Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › Solid State Vet Wants To Try Tubes For The HD 800 and T1!!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Solid State Vet Wants To Try Tubes For The HD 800 and T1!! - Page 7

post #91 of 102
1/10/11 at 3:40am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henerenry View Post

I own a fully upgraded WA2 with a few different tubes, with the stock tubes in the Crack and with "improved" tubes for the WA2 I still slightly prefer the crack+speedball. I am sure I could roll tubes to change my preference but, for the hd800 at least the synergy is "magical"



you sure know how to write what I like to hear ;)

 

What kind of tubes are you using with your Crack? (LOOOL)

Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Beyerdynamic Tesla T1
Sennheiser HD 800 Headphones
Powered by NexTag
post #92 of 102
1/10/11 at 3:44am

United Eletronic Tube 6080 and Electro Harmonix Ecc82.

 

Owning a WA2 I have some tubes that I can roll into the Crack but I'll wait a while. Another forum member commented that the difference between the stock tube and the 5998 is less apparently after the speedball upgrade.

 

Honestly though, the crack costs less than a hd800 cable upgrade! (if you cant tell I'm currently in love with my crack :P)

 

*edit* Just decided to try the lcd2 with the crack, suprisingly competent......


Edited by Henerenry - 1/10/11 at 4:12am
Reply
post #93 of 102
1/10/11 at 6:20am

Only mildly on topic, the Electro-Harmonix ECC82 is really not a very good sounding tube.  There is no doubt that you would get better sound even by upgrading to a Sylvania or GE or RCA that you can get for less than $20.

Reply
post #94 of 102
1/10/11 at 6:44am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post

Only mildly on topic, the Electro-Harmonix ECC82 is really not a very good sounding tube.  There is no doubt that you would get better sound even by upgrading to a Sylvania or GE or RCA that you can get for less than $20.



lol aren't the Electro Harmonix tubes supposed to be new stuff with gold plated pins and all that jazz?

 

So you upgrade to NOS tubes? Pretty ironic if you ask me haha.

Reply
post #95 of 102
1/10/11 at 6:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sokolov91 View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post

Only mildly on topic, the Electro-Harmonix ECC82 is really not a very good sounding tube.  There is no doubt that you would get better sound even by upgrading to a Sylvania or GE or RCA that you can get for less than $20.



lol aren't the Electro Harmonix tubes supposed to be new stuff with gold plated pins and all that jazz?

 

So you upgrade to NOS tubes? Pretty ironic if you ask me haha.


May seem ironic if you have no experience with tubes, but it's not at all.  Current production tubes are almost never as good as NOS tubes.  The fact is that the height of tube production technology was long ago.  Current makers do not have the kind of facilities that existed in the heyday of vacuum tube production.

 

And all you need to do is read a bit on head-fi tube threads and you will see just how much better NOS are viewed as being!  This has also almost universally been my experience.

Reply
post #96 of 102
1/10/11 at 8:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by sokolov91 View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post

Only mildly on topic, the Electro-Harmonix ECC82 is really not a very good sounding tube.  There is no doubt that you would get better sound even by upgrading to a Sylvania or GE or RCA that you can get for less than $20.



lol aren't the Electro Harmonix tubes supposed to be new stuff with gold plated pins and all that jazz?

 

So you upgrade to NOS tubes? Pretty ironic if you ask me haha.


May seem ironic if you have no experience with tubes, but it's not at all.  Current production tubes are almost never as good as NOS tubes.  The fact is that the height of tube production technology was long ago.  Current makers do not have the kind of facilities that existed in the heyday of vacuum tube production.

 

And all you need to do is read a bit on head-fi tube threads and you will see just how much better NOS are viewed as being!  This has also almost universally been my experience.


Oh I was aware that NOS was revered... just though it was ironic that new age, audio oriented tubes are apparently spanked by "ruggedized" military tubes and other relics from the 50s.

 

I will admit that the black plate GE tubes I have running in Simons MAD ear look noticably sharper on the inside than most of the other tubes he has and they are NOS if I am not mistaken.

 

I am not a fan of the new tungsol gold plated tube he has either... the Sylvania and RCA ones are very nice however. Even the Telefunken is pretty good actually. Would seem to me all the good tubes sound alike more or less and the bad ones are similar in the sense they are all just different flavours of boring.

Reply
post #97 of 102
1/10/11 at 5:25pm

For the "currently in production tubes", I actually do like the Genalex Gold Lions very much. Surprisingly so, even when compared to my NOS tubes. smile.gif

Reply
post #98 of 102
1/10/11 at 9:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacedonianHero View Post

For the "currently in production tubes", I actually do like the Genalex Gold Lions very much. Surprisingly so, even when compared to my NOS tubes. smile.gif



Agreed. Despite having a drawer full of Telefunken, Mullard and Mazda EL84s, I generally stick with new production Gold Lions for my Mapletree Super II.

 

Now, for the 5751s, it's a different story. I've yet to find any tube (NOS or otherwise) that tops my 1957 Sylvania triple mica black plates.  :-)

Reply
post #99 of 102
1/11/11 at 1:40am

I have a couple of nice rca ecc82 sitting around to roll. I stand by my comments though, even with the standard tube compliment, the amp pairs remarkably well with the hd800.

 

You should get one skylabs, I'd love to hear your thoughts on one compared to some of the other amps in your stable.

Reply
post #100 of 102
1/11/11 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olias of Sunhillow View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by MacedonianHero View Post

For the "currently in production tubes", I actually do like the Genalex Gold Lions very much. Surprisingly so, even when compared to my NOS tubes. smile.gif



Agreed. Despite having a drawer full of Telefunken, Mullard and Mazda EL84s, I generally stick with new production Gold Lions for my Mapletree Super II.

 

Now, for the 5751s, it's a different story. I've yet to find any tube (NOS or otherwise) that tops my 1957 Sylvania triple mica black plates.  :-)



I almost agree...but I prefer my 1950/60s NOS Sylvania Grey Triple Mica's slightly more than the Black smile.gif. I do hear better bass response with the black, but my preferences are for the wider soundstage of the gray triple mica. Both are the two best 5751s I've ever heard.

Reply
post #101 of 102
1/12/11 at 9:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacedonianHero View Post


I almost agree...but I prefer my 1950/60s NOS Sylvania Grey Triple Mica's slightly more than the Black smile.gif. I do hear better bass response with the black, but my preferences are for the wider soundstage of the gray triple mica. Both are the two best 5751s I've ever heard.


I've not yet had the pleasure of hearing the grey plates triple micas. Someday soon, I hope.

 

To the OP... after a brief but steamy flirtation with a very sexy WA6SE, I've fallen back in love with my Mapletree Super II for the T1s. I highly recommend both the Ear+ HD and the Super II to pair with your Beyers.

Reply
post #102 of 102
4/8/12 at 8:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olias of Sunhillow View Post


I've not yet had the pleasure of hearing the grey plates triple micas. Someday soon, I hope.

 

To the OP... after a brief but steamy flirtation with a very sexy WA6SE, I've fallen back in love with my Mapletree Super II for the T1s. I highly recommend both the Ear+ HD and the Super II to pair with your Beyers.



Revived!!

 

What other amps have you heard with the T1-and do you consider the Super II the best? Have you heard the Sonett, ZDSE, WA2, or CSP2+?

 

-Daniel

 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphone Amps (full-size)

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Beyerdynamic Tesla T1
Sennheiser HD 800 Headphones
Powered by NexTag
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › Solid State Vet Wants To Try Tubes For The HD 800 and T1!!