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Millett Tube Portable amp - Page 11

post #151 of 371
4/20/07 at 3:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Posse24 View Post
i wonder if this kind of tube can be damaged while running in the subway using the amp. Has anyone got a clue?
Most of the minis were designed for tough conditions and tremendous G force. There shouldn't be a great deal of trouble with these.
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post #152 of 371
4/20/07 at 5:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamato8 View Post
Most of the minis were designed for tough conditions and tremendous G force. There shouldn't be a great deal of trouble with these.
Yeah, I can image a car radio using these tubes, and driving on a very bumpy road. This must have been normal a couple of years back.
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post #153 of 371
4/20/07 at 5:08am
Very soon I will be getting one. I love the idea of a portable amp with a tube section like this one.

Thanks for posting the pics mrarroyo!!!
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post #154 of 371
4/20/07 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by procreate View Post
Yeah, I can image a car radio using these tubes, and driving on a very bumpy road. This must have been normal a couple of years back.
I *think* these are "hearing aid" tubes rather than car radio tubes in the full-sized MH.
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post #155 of 371
4/20/07 at 10:01am
how long do the tubes last?how much does it cost to replace them?
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post #156 of 371
4/20/07 at 3:18pm
That's pimp. It looks very nice and techy, although, I wish the volume knob didn't stick out so far.

Kinda defeats the purpose though with the ringing, in that the amp is more like a battery powered desktop unit because it'll make that noise when bumped or jiggled. Anybody give it a go round while riding shotgun in a car?

Think it sounds better than a small desktop tube amp, like a LD tube amp(micro or otherwise)?

I still want one, bad.
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post #157 of 371
4/20/07 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oicdn View Post
Kinda defeats the purpose though with the ringing, in that the amp is more like a battery powered desktop unit because it'll make that noise when bumped or jiggled. Anybody give it a go round while riding shotgun in a car?
I have not experienced any ringing from normal bumps and jiggles in normal use other than when I set it down on a hard surface like a table. In other words, normal portable usage does not result in any ringing. I used the Millet portable on my ride into work today on the BART train into San Francisco. No instance of ringing whatsoever. It is a great sound amp. By the far, the best sounding portable amp that I have listened to (includes Hornet, PINT, PPAS, SuperMini IV, and Headphonia).
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post #158 of 371
4/20/07 at 4:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by el_monkey View Post
I have not experienced any ringing from normal bumps and jiggles in normal use other than when I set it down on a hard surface like a table. In other words, normal portable usage does not result in any ringing. I used the Millet portable on my ride into work today on the BART train into San Francisco. No instance of ringing whatsoever. It is a great sound amp. By the far, the best sounding portable amp that I have listened to (includes Hornet, PINT, PPAS, SuperMini IV, and Headphonia).
You have now made me SOOOO excited to receive mine! It is in the mail now, probably somewhere between the US and Peru. Hopefully I'll get it monday!
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post #159 of 371
4/20/07 at 6:00pm
Damn....any hiss through IEMs? I'm trying to find some justification here to NOT spend more money, lol.
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post #160 of 371
4/20/07 at 7:07pm
DANG! my wallet is screaming! Now where's Todd email......
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post #161 of 371
4/20/07 at 8:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmillett View Post
The portable Millett hybrid I designed is a bit different than the original, as it uses submini battery tubes and a different output buffer... but it shares the same basic architecture, and hey, "Millett" designed it, so I kept the name

(Actually I think the portable sounds better then the original.) [emphasis added]

Pete
As a very happy owner of an original Millett Hybrid, I find this statement to be both shocking and exciting...
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post #162 of 371
4/20/07 at 8:27pm
I can't wait to see the two compared (had to cancel my preorder due to financial situation and when i was stable again decided to go full home system).
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post #163 of 371
4/20/07 at 8:34pm
Quote:
I could be wrong after all its just a guess here...
tubes are microphonic..bump a tube and you will hear a ping/dong/etc then goes away..I would not recommend you doing that hard or often..
Quote:
microphonics, don't buy a tube amp if you expect to bang it around (exercise/jogging)
Quote:
I agree. It is just a fact of life most of the time with tubes. They are in a vacuum and will let you know when they are unhappy and bumping is not enjoyed.
With all due respect you are both missing the boat. Yes tubes are microphonic to some degree, however the ones used in stereo equipment do not go ping when you accidentally tap or touch the amp or the table they are on. If any of my amps started behaving in such a way I would find which is the offending tube and I would replace it.

Secondly, this amp is not being sold as a home amp. It is being sold as:
Code:
The TTVJ Portable Millett Hybrid headphone amp is the first of it's kind - a battery-powered tube headphone amplifier, small enough to fit in your pocket!
As such I expect to perform like any of my other portable amps. This means that the go out with me on my walks, bus rides, airplane, etc. Bumps and such occur in such use, my other amps do not have this issue. Perhaps I would not be as upset if the issue had been stated to potential buyers, I know it was a known issue because I wrote Pete Millet. His response was:

Quote:
Miguel -

That sound is the tubes singing for you

The mini tubes used are a bit microphonic. Unlike bigger tubes, the elements are so small that they can resonate at a fairly high-pitched audio frequency.

Not much can be done about that, unfortunately. I've found it usually takes a sharp rap to set them going.

Pete


Quote:
Originally Posted by mrarroyo
Hi, today I received my amp from Todd. It is burning in as we speak.

However, I have noticed that if I bump the amp or the table top it is resting on I hear a high pitch sound. After a couple of seconds it goes away. Wonder what this could be? Has anyone else reported this high pitch noise?

BTW my source is an iModded iPod, the IC is a mini to mini made by Fitz (silver plated copper with nickle plated mini 1/8"), and my cans are 2005 Beyer DT990 (250 ohm). I should also say I have tried other ICs and other cans and the noise is repeatable.

Thanks.

Miguel
Anyways, for the time I will continue burning the amp for a total of 250 hours and then compare against some known contenders (SR-71, Tomahawk, Supermicro IV, and LaRocco PRII). Only afte a side by side is completed will I make a final decission.


Quote:
I *think* these are "hearing aid" tubes rather than car radio tubes in the full-sized MH.
Yes they are hearing aid tubes.
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post #164 of 371
4/20/07 at 8:54pm

Case Cosmetics

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrarroyo View Post
Thought some pictures would be in order, Make sure you click on the thumbnail to view the full picture.







Out of the box, w/o any burn in the amp is very mellow, and dark. The bass is very nice and as well defined as the Hornet "M" against which I did a quick comparison with. At this time the Hornet "M" extends more into the treble, only time will tell if the TTVJ-Millet will sound as good or not. The soundstage is wider on the TTVJ-Millet.

At a current price of 459US my expectations would be that the case face plates be a better fit - that it be flush to the case. Please excuse the criticism if the camera shot is somehow lying. The switch and control knob should not protrude out as far. Flush or recessed mounting would prevent accidental switching, if and only if there is room inside.

If these cosmetic issues are resolved and the ringing upon light tapping is fixed I too will venture into what may be a true wonder for the portable community.
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post #165 of 371
4/20/07 at 9:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PIV View Post
At a current price of 459US my expectations would be that the case face plates be a better fit - that it be flush to the case. Please excuse the criticism if the camera shot is somehow lying. The switch and control knob should not protrude out as far. Flush or recessed mounting would prevent accidental switching, if and only if there is room inside.

If these cosmetic issues are resolved and the ringing upon light tapping is fixed I too will venture into what may be a true wonder for the portable community.
I have fat fingers and looking for a volume knob in a bag can be very frustrating, so I kind of like the way the volume knob and on/off switch sticks out. As far as the finish, well you are right but I can live with it. The ping is another story and bothers me a lot.
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