4S's as they are hard to drive, they sing though with the stepdance 15v

What would you say are the differences in sound between the two amps?


----------



## Pbvideo

ianmedium said:


> Thanks PB, I don't care about the size so much, I use the external battery on the stepdance so that bulks things up anyway. I also think the Continental might have the advantage with my ER4S's as they are hard to drive, they sing though with the stepdance 15v
> 
> What would you say are the differences in sound between the two amps?




It's hard to judge the sound differences between the two amps since using the same phones isn't a fair assessment for either amp. The best way I can describe the Continental is to say that my K702 cans absolutely came alive when I plugged them compared to the 2Stepdance. The low frequencies had a nice punch that had been lacking before and the mids were quite lively - I knew right away that I was going to be happy. I also had the same reaction with my 2Stepdance when I plugged in my IEMs!

When I bought the amp, there wasn't much feedback avaiable since it was so new. Also, I really liked my CLAS and thought it might pair well with the Continental (and the tube design looked interesting). I took a chance and bought it thinking I could return it if I wasnt happy. The Continental was a keeper!

Hope that helps.

PB


----------



## Golden Ears

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> This is true.


 
  At least I don't think I am low maintenance ...lol...anyone in SoCal have one of these Continentals? I'm stocking up on portables that I like and I don't want to buy more of what I like if the Continental is better.
   
  It's getting to be about that time to do another HEADPHONE MEET....at my house in Venice... though there was a LAOCS meet recently...
   
  I want to have a strong portable contingent there this time.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





golden ears said:


> At least I don't think I am low maintenance ...lol...anyone in SoCal have one of these Continentals? I'm stocking up on portables that I like and I don't want to buy more of what I like if the Continental is better.
> 
> It's getting to be about that time to do another HEADPHONE MEET....at my house in Venice... though there was a LAOCS meet recently...
> 
> I want to have a strong portable contingent there this time.


 

 Not sure, the Conti as a device seems to be in a state of limbo now.  You could get on the Portatube loaner list as it's in San Diego atm, but obviously it's not a Conti.


----------



## Brooko

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> Not sure, the Conti as a device seems to be in a state of limbo now.  You could get on the Portatube loaner list as it's in San Diego atm, but obviously it's not a Conti.


 
   
  Anaxilus - did you get a chance to hear both.  Interested in your thoughts if you did.  I actually bought the PortaTube - extremely satisfied with it.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





brooko said:


> Anaxilus - did you get a chance to hear both.


 
   
  Sadly no.


----------



## Skoobs

want... are they gone for good? =(


----------



## ianmedium

skoobs said:


> want... are they gone for good? =(



No, chatted with them this week and they are expecting a new shipment by the end of the month.


----------



## googleli

Skylab, how does the Continental compare with our "Level 1" solid state portable amps, namely the Triad Audio L3, the Meier Stepdance and the Ray Samuels SR71B? Does the Continental handle the LCD-2 well?
   
  By the way, is there any uber vintage NOS tube on the market to replace the tube which comes with the Continental? Doesn't matter if the tube is more expensive than the amp.


----------



## Skylab

Quote: 





googleli said:


> Skylab, how does the Continental compare with our "Level 1" solid state portable amps, namely the Triad Audio L3, the Meier Stepdance and the Ray Samuels SR71B? Does the Continental handle the LCD-2 well?
> 
> By the way, is there any uber vintage NOS tube on the market to replace the tube which comes with the Continental? Doesn't matter if the tube is more expensive than the amp.


 

 I've never heard this amp so I have no idea.


----------



## shipsupt

The web site says they are in stock again.

  
  Quote: 





ianmedium said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Br777

Quote: 





skylab said:


> I've never heard this amp so I have no idea.


 


   
  they are trying to draw you back in Rob.. the question is can you resist the temptation


----------



## googleli

Really looking forward to a comparison of the Continental and SR71B (fully balanced mode), especially for the LCD2. Has anyone got both of them? Many thanks.


----------



## cifani090

Can you tube roll with this?


----------



## Currawong

Quote: 





cifani090 said:


> Can you tube roll with this?


 

 No. The tube is soldered in place.


----------



## ExpatinJapan

I tried one in store, it was nice for sure - but not blow my mind great.
  It is also rather expensive. And I am not convinced by its supposed brilliance.
  For that kinda money maybe I would just shoot straight for the Fostex hp_p1 (having an iPod touch).


----------



## severim

I received mine recently and have had some time to listen to it with a variety of genres. To my ear there is a noticeable improvement over the Rx Mk2. It is pretty unforgiving of bad recordings because it is so detailed. You know you have something good when you start smiling as you listen to a favourite track, hearing something new for the first time.
   
  Design-wise, I'm not happy about the volume knob. It is completely smooth, making it difficult to grasp and turn without holding my rig in two hands (ipod/continental in left hand, turning knob with right hand). I'm wondering what I could add around the edge to make it easier to grip - perhaps trimmed-down duct tape?
   
  In addition to the knob, the power plug prong doesn't fully insert into the Continental. At first, I thought it was stuck and pushed harder - this could lead to damage.
   
  Heat-wise, It does get quite warm to the touch. Nothing that would burn, but I'd worry about overheating if left somewhere with poor ventilation, like a bag.
   
  Power-wise, it obviously oozes gobs of power. I don't need to push it past 7.30 on the dial (starting at 6). I can't wait to test it out with some of the heavy hitter headphones.
   
  Overall I'm very happy with the Continental, and will likely keep it for work listening, and the Mk2 for portable/pocketable listening. 
   
  Is it worth getting if you have the Rx Mk2? I'd have to say no unless a) you have the money, b) you have the need, and c) you don't rely on portability. Both are excellent.


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





andrewg said:


> ALO is the least 'stand up' business I've ever dealt with. I asked them to fix one of their cables, which cost me $500...  they told me it was my fault and that I was out of luck. They claimed (lied) that it would cost them over the price of the cable to fix it. Drew did it for $40.


 
   
  The moral of this story would seem to be that you should have asked _Drew_ to build said cable in the first place. $500 for a *cable* ? Sheeei...sh !


----------



## irvin59

Just got a Continental-very impressed with build quality and looks. I've only listened with se 535's which wasn't what I bought it for but I'm still waiting for LCD-2's. I wasn't impressed by sq at first but after a couple of hours I just love it. I'll be getting an RS71B next week and am very interested to see how they compare.


----------



## pogglywoggly

Quote: 





irvin59 said:


> Just got a Continental-very impressed with build quality and looks. I've only listened with se 535's which wasn't what I bought it for but I'm still waiting for LCD-2's. I wasn't impressed by sq at first but after a couple of hours I just love it. I'll be getting an RS71B next week and am very interested to see how they compare.


 


   
  Heh if I were to get a new amp it would be the continental or the 71B. I just sent Ray an email asking for payment details though


----------



## VictorHalgaard

Quote: 





irvin59 said:


> Just got a Continental-very impressed with build quality and looks. I've only listened with se 535's which wasn't what I bought it for but I'm still waiting for LCD-2's. I wasn't impressed by sq at first but after a couple of hours I just love it. I'll be getting an RS71B next week and am very interested to see how they compare.


 


  Any news? x)


----------



## trentino

Something tells me the Continental would work very well with Grado phones. Anyone tried it with RS2i or RS1i?


----------



## Nemeske88

Dear Forum!
   
  What do you think will the Continental "fits" to a K 701?
  Has anyone have this setup?
   
  I am usually listens to classical and choral music.
   
  Thanks


----------



## oldguy55

I came here to find how this amp sounds, to other Hi-fi enthusiasts, and couldn't believe how many pages of pissing match I had to wade through in order to find a few snippets of how the damned thing sounds. For the numbers junkies, I think you can only tell so much from specs. How the sound actually manifests itself in use is what counts, not whether or not the specs are as good as should be. I remember finding a Stereo Review review of my Philips 212 turntable that I bought in 1977, in which the turntable was measured to verify the mfg. specs, but not one record was played to evaluate it's performance. I actually bought it after hearing my friends Philips for a couple of years prior, so the article mentioned didn't have an effect on my purchase. The point being, is that no matter what they give for specs, a listen is the only test that counts. Even $50,000 loudspeakers have shortcomings, and at that price they ought to sound perfect, IMHO. Many things contribute to the magic found in any good amp, such as synergy between components that are used to build the amp. How does it sound, and does it give an honest rendering of the recording, that's what I want to know. From the few opinions I've seen here, the Continental sounds like it does the job and competes with other portable amps of good reputation. As far as sub-40Hz tones go, not much is recorded down that deep, so it'll never be a deal breaker for me. It's more important to me that an acoustic bass sounds like one, and can be distinguished from an electric bass or keyboard. No matter the specs, it has to sound good, has to sound right, and if it does, I'm in. Try to figure it out, guys, because most of this thread is worthless rant that serves nobody. Thanks. Steve.


----------



## shipsupt

I've got them, I'll try to give them some time this week at work and post some impressions.
   
   
  Quote: 





nemeske88 said:


> Dear Forum!
> 
> What do you think will the Continental "fits" to a K 701?
> Has anyone have this setup?
> ...


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





oldguy55 said:


> I came here to find how this amp sounds, to other Hi-fi enthusiasts, and couldn't believe how many pages of pissing match I had to wade through in order to find a few snippets of how the damned thing sounds. For the numbers junkies, I think you can only tell so much from specs. How the sound actually manifests itself in use is what counts, not whether or not the specs are as good as should be. I remember finding a Stereo Review review of my Philips 212 turntable that I bought in 1977, in which the turntable was measured to verify the mfg. specs, but not one record was played to evaluate it's performance. I actually bought it after hearing my friends Philips for a couple of years prior, so the article mentioned didn't have an effect on my purchase. The point being, is that no matter what they give for specs, a listen is the only test that counts. Even $50,000 loudspeakers have shortcomings, and at that price they ought to sound perfect, IMHO. Many things contribute to the magic found in any good amp, such as synergy between components that are used to build the amp. How does it sound, and does it give an honest rendering of the recording, that's what I want to know. From the few opinions I've seen here, the Continental sounds like it does the job and competes with other portable amps of good reputation. As far as sub-40Hz tones go, not much is recorded down that deep, so it'll never be a deal breaker for me. It's more important to me that an acoustic bass sounds like one, and can be distinguished from an electric bass or keyboard. No matter the specs, it has to sound good, has to sound right, and if it does, I'm in. Try to figure it out, guys, because most of this thread is worthless rant that serves nobody. Thanks. Steve.


 

 Agree, and its a trend that extends well beyond this thread. We've become very good at dissecting kit based purely on a few photos - who cares what the thing sounds like - but there was another element to this thread that I hadn't seen in a while. Not sure exactly what Ken/ALO have done to deserve some of the vitriol, but that also extends well beyond this thread.


----------



## Nemeske88

Thank you for your time


----------



## Nemeske88

To speak about amp sounds is soo subjective and like trying to tell about the four taste to whom doesn't have a tongue.


----------



## shipsupt

Quote: 





nemeske88 said:


> Dear Forum!
> 
> What do you think will the Continental "fits" to a K 701?
> Has anyone have this setup?
> ...


 

 I found some time to listen to the K702 from the Continental this week.  My setup was: iPod Classic and iPad 1 --> Alogorythm Solo --> Continental --> K702.  I probably got about 3 hours of listening in over the past two days.  Darned meetings are always getting in the way of my listening!  
   
  Please note, the K702 is not what I'd call a primary headphone for me, so I can't say that I am completely familiar with it.  I am a casual and infrequent classical listener, so classical tracks are not what I typically use to evaluate any gear.
   
  All of that said, I was really very impressed with the Continental K702 combination.  Vocals were a treat and the classical tracks I listened to were open, airy, and detailed... just what you expect and want from the K702.  I threw in a few familiar blues and rock tracks and I would say that the K701/2 is very good fit with the Continental.


----------



## Nemeske88

Hey, thanks!


----------



## raysclim1568

Hello guys 

Same questions that I have... have not seem any response to that. 
 How does continental v2 sound with grado rs1i, ps500 and ultrasone edition 8? 

I am planning to pair it with fostex HP P1 as dac output and uses Contiental as amp function. 
It is better or it is recommended to use fostex alone? 

Appreciate your comments 

thanks 
Ray


----------



## shipsupt

I can't answer your exact question, but I spent most of the week with the V1 and my Grado HF2's.  It's another combination I really enjoyed.  I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise as Grados seem to pair well with several hybrids.  It's a smooth combination, but with no lack of detail or control.  The reason I kept the set up going all week, because it was very enjoyable.
   
  Sorry, no experience with the Fostex, I was using the Solo.
   
  Cheers!

  
  Quote: 





raysclim1568 said:


> Hello guys
> 
> Same questions that I have... have not seem any response to that.
> How does continental v2 sound with grado rs1i, ps500 and ultrasone edition 8?
> ...


----------



## Naim.F.C

This deserves a bump. 
   
  Few reviews for the device.
   
  http://www.headfonia.com/the-sweet-sound-of-tube-the-alo-continental-amplifier/
   
  http://www.head-fi.org/t/578866/alo-audio-the-continental-portable-vacuum-tube-amplification-review
   
  http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/32ohm1/1.html


----------



## estreeter

You've gotta love Srajan's photos - very nice - even if his advertorials seem to have been written by the prototype for a thesaurus bot. 'pennies on the dollar' is my personal fave, and he seems to trot that one out every time he does a headphone-related writeup. The problem, Srajan, is that Head-Fiers keep spending those pennies until they start to add up to some very serious dollars.


----------



## cifani090

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> *This deserves a bump. *
> 
> Few reviews for the device.
> 
> ...


 

 My wallet deserves a bump


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





cifani090 said:


> My wallet deserves a bump


 

  
  Oh tell me about it. I'm in the process of buying a new flat and funds are tight. Especially now that I'm going to have to buy furnishings for it. I was tempted to sell off some of my audio/tech gear to help pay towards bits and bobs, even my beloved T1's. Put them on earlier today along with the Continental, and instead of selling them off, here I am back on these forums singing their praises.
   
  I just can't bring myself to sell these expensive but amazing marvels. This hobby is a serious waller cruncher indeed, but you'd be hard pressed to replicate some of the bliss and escapism they can offer if you're a music lover. New comfy sofa or the T1's...hmmm...I'll stick with the T1's for now lol.


----------



## cifani090

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Oh tell me about it. I'm in the process of buying a new flat and funds are tight. Especially now that I'm going to have to buy furnishings for it. I was tempted to sell off some of my audio/tech gear to help pay towards bits and bobs, even my beloved T1's. Put them on earlier today along with the Continental, and instead of selling them off, here I am back on these forums singing their praises.
> 
> I just can't bring myself to sell these expensive but amazing marvels. This hobby is a serious waller cruncher indeed, but you'd be hard pressed to replicate some of the bliss and escapism they can offer if you're a music lover. New comfy sofa or the T1's...hmmm...I'll stick with the T1's for now lol.


 

 Haha, ya things are hard out there even with it hard for people to buy new $800 cans. Even when im selling stuff on here, its hard for people to shell out the cash for it especially when its over $500. What type of couch are you planning to get?


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





cifani090 said:


> Haha, ya things are hard out there even with it hard for people to buy new $800 cans. Even when im selling stuff on here, its hard for people to shell out the cash for it especially when its over $500. What type of couch are you planning to get?


 


  Very true. And I haven't decided on the couch yet, just looking around with my other half. Never done furniture shopping before so feel like a complete fish out of water!


----------



## cifani090

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Very true. And I haven't decided on the couch yet, just looking around with my other half. Never done furniture shopping before so feel like a complete fish out of water!


 

 I have a wonderful Henredon Cavalier chest and its amazing build quality. I bought Bernhardt furniture 5-7 years ago and now, legs are falling off, the fabric is getting very loose, etc. Im not sure id get Bernhardt again, but with the quality of my Henredon id definitely pursue them if i were you. Unless of course you are going to look at some "very high quality" furniture which i know i cant afford, and is an investment.
   
   
  http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectId=5526272


----------



## audiogamma

I own a lot of 90s Henredon, Widdicomb and Karges. Personally not my style anymore. Some great repros (Barcelona chair, have one) from Alphaville Designs. Fantastic quality: http://www.alphavilledesign.com/  I have a Knoll Barca and the Alphaville and I prefer the latter.


----------



## slwiser

Just received my ALO Continental V2 this afternoon with the ALO Cricket Line out doc.  This has some weight to it.  I will have to wait till I get my ALO interconnect tomorrow before doing a comparison between my HP-P1 amp and this one using the HP-P1 DAC line out.  At first blush it is very airy and has quite a bit of weight to the sound using my DT1350. I am using the high gain switch and lossless files.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> Just received my ALO Continental V2 this afternoon with the ALO Cricket Line out doc.  This has some weight to it.  I will have to wait till I get my ALO interconnect tomorrow before doing a comparison between my HP-P1 amp and this one using the HP-P1 DAC line out.  At first blush it is very airy and has quite a bit of weight to the sound using my DT1350. I am using the high gain switch and lossless files.


 


  Nice! Very interested to hear your thoughts.


----------



## shipsupt

I'd like to hear what you think of the 1350/Conti combination as well.  I haven't tried that pair yet, but I read some reports that others were not liking it... Interested to see what your ears tell you.  When I get my 1350's back I'll give it a try as well.
   
  I've been listening the last few nights with the iPad/Ipod->CLAS->Continental->HD600 combination while staying at my girls house.  I've really been enjoying this combination.  So much so that I'm bringing the same rig to her place again tonight.  I found that low volume listening was just fantastic.  I like this amp more and more as I give it more time and try it with different headphones.
   

  
  Quote: 





slwiser said:


> Just received my ALO Continental V2 this afternoon with the ALO Cricket Line out doc.  This has some weight to it.  I will have to wait till I get my ALO interconnect tomorrow before doing a comparison between my HP-P1 amp and this one using the HP-P1 DAC line out.  At first blush it is very airy and has quite a bit of weight to the sound using my DT1350. I am using the high gain switch and lossless files.


----------



## raysclim1568

Hello Guys ,
   
  I am using almost same setup :
   
  Source: iPod classic (lossless encoding) 
  DAC : Fostex HP-P1 ( with Moon Audio Silver Dragon V3 LOD)
  Amp: ALO continental V2 
  Headphones : DT1350 / Ultrasone Edition 8 
   
  adding continental V2 to the setup , one major findings is "Weight" is added . making sounded thin and clinical sound from just connecting HP-P1 sound full bodies.  
  Imaging this . voice from Michael Buble transform from very young thin sound to warm , sexy , emotion voice... very welcoming improvement indeed. 
   
  soundstage is also extended to left-right / right back .... one thing for sure, it makes DT1350 sounded like full size Headphone. ( on high gain at continental ) 
  it also bring up more level up from already amazing sound from Edition 8 . (on low gain at continental ) .
   
  Looking forward to hear what you hear from your setup .
  I am going to listen how it does to my AKG Q701 and Grado RS1i .
   
  Cheers...
  Raymond Lim


----------



## cooperpwc

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> Just received my ALO Continental V2 this afternoon with the ALO Cricket Line out doc.  This has some weight to it.  I will have to wait till I get my ALO interconnect tomorrow before doing a comparison between my HP-P1 amp and this one using the HP-P1 DAC line out.  At first blush it is very airy and has quite a bit of weight to the sound using my DT1350. I am using the high gain switch and lossless files.


 

 Great! (I actually just requested this in the other thread.)


----------



## cooperpwc

Good comments, Raymond. Thanks!


----------



## slwiser

I found an old interconnect that I am using.  I will use the ALO one later for some more testing when it comes in, hopefully today.
   
  I agree completely with what was said by Raymond. The bass of the DT1350 is amazing with the V2 being feed with the HP-P1.  While not up to the HD800 out of my SPL Phonitor the sound is even better than the HP-P1 by itself listening to orchestra[size=small] [/size]music.  One could say that having these two allow for a much greater range of choices depending on the music being listened too.  Some music may need a sound faster less "weightily" and for that the HP-P1 is great not that I have found it yet since my listening has yet to mature that much this this setup.  
   
  For example; Lamentate  Minacciando by Arvo Part is something listening to either of my systems.  The distance between them (the HD800 with the SPL and the V2 with the DT1350 recabled using Moon Audio IEM Silver Dragon cable) is significant but when using the V2 setup one can see how the DT1350 plays into the strengths of the V2 much better than when using only the HP-P1. The bass dynamics are amazing.  Another one to test out the bass is Also Sprach Zara.....very good indeed with great spatial placement of the instruments.  One group that I am very familiar with is Hiroshima and again the V2 does the DT1350s good.  The air and weight of the sound is amazing. 
   
  Jim Croce's Alabama Rain voice is up front and the instruments are set just right around his voice.  The voice is very deep and full.  Instruments are well separated well spatially away from the voice nicely. Don't worry female voices are given good rendition as well.  Much of this is due to the Fostex HP-P1 DAC surely.
   
   I would like to say as good as the HD800 but I know better.  These are just as enjoyable using this setup and maybe more useful since this is now a high end transportable sound. Yea, I know it is getting near an investment of 2500$ given the cabling iPod Touch 64GB + Moon Audio IEM USB doc + Fostex HP-P1 + ALO SXC 22 interconnect (to be introduced later today) + ALO Continental V2 + Beyerdynamic DT1350 with Moon Audio IEM Silver Dragon cabling but what do you do when you want something near the best sound when on the move?  Hey, my HD800 with the SPL + Lavry + Squeezebox Touch new is less than twice that and when purchased used even less...but is it twice as good?  Can't make that kind of comparison, just do not know what twice one great sound is or isn't.  There are diminishing returns I am sure.
   
  I do still enjoy the HP-P1 by itself but with the V2 the sound is moved up at least a notch maybe a bit more for most of the music I listen too.
   
  No testing for imbalances have been done since I don't adjust the sound so that I can't move the volume knob and I am not sure that I could detect any anyway.  This has never made any since to me setting the configuration up so that one can't adjust the sound more than a very slight move on the volume knob.
   
  No the HD800 has not been put into this configuration, another thing that seems strange to attempt in my mind.  The HD800 is not portable and the DT1350 is soon good anyway and built for hard handling so why attempt to handle the HD800 in such a way, just my opinion.


----------



## cooperpwc

Excellent, slwiser!
   
  Quote: 





> One could say that having these two allow for a much greater range of choices depending on the music being listened too.


 
   
  Have you found any music yet that you prefer on the HP-P1 alone?


----------



## slwiser

A good comparison should allow for time for the fostex and alo to burn in a little. I just got the alo yesterday and the fostex less than a month ago.


----------



## Dan S

Soundstage is definitely an obvious strong point of the Continental. It gives a great 3D image with my HD650s and SRH940s.
   
  Thanks for the report on the DT1350s. I've been thinking about picking those up. I don't have a really portable headphone.
  
  Quote: 





raysclim1568 said:


> soundstage is also extended to left-right / right back .... one thing for sure, it makes DT1350 sounded like full size Headphone. ( on high gain at continental )
> it also bring up more level up from already amazing sound from Edition 8 . (on low gain at continental ) .


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





cooperpwc said:


> Excellent, slwiser!
> 
> 
> Have you found any music yet that you prefer on the HP-P1 alone?


 

 Starting to  compare and I found that the amp of the HP-P1 is better with very dense orchestra music where violins and horns a plenty are in use.  I will probably find this to be true for all real dense music.  The HP-P1 is just faster in attack and this is needed with the more dense music.  Vocals will probably come in on the side of the V2.  I would say very typical findings in comparing a very good SS amp to a very good tube amp.


----------



## estreeter

Jaben's Australian website is trying to sell the PortaTube for 599 AUD, at a time when we have parity with the USD - insane ........


----------



## slwiser

If you did not know the ALO Continental V2 is on the bottom while the Fostex HP-P1 is on top of the V2.  You can barely make out the iPod Touch on top it is so small.  You can see clearly the dual entry on the recable work for the DT1350 headphones using the Moon Audio IEM Silver Dragon cable.  The connections as you see them are setup for listening using only the HP-P1.  A slight criticism of the V2 is that the case work looks much cheaper than other high end portable amps from Fostex, Headamp and Ray.  The lettering on the V2 is like a billboard in size on the top of the unit.  One other item also, if you need those straps get the ones from Moon Audio and not ALO straps.  The ALO stramps are not nearly as robust (the ALO straps look cheaper). 
   
  Edit:  ~2.5 inches in height including bands.
   

   
  The two units fit very nicely front to back on top of each other allowing only a couple of operations to switch between SS sound and Tube sound.
   
  Click on the images to enlarge them.
   
  Link to more pictures but not many are as focused as these two above:
  http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/slwiser/Portable%20setup/


----------



## estreeter

Very nice, slwiser, as a desktop/bedside rig. Can I ask what camera you are using to get such clear images ?


----------



## slwiser

HTC EVO 4G phone.


----------



## estreeter

Sensational stuff from a phone.


----------



## cooperpwc

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> If you did not know the ALO Continental V2 is on the bottom while the Fostex HP-P1 is on top of the V2.  You can barely make out the iPod Touch on top it is so small.


 

 That''s about the same size as my Classic>CLAS>Stepdance rig.
   

   
  Bricklayers unite!


----------



## shipsupt

I've been doing a lot of comparisons of my portable amps so I've been carrying a mega-brick myself!  I need more rubber bands so I can get the SR-71B attached.  The Continental is tucked back there behind the MK II.


----------



## Dan S

Awesome megabrick! Why not have a portable setup with several amps? 
   
  Quote: 





shipsupt said:


> I've been doing a lot of comparisons of my portable amps so I've been carrying a mega-brick myself!  I need more rubber bands so I can get the SR-71B attached.  The Continental is tucked back there behind the MK II.


----------



## Jwm48324

How does the continental compare the the SR-71B?


----------



## shipsupt

I don't know that I can provide a detailed comparison yet, but some general thoughts...
   
  They are both quite powerful, but they are different.  For sure I am finding I like different headphones with each.  I like the HE5-LE and LCD-2 balanced slightly better from the SR.  The HD-600 and K-702 are wonderful from the Conti, for example.  The UE-11 are better from the SR.   I didn't like the Denon D7000 at all from the SR, which surprised me.  The DT-990 was a split between the two, but was very nice for low volume listening from the Conti.  I don't have my T1 back yet to try.
   
  The SR has a bit more treble energy and can really deliver the bass.  It delivers better detail than the Conti.  Single ended I find it rather middle of the road, it shines when using the balanced out. 
   
  The Conti is a little more smooth, and it's more open and airy.  It seems slightly less extended.  Its far less up front in presentation.  Bass is good, but lacks impact when directly compared to the SR.
   
  They are both very good.
   
  Quote: 





jwm48324 said:


> How does the continental compare the the SR-71B?


----------



## Jwm48324

I am using the Westone  ES5 Solo and the SR-71B. I think both the phones and the amp are on the warm side. I am looking to open up the sound. I heard my nephews Schitt tube amp and that has way more air. I know its all tube, but I would like a portable similar to that.


----------



## cooperpwc

---


----------



## Nemeske88

Finally, it's arrived! Thank you Ken and USPS!
   
Continental V1 and my sources


----------



## Nemeske88

My impression out of the box:
   
  DETAIL!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   
  I will post further description even if it won't be as parapharsing as the ones at 6moons.
   
   
   
  I will try it out with my other source, and IEM

   
  now, ampless it lacks bass but the highs are phenomenal


----------



## Joe-Siow

Traded my DACport for a Continental yesterday. What an excellent amp! Slight warmth with excellent clarity and fantastic staging.
  Great match with my UM Miracle.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Anyone try a V1 vs V2 comparison yet?


----------



## Nemeske88

Uhmmmm...   Maybe Ken?


----------



## Nemeske88

I would rather hear e.g.: a Burson-HA160 - Continental comparison or something 
   
  (I know this is stupid)


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





nemeske88 said:


> I would rather hear e.g.: a Burson-HA160 - Continental comparison or something
> 
> (I know this is stupid)


 

 Yes, yes it is. That's the kind of crazy excrement they like to indulge in over at 6Moons, telling you what you already knew then ending with 'of course, this is a totally unfair comparison'. Until the Shrink Gun moves from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, there will always be something called the laws of physics to overcome.


----------



## Nemeske88




----------



## slwiser

Are we supposed to be able to listen without issues during battery charging? Cause I am getting some random fluttering noise every so often during listening sessions while charging. And yes this has been isolated to the ALO Contentinal V2!


----------



## raysclim1568

Mine is the same . i suspect it is the charger emit this . often get over heated and probably a better charger device will get rid of that


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





raysclim1568 said:


> Mine is the same . i suspect it is the charger emit this . often get over heated and probably a better charger device will get rid of that


 


 About what I suspected.  As the noise went away after taking the charger out of the loop. 
   
  Edit 1:  Now I have noticed this during listening sessions without the charging unit attached.  I have gone onto their contact page for the second time and awaiting my first reply from them.
   
  Edit 2: This unit seems to be very heat sensitive. Have to keep it positioned so that the air holes are such so.  At this time still no response from ALO on my two inquires.  They apparently don't response to questions very well.  Just sent ALO a link to this post and a third inquiry.
   
  Edit 3:  I got a response from ALO with a RMA number.  I sent it back and they are looking at it now.


----------



## raysclim1568

Seem like everyone is taking a long vacation on this thread. 
  may be focus diverted to CES2012 reports ?? 
   
  I have a observation on using my continental V2 with iPod classic with my Ultrasone Edition 8 recently 
   
  On low and high gain switch on the amp.
  on normal listening volume level , on high gain setting , the volume knob is at 12 O'clock whereas on Low gain setting , the volume knob need to turn to 3pm level.
   
  Ultrasone Edition 8 is 30 Ohm. and should be more than sufficient to just use the low gain setting , but not in my case.. need to turn to 3O'clock level to reach acceptable listening level.
  does it a indication that continental V2 isn't got that much "juice " to drive higher Ohm headphone such as HD800 and HE500? 
   
  what am i missing here ??
   
  BTW, with regards to the SQ,  I found no audible difference from my Ed8 from both low and high gain setting. 
   
  Thanks 
  Raymond Lim


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





raysclim1568 said:


> Seem like everyone is taking a long vacation on this thread.
> may be focus diverted to CES2012 reports ??
> 
> I have a observation on using my continental V2 with iPod classic with my Ultrasone Edition 8 recently
> ...


 


  Specifically with the Continental V1, I've driven the T1's and HD800's with ease. I don't listen to music particularly loudly, but depending on the player, I barely go above the half way mark on volume. 10-11 o'clock with my T1's from the default Music Player with an iPhone, and about 12-1pm using eQu.
   
  I'll be able to test it with the LCD-2 Rev 2 in a few days, and compare it against an ObjectiveO2 as well


----------



## raysclim1568

then I am not getting it . may be I should get a T1 / HD800 to confirm if the Amp is working fine . 
  My headphone collection are all below 80 Ohm .


----------



## Naim.F.C

I just tried the D5000's with them, and they drive much easier than the T1's. Barely any juice required to get them to kick up a storm. Oddly though, my modded T50RP's require more juice than my T1's...strange lol. Still plenty of power left over mind.
  
  Quote: 





raysclim1568 said:


> then I am not getting it . may be I should get a T1 / HD800 to confirm if the Amp is working fine .
> My headphone collection are all below 80 Ohm .


----------



## Vinnie R.

Quote: 





raysclim1568 said:


> then I am not getting it . may be I should get a T1 / HD800 to confirm if the Amp is working fine .
> My headphone collection are all below 80 Ohm .


 


  Hi raysclim1568,
   
  The impedance of the headphone (e.g. 32ohm, 80ohm, etc.) is NOT the only variable that determines how loud it will play with a given amount of power.  The other variable
  that you are missing is the "sensitivity" rating of the headphone.  More sensitive headphones (like IEMs) need very little voltage swing, but less sensitive headphones need
  more voltage swing.  
   
  Also - here is another variable: your source's output voltage.
   
  An iPod's line out is 1Vrms, which most CD players (or something like the CLAS) outputs 2Vrms.  Feeding in a source with higher voltage means the sound will get louder
  earlier on the volume control.
   
  What is important is that you can play your headphones as loud as you want to (even if the volume control is at 3pm, 4pm, 1pm - it's all relative) and that you don't have too much gain (where you don't have much range of the volume control because it gets loud too quickly - as is more of an issue with IEMs because they are so sensitive).
   
  I hope this helps clear things up,
   
  Vinnie


----------



## raysclim1568

vinnie r. said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thanks for the information . really helpful.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Out of curiosity, why is it a negative to have too much gain? For example, when using The Continental, different music players on my iPhone require different levels of volume to power my T1's. Would it make a difference which I use dependant on how much of the volume knob they each use? I.e, the one's where I have to push the volume higher (but not maxed) being somehow more ideal?
  Quote: 





vinnie r. said:


> Hi raysclim1568,
> 
> The impedance of the headphone (e.g. 32ohm, 80ohm, etc.) is NOT the only variable that determines how loud it will play with a given amount of power.  The other variable
> that you are missing is the "sensitivity" rating of the headphone.  More sensitive headphones (like IEMs) need very little voltage swing, but less sensitive headphones need
> ...


----------



## maverickronin

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Out of curiosity, why is it a negative to have too much gain? For example, when using The Continental, different music players on my iPhone require different levels of volume to power my T1's. Would it make a difference which I use dependant on how much of the volume knob they each use? I.e, the one's where I have to push the volume higher (but not maxed) being somehow more ideal?


 

 If for example you have two identical amps with different gains or an amp with switchable gain the higher gain will usually add more noise and distortion to the signal.  It shouldn't usually be to noticeable with good amps but its there if you measure it.
   
  After that too much gain will make it hard to adjust the volume with sensitive headphones.  You won't have much play with the dial before it gets too loud and it the channels may not be balanced at very low volumes.


----------



## Naim.F.C

Quote: 





maverickronin said:


> If for example you have two identical amps with different gains or an amp with switchable gain the higher gain will usually add more noise and distortion to the signal.  It shouldn't usually be to noticeable with good amps but its there if you measure it.
> 
> After that too much gain will make it hard to adjust the volume with sensitive headphones.  You won't have much play with the dial before it gets too loud and it the channels may not be balanced at very low volumes.


 

 Hmm, in that case I might stick to eQu and set it to Safe mode. That way I use the volume knob at around 2pm with the T1's. Huge difference compared to the default Music Player which only requires 11pm tops. No idea if it will make a difference to audio quality mind, since it could be more of a software based gain by the sounds of things?


----------



## maverickronin

Quote: 





naim.f.c said:


> Hmm, in that case I might stick to eQu and set it to Safe mode. That way I use the volume knob at around 2pm with the T1's. Huge difference compared to the default Music Player which only requires 11pm tops. No idea if it will make a difference to audio quality mind, since it could be more of a software based gain by the sounds of things?


 
   
  That's not really the same thing as gain or at least the same kind of gain because its done digitally.  Its just changing the output level of your iWhatever.  Your amp is still increasing the voltage by the same factor and throttled by the volume control so its not full blast all the time.
   
  The EQ app actually just lowers the players output requiring you to turn up the volume on the amp.  If you increase a band in EQ it increases the level of the overall signal which can cause clipping in either the digital or analog output stage.  I'm not familiar with that app but I'm assuming that "Safe Mode" lowers the level of the signal before applying the EQ so it doesn't clip no matter what signal is fed to what EQ curve.


----------



## raysclim1568

Hello all 
   
  another question I have with regards to continental V2 .
   
  Today , I was listening on iPod classic >continental V2 > Vsonic GR07 ... setting on low gain , volume knob at 3pm for normal listening level. ( My fostex HP-P1 have sent back to fostex for replacement as it could not charge up ) 
  out of curiosity , I plug GR07 directly from iPod Classic , adjust it to same listening level... the findings is quite shocking to me ....
   
  the sound is identical , the speed, the frequency range , the dynamic , the sound stage ...is 98% same . the difference of 2% i could hear is that vocal seem to be bit upfront driving from iPod classic alone. 
   
  Does that implies that continental is best when pairing with a portable DAC (fostex HP-P1 /ALO Alogr solo) ?
   
  does anyone have the similar experience?
   
  P/S# I really hope that ALO could look into a cure to eliminate the noise distortion when power plug is plug in charging while playing ... something like souring for a better charging device or EMF shielding on power portion on the Amp?....


----------



## Oslo72

Hello! have read all this posts in this tread, and therefore I decided to order the Alo The Continental V2 together with the CLAS DAC. After only five days (I live in Norway) the shipment from ALO Audio arrived with FedEx. The reason for buying the Continental is because I am not so satisfied with the clinic sound with the JH13 Pro. I want them to sound warmer, thats why I thought the Continental tube hybrid amp perhaps would _even_ the cold and clinical sound a little bit. And I knew a good DAC was important for the sound to open up some more. So far I have only listened to the setup for some hours, and I can tell that sound is not so clinical anymore, and I hear for example that the seperations of the instruments has improved. Its still a bit to bright sounding though, especially with some soul music (for example Ashanti - The Declaration), but Neil Young, which in general has more "dark sound" sounds much better. But the bass hasnt improved so much either. So I wonder if the Continental will improve when it has been burned in after some hundred or thousand hours? Will the sound signature be darker then or is that just wishful thinking? 

 In the forthcoming days I will listen to the my older and burned in Pico DAC/Amp (but still have the CLAS DAC hooked up so I am not using the DAC in the Pico) and do a comparison with the Continental. I really hope the Continental will be warmer sounding.

 And I also wonder if the Ray Samuel Emmeline SR-71B would be a better match to my JH13 Pro, but I guess its to early to conclude.


----------



## Oslo72

I have now compared the Pico against the Continental, and with the Pico the sound is warmer and the bass has more punch and attack. I find that strange because the Continental is a hybrid tube amplifier and the Pico should have a more neutral sound character. Does anyone know if the Continental will need many hours burn in in order to sound warmer?


----------



## Oslo72

I have now listened more with the ALO the Continental V2, and I must conclude that the synergy with JH13 Pro is not good. Naim.F.C. also sent me an PM that the synergy "often depends very much of impedance ratings and differences between the amp and earphones. It could very well be that the Continental's ratings do not mix well with the J16 Pro, or that the Pico is simply warmer."
   
  I sent an message to Alo about this and got this answer: "I am sorry you feel like the Pico is a better match for your IEMs. The V2 is more ment for larger full size headphones and is even stated as such on the product page. We do have a 30 day return policy but this is expired. If you would like to return it for a Rx2 however we can do this providing you pay for the shipping both ways."
   
  I dont think this a good deal, and the 30 day return policy has by all means not expired (I recived the amp January 17th). But the most important, I am not sure if the RX2 is the best match for JH13 Pro. It doesnt say much about the sound character about the amp anywhere. I am looking for an amp with a _warm sound signature_, so the JH13 doesnt sound so bright, which I am kinda allergic to. I have done some researching and it seems that the warmer RSA Shadow probably would be a good match. So I will keep the Continental because I will probably one day try out larger headphones.
   
  However, Ray Samuels doesnt respond to my mails in how I can buy the Shadow from him, so I think I will buy the Shadow from _Addicted to audio_ in Australia instead, even though its a little more expensive there.


----------



## raysclim1568

oslo72 said:


> I have now listened more with the ALO the Continental V2, and I must conclude that the synergy with JH13 Pro is not good. Naim.F.C. also sent me an PM that the synergy "often depends very much of impedance ratings and differences between the amp and earphones. It could very well be that the Continental's ratings do not mix well with the J16 Pro, or that the Pico is simply warmer."
> 
> I sent an message to Alo about this and got this answer: "I am sorry you feel like the Pico is a better match for your IEMs. The V2 is more ment for larger full size headphones and is even stated as such on the product page. We do have a 30 day return policy but this is expired. If you would like to return it for a Rx2 however we can do this providing you pay for the shipping both ways."
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear your experience is not a great one ,
The continental V2 WORKS beautifully for my grado rs1i,DT1350 and edition 8.
However . Felt the synergy is not too great with AKG Q701
So, i guess trying it before buying is still rule of thumb,

Cheers


----------



## Oslo72

Yes, I wish I could try out amps before I buy, but I live in Norway, and there are not many portable amps here in the few hifi shops that exist here. Therefore I have to buy, _then_ try, but I will keep the Continental for use later with cans. Its easier to listen to cans here in some hifi shops btw. Cans made by AKG, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Grado and Denon for example are examples of brands that are available here in Oslo. But the AudeZe lCd-2 or 3 are unfourtenately not available in any shops here, and these are the headphones I really want to try out with the Continental and the Clas DAC.


----------



## calist3r

Is the CLAS an absolute must for this thing? I am really tight on budget right now and I want something to replace my 1st RX which also has the power for the HD600.
  I only have 600$ to spare right now so I can only choose either one of them.
   
  For desktop setup with the HD600, I already have the Essence which already has a great DAC built into it. No problems there.
  For portable setup with the UM3X, I only have my iPod Classic line-out. I'm worried that the Continental will be severely crippled with this setup.
   
  In short, do I really need the CLAS for a portable setup with this amp?
   
  Also, what's your opinion on the synergy of this thing with the UM3X on HD600?
   
  Any input would be appreciated.


----------



## Oslo72

I can only speak for myselves, but I dont think you will regret in buying the the Clas DAC. The most difficult thing to choose is what kind of amp you would combine with the DAC. In any cases, you wont regret in buying the Clas DAC.


----------



## calist3r

Sorry for not being clear, I am deciding which one to get first on tight budget, between the Continental and the CLAS.


----------



## Oslo72

No problem. I dont think the synergi with The Continental and UM3X will be good though, but I guess its much better with your HD-600. I think a much safer buy would be the Clas dac; its a very good dac you can use with your iPod and Alo RX. You will hear the difference right away. The music opens up alot.


----------



## Dan S

The Continental sounds great using an iPod LOD. It's even better with the CLAS, but worthwhile on its own.


----------



## calist3r

Obviously, I forgot to update my audio chain, sorry about that.
   
  Well, the only reason I can afford either of them is because I sold my RX. The amp is gone now. That's why I'm in this dilemma.
   
  Then again, budgets aside, I wouldn't want to carry around a brick setup in the public. So basically, I'm asking which one would have more impact on sound between the Continental and CLAS because, chances are, I will choose only either one of them anyways.
   
  Thanks again for the replies.


----------



## Oslo72

I see. Well, the Clas wont work without an amplifier, so I guess your best bet now is an amp. But as mentioned earlier, if you want to use the Continental with IEMs or earplugs, then I dont think you will be satisfied. The amp is meant for full size headphones.


----------



## jdmoorman

My travel rig is the Continental V2 with iPod Classic and ER4s.
  It is a wonderful combination.
  The low gain switch on the V2 should resolve most, if not all, iem issues.
  With the ER4s (impedance: 100 ohms, sensitivity: 100dB) I use the low gain setting at about 50% volume and the high gain setting as shown in the bottom picture.


----------



## Oslo72

OK, its good that the synergi with the Continental is better with your ER4s than with my JH13 Pro.


----------



## shipsupt

I picked up a little crossover circuit that goes in line between your amp and the headphones.  It's been kind of fun to play with.  I was amazed at how much extra power the thing requires!  The builder says the impedance is about 2000 ohms!  So of course I got thinking about pairing it with the Continental V1 and some IEM's.
   
  The result... I am able to use the whole gain range now.  Normal listening ends up around 1/3 - 1/2 on the dial, and low volume listening is much easier to set, no worries about channel imbalance or super sensitivity of moving the knob.  
   
  I'll need to a/b a little to see what impact it has on the sound.  Nothing glaringly bad on first listen...
   
  I ordered a 100 ohm impedance adapter to try as well, but it hasn't arrived.


----------



## Dan S

I had a couple of problems with my Continental V1 and exchanged it for a V2.
   
  I can't compare V1 and V2 side-by-side because of the exchange, but both have synergized with my Sennheiser HD-650s extremely well. A particularly wide soundstage, great detail, and balanced sound, certainly no "veil." With the V2, I can use a lot more of the volume control, whether in high or low gain. So no problems at all with channel imbalance at low volumes.
   
  I am very pleased and certainly recommend V2 of this amp to HD-650 owners.


----------



## Oslo72

Dan, 
  with the HD650 and the Continental V2, how is the bass? The Continental doesnt go deeper than 40 hz, doesnt that influence the deep bass?


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





oslo72 said:


> Dan,
> with the HD650 and the Continental V2, how is the bass? The Continental doesnt go deeper than 40 hz, doesnt that influence the deep bass?


 

  
  Saying the Continental does not go below 40hz is extreme. The implication is a sharp drop off at 40hz...don't believe that is the way these devices operate.  The spec notes that it should be within 1 dB of a zero level between 40 and 20k hz and nothing more; i.e., Frequency Response: 40Hz-20KHz +/- 1dB.


----------



## Oslo72

OK, thanks for clarifying, slwiser. I am eager to test the Continental V2 and the Clas dac with some decent headphones like HD800. I live not far away from a hifi shop which sells the HD800, so I can ask them for a test listening. What you think of the synergy with HD800 and The Continental?


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





oslo72 said:


> OK, thanks for clarifying, slwiser. I am eager to test the Continental V2 and the Clas dac with some decent headphones like HD800. I live not far away from a hifi shop which sells the HD800, so I can ask them for a test listening. What you think of the synergy with HD800 and The Continental?


 
  Very good but the HD800 would be better with a desktop unit like my Phonitor which is what I use with mine or the V200 I am sure.  These just have more voltage swing or power to control the headphone.  I have listen a little using the V2 and found it very good though.


----------



## Oslo72

Good  Yes, I can imagine that a better amp liker your Phonitor unfolds the potensial of the HD800 even better than with a portable amp. I will however not be restricted to use a desktop amp because I would not be stuck at one place in order to listen. I guess I one day will try out the Continental and Clas dac with HD800.


----------



## Dan S

Bass response is great, there's no big sub-bass dropoff that I notice. I'm listening to Studio right now, and their tracks have a lot of warm, low bass action. It sounds awesome. 
  
  Quote: 





oslo72 said:


> Dan,
> with the HD650 and the Continental V2, how is the bass? The Continental doesnt go deeper than 40 hz, doesnt that influence the deep bass?


----------



## Nemeske88

Is it possible if I use the Continental at max. voulme and the source at very low, the battery will lasts longer?


----------



## Grev

And so I'm considering buying this since I have the ipod touch 64gb, CLAS, FWJ#9 mit Magnum v4 drivers, all my amps are of the cheaper sort, PA2V2, cmoys and I have O2 coming, so wondering how would The Continental would compare to the O2?


----------



## greygrey

hi
   i just receive my continental v2 +clas dac which replace my little nuforce icon mobile to play my ipod classic 160g with wav files ripped with EAC; i listen this combo trough an akg k702
  wouaah! it is amazing .what a changement with  the k702 . it sing now. i am completly satisfied.
  as you all know the k702 is an open headphone and am looking for a portable , nomade closed headphone.
  do you have any recommandations?
  audio technica ath esw9? but i am afraid it will too warm sounding?


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> hi
> i just receive my continental v2 +clas dac which replace my little nuforce icon mobile to play my ipod classic 160g with wav files ripped with EAC; i listen this combo trough an akg k702
> wouaah! it is amazing .what a changement with  the k702 . it sing now. i am completly satisfied.
> as you all know the k702 is an open headphone and am looking for a portable , nomade closed headphone.
> ...


 
   
  Instead of the ESW9 think about the Beyer DT1350.  If you think the ESW9 may be a little warm for you look at the DT1350.  I have the ESW10JPN, DT1350 and a pair of Senn HD-25-1s and the DT1350 is the most precise of the three.  The HD-25 and ESW10JPN are both warmer as you stated.   Even with the warmth of the HD-25 in comparison I keep coming back to the ALO Continental V2 compared with the HP-P1 amp for some reason.  All three are keepers in my opinion.   Note both my HD-25-1 and DT1350 are re-cabled using Moon Audio IEM Silver Dragon wire with Switchcraft mini-XLR connectors.


----------



## shipsupt

x2, the conti and the K702 pair up very nicely.
  
  Quote: 





greygrey said:


> hi
> i just receive my continental v2 +clas dac which replace my little nuforce icon mobile to play my ipod classic 160g with wav files ripped with EAC; i listen this combo trough an akg k702
> wouaah! it is amazing .what a changement with  the k702 . it sing now. i am completly satisfied.
> as you all know the k702 is an open headphone and am looking for a portable , nomade closed headphone.
> ...


----------



## greygrey

i hesitate a lot to purchase the fostex hp p1. you said: coming back for some sreasons to the alo  continental.
  what are they?


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> i hesitate a lot to purchase the fostex hp p1. you said: coming back for some sreasons to the alo  continental.
> what are they?


 
   
  The sound to me is better on the ALO, just enough to keep it in the loop instead of simply using the HP-P1 by itself.  If I did not have it, it would be find, just that I do have it and therefore I keep it in the loop because of the nature of its sound. I find that the filters on the HP-P1 on some tunes and depending on the headphone do what having the ALO does for the sound but not always.  
   
  I am still looking for that SR-71B to come in that I purchase over two weeks ago for more comparisons. Registered First Class mail from overseas can be very slow apparently.  Once this one comes in I will put up pictures of everything including the balanced cable connections using those Switchcraft min-XLR connectors.  But this delay will allow my headphones and ALO to settle in a bit before doing a comparison.


----------



## greygrey

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> The sound to me is better on the ALO, just enough to keep it in the loop instead of simply using the HP-P1 by itself.  If I did not have it, it would be find, just that I do have it and therefore I keep it in the loop because of the nature of its sound. I find that the filters on the HP-P1 on some tunes and depending on the headphone do what having the ALO does for the sound but not always.
> 
> I am still looking for that SR-71B to come in that I purchase over two weeks ago for more comparisons. Registered First Class mail from overseas can be very slow apparently.  Once this one comes in I will put up pictures of everything including the balanced cable connections using those Switchcraft min-XLR connectors.  But this delay will allow my headphones and ALO to settle in a bit before doing a comparison.


 


 did you use the continental wuth the clas dac?


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> did you use the continental wuth the clas dac?


 
  No, having the HP-P1 I have no need for the CLAS.  I do wonder how it would sound though.


----------



## greygrey

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> No, having the HP-P1 I have no need for the CLAS.  I do wonder how it would sound though.


 


  when you see the report on head fi tv , he says that they are equivalent.
  the main advantage for the alo combo is that  it drives any headphone .apparently the fostex doesn't manage to drive full size headphone.


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> apparently the fostex doesn't manage to drive full size headphone.


 
   
  I don't know where this is coming from....to say it will not drive them is one thing I can not agree with but to say other amps with drive full size headphones better is something that I may be able subscribe too.  Saying a headphone is not "an ideal match" is very ambiguous and allows for a poor interpretation of the capability of the HP-P1.  How many threads on Head-Fi are all about getting that "ideal match" for whatever one may be using?  Jude was using this phrase in general terms comparing the HP-P1 amp with the most powerful portable amps, specifically the RSA SR-71B in balanced mode.  Yes there may be better matches but will it not drive them?  Yes the HP-P1 will drive all but the hardest; i.e., the HE-6 where he said only RSA SR-71B in balanced mode would drive it well.  The comparison between the CLAS to the HP-P1 was a choice over the HP-P1 for size only since he assumes you will be using another more powerful portable amp.  That quarter inch difference is not really a big deal in my mind since having that quarter inch allows me to carry one device along with a iPod of course, if I desire.  I do like the DAC out of the HP-P1 very much.

 Neither do I don't find this to be the case with my HD800 which is the only full size headphone I have now.  Of course it is not the same as my SLP Phonitor but the HP-P1 does not do badly at all with the Sennheiser HD800 (~300 ohm).  I have my three portables, ATH-ESW10JPN (~40 ohm) and the Beyer DT1350 and HD-25-1 (both ~70 ohm) that do very well.  I think it is more the sound profile that I enjoy with the ALO over the HP-P1 amp, having nothing to do with it not being able to drive the headphone.


----------



## Matter

Hi,
   
  Just wondering if anyone here has tried the Continental v2 paired with the Westone ES5 and can give some comments on how well they work together?
   
  Thank you.


----------



## greygrey

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> I don't know where this is coming from....to say it will not drive them is one thing I can not agree with but to say other amps with drive full size headphones better is something that I may be able subscribe too with the stipulation that the sound is just maybe different not necessarily better.
> 
> I don't find this to be the case with my HD800 which is the only full size headphone I have now.  Of course it is not the same as my SLP Phonitor but the HP-P1 does not do badly at all with the Sennheiser HD800 (~300 ohm).  I have my three portables, ATH-ESW10JPN (~40 ohm) and the Beyer DT1350 and HD-25-1 (both ~70 ohm) that do very well.  I think it is more the sound profile that I enjoy with the ALO over the HP-P1 amp, having nothing to do with it not being able to drive the headphone.
> 
> If I remember correctly Jude said that the HP-P1 drove full size headphones very well, except maybe the Hifiman HE-6.  At least that is what I remember.


 

  yes i agree with you . i mean the continental drives in a better way than the fostex the full size headphone. i didn't want to mean that the fostex doesn't drive the full size at all.


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> yes i agree with you . i mean the continental drives in a better way than the fostex the full size headphone. i didn't want to mean that the fostex doesn't drive the full size at all.


 
   
  Note I listened to the Jude presentation again just to make sure and edited my comments above to reflect what I understand he was saying.


----------



## greygrey

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> yes i agree with you . i mean the continental drives in a better way than the fostex the full size headphone. i didn't want to mean that the fostex doesn't drive the full size at all.


 


 following what i am saying take look at 9'25:
   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KZQ6B6W4MM


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> following what i am saying take look at 9'25:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KZQ6B6W4MM


 

  One more point of interest from my comparisons....listening to the ALO Continental v2 compared with the HP-P1.  I compared the sound level out of my HD800 using the HP-P1 and the ALO on low gain. These are essentially the same levels.  When I say that I seem to go back to listening to the ALO, note that I am using the low gain which defeats the extra power that is available with the ALO in comparison with the HP-P1 which to me suggests that it is not an issue with power but the type of sound profile that the ALO provides me when compared with the amp in the HP-P1.


----------



## greygrey

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> One more point of interest from my comparisons....listening to the ALO Continental v2 compared with the HP-P1.  I compared the sound level out of my HD800 using the HP-P1 and the ALO on low gain. These are essentially the same levels.  When I say that I seem to go back to listening to the ALO, note that I am using the low gain which defeats the extra power that is available with the ALO in comparison with the HP-P1 which to me suggests that it is not an issue with power but the type of sound profile that the ALO provides me when compared with the amp in the HP-P1.


 

 maybe the tube sound which is unique in terms of musicality. focused on the music not on the sound on itself


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





greygrey said:


> maybe the tube sound which is unique in terms of musicality. focused on the music not on the sound on itself


 

 I do suspect it is the tube sound that I am enjoying in the ALO...


----------



## shipsupt

We had a mini meet a little while back and had a chance to drive the HE-6 with both the SR-71b balanced and single ended from the Continental V1.  The Continental seemed to have as much, if not more, headroom driving the 6 which surprised me. It was quick meet listening conditions, but the Conti was holding its own for sure.  I don't own the 6 so my impressions are limited, but if you were trying to find a portable to use with them, it seemed like the Continental is another possible choice, one that Jude might not have considered because he was comparing amps he owns.  That said, the 6 is so hungry my guess is you're just not doing them justice with a portable, no matter which one.
   
  The owner of the headphones who is more familiar with their sound when properly driven was pretty impressed with how both amps handled the HE-6.


----------



## greygrey

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> I do suspect it is the tube sound that I am enjoying in the ALO...


 


       welcome to the club!


----------



## calist3r

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> I compared the sound level out of my HD800 using the HP-P1 and the ALO on low gain.


 

 Are both of them on low gain? (Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but It sounds like you are comparing the HP-P1's normal gain to the Continental's low gain to me.)
   
  If so, do you mean that they have the same level of output power with different sound signature(typical SS vs. tube)?


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





calist3r said:


> Are both of them on low gain? (Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but It sounds like you are comparing the HP-P1's normal gain to the Continental's low gain to me.)............._*.exactly what I was doing..*_..
> 
> If so, do you mean that they have the same level of output power with different sound signature(typical SS vs. tube)?


 
  No, not different sound sigs with different gain for the same amp.  Just comparing the power levels of one amp to the other amp with different gain setting hopefully to establish that the sound profile difference that I was hearing is not attributed to the ALO inherently being more powerful.   This was an attempt on my part to establish the SS vs Tube sound difference was real between them.  For myself this is clearly demonstrated and that I enjoyed the tube sound especially with the DT1350 while not being so clearly better with the Senn HD-25-1.


----------



## calist3r

Quote: 





slwiser said:


> No, not different sound sigs with different gain for the same amp.  Just comparing the power levels of one amp to the other amp with different gain setting hopefully to establish that the sound profile difference that I was hearing is not attributed to the ALO inherently being more powerful.   This was an attempt on my part to establish the SS vs Tube sound difference was real between them.  For myself this is clearly demonstrated and that I enjoyed the tube sound especially with the DT1350 while not being so clearly better with the Senn HD-25-1.


 


 Well, I just want to know if those two have the same level of output power or not.
   
  I take it that the Continental holds more power than the Fostex's built-in amp then.
   
  Thanks for the clarification, slwiser.


----------



## LevA

slwiser,
   
  how does the continental compare to ttvj millet portable hybrid? 
  its been a while since i checked portable amps and just wondering what i'm missing..


----------



## slwiser

Quote: 





leva said:


> slwiser,
> 
> how does the continental compare to ttvj millet portable hybrid?
> its been a while since i checked portable amps and just wondering what i'm missing..


 
  Can't say since I don't have the TTVJ any longer.  The ALO does not have the ping every once in a while the TTVJ did before the fix is applied.
   
  Steve


----------



## AndrewG

Even though ALO is my least favorite company due to several bad customer service experiences, I was able to listen to a continental last week. It is an extremely rich and smooth, detailed sound. Great for certain genres. Very 'vinyl-like' sound. It works very well for classical, jazz, folk... for rock obviously there are amps that are better for it. If I had better suited headphones for it I would get, but my headphones are all rock/metal/prog oriented..
   
  People were saying the MK3 is better overall but I think that is just pre release hype. I don't think Continental can be compared to other amps, because it provides a tube sound you can't find anywhere.


----------



## Jwm48324

Matter I just received the Continental V2 today. Right out of the box it is better than the SR-71B. I am using the Westone E5 and Cypher Labs. The Ray Samuels was too warm with the Westones. The V2 brings them to life. Does anyone know if the Continental needs much break in time.


----------



## shipsupt

leva said:


> slwiser,
> 
> how does the continental compare to ttvj millet portable hybrid?
> its been a while since i checked portable amps and just wondering what i'm missing..




We did a quick compare after hours at the recent Bay Area Meet using the Hd800. Both were similar, but we found the TTVJ to offer slightly more clarity, the Conti seemed a bit more rounded off, which some might hear as smoother...


----------



## LevA

Quote: 





shipsupt said:


> We did a quick compare after hours at the recent Bay Area Meet using the Hd800. Both were similar, but we found the TTVJ to offer slightly more clarity, the Conti seemed a bit more rounded off, which some might hear as smoother...


 


  thanks!
  glad to hear ttvj is still holding its own.


----------



## estreeter

Quote: 





andrewg said:


> People were saying the MK3 is better overall but I think that is just pre release hype. I don't think Continental can be compared to other amps, because it provides a tube sound you can't find anywhere.


 

 Really ?
   
http://jaben.net/shopping2/PortaTube.html
   
  Not trying to reopen old wounds, but its still for sale whether ALO like it or not - others mentioned the (much) older Millet Hybrid, and I'm sure there are DiY portable designs out there somewhere that have a tube in the circuit. I'd check my facts before making sweeping statements - thats the kind of thing that fuels the 'hype' you refer to.


----------



## Grev

I like the sound of The Continental out of my LCD-2 rev2, I guess it is the tube sound...


----------



## alphaphoenix

NVM


----------



## Lindskog

Hi guys!
  I am about to order a amp for the Spiral Ears 5-way. I am choosing between the ALO Rx Mk3 because I like to be able to adjust the bass if this can be done with out degrade the other frequencies, and the Continental because I just love warm tube sound and the detailed yet soft highs (I have COPLAND tubes for my speakers).
   
  Any thoughts or suggestion any one?
   
  Thanks!


----------



## WasabiTree

I know this might have been answered somewhere but for high impedance cans Is the Continental better than S71A or Mustang?


----------



## ExpatinJapan

Apart from the Gain switch, what are the differences between Continental and Continental v2?
   
  Thanks.


----------



## Nemeske88

The enclosure (volume knob, less weight, slimmer) and it is said the battery is better (longer lasting)


----------



## ExpatinJapan

Thank you.


----------



## sluker

Just got the V1 to see what all the hubub is about.
  I am hoping it pairs well with the Magnums and the T50rp's.


----------



## ken6217

Please post your thoughts once you heard it. I just ordered one myself.
  Ken


----------



## sluker

Just got it today so no serious impressions as of yet. But off the bat, listening with the LCD-2's I am impressed.


----------



## shigzeo

I saw a pretty sick kit like that yesterday at e-earphones. Seems stacks like that are really hitting the portable audiophile market. I'll show something even crazier later.


----------



## LCfiner

I'm not 100% sure but I think I just bought the last Continental V1 that ALO had in stock. Ordered it last night (only silver model was available) and now the page says out of stock. I thought about paying extra for the V2 but I don't use IEMs and the extra hour of battery life didn't seem to be worth the extra money.
   
  I've been using a pico as a portable amp for a little while and I really like it with my Symphones Magnum but I'd like for something with even more power that could potentially power my LCD3 while on the road. So I'm giving the Continental a shot.


----------



## Nemeske88

It WAS the last one I am sure


----------



## sluker

I have never heard your tube amp but I love my LCD-2 rev 1 out of my LF 339 with 5998 or I have had the Continental v1 for 1 month and am enjoying it immensely although it is not good for any of my IEMs 


Lindskog
"Hi guys!
I am about to order a amp for the Spiral Ears 5-way. I am choosing between the ALO Rx Mk3 because I like to be able to adjust the bass if this can be done with out degrade the other frequencies, and the Continental because I just love warm tube sound and the detailed yet soft highs (I have COPLAND tubes for my speakers).

Any thoughts or suggestion any one?"

Thanks!
[/quote]


----------



## shigzeo

The last one? Wow. Hats off, mates. Last of the great amp. 
  Quote: 





lcfiner said:


> I'm not 100% sure but I think I just bought the last Continental V1 that ALO had in stock. Ordered it last night (only silver model was available) and now the page says out of stock. I thought about paying extra for the V2 but I don't use IEMs and the extra hour of battery life didn't seem to be worth the extra money.
> 
> I've been using a pico as a portable amp for a little while and I really like it with my Symphones Magnum but I'd like for something with even more power that could potentially power my LCD3 while on the road. So I'm giving the Continental a shot.


----------



## LCfiner

Quote: 





shigzeo said:


> The last one? Wow. Hats off, mates. Last of the great amp.


 
   
  well, the last Version1. there's still version 2 models for sale.
   
  I'll be picking it up tomorrow from FedEx and running it through its paces. I own the pico amp but I'm more curious to see how the Continental compares to the Burson Soloist.


----------



## LCfiner

So I have had the Continental running with my LCD3 for about an hour. First impressions are very, very good. compared to the awesome Burson soloist, the upper mids/treble (mainly female vocals) is pushed forward and so it sounds just a _tiny_ hint grainier. I have not yet checked to see how this tonal shift affect the Magnums.
   
  But it's a subtle difference and the continental holds its own against the Burson for soundstage, detail and a wonderful midrange. Even at this early stage, I am really happy with it.


----------



## LCfiner

More impressions after some more listening.
   
  The continental has slightly less bass kick (~100 Hz) and less extension in sub bass than the soloist and the amphora but it's fairly close. It has quite a bit more gain than the pico amp and a bit more bass than the pico. this is with the LCD3.
   
  mids are really great and I can no longer reliably hear a more forward treble on the continental compared to the other amps.
   
  when I hooked up the magnums and compared the 4 amps, the differences were, frankly, so minor I don't think I could tell which was which. (all amps were readjusted for volume matching for each headphone)
   
  next week, I have a Mrspeakers Mad Dog (main reason I want a good portable amp) and a Sennheiser HD650 coming in so I'll see how the continental handles those headphone vs the pico (and the amphora, but the main comparison is vs the tiny pico)


----------



## funch

I just picked up a V1 from the FS forums. It came in today and I'm listening as I type this. This is one smooooth amp. Plenty of detail and power.
  It replaces an SR-71B, and I have to say that it trumps the SR. Imaging, which is important in my listening, is great. My source is a CLAS, and phones are
  HD600's and my version of the Thunderpants, Plastic Pantz. With this amp, I just relax and listen to the music, not the equipment.


----------



## LCfiner

Some more impressions. I admit this may just be my brain burning in but I notice less difference in bass quantity between the Burson and Continental today. maybe it's because it's been running for around 5 hours today since I got home and is nice and toasty now 
   
  I'm relaxing with Paul Simon's Graceland right now and it sounds excellent. lots of strong bass that is clear and textured and fun. The percussion is strong and kicks properly when called upon. This is also a good album for checking out a heapdhone's soundstaging capability. lots of hand percussion instruments surrounding your head in the mix. And there's layers to the placement in space from front to back.
   
  I never once feel like the Continental is limiting the soundstage size, imaging precision or glossing over detail when using the LCD3. If I perform multiple A/B tests I can tell a slight difference with the Burson but it's not something that's noticeable when listening and enjoying the music and not trying to pinpoint tiny differences.
   
  On this album, it seems like the most noticeable difference is that the Burson is slightly smoother with the treble and upper mids. I noticed this a bit yesterday with some other tracks. the Continental adds a bit of "shout" to Simon's vocals compared to the Burson. (I've done my best to volume match with a sine wave test signal video from youtube and an iphone app decibel meter to make sure I'm not just hearing volume differences)
   
  So, yes, two days in and I'm very happy. The big question is whether this extra power will be necessary with the closed mad Dog headphones that I have coming in, compared to the pico amp. If the Continental performs noticeably above the pico with the Mad Dogs, then they're keepers (assuming I like the Mad Dogs) But if the pico does the job just as well with those closed phones, then the need to keep the Continental decreases.


----------



## ValentinHogea

Has anyone measures the output impedance?
   
  Searched this thread and the Continental V2-thread and no luck.
   
  I wish to pair it with LCD-2's and Unique Melody Merlin (*12 Ohms*)
   
  Tx,


----------



## funch

Does anyone else have a cockeyed volume knob? Mine comes out at an angle, so as it's turned, it travels in an elipse, so I replaced it with a nice
  aluminum matte black Kilo knob. It's longer as well, making adjustments easier.


----------



## Nemeske88

The same was here  I've used to do some lapping to the plastic part under the alu cap


----------



## The Fed

Did anyone read this entire thread and see where RWA published output impedance on this? I read through the contentious testosterone filled part from page 1 to 15 and saw the output power they posted but never found output impedance.... i ran out steam... or attention span before i could find it and searches never generated an answer. i've got the v2 and the national and i am just curious if output impedance has something to do with the roll off at low frequencies... just would help pairing phones with that will limit bass damping.... it has good bass but it does roll off more with my he400 which are 35 ohm than my others.


----------



## ExpatinJapan

I am also curious about the output impedance od the Continental and the National.


----------



## shigzeo

The National's output impedance is lower than the Continental. Again, my multimeter is in Korea so I have no idea what it is.


----------



## ExpatinJapan

Quote: 





shigzeo said:


> The National's output impedance is lower than the Continental. Again, my multimeter is in Korea so I have no idea what it is.


 
  Buy a new one and test everything for us o great drunkmeister!


----------



## The Fed

A year plus since they brought it to market and one of the most vital measurements seems elusive... maybe i will email ken and co. tomorrow and see what they say. i dont know ken but have had conversations with a couple of his team... when they are able to they usually are very helpful. i will update tomorrow.


----------



## LCfiner

My volume knob is aligned OK but I wish it had a textured surface for better grip. it can be a little hard to access and smoothly turn with the two cables on other side of it.


----------



## Dan S

I've had no problems with the volume control on my v2.

Regarding the bass, the amp does seem slightly bass light, but maybe that contributes to the wide soundstage. It gives me more treble emphasis on my HD-650s when I feel like a slightly different flavour.

I don't like the amp with my already-too-bright Shure SRH-940s, but those cans need a multi-band EQ to correct their sound and make them shine.


----------



## funch

Here's the new knob. It's a Kilo ML from Digikey, diameter .625 inch, in the matte finish.
   

   

   
  The skirt on the knob fits perfectly in the recess in the amps faceplate.


----------



## shipsupt

Nice.  I went ahead and ordered one to see if I like it better than the stock knob.


----------



## quickboy2014

Continental has so warm mids and strong power


----------



## shigzeo

It really depends on the headphones you pair it with. I found the Continental really prefers headphones over 40Ω, though the higher the better. It is a very very good amp that I can recommend wholeheartedly if you tend to use DT880/HD600/K701 and headphones like them. My review is finally up.


----------



## zorin

AndrewG





  
 offline
 
 596 Posts. Joined 4/2003
 


   "Even though ALO is my least favorite company due to several bad customer service experiences, ..."




   
  And I have thought that the atrocious way I was treated when I spoke to them was an isolated case of misbehaviour on their part.


----------



## fiascogarcia

I've only had e mail communication with ALO, but they've been thoughtful and helpful.


----------



## zorin

Quote: 





oslo72 said:


> I have now listened more with the ALO the Continental V2, and I must conclude that the synergy with JH13 Pro is not good. Naim.F.C. also sent me an PM that the synergy "often depends very much of impedance ratings and differences between the amp and earphones. It could very well be that the Continental's ratings do not mix well with the J16 Pro, or that the Pico is simply warmer."
> 
> I sent an message to Alo about this and got this answer: "I am sorry you feel like the Pico is a better match for your IEMs. The V2 is more ment for larger full size headphones and is even stated as such on the product page. We do have a 30 day return policy but this is expired. If you would like to return it for a Rx2 however we can do this providing you pay for the shipping both ways."
> 
> ...


 
  Buddy, just get some decent headphones for the Continental. This amplifier is as "warm" as you can get, there does not seem to be another portable amp on offer that is more 'warm'. Also, I would suspect that the main problem with 'brightness' is listening to a badly engineered and recorded music.


----------



## Meoow

This amp blew my mind ever since RSA Mustang


----------



## TC91

Quote: 





meoow said:


> This amp blew my mind ever since RSA Mustang


 

 Hey I noticed you have the Q701 in your signature, wondering if you have tried the Continental with them?  Thanks!


----------



## shipsupt

I don't have the Q701, but I have the K702 which should give a fairly good idea of the combination... I really dig it.  The K702 is one of my favorites when using the Continental.  
   
  Quote: 





tc91 said:


> Hey I noticed you have the Q701 in your signature, wondering if you have tried the Continental with them?  Thanks!


----------



## shipsupt

On a separate note, looks like I'm going to need to order a new charger from ALO.  I'm on a trip an unfortunately the current unit has stopped doing it's job.  I opened it up and can see indications of something burned up on the PCB... I haven't read back to see if there have been any other folks with similar issues.  
   
  Too bad since I have several days left of hotel life and I'm missing the Continental.  Lucky I had a MkII with me that I use on the flights with my IEM's so I'm still in business...


----------



## TC91

Quote: 





shipsupt said:


> I don't have the Q701, but I have the K702 which should give a fairly good idea of the combination... I really dig it.  The K702 is one of my favorites when using the Continental.


 
  Awesome, thank you for the input.  Just wondering, what are you using as a source/DAC?  Will have to think long and hard about the Continental...


----------



## shipsupt

I'm usually using an iDevice and the Algorythm Solo when using the Continental. Files tend to be a mix of lossless and lossy.
   
  I only wish I had waited for the new version with the gain switch as the original isn't great with sensitive IEM's.


----------



## TC91

Hmm I see, thank you for the input!  Have you ever got the chance to compare the iDevice + CLAS + Continental setup with the DX100, HM801, or a ColorFly C4?  Sort of looking for an end game portable solution, though I probably would skip the CLAS if I were to go with the iDevice + Continental setup as it is quite expensive...


----------



## shipsupt

No, I haven't had the opportunity, but I'm guessing someone might speak up who has!


----------



## Dan S

The Continental v3 just appeared on ALO's site. I wonder how different it sounds...

http://www.aloaudio.com/the-continental-v3


----------



## AnakChan

Quote: 





dan s said:


> The Continental v3 just appeared on ALO's site. I wonder how different it sounds...
> http://www.aloaudio.com/the-continental-v3


 
   
  I just saw that on FB. Seems a new Thomson 6111 tube & new output stage. At least according to Google cache (actually don't need Google cache), the pricing's the same.


----------



## IceClass

Quote: 





funch said:


> Here's the new knob. It's a Kilo ML from Digikey, diameter .625 inch, in the matte finish.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
   
  I don't suppose you'd have an actual part number or web link for that part would you?


----------



## shipsupt

You can pick it out from this page:
http://www.digikey.com/catalog/en/partgroup/ml-series/11718
   
  I did not have as much luck with this as Funch did.  My shaft must have been misaligned just enough to create some interference fit with the skirt of the knob on the recess in the amp face.  I probably could have adjusted and gotten it right, but I havn't messed with it much.


----------



## funch

Quote: 





iceclass said:


> I don't suppose you'd have an actual part number or web link for that part would you?


 
   
  Here ya go:http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?WT.z_header=search_go&lang=en&keywords=226-3071-nd&x=15&y=16&cur=USD:


----------



## gidion27

hope the battery life improved even further on the v3.


----------



## zorin

I hope [probably in vain] that ALO Audio made the battery to be replaceable and not glued in by an industrial strength superglue. If the battery were to be replaceable then there would be no worries about the battery life. As it is now the Continental has a limited lifespan. Because of the heat from the tube the battery's life is shortened. I totally do not understand why in the first version and the V2 the battery could not be replaced. Is my hope that V3 is different misplaced ?


----------



## Meoow

******* it...I just got the V2 not long ago =.=, but I guess i just use it until it dies then I will replace it


----------



## gidion27

surely ALO will replace the battery... for a small fee....


----------



## IceClass

I love my V2 and I'm not too bothered by the battery life or even it's lack of battery swapability. What I do hate however, is the damn wall-wart charger. Why do so many sleek portable devices come with pain-in-the-neck sized chargers?
   
  Conversely, I love my Fostex sac/amp as it charges from the USB port and doesn't require a separate charger.


----------



## zorin

Malfunction, mayday...


----------



## zorin

Oy ! The quote feature is not working today...


----------



## zorin

Quote: 





meoow said:


> [img]http://cdn.head-fi.org/9/9b/100x100px-LS-9b24150c_HellGirl3.jpeg[/img]
> 
> Meoow
> 
> ...


 
                                                                                                                                                             
   
  There is a chance that in a year and a half there will be V4 version, so you will skip V3. Lucky you.


----------



## zorin

Quote: 





qusp said:


> I would be really careful replacing the battery, lipoly are not known for their stability (they are much less stable than lifepo4 and this chemistry is the reason we now have all these shipping restrictions and issues with flying wit laptops etc) and the charge circuit will be tuned for this particular battery. provided the charge circuit is internal and not in the wall wart, which you could change instead, changing to a larger capacity or different voltage could  make for an .....'interesting' listening experience
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  And provided that the replacement battery is of the same voltage ? As I understand what is crucial is the voltage. The current is used at the steady mA/hour rate. A battery with a larger storing capacity and the same voltage would work the same.


----------



## imackler

If changing batteries is such a pain, is there any estimation of how many hours battery life you'll get? I imagine that would vary wildly based on the headphones you're powering, but are we talking a year, two years, etc.?


----------



## gidion27

Quote: 





imackler said:


> If changing batteries is such a pain, is there any estimation of how many hours battery life you'll get? I imagine that would vary wildly based on the headphones you're powering, but are we talking a year, two years, etc.?


 
  Good question, It is strange that some companies loos the battery out of sight. It is either difficult to replace or difficult to recharge or not holding a good charge.I am interested to see how the V3 holds up.


----------



## Nirmalanow

I just got a used V2 and am enjoying it a lot. I do have a question which may have already been addressed on here. Everytime I have used it so far, I have noticed after 20-30 minutes a very sudden and dramatic increase in sound quality. I know that tube amps turn on slowly and also take a while to warm up, but I guess I thought the sound quality would just gradually increase.
   
  But with what I am hearing, the amp sounds a little flat and lifeless and I am wondering what is wrong, and then, BAM, the sound just fills in. It is like going from 2-D to 3-D with fuller tone and a much more natural and lifelike sound. Is this typical of this amp or of tube amps in general? It has been a while since I had tubes in my system, and I do not remember hearing such a sudden change in SQ once the tubes have fully warmed up.
   
  Boy does it sound good after I finally reach warp speed!
   
  Edit added: I think I figured out what was happening. It turns out I had a loose connection in the aftermarket cable feeding my HD650s. So every now and then the connection would work and the sound would jump way up in quality. I am back to the stock cable and so far the sudden shift in SQ has not happened again.


----------



## Nirmalanow

Yesterday, I hooked up my TDS202 Sound Enhancer between my Tera Player and my Continental. It sounds amazing using my Beyer DT770-LE which did not sound as good when I was just using the Continental without the TDS. I do not know why it made such a big difference, but the sound is now crystal clear with amazing delicacy and realistic and  natural sounding instruments. It makes for a very nice contrast to my usual Tera-iCAN-HD650 setup which has more of a full bodied, visceral sound. Kind of like the difference between a female figure skater and a male figure skater. They both have incredible speed, grace and fluidity, but the HD650s are like the male figure skater in that there is a more muscled athleticism to the sound, wheras the Continental/DT770 combo is more delicate and beguiling in its own way. I like them both a lot.
   
  The TDS is an inexpensive device that boosts low level details in the sound. It is only $40 and so can be a fun thing to experiment with: http://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Research-TDS202-Enhancement-1-Speaker/dp/B00005QZ16/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


----------



## rablakli

I have lost the charger to my Continental V2 and ALO is not answering my email about a replacement charger.
 So i have to try to get a charger here in Norway.
 Can one of you with a continental V2 please check your chargers and give me the spec ?
 Or even better, have any of you replaced your charger, and if so where did you get it?


----------



## shipsupt

You might consider that RMAF was last week and the ALO guys are big participants; they may have been a little busy and are likely behind on answering emails.  I'd give them another chance on e-mal or give them a call next week.


----------



## Maxx134

vinnie r. said:


> All,
> 
> Here are the measurements I got (these are clean numbers - before clipping):
> 
> ...




Thank you so much for this info.

There should be a disclaimer on the first post for everyone to skip all the angry and negative posts in the first ten pages, which doesn't die out until page 15..
I felt like I was in middle of a war zone crawling thru all the mud slinging accusations and misinformation..

The reality is that this is one of the absolute best sounding portable amps.
The reason how I come to this conclusion is that it beat out everything I owned before regarless of size including an O2 amp and a little dot mkIII...(!!)..



zorin said:


> I hope [probably in vain] that ALO Audio made the battery to be replaceable and not glued in by an industrial strength superglue. If the battery were to be replaceable then there would be no worries about the battery life. As it is now the Continental has a limited lifespan. Because of the heat from the tube the battery's life is shortened. I totally do not understand why in the first version and the V2 the battery could not be replaced. Is my hope that V3 is different misplaced ?



After owning this the V2 for over a month I have to say it never truly gets hot but only gets very warm after hours use but still not anything near what would be considered "hot".


----------

