Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2009 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kachui 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2009 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. 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. 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 . 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). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kidult 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2009 hohoho.... well said kachui Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2009 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. 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 . 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). 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 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? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ical 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 You need to play music to run in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sep90 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 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 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... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 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 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... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sep90 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 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.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2009 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2009 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. Quick Update: I managed to get a good price for a 2nd hand VDH First interconnect (iCal bro's recommendation). The moment I swopped the Nordost with it, I heard a big difference! The bass tightened and sounded very controlled. Separation improved and I was able to distinguish different instruments more clearly, and most of all, guitar notes and vocals sounded much more 3-dimensional and real. While the soundstage didn't extend width wise, it now had more depth. I'm got one big step closer to that sound I was after. Can't wait to hear what it's like when the Tungsol reaches 50 hours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sep90 0 Report post Posted August 7, 2009 u should try the ASI Liveline interconnects or the KCI silkworms .. some of my HiFI friends back at Malaysia changed their Nordost Vahalla over them.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 8, 2009 u should try the ASI Liveline interconnects or the KCI silkworms .. some of my HiFI friends back at Malaysia changed their Nordost Vahalla over them.... Ya! The gentleman who sold me the VDH was doing the same thing. Even though it's cheaper than Vahalla, the Livelines are still very expensive. At least to novice like me. Sigh, maybe one day... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ical 0 Report post Posted August 8, 2009 (edited) u should try the ASI Liveline interconnects or the KCI silkworms .. some of my HiFI friends back at Malaysia changed their Nordost Vahalla over them.... Bro, your recommendation is always straight to high end stuff. Of course they're good lah. At that price it better be. Acrolink Mexcel 7N-DA6300 for you sir? Comes with the new XLR plugs. Look damn solid too. If budget is tight, can just go for the entry 7N-A2500 without breaking the bank. These beats the above cable anytime. http://www.sensusaudio.com/acrolink7NDA6300%20.html http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/acrolink.htm http://www.element-acoustics.ca/Product/mexcel.html http://www.audionut.net/documents/Acrolink...ystemDagogo.pdf Edited August 8, 2009 by ical Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Topspin70 0 Report post Posted August 8, 2009 Bro, your recommendation is always straight to high end stuff. Of course they're good lah. At that price it better be. Acrolink Mexcel 7N-DA6300 for you sir? Comes with the new XLR plugs. Look damn solid too. If budget is tight, can just go for the entry 7N-A2500 without breaking the bank. These beats the above cable anytime. http://www.sensusaudio.com/acrolink7NDA6300%20.html http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/acrolink.htm http://www.element-acoustics.ca/Product/mexcel.html http://www.audionut.net/documents/Acrolink...ystemDagogo.pdf Ahem. Entry level ranges between $2k to $4k per metre? I'm am so not in your league, ical bro. You guys really carry the big guns man. If that's what you pay for cables, makes me wonder what kind of speakers do you use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
