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Topspin70

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Posts posted by Topspin70

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Just run over the cooker or put it in the microwave for a minute or 2, that will do just nicely... :P

    Haha.. just joking, NEVER DO THAT!

     

    Some reading material. Believe it or not, its your choice. No right, no wrong - just enjoy the music...

    http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/127865.html

    http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/headphone-burn-faq-56744/

    http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/i...hp/t-91992.html

    http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/new-belie...ne-burn-422672/

    http://ask.metafilter.com/39537/Is-headphone-burnin-real

     

    Some burn-in software others have tried.

    http://www.overclock.net/sound-cards-compu...-procedure.html

    http://www.avforums.com/forums/headphones-...urn-advice.html

     

    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!

     

  2. Posted · Report reply

    hmm he got it at ebay from Yenaudio?

    most of his tubes r very well recommended....but ebay is not entirely safe....

    but it could be that yur tubes not burn in or damaged during shipping or even not matched pair...

    usually it is not matched pair the synergy between left and right misaligned and u hear bloated bass 1st...

    check at tubesworld.com for better matched pair and a piece of mind...may bit a expensive but when my nos tubes i getting from them i can rest assured....

     

    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. <_<

  3. Posted · Report reply

    jus to share my experience with tung sols tubes

    i have the tungsols 6ak5wb which is u.s army tubes JTL

    which is very bright but deep fast bass without any colouration...

    at 1st 10 hours it is very fatiguing but at 50 hours the highs started to settle down and bass :shocking: goes very deep and fast....it is a very transparent tube and great for very dark source or headphones...

    mids can be seductive when playing some female vocals tracks...

     

    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...

  4. Posted · Report reply

    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?

     

     

  6. Posted · Report reply

    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?

     

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Hi Topspin

    First of all, welcome to the forum.

    From the earlier postings on this thread, I can see that you are in good hands...they certainly know what they are talking about. :thumbup:

     

    Think all will agree in this forum that when it comes to upgrades...the old cliche still rings true, "Slow and Steady wins the race", especially when there is a budget constraint :cry: . Whatever rig that you have built initially (which I assume was built after thorough research, and auditions, where possible), it is wise to take time to listen to it and get to know it; the sound signature, the likes and dislikes, the many variables in the rig that may affect the sound. As you come to know your rig and its quirks, the better you will know how to bring out the best out of it via small tweaks or major upgrades.

     

    While going through this process, at the same time, you will also learning more about what you like and dislike in the sound or what you can tolerate or can't tolerate on your rig with various genres of music.

     

    Then there is a matter of running in your system, be it your CDP, powercord, interconnects, amps, preamps, tubes, etc. There are some who may say 'burning in' a system is a myth and nonsence. But try it for yourself, and judge for yourself. And this process takes time; it may take months or even years perhaps for some system to settle down and reach its sweet spot; so it is wise to give a system time to settle. I know, it sounds tediously long and boring...afterall it is always fun hunting, buying, and setting up new equipments. But don't give up on a new component in your rig when it does not seem to gel with your system; give it time.

     

    So, young man, again, welcome and all the best in your journey in search of the perfect sound (at least in your own ears). :party:

     

    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. :doh:

  8. Posted · Report reply

    whether the amp is higher league compare to the other amp..it all boiled down to the personal prefernces again..i will say that the price 1k is abit too hard to take..but unless u can have access to buy thing online..then you can order from the web..i believe the shipping and all add up to 1k~ too with the upgrade that pongz had gotten.

     

    changing of interconnect depend on what model and brand u get also..some interconnect does make the sound better but non can really change the sound more than changing of amp as the amp have more different sound sig compare to each other.the tubes wise...i rather you spend $$$ on those exp exp tubes and change the sound sig abit here and there if you like your current amp..woo audio just happen that pongz is selling as he is going to balanced setup..but why not arrange for testing and see whether the sound you like anot..just my 2 cents worth of suggestion here..

     

    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.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    XCanv8 is a tube amp. By the way there's a WooAudio WA6 for sale on Jaben forums. Around 1k. Check it out too.

     

    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. :no:

  14. Posted · Report reply

    DarkVoice 336 is a decently good amp. To beat it, I believe you'll need a amp that cost more than your budget. So I'll suggest you to save up and upgrade later once you're ready. You wouldn't hear much improvement by upgrading moderately which will cost more in the long run.

     

    For interconnects, you can check out Van Den Hul First Ultimate which has an excellent mid thought it might sound a little too dark for some. As usually, cable is about matching. So the only way to know is to have a home trial.

    http://www.audioreview.com/mfr/van-den-hul...85_1584crx.aspx

     

    And if you prefer tube, better to stick to it. I've a friend who recently got backfire upgrading from a budget tube to a highend solid state. He ended up selling it after he realized that he still miss tube sound. Solid state amp will never sound tubey which I've yet to hear one.

     

    Anyway, there's not many choice for tube amp. You can check the following:

    1. DNA Sonett (hot favorite at Camjam with HD800)

    http://www.dnaudio.com/DNA-Sonett-headphone-amplifier.html

     

    2. Mapletree Audio Design (goes very well with Grado)

    http://hollowstate.netfirms.com

     

    3. Woo Audio (headfi favorite of all time)

    http://www.wooaudio.com

     

    4. Yamamoto (excellent for low impedance cans)

    http://www2.117.ne.jp/~y-s/HA-02-new-e.html

     

    5. Eddie Current (say to be able to drive most cans well)

    http://www.eddiecurrent.com/Zanadeux.html

     

    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.

     

  15. Posted · Report reply

    I've a feeling that Nordost Blue Heaven is the culprit. I used to own it with the same impression. You might want to loan a interconnects to try just to be sure.

     

    And replace RCA 6AS7 with 5998 Tungsol or even better 421A Western Electric which is leap ahead in sonically (6AS7 = 5998= 421A). Check with Frankie from Well Audio if he has stock or you can buy from Tubeworld.

     

    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.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    What source, powercord and interconnects are you using? You might want to state all your rig.

     

    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?

  17. Posted · Edited by Topspin70 · Report reply

    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!

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