Darkvoice just released 332 - Page 8

You've all got some brilliant tubes on the way. I'd be interested to hear your comments on the SVETLANAs and Ulyanovsks. Both sound great, but for me the Ulyanovsk 6S19P-Vs take the honours, although you may think the reverse.

I also like to hear you opinions, Budgetphile, on the Sylvania 6AK5Ws. I've been looking at those myself. Whatever, I think, like you, that the 332 is a steal, amazing value for money.

(If you think that's a steal, I picked up a YAQIN 6J1 tube buffer for £12.00. Fantastic!!!)

Like Budgetphile I decided to get a 240v version.
I ordered mine from Jian Liu on the basis that his reply, to my emailed questions seemed best informed of the people I tried.
Delivery was 3 days to leave China , 11 days total.
Just thought Id tell you my good experience with Jian Liu for balance.

It is still improving daily. The most noticable being an improvement in the detail and the bass has tightened up considerably.These were my major concerns as Im happier than you guys seem to be about the higher frequencies

Steve

I'm not ready to make the call as of yet since the 332 is still burning in. Initially, I can say that the 332 seems to be a bit better in the bass. More to come...

May you give me your impression about this buffer?
I've always been skeptic about stuff put between source and amplifiers, but not really tried one.

Impressions of the YAQIN tube buffer are mixed at the moment, and any comments would of course depend on what you want from your sound.

First thing I did was to get rid of the stock 6J1s as their sonic character can be rather harsh and glassy. I replaced them with some MULLARD EF95s. Improvement is sound right away: simply huge soundstage with deep bass, timbre of voices and instruments, as you'd expect from tubes, excellent. But in the expansion of the soundstage, I realised that I'd lost some of the immediacy of the music - details of the music that were there before were suddenly lost.

I then switched the MULLARDS for some Russian mil-spec 6J1P-EBs made by VOSHOD. Again, very good tube, but too soon yet to make any conclusive statements. As I said, it all depends on what you want form your music. If you love presence, that sense of the environment beyond the music, a huge soundstage with really extended, powerful bass, then this is the device for you.

It seems that people like it with senns (hd650 and hd580) but that the jury is still out on grados. One good input on HF1, one bad on 335.

ANybody had a chance to try with rs-1 or rs-2 ? Or more input with regular grado (st-x other than st335) ?

Thanks guys
I sold my dared and looking to by a 220v headphone amp that would suit both my hd650 and my grado rs-2.

Lionel

The consensus here appears to point to the synergy between higher impedance cans and the DARKVOICE amps. They drive the Sennheiser HD580s, HD600s and HD650s with consummate ease (300ohm). The 336 is, apparently, the perfect match for the AKG 340s with the enormous impedance of 400ohms. JamesP has yet to report back on his final conclusions about the 332 and the Grado 325is, so maybe there's hope yet.

I reached the 50th hours with 332 (but just about 30 of listening, the remaining just burning, I let it warm up at least half hour before listening) and I'm not that enthusiast. Headphones are Senny 600.

First of all I'd like to clarify that maybe my source is not that excellent being a very old Pioneer PD-S601 with many hundreds hours of work on the back, anyway I think it's far better than any ipod stuff used as a source.

I listened 332 mainly with classical and jazz music: old recordings, new recordings, studio and live recordings. I must admit I lived some great moments: some piano notes (Kreutzer sonata - Kremer/Argerich) seemed to be better than the *real*stuff*, some high-pitch violin passages (Tchaikovsky violin concert - Karajan/Mutter) simply dramatic and oh so near.

Live jazz, and again presence was the 332 quality, never felt Bill Evans or Oscar Peterson pianos so close and real.

Then I break on other lands with a different but equally difficult test: Take 6's Live Concert. Here I realize something I never felt before so clearly: flatness. Scene with 332 has never been that wide at my ear, but the real big issue (and problem) is it's not deep! In this recording you easily get what I mean: public and performers are in impossible positions, superposed on each other!

I'm going to test it with an even more challenging recording: Arvo Part's Kanon Pokajanen, an 80 minutes composition for a cappella choir. Hope things won't go worse.

Could it be a source problem?
Could it be something adjustable with tube rolling?

Surely Senny 600 can't be the cause, I'm a long term loyal fan of this producer (19 years with a single pair of HD540, I changed EVERYTHING to them before they finally broke down) and never felt betrayed. Senn has always been comfortable with the music I'm used to listen, though I'm now rather curious to try a serious closed dynamic headphone (Beyer Dynamic or Audio Technica my main targets).

About source: I'm going to discover soon about it, since I'm giving retirement to PD-S601, upgrading it with Nad c542 or Cambridge Audio Azur 640C (by the way, any opinion in matching these machines with Darkvoice and Senn?).

About tube rolling: russian replacements should be here any moments.

In the worst case I'll keep 332 for vpr film audio and I'll go out for a different and more expensive (hopefully better performing) amp.

I haven't had the problems you've described - large orchestral or choral pieces sound very good on my 332. Everything clearly detailed and delineated.

I don't think it would be a problem with the Sennheisers - if anything, classical music would be their forte.

One thing I've stressed in any comments I've made is that the 332 is very revealing, and as such can expose a bad recording. On my system, bad recordings sound closed-in and congested. However, you seem to know your stuff when it comes to good and bad recordings, so it may not be this.

The weak point may be your Pioneer PD-5601. Is the 332 perhaps amplifing an poor source? The NAD or CAMBRIDGE AZUR would be, I think, an improvement. The new CAMBRIDGE gear is getting fantastic write-ups at the minute, and certainly represents great value for money.

Tube rolling is always a option with the 332. The Russian 6S19P-Bs or PVs are certainly the way to go, especially the ULYANOVSK version as its strength, in my opinion, is that it separates voices and instruments very well. You should also look for some alternatives to the smaller, output valves. These are more likely to alter the sonic character of the 332 than the larger, power rectifying valves. There is certainly a myraid of varieties to choose from. Try the mil-spec equivalents: the 5654W; 6AK5W; M8100; CV4010; or the Russian military versions of the 6J1s, the 6J1P-EBs.

Also try a good power lead - it adds "air" to the sound and also improves the resolution of fine detail.

While I'm typing, another 332 test is on the run: ECM's recording of Kanon Pokajanen by Arvo Part. A severe, reflective sacred piece for unaccopanied choir: everything is here, whispered slow delicate passages, crescendo and "mass" (it is not designed for a large choir) moments, long humming backgrounds. Dynamic of this piece is not an issue, it does not require fast answers, it's rather linear in its change, but the point I'm trying to get is about something else. I'm pausing often to concentrate on certain passages. ECM live recordings are in my opinion mostly flawless, so I'm quite sure about the CD.

Senny are definitely not chargeable in any way.

As every passionate hifi lover know, source is the most important piece of the system, a flaw there and the chain reaction is inevitable. PD-S601 could effectively be responsable for the depth problem. Either Nad or Cambridge are a huge step over this simple and old component.

Just want to underline that my problem with 332 (ok, I'm not sure it's the 332) is not about details (that analysis is rather long and yet to come), it's just space, depth of space. This is the first and most easily thing to judge for me. I don't pretend to get the moon from a 400$ amp, on fact I'm happy with wideness (though not exceptional), but rather disappointed with depth.

Ok, half way now, going to listen at the second cd (80 minutes divided in two cd's, now, this is a reasonable way to record music).

I'm getting what I want only in mid passages, in the extremes, outer range of dynamic delivery is flat, no doubt about it, worse in the forte moments. It's not a matter of bass, treble, or acute, the right words are lack of depth of space. Music is not extending in front of me (mind, I searched on the back also... ).

If only the postman would ring and handle me this russian tubes!

WorldPhoto1970,

If your 332 is still lacking "space and depth" you could try the YAQIN tube buffer. I've been running one in over the last week (and, by God, it takes some running in), and it has a huge soundstage, with a very believeable sense of depth.

I've also been comparing it with the MF X-10 V3, and while that piece of equipment has many benefits (its grip on the music, it's pace and drive, and its lovely timbre to voices and instruments), it just can't match the YAQIN for its openess and soundstaging. Simply wonderful piece of kit, and for the price fantastic (£12).

And the great thing about it is, it uses the same tubes as the 332 - namely, two 6J1s. I've been trying different tubes over the last few days, 6J1P-EBs, MULLARD EF95 and M8100s, and they have all been excellent, a noticeable improvement over the stock tubes.

a few things:
1 - I have noticed that many say the 336i isn't a good fit for low imp. cans like GRADO and W5000's and others. We had a meet in Israel a couple of days ago, and tested the 336i with many headphones with imp from 32 to 300 ohms. no one noticed any problems with the sound. I must agree that stock the 336i is a good amp for the price but nothing more. Luchy for me, I have a few great tubes to run it with that make a great diffrence + I have modded mine. low imp cans aren't the strongest point of the DV, but it sure isn't as weak as some people try and make it, it'll habdle with no problems even cans with 16ohms. The W5000's A900's, K701, SR225, all sound very goos with the DarkVoice compared to other headphone amps I've heard. For example, the Vincent KHV111 which has a SS output stage isn't any better, especially with the stock tube which is bad.

2 - I went over this thread, but didn't see any real comparison between the 336i and the 332, did someone make one?

3 - can someone give a few high resolution pics of the inside, I want to see what modding potential it might have

ok, after a good ~60 hours on the amp with some Russian 6S19P and 5654 Raytheon, I can say now that this is a great amp. the Harshness I've heard before is completely gone. I did not believe in burn-in before but I do now. It really does sound great with Grado 325i and RS2. I had a friend (Pete7) on Saturday and we did some audition with his PPX3 SLAM and we both came away with the conclusion that the Dartkvoice (with the right tubes combo) can hang with the SLAM. Actually, I think Darkvoice sound good with all the headphone I have. It is a keeper for sure.

Hi Jamesp

How does your 332 compare to your M^3?

Thanks

USG

To me, the M3 is more sterile and the Darkvoice is more warmth... I used to love listening to the Mcube but lately I have been reaching for the 332.