Topspin70

Wow. I didn't know burning-in is discussed in such detail. Thought it's just a matter of loosening up the drivers and conditioning the wires to conduct signal. Except for tubes which I dunno what goes on during burning in. Chim stuff man!

Dunno where he got it from. I'm using only a single tube since my amp is DV336. For new tubes, I'll try to get from Tube World. Pay a little more for shipping. For the Tungsol, I guess I just have to wait for the 50 hour mark.

Hmmm, mine seems to be the opposite. Bass is a little bloated, not very bright and details seem veiled. I'll give it time and see how it goes. The previous owner got it via e-bay. Don't suppose there are fakes right...

Thought I share my impressions on the Tungsol 5998. I bought it 2nd hand and has about 25 hours on it so not fully burned in. The moment I replaced the RCA 6AS7 with it, I noticed the shine has been reduced quite considerably. The mid has a little more weight to it and overall, the sound feels smoother and quieter. Soundstage however seems to have shrunk width wise which I hope will restore once the tube reaches 50 hours. Quite a lot of details which were evident with the RCA seems to have dissipated as well which is another downside that I hope will go away with time. Oddly, I still find the sound a little lean and bright although much less so. I wonder anybody else has similar experience with the Tungsol 5998. Is this its sonic character? By the way, can you burn in tubes by just leaving the amp on or do you have to play music through it?

Gotcha. Phew. That put my mind at ease. Thanks yet again.

Small panic here: Last night when I left my GS1000i to burn in, I unwittingly turned the volume up higher than usual. How can I tell if I've damaged the headphones? I scrutinized the music this morning and while it seems ok, somehow I have this feeling the vocals is off centre ever so slightly. I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me. Anybody can offer some advice? What are the real signs of damaged cans?

These are true words of wisdom. I feel like a young Anarkin in the presence of the the Jedi council. Truth is, I've been dabbling in hi fi for 10 over years. Initiated into this hobby after flipping through a copy of What Hi-fi (what else right?). I've owned my fair share of best buys and editor's choices. Owing to a combination of limited budget and some degree of self-control, I never went too far with my purchases, the most expensive thing I bought was a pair of Dali Royal Menuet II speakers. It was the most satisfying thing I bought aside from my Audio Analogue Puccini. While I don't consider myself new to the world of audiophile, I've obviously been only skimming the surface like a novice. So every piece of advice I have received so far is a revelation to me, especially when it comes to tube and head fi equipment. And with every piece of advice, I feel like rushing out there and buying something to test it out. Luckily you came along and reminded me of the basics again: take it slow, run it in, discover my taste. So let me take a deep breath and review my options. Well, right after I check out the Tungsol 5998 I rushed out to buy earlier today.

Ya. Upgrading wires and tubes seems like my options now. Occurs to me that my CDP could be a factor too. It's very detailed for its price but depth and soundstage may not be that great and my GS1000i is starting to reveal its flaws. OMG, there's no end to what I need to upgrade. Sigh.

Got interconnects that bring out the best in a tube system? Pls sms quote to 9633 1269. Thanks. Nicholas

Are these two amps higher league than the DarkVoice? Wooaudio sounds good but in their website, WA6 costs US$585 brand new. Is $1K a good price locally? Before upgrading my amp I'm gonna try to swop my interconnect first and see what happens first. Then upgrade the tubes. But looks like the WA6 can't use any tubes I got for the DV.

Gorgeous looking amp! I kinda switched from Solid State to Tube now. Pity, I do miss the way SS amps look. Haha.

Got the above to let go? Pls sms quote to 96331269. Thanks! Nick

Got the above to let go? Pls sms quote to 9633 1269. Cheers, Nick

Wow. Thanks. This is so useful! The amps you recommend looks fantastic but clearly out of my budget (for now at least). I'll take your advice: upgrade the tube WE 421A and change that interconnect. The VDH First Ultimate sounds like it will really solve my brightness problem. But what do you mean by too dark for some? Like so laid back until the dynamics is gone? The reviews look really good but what I can't figure out is how can a cable have smooth, rolled off highs and yet be detailed and airy? I have been using SS amps for my hi-fi rig so these tube descriptions are really throwing me off now. Haha.

Thanks for the great advice. I gather the Tungsol and WE tubes don't come cheap. But would you say it's still a better option than getting a new amp? I'm quite new to tubes so I dun know which results in more sonic difference, new amp or better tubes. Granted I'm talking about a new sub-$1k amp and not the high-end Zana Deux type. Interesting point about the Nordost. I've had them for a long time and I forgot they lean towards a bright sound. I'll do a swop and see what happens. Any suggestion though? Like what cables really bring out the best in tube sound.

Good point. Everything in the chain matters. Here's the rig: Source: Marantz CD5001 (sitting on Boston Audio Tuneblocks, while TAOC footers sits on top) Interconnect: Nordost Blue Heaven Power Cord: Furutech Amp: DarkVoice TH336 (sitting on isonodes and turning them into mush) Output: RCA 6AS7 ($30 2nd hand so must be basic tube) Input: GE 6SN7 ($70 from Wells) What do you think is the cause of the not-very-tube sound I"m getting?

Any bros out there can advise what's the most tube sounding amp under the $1k mark? I listen to a lot of vocals and I love a rich, seductive, drool-dripping, 3-dimensional, palpable sound. I'm currently driving a GS1000i with a DarkVoice 336 with RCA and GE tubes. Things sound very detailed but a little flat and one-dimensional. I guess I could roll tubes but dunno will it make a very big difference? If the amp is the limiting factor, I would avoid spending money buying different tubes to try. So any tips you could offer here would be appreciated too!

Got a GS1000 to let go? Please quote prcice along with condition, age and where you bought it from. Sms to Nick 9633 1269 or PM me. Thanks!! Nicholas

Thanks. We contacted. Thanks to everyone who offered me their buttoned RS-1. Anyone got the newer version to sell? http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm Got a GS1000? Give me a quote too. 9633 1269. Nicholas

Got any of the above to sell? PM me with quote or text me at 9633 1269. Thanks! Nick