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HEAD-DIRECT EF-5 Headphone amplifier - Page 6

post #76 of 295
11/25/09 at 1:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post
Last one to consider for HD600 is the DV336i or SE, but you need to spend $100+ in tubes to get the best sound with DV336 vs $30-40 in tubes for the EF1, EF2, EF5 or A-3.
What tubes in general do you reco for the EF1, EF2, EF5 or A-3?


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post #77 of 295
11/25/09 at 1:47am
I don't think that you have to tube-roll to get great sound from the EF1, based on my experience. I actually really liked the stock RCA tube that came with it - better than the highly recommended NOS Amperex Bugle Boy that I bought. It'll be a matter of taste and matching to your headphones.
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post #78 of 295
11/25/09 at 2:47am
Mullard Short plate, Long plate, and CV4003 are favorites of many. I also really enjoy the Tung-Sol Black glass. most of the above tubes are 30-50$ each. Might be able to score a short plate mullard for less, it's one of my favorites and well worth the money, the RCA sounds good too, but the mullard's sound more tubey and warm. it's really a personal taste choice and synergy with dac and phones.
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post #79 of 295
11/25/09 at 5:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmswjm View Post
What tubes in general do you reco for the EF1, EF2, EF5 or A-3?


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I haven't tried all of mine yet, but I liked the Mullard long plate and short plate in the EF1 just a little more than the stock RCA which was nice.

I have Raytheon 6AK5 for the EF2 which sound great, although the stock ones didn't suck the raytheon are much better (I have Mullard, RCA Command and JAN GE to still try).

I have JAN GE 5671 in the A-3 but the JAN SYL 2C51 were also good in the A-3. Stock were not bad either.

I have left the stock Sylvania in the EF5 while it burns in and can try the Mullards from the EF1, as well as a Siemens ECC82 and the tung sol black glass I just bought.

The DV336i did best with the Sylvania VT-231, "Bad Boy", RCA grey glass 6SN7GT, or Hytron brown base 5692 in the front socket, and Tung Sol 5998 in the rear. It was good enough with HD600 and those tubes that when I sold it I kept one each of those tubes just in case.
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post #80 of 295
11/25/09 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmanGeorge View Post
I don't think that you have to tube-roll to get great sound from the EF1, based on my experience. I actually really liked the stock RCA tube that came with it - better than the highly recommended NOS Amperex Bugle Boy that I bought. It'll be a matter of taste and matching to your headphones.
I have yet to find a tube that works better with this amp than the RCA Cleartop Fang supplies. They're NOS and mine tested the best at the recent north Jersey HF meet of all the tubes I tested... about 10.

I'm interested in hearing about the EF5 compared to the EF1. I remember comparing the EF2 to the EF1 at the meet and thinking that the EF2 had more bass, but the EF1 was like 10% better overall (just better detail in general). All I know is, the EF1 is a monster, especially at the $299 he was selling it for at one point.
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post #81 of 295
11/25/09 at 7:16pm
if you think it sounded good stock you should hear one with a pair of AD743jn's in it. Whole nother level, hopefully they will work as well in the EF5.
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post #82 of 295
11/25/09 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeW View Post
if you think it sounded good stock you should hear one with a pair of AD743jn's in it. Whole nother level, hopefully they will work as well in the EF5.
I just happen to have a set of AD743 that I might try. Not sure when I'll get to it, but sometime after the EF5 is done burning in.
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post #83 of 295
11/26/09 at 2:45pm
hang on to them, you can't get them anymore. They are quite the upgrade, for the EF1. I'd assume the same for the EF5. I'd like to experiment with different OP-AMPS but im not 100% certain which ones are "safe" to try, with regards to op-amp type and voltage etc.
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post #84 of 295
11/26/09 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeW View Post
hang on to them, you can't get them anymore. They are quite the upgrade, for the EF1. I'd assume the same for the EF5. I'd like to experiment with different OP-AMPS but im not 100% certain which ones are "safe" to try, with regards to op-amp type and voltage etc.
HiFlight still has some that he sells to head-fiers at cost.
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post #85 of 295
11/28/09 at 2:46am
anymore impressions? im getting mine tomorrow.
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post #86 of 295
11/28/09 at 3:04pm
Picked my EF5 up from post office today. No listening impressions yet, however unboxing and build quality impressions, the unit came double boxed wrapped neatly, this is a big improvment from the way EF1 was shipped. When i first picked up the new DY-1 power supply I was shocked at the weight and heft of this thing, it's quite dense, like a brick, the new face on the EF5 and DY-1 is also a piano gloss black finish, it does not show up in the photo's, but it's quite nice, looks alot better then EF1. Internal build quality looks good (just looking thru the windows). Im not to crazy about the Gain switch location(looks like an afterthought), but it's functional. It also looks like more attention was paid to the Acrylic windows as far as Quality control, i've had a couple EF1's and niether had perfect windows, this one arrieved clean and scratch free. It may just be luck of the draw, or maybe someone's paying more attention to QC. I'd actually prefer tempered glass, but I can see the durability/shipping problems.

Unit is burning in now, listening impressions to follow.
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post #87 of 295
11/28/09 at 7:38pm
Thread Starter 
Damn, the unit is huge. Might take up too much space on my desk. I will settle for a Little Dot for now. :P
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post #88 of 295
11/28/09 at 9:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HyperDuel View Post
Damn, the unit is huge. Might take up too much space on my desk. I will settle for a Little Dot for now. :P
The unit is small enough that I can fit the EF5, plus the SAC amp, and HEV70 stat amp laying flat, all on top of my Marantz CD5001.
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post #89 of 295
11/28/09 at 9:24pm
I've had a little time to listen to the amp now, impressions are still worth a grain of salt with such little burn-in. Initial impressions over the EF1, more refined sounding with beter detail, and much more "Authority", bass slam seems improved, high's a more refined. Soundstage is still very closed in, that's burn in though, typical with new caps. Oddly enough, I don't have a strong desire to rip the OPA 275 out, in my old EF1 that's the first thing i'd do. Im not sure why that is, i'll experiment with the AD743JN's once the unit has fully burned in and im confident there's no problems with it. It does not seem to be a "Syrupy" and "thick" as EF1. I blamed the OP Amp on that before.
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post #90 of 295
11/28/09 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HyperDuel View Post
Damn, the unit is huge. Might take up too much space on my desk. I will settle for a Little Dot for now. :P
The EF-5 was much smaller than the little dot series, if you are speaking of the newish little dots, the mkIII/IV etc.
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