NEWS - Archive 2009
10/26/2009
The Tokyo Audio Show was a very good kick off for the new X-Line from Xodus LLC. Everyone at Xodus LLC would like to thank the entire Zephyrn organization for such a well run show. The show was held at a fantastic location and had many attendees. Here are a few shots of the show location and Xodus products on display in Zephyrn Inc.'s room.
Picture of the Tokyo International Forum where the show was located.
The X2PA Preamplifier and X100 Stereo Amplifier being setup for the first evenings demonstration.
X-Line - X100, X200, X2PA and XPH at the show.
09/25/2009
Xodus LLC is very proud to be partnering with Zephyrn Inc. of Japan for distribution of our products in the Japanese market. Xodus LLC will be displaying the new X-line at the Tokyo Audio Show from October 2nd - 4th in room G409.
The X100 Stereo Amplifier with the X2PA and XPH
08/20/2009
Xodus Amplification choice: Bipolar vs Mosfet
Bipolar and Lateral Mosfet devices both possess excellent characteristics for use in audio output stages. Here is a summary of some of their strengths and weaknesses, and some particulars related to the design of the X200, explaining the decision to change from Mosfets (used in the X100) to Bipolars in the X200.
Mosfet advantages
Mosfet Disadvantages
Bipolar Advantages
Bipolar disadvantages
X200 vs X100
The X100 was designed to have excellent transparency in well-designed speakers. The power requirements allowed us to use one pair of devices per channel, and a single pair of Mosfet devices delivered the audio quality we sought to achieve.
For the X200, the specification was to deliver 200W into 8 Ohms, 400W into 4 Ohms, 600W into 3 Ohms, and peak currents of around 30A. We needed to maintain audio quality while adding the capability to drive a wider selection of speakers.
Simply extending the X100 Mosfet output would require 5 pairs of devices to achieve this result. This would ultimately reduce the transparency of the product and lead to an unnecessarily difficult layout.
Instead, the solution we chose for the X200 output structure uses 2 pairs of high current bipolar devices. The smaller number of parts allows for a cleaner design while meeting the product specifications. Cleaner design also significantly improves audio quality, which is our fundamental pursuit at Xodus.
The nemesis of bipolar output stages is thermal runaway. To manage this, we have engineered an innovative method of changing the bias current. The range of bias adjustment is from 5% to 150% of the stable operating point. At 150% the amplifier would be intrinsically safe but the heatsink would be uncomfortably hot, far in excess of a typical design.
An interesting side effect of being able to change the bias over such a large range is that the amplifier is able to rapidly adjust from cold to operating temperature, allowing users to enjoy more quality listening time.
The Xodus engineering team strives to deliver the best product using solid engineering principals. We pick technologies based on their suitability for the task, not image or convention.
07/15/2009
The team here at Xodus has been very busy with the development of our new phono stage the XPH. The new phono stage has a very stable separate power supply the XPWR. The two are connected using a special power cable between the units which helps isolate the sensitive nature of the XPH from the intrusive characteristics of power supply transformers. The X2PA and our other preamps in development have these power output connections as well so that they can power the XPH or the to-be-released XDAC. Below is a quick picture of the populated prototype XPH board before testing:
07/01/2009
The X100 and X2PA prototypes have been shipped for client approval and testing. This has involved a considerable amount of hard work from the entire Xodus Team. The results have surpassed our initial expectations in both performance and value. The interior of the X100 Stereo Amplifier is show here:
The X2PA rear panel and front display are shown below.
The front panel LED's change color depending on the function selected. Blue is for channel select, green is for standby and orange is for balance adjustment. These are easily seen and displayed using the 6 RGB LED's in the front face.
06/15/2009
The mechanical aspects of the X100 and X2PA continue to progress as the units reach the final assembly stage. Scott and Ty have been using Xodus's machine shop to it's fullest while testing and finishing the enclosures for the X-line. The state-of-the-art 4 axis CNC used in the prototyping phase has been very effective in aiding our design team in the creation of the enclosures.
The enclosure is made of a very dense polymer that is heat treated for 5 hours at over 150F to reach final hardness and durability.
All of the metal parts in the X-line are custom made in our machine shop. The composite shells are assembled with aluminum and brass hardware. Many 'high-end' electronic houses sub-contract all the work and really only assemble the product (if that much) in-house.
05/01/2009
The X100 2 Channel Amplifier has now entered it's stress testing phase. Xodus does significant stress tests on all of our products to ensure reliable performance for the end user. The X100 is being ran through a battery of load and other testing to stress the components so we better understand the best ways to protect the product as well as push the product to its safe performance limits.
The X2PA 2 Channel Preamplifier has been fully designed and is now in prototype phase. The two channel preamp will also have two power outputs for powering the separate DAC and XPH Phono Stage. The X2PA has been designed to be very robust, reliable and transparent. The Xodus Design Team is currently in full design mode on the new XPH Phono Stage that will be powered by the XPWR separate power supply or from the power output of the X2PA. This system integration as well as modularity allows Xodus products to fit our clients desires of how they want to design their systems.
03/01/2009
The Xodus engineering team is in full design mode on the new X100 2 Channel Amplifier. This amplifier will have 100 watts per channel and be auto-signal sensing. The Xodus engineering team has also kicked off the preliminary development of the X2PA 2 Channel Analog Preamplifier. These two X-Line products are designed to have extreme system synergy when paired together, but also to work well in existing systems where there are many different branded components.
02/01/2009
Xodus LLC has been contacted to create a new product line for the high performance audio industry. Xodus has begun the work of creating the X-Line of products, which is a full line of high performance audio products that are in a very reasonable form factor and price point. Each X-Line product will be 220mm (8.66in) wide by 350mm (13.78in) long by 155mm (6.10in) tall for the full height units and 77.5mm (3.05in) for the half height units. The X-Line will include preamplifiers, amplifiers, phono stage, DAC's, speakers, and several other products all with continuous design elements.
These products are defined by their value; Xodus is striving to create products that offer the highest possible value to their expense. When you invest in Xodus products you are not investing in extravagance, ego, or marketing; you are investing in state of the art science that is optimized to achieve exacting standards.
01/01/2009
After 4 years of collaboration with Goldmund, developing the revolutionary Goldmund Media Room concept and building the Los Angeles and Tokyo Media Rooms in addition to designing Media Rooms for Singapore and Hong Kong, Brett Lee and Ty Wiedrich launched a new and exciting company called Xodus LLC. This company is focused on extraordinary performance, excellent service and exceptional value.