Darkvoice just released 332

[swt61]

It is the entry level little brother to the 336i from what I've been made to understand, and the pricepoint supports that notion.
Very interested in your impressions spaceman. I'm pretty sure it will be a nice sounding amp.

Uhm it looks like I'm wrong here. From what I've found, this may be between the 336i and 337.

[spacemanspliff]

yo! it's the little brother of the 337 and better than the 336i supposedly.

[swt61]

Yeah that's what I seem to be finding out. I'm still lusting for the 337. Someday soon I hope.

[Godkin]

If the 332 sounds this good, I'd love to hear the 337.

[ironbut]

Those valve covers used to be used all the time to shield the tubes from EMI and RFI. They are grounded to the chassis and when they are in close proximity to xformers and power supplies in general, they reduce hum. I know in my Ec01, if I leave the shields off I get audible hum. Most tube sockets are designed to accept them. I think now days, when hum is detected when prototyping a design, they add the shields. Much easier than making a new component layout.

[Godkin]

I tried 2 Philips/Mullard Blackplate M8100s (NOS) in the DARKVOICE 332 today (the M8100 is a high quality military version of the EF95, which is an equivalent to the Chinese 6J1). I bought 5 of these little beauties on E-Bay for £2.95, yes you read right, £2.95 + £2.50 delivery. Elsewhere, they're selling for around £10 a peice.

These tubes are fantastic. Though good before, everything about the sound is improved: bass, while not particularly deeper, seems much more solid and well defined; the midrange is even more open and detailed; while the treble has lost that glassy harshness, which was my only real criticism of the 332. The sound has a liquid nature now, hanging together better.

I've ordered some 6AK5Ws, again from E-Bay (another mil-spec version of the Communist Block 6J1). I've also ordered some Svetlana 6S19P-Bs to try. I think the makers of the DARKVOICE could have picked a more widely available tube. So far, I can only find the Soviet versions of this valve - the 6S19s range and its military cousins with the "P-B" suffix: there appears to be no western equivalent.

[swt61]

I'd love to hear a comparison of this amp alongside the 336.

[spacemanspliff]

well hell it's obviously a step up from the 336. good chance a darkvoice fan will have to get the 332 though I reckon. mine should be here next week so I best order some of those tubes yeah?

[Godkin]

Yeah, order up some of those tubes - there are plenty of them on E-bay, and at a good price. So far, I've found a bewildering number of eqivalents to the Chinese 6J1: the Soviet 6J1P and 6J1P-EV; then there's the western versions, EF95, 5654, 6AK5 (W), 6F32, 403A, CV4010, and of course the M8100. As far as I can see, any of these versions should, techically, work in the 332.

[laxx]

so did they end up accepting the offer of 350+shipping? i've always been interested in a darkvoice, whether the 336/336i or 332. the 337i is way out of my price range, so i never bothered to look at it. =T

[swt61]

Originally Posted by spacemanspliff

well hell it's obviously a step up from the 336. good chance a darkvoice fan will have to get the 332 though I reckon. mine should be here next week so I best order some of those tubes yeah?

Yeah, just wondering how the different tube compliment differs from the 336.
I sure wish they'd balance the 337, I'd be the first customer!

[Godkin]

I think the 337 is, basically, two 336s put together. So, the compliment of tubes would be 2x6N8Ps and 2x6N5Ps.

[spacemanspliff]

the going price for the 332 is $450 shipped. which is about $380 + shipping.

[swt61]

Originally Posted by Godkin

I think the 337 is, basically, two 336s put together. So, the compliment of tubes would be 2x6N8Ps and 2x6N5Ps.

Sorry, I meant between the 332 and 336. Yeah the 337 looks exactly like two 336's joined in a case.

[Godkin]

The 332 uses 2x6C19s (English: 6S19) and 2x6J1s.