Kavent S33 owners...are you out there?

Just looked up the Shiit Audio site and am completely impressed. I now want one (my thing in audio is really "bang for the small buck" and the Shiit stuff just looks so cool)...although I haven't been listening to headphones that much except when recording I'm kinda getting back into it for late night fun...I even ordered a better quality JJ gold pin 12au7 for my silly BravoV2, pushing its value up another 19 bucks.

Funny? My posts are all DEAD SERIOUS! I did see the archived post...it was part of what led me to buy the S33. Interestingly (or not) some Canadian dude who had posted pics of the S33 later posted something about Kelsie Audio going out of biz...which explains the inexpensive selling of things. I should just call Kelsie maybe, or gather up some venture capital and buy 'em (I wish...but I do hope somebody does). Check out this pic (from the Canadian dude)...it has "SA 93" (Vincent model #) printed on the circuit board. HA! http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt266/NY1PR2009/DSC03037.jpg

The headphone thing was easy...and you can hook up anything to it that takes a line level. I'm running a pair of old Straightwire Rhapsody ICs to the Bravo and it sounds amazing! I assume any other headphone amp would work too...I run the 'phone amp at about 50% or less gain.

I have my S33 running balanced into a Forte' Model 55 (balanced outs is what led me to Kavent in the first place)...I imagine there would not be enough gain to drive regular phones out of line level jacks, balanced or otherwise. "Balanced input" phones...unless they're powered somehow that is unusual as phones are usually little speakers needing a little amp...not merely signal.

Yeah...S33 owners are too hip for forums as they know this stuff is so good they're DONE! Hey...I still recommend that el cheapo BravoV2 headphone amp...the dude in China sent me a replacement power supply (original one died) free in just 5 days total. I've been using it more recently and man...it's just so sweet with my trusty Grado 60's I stay up WAY too late listening to stuff.

I'm using Audioquest Diamondbacks with the S33...work great for an inexpensive XLR (and they're Chinese made so they can speak the same language)...I'm looking around for a used Audioquest "DBS" XLR pair just to try 'em. So now we're up to 3 Kaventophiles...or 4 if you count "musikavent".

I guess you have to email Kelsie Audio for Kavent, although I haven't communicated with them since I bought the S33...good luck!

'Jedinite...I gave up for now (impatient, and the Diamonbacks I had bought previously started sounding really great) on the DBS 'Quests and bought another pair of Diamondbacks from the same Ebay dude for $65 bucks a pair...safe buy I think, and after my issues with the Mogami/Neutrik cables it was great to see how good the Diamondbacks sound in my system. I think the fact that they construct 'em in China makes them a steal really...just a beautiful cable. I do buy into the technology of solid wire in a somewhat neutral dialectric. I have heard of the Shiit Audio thing someplace (I suppose in my headphone amp search)...let me know how it sounds.

Just a note...I noticed the phone number for Kelsie is missing from their site, and I haven't received a reply to an email I sent 'em. Oh well...

My S33 was ordered late March...perhaps their last hurrah?

Yeah still no respondo from Kelsie...I used 2 different email addresses for them..."Raeon" and "Shan Lei"...oh well. I assume the preamp will run forever but I have to wonder what they did with whatever gear they had left, including one of the coolest looking integrated amps ever made in the SP230.

I mentioned someplace earlier that I still use my trusty old Adcom ACE515 AC conditioner which keeps everything very quiet and refuses to die, although no longer garnering any respect from the Audio Elite. I should stop mentioning it as I think it effects my cred. Please don't spread this around...I did put a PS Audio AC outlet in the wall though, which I think gets me a half point back toward possible respectability.

I am afraid to admit I own some old stuff as it severely downgrades my audio geek street cred, but I'm also an audio cheapskate so I have no choice. It is kinda funny to me how self indulgent I felt when I bought the ACE515 all those years ago...there were very few power conditioners out there and all the reviews raved about the damn thing.

Also, we need to hire a detective to find the Kelsie dudes...just to give them a sympathetic hello and find out where all the unsold gear went. Form a POSSE!