Darkvoice just released 332 - Page 6

Like JamesP says, there are plenty of alternatives to the 6J1 out there, and very cheap. There's the Russian mil-spec version of the 6J1 - the 6J1P-EV. Then there is the bewildering array of western equivalents: the 6AK5 and its military brother the 6AK5W; the 5654 and its military spec version, the 5654W; another is the EF95; the 403A; the 6F32; the CV (common valve) 4010; the brilliant M8100; the list goes on and on. I've heard from those in the know that the AEG F95 is a very good tube - very well made and sweet sounding.

If I were to suggest alternatives, try the military specs versions - 6AK5W, the 5654Ws, or the CV4010, although the latter, like the M8100, is hard to get. Any of these valves, at least technically, would be an improvement over the stock SHUGUANG 6J1s.

Going hunting for these, hope they'll make my HD600 really happy.

Thanks.

you are all giving me headaches-Now I don't know what amp to get for my dt 990 pros

darkvoice,heed canamp,corda arietta-looked in the dac thread and that was enough to give me a migraine-mods and more mods.

I'm so confused,I don't know if I want an amp now for fear of getting the wrong one.

The DDT990's are, like the Sennheisers, hard to drive - I think their impedance is somewhere around 250ohms. All I can say is, the DARKVOICE 332 has plenty of power and drives the HD650s very easily indeed. If this is anything to go by, the 332 would also easily drive the 990s.

The HEED Can Amp is also very good - I've heard nothing but good reports about it, and according to those reports it drives BEYERDYNAMIC cans very well. Haven't heard anything bad about CORDA either, but don't know about its capacity to drive high impedance headphones.

At the end of the day, it's all down to your own individual preferences. Try to audition as many as you can, but if you can't then, as with myself and the 332, you simply have to take the risk and hope it pays off.

Any chance some of you Darkvoice owners can try some low impedance 'phones like Grado's (specifically RS-1) to see if bass is lacking or if there is background hum/noise?

I have a pair of 325i and the 332 was shipped yesterday, once it get here I will give it a try.

Another batch of 6S19P-Vs arrived this morning, these valves being made by the Ulyanovsk plant in Russia. Again, as you'd expect from a military valve, built like tanks, very heavy and well made.

Fitted them this afternoon, and I must say they sound great, even though they are, literally, only out of the box. No background hum, everything nice and quiet - thankfully. Like the SVETLANAs, very open and detalied, bass very good, reproduction very realistic, timbre of instuments excellent, especially the top-end which shimmers beautifully. I let them run-in for a while and report back with any conclusions, but initial impressions excellent.

Hi
After deciding I wanted a valve amp and having a look round to see what people liked on this forum I decided on a Tha 322.

It turned up the other day (less than two weeks) so having benefited from other peoples input posted here I just thought I'd say what I thought of it.

Laptop/DDDac MkII (USB and DAC)/332/HD650

I had previously been listening through my 41Hz Amp1b headphone output which with numerous adjustment, I had so I was very happy with. Perhaps to analytical for some tastes but very detailed!
Out of the box I was quite impressed. Having read various comments about the "valve sound" I wasnt sure how it would compare. Well, good detail and sound stage. The bass was not as controlled as the 41Hz and the higher treble was a bit -umm- sharp. But having listened to it for only 4 hours or so these have both improved considerably. Its still lacking in detail a bit compared with the 41Hz but continues to improve. When its got a few hours on it , well ..........
This sounds more negative than I feel about the 332, it just has a lot beat!
It is more listenable I think, than the 41Hz. It certainly makes me want to continue listening- thats a result.

So, what are peoples experiences of how long it will take to settle?
Does anyone have a circuit - what comes out of the output connection as its not wired straight through and the owners manual is not the most informative bit of paper I have ever read.

Cheers
Steve

I must say its very neat inside!

My 332 took ages to run-in properly - about 5-6 days running constantly. DARKVOICE suggests about 50 hours, but I think a lot longer. I agree with you, the top-end is a bit harsh and glassy, but that calms down a little as it runs in. I too thought there was less detail, but when I listened to the music more carefully, the detail was there, it was just presented differently and within a well defined soundstage. The bass was, for me, always very good, but I have to say when I changed to the M8100s the bass seemed to "solidify."

As you may have read above, I've changed the tubes: the stock 6J1s replaced to MULLARD M8100s (black plates) and the 6S19s (Russian cryllic - 6C19) to firstly SVETLANA 6S19P-Bs, but today changed to 6S19P-Vs, again from Russia. These tubes improve the sound - as you would expect from military spec tubes. The SVETLANAs are more valvey - great sense of presence and realism. Not really able to comment on the others yet, but very good initial impressions. Also this amp really seems to appreciate a good power cord - I used the QED Conduit with good results.

Pics of your DV 332 with these spiffy tubes please godkin. =]

Here you go, the M8100s and 6S19P-Vs in place:

Thanks for the reply.

All my stuff runs from batteries, which makes leaving it on permanently( at least with an input signal )a bit of a fiddle, so patience will have to do.

I dont want to start swapping stuff yet although at some point I wont be able to stop myself Im sure! A whole new world I have yet to explore-valves.

Yes Ill sort out a lead, I only need 250mm.

Thanks
Steve

Sure, Steve, you right to wait until the stock valves bed themselves in. I mean, how can you judge what improvements any future valves will make, if you don't know how the original valves sounded?

The world of valve rolling is complex one. What valves to use? At least with the larger of the two valves, the 6S19, this won't be a problem. As far as I can see, there's only the Chinese and Russian varieties to choose from, and from this limited source the Russian mil-spec versions are the ones to go for; look for the "P-V" or "P-B" suffixes as these mean they're mechanically improved, long life types. But then there's the down-side - the bewildering ammount of 6J1 equivalents. It's enough to drive you mad!!!

Then it looks like Ill be joining a whole bunch of other mad people, because Im sure not much tweaking will make this very good.
Any ideas on a circuit or how they derive the output on the back?

Steve

Don't know if you've seen this, Steve, but here's a pic of the 332 inside. Apologies for the quality, but the pics not mine.