SR-71 Alkaline and NiMH sound quality differs!

[jlingo 0]

I don't know, If it is my imagination or it's the truth. I noticed quite a difference with sound quality when using NiMH and Alkaline batteries with SR-71.

 

With Alkaline batteries: Airy, bigger soundstage, very sweet 3D, Floating sound, very musical, better decay and transient, It's very addicting! Very punchy, Mid-range very clear, lower hiss.

 

With Rechargable batteries: It's dead, the air is gone and congested, 2D mid range, very short decay, but clean, darker, muddier, more hiss.

 

This is strange! but I really noticed the difference. I was practially in shock. Does anybody experience the same thing?

With UM2(UM56) I can notice the difference significantly, the clarity improves. With UM2 with comply tips I hear less difference.

 

I wonder if the results will be the same with supermacro? I always use rechargable batteries with supermacro never really try to use Alkaline batteries. Hmmm.

[metrablue 0]

 

ttz shockin...

i always thot rechargeable batt would improve sound quality of amps...

 

[Zephyron 0]

That sounds like the rechargeable battery dying o_O

 

Its the exact same thing when my PINT runs low on power.

 

Was it charged back then?

[jlingo 0]

Yes it's fully charged. Besides rechargable only lasts 6 hours with SR-71. and Alkaline lasts over 50hours. What a huge difference in performance.

[metrablue 0]

i tink NiMH needs a few charges to gt fully charged... mayb u give it a try before concludin??

[heady 0]

One thing you must know, for NiMH 9V, the capacity is only about 200mAH. Alkalines have more than this. Also NiMH 9V the initial voltage is only 8.4V while the alkaline is 9V and usually higher when fresh stock.

 

Did you measure the voltage of the alkaline battery when it needed to be changed? And do the same with the rechargeable? You may find that this voltage which the amp needs to run, may be near the 8.4V max given by the NiMH. So the alkaline is definitely better lah.

 

Which is why many of us DIYers try to get opamps that runs sweet down to 5V or lower, to extend the life of the battery.

[Jeremy 0]

But Alkaline battery will caused u a lot of $$$ if u are to use it.

 

 

[afbug 0]

You have to try the true 9.6V 230mah Maha rechargeables. See if it makes a difference.

 

Jeremy, thanks for the reply over at the other thread. I'll check them out at SLS one of these days.

[jlingo 0]

i tink NiMH needs a few charges to gt fully charged... mayb u give it a try before concludin??

 

Well I don't conclude this myself, Even Ray Himself replied to my email.

"

Hi .

 

The SR-71 was designed & tweaked using ONLY alkaline batteries. Your finding have plenty of truth in them.

 

Though there are much better rechargeable batteries than the one you are using, there Accu-power with 270ma & Tysonic, with 250ma, these batteries work much better in the SR-71. Both types are 9.1VDC.

 

Voltage does not matter for the amp but the higher capacity does & gives you 12-15 hours of play time.

 

I personally use ONLY alkaline in my SR-71 because this is how I designed the amp around.

 

Cheers.

 

Ray Samuels

"

[eSoteric 0]

Xin's amps are the direct opposite, AFAIK. For my Supermini-3 it was recommended not to use alkaline batteries by Dr. Xin himself.

[nakedtoes 0]

From what i know akaline tends to drop the voltage drastically after certain V.. Ni-mAH rechargable are more stable

[dle4e_2005 0]

 

ttz shockin...

i always thot rechargeable batt would improve sound quality of amps...

 

Same here.

 

Would other brands of rechargable have the same effect on the sound?

[heady 0]

Xin's amps are the direct opposite, AFAIK. For my Supermini-3 it was recommended not to use alkaline batteries by Dr. Xin himself.

 

If I am not wrong, the PA2V2 also cannot use alkaline. It all depends on the circuit design and on the opamps used.

 

 

[theory_87 0]

If I am not wrong, the PA2V2 also cannot use alkaline. It all depends on the circuit design and on the opamps used.

not very sure but i tried using alkaline before and the performance is not much worst or better than rechargerble