[teb1013]

Does a tube amp still color the sound with headphones that don't need an amp?  I am wondering if I will see any benefit with my Sony MDR 7506 headphones.

Welcome to HeadFi. I don't know much about the 7506 except that they are closed headphones. With that said, there is a difference between headphones that don't need an amp and those that won't benefit from one. An i device will drive my HD558s alright. They don't need an amp but the T1 brings them alive and gives them a whole new dimension. Yes, I get the tube sound (depending on which tube I'm using) even though they don't "need" the dac/amp to run. Your best bet is to use the search function to look for 7506 user threads and see what people say about the benefits, if any, of amping this particular headphone. Good luck.

 

[CoiL]

  Does a tube amp still color the sound with headphones that don't need an amp?  I am wondering if I will see any benefit with my Sony MDR 7506 headphones.

Aune T1 is not tube amp! It is SS amp + DAC and only the DAC part uses tube as buffer. To use benefits of tube sound with Aune T1 you must use USB input. 

 

[CoiL]

Spoiler: tubes

 

  Got my 4x PCC189 today. Haven`t tried them yet but will keep you updated. Factory codes are on pic:

 
The other Siemens PCC189 that I have talked about earlier in this thread (that sounded very good) is coded IP1 B7C3, so it`s different from those I got now.
The one I already had before is probably Mullard Blackburn but those "new" are Siemens & Halske München.

Sorry, misread those codes, #1 Valvo is IP2 delta1B3 and #2 Valvo is IP8 delta7A4.

 

Haven`t got time to rest enough and test them against other tubes but tube nr2 is "worst" out of them. It`s not bad but it sounds kind of "thin" and foward. This is my first Heerlen tube that does not impress me much. "Best" tube out of them is nr1 but Siemens tubes are also good, just different sound signature. More detailed impressions in future...

 

[flipteg]

I ordered a new Genalex Gold Lion from Amazon and an old Amperex orange globe GAC from eBay. I got them both today. In terms of vocals, the Genalex is very similar to the stock 6922EH but the Genalex has a noticeably tighter bass. I really like the orange globe. The vocals is much more forward but the bass is not as much as the other tubes. I don't mind it at all though since I'm not too big into bass. It just seems to me the orange globe has a flatter response than the other 2

 

[CoiL]

Can you take a pic of your Amperex OG GAC and give factory code? Imho GAC is very dynamical & warm sounding tube with great mids section and "middle-sized" soundstage. I don`t know what your exactly mean under "flatter response than the other 2" but for me it`s more "colored" than 6922EH. Bass isn`t so loose and extended as 6922EH, it`s just about right amount... tightness might be little better but it`s ok and doesn`t bother me. 

 

[ethan7000]

Can you take a pic of your Amperex OG GAC and give factory code? Imho GAC is very dynamical & warm sounding tube with great mids section and "middle-sized" soundstage. I don`t know what your exactly mean under "flatter response than the other 2" but for me it`s more "colored" than 6922EH. Bass isn`t so loose and extended as 6922EH, it`s just about right amount... tightness might be little better but it`s ok and doesn`t bother me. 

What does GAC stand for?

 

[GirgleMirt]

From the AKG 550 thread, http://www.head-fi.org/t/613707/the-akg-k550-appreciation-discussion-thread/930#post_9923464   I think it's quite relevant to this thread, what do you guys think?  I'm using the stock standard tube with my T1:
 
 
 

Quote:

Btw, tried my 550 without the T1, significant difference... Highs seem a lot more.. Unrefined.. bass is reduced a lot, not sure now how much the T1 played in my above description, i'll have to compare to magni eventually!

I think the K550 sound good overall, just too harsh on treble (painful). I might try the felt mod to see if it does anything. Without it, I'd like them a lot more.

 
Hmmm!  Really?  I guess I heard the same thing without the Aune T1, I guess the T1 is a really good match then because it really helps tame those highs, "tried mine without the T1, significant difference... Highs seem a lot more.. Unrefined", I thought it was maybe due to the poor quality of my Dell laptop output; that the highs just felt...  Somewhat, 'cheap'... Like I don't know, I wouldn't say like 'bright' sounding as in hash/fatiguing, but definitely brighter sounding and yeah harsher, quite less smooth than with the T1.  The bass also is a lot less solid and less pronounced without it.  I'd almost qualify the 550s as bass monsters with the T1, not to the extent of beyer 990, but actually, they probably extend lower but are a bit less emphasized.  Anyhow, really impressive bass.
 
I guess the same thing happened with the V6 but it seemed less apparent; or lesser improvements you might say.  Maybe it's not just the tube part but the impedance of the Aune T1 vs laptop output which affects the FR of the 550.  Definitely better sounding imho with the T1 vs laptop output, though maybe vs the Magni/Modi stack it might sound a bit more like the laptop output in terms of FR (treble & bass), but not as 'bad' as the laptop... 
 
Pretty crazy/interesting how amps make a difference!  I guess in the end it's definitely not night and day, but I think that most 200$+ headphones are at least quite good, especially with the big famous brands (AKG, Beyer, Senn, Sony, etc.), so they won't sound that dissimilar to begin with, and the differences amps make are significant in proportion...  Guess now I'm more curious, I really might have to do an A/B comparison with the Aune and Magni/Modi, I was under the impression that the Aune didn't color the sound that much, just from the impression I had with the V6s which didn't seem to change that much with/without the T1, with the 550, it looks like the T1 make quite a bit more difference than I thought.  Maybe the better headphones makes the T1 improvements more noticeable.

 

[CoiL]

GirgleMirt, great info. Thanks for sharing. Useful for those who want to pull trigger on Aune T1

ethan7000, please read Salvatore`s useful info how to interpret tube codes: http://www.head-fi.org/t/633006/aune-t1-usb-tube-dac-amp-discussion-thread-see-first-post-for-faq/2010#post_9502294

 

[CoiL]

  Jipan, read my comments and links about 6GM8. Works like charm and sound is just mind-blowing-holographic ;P It`s been burning-in and playing already over 48h and it got better too. First was not sure about bass performance but it`s now certainly tight and dynamic. 

 

Spoiler: 6GM8

  http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/frank/sheets/035/6/6GM8.pdf
http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/frank/sheets/030/e/ECC86.pdf

http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aaa1161.htm
 
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/153258-ecc86-vs-ecc88.html
 
http://www.tubecad.com/2006/04/blog0059.htm
 
http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_6n27p.html
 
Should work without problems. But we`ll see.
 

  Got really really lucky today... Amperex Orange Globe 6GM8/ECC86 Holland Heerlen - for just 3£ !!! With shipping it cost me only 10€ - crazy deal! O_o Those tubes are usually priced really high and it`s quite rare! Here`s seller pic:

This is my first 6GM8/ECC86. All those 6GM8/ECC86`s have been so expensive and quite rare, that`s why I haven`t got it until now. Hope it`s good! ;P

And here`s my pics and sound comments:

  Edit:  I received my Amperex OG 6GM8/ECC86. It`s coded delta6J5, Heerlen Holland, small o-ring getter. looks like this:

 
How it sounds, well ....OMG! I think I have stepped up to high-end tubes league with this. Seriously, first impressions with electronic atmospheric music - so freaking holographic sound, big wide large borderless soundstage in every direction with pitch-black background! Every detail, instrument, vocal is so separated from eachother. 
This tube is certainly one of my best tubes. Not sure it`s best for every genre since I have to do some burn-in and compare it with my other gems but it`s freaking freaking freaking good! ;P And to think that I got it only for pennies... O_o 
 
Edit2: And some more listening tells me that it sounds great with rock/metal/progressive/jazz too if your not a fan of intimate sounding tubes with small soundstage. 
Compared to Ultron PCC189 & Amperex OG GAC it has more spacious soundstage but instruments don`t get lost in that space, everything is just so... holographic.
And vocals with Dead Letter Circus for example are easily listenable with all that spacious sound, it does not "get lost in space". Everything is full of detail and clearness.
 

 

 

Have to take back my words about bass performance. After some more FLAC listening with different genres I must say that this tube still has underpowered bass. All the other impressions stay the same - freaking holographic BUT bass is weak. I mean when I concentrate on bass listening it`s quite tight and dynamic but it`s just laid back and weak. Still, one of my best tubes but don`t recommend it to bass hungry/needy ppl. Who knows, maybe it`s just tube reaching towards end of life and losing bass.
To sum it up, Ultron SQ PCC189 (Bharat India), Amperex OG GAC (Heerlen Holland), Siemens PCC189 (Blackburn England), Siemens PCC88, Miniwatt-Dario PCC189 (Heerlen Holland), Miniwatt-Dario ECC189 (Chartres France), JAN Sylvania 6922 (US, Green label) are still my fav tubes. Actually there are more tubes that I like with certain music but those I mentioned are finding most use
 
Edit: Just a reminder from nighttime tube pics thread how to make your Aune T1 tune nicer glowing:

  I took my red plastic from usual A4 paper filing covers: https://www.office365.co.uk/P/211710/Leitz-Standard-Data-Files-Semi-rigid-PVC-Clear-Front-20mm-Title-Strip-A4-Red-Ref-4191-00-25-Pack-25
I cut it so, that circle is 2mm larger than pins-circle and made holes to that plastic so pins go through it and that plastic will "stick" to tube and it doesn`t fall off if removing tube.
If you are crazy tube-roller like I am then it`s great method to mark different tubes for different genres, for example red plastic for rock/metal/progressive/jazz and yellow plastic for EDM/EAM, green plastic for movies/dialogue, orange plastic for classic etc.
 
Don`t forget to post pics to Aune T1 thread.

 
Edit:
Btw, revisited my Brimar PCC189`s that I haven`t spoken much about. These tubes sound good with acoustic guitar & rock. They are coded IP1 B2J5 & IP1 B2J4, Mullard Blackburn England. My Siemens PCC189 is also Mullard Blackburn (IP1 B7C3) but it sounds littlebit different and better, littlebit wider and rounder soundstage, clearer, more detailed and better separation. Differences are actually small, maybe it comes from different burn time. Anyway, good tubes.
 

 

[richard51]

Hello to all of you. I must say that in experimenting with the marvellous tube dac Aune t1 ( with an orange globe 6dj8 tube), i decide to bypass his internal amp with an external one : the pa2v2. The pa2v2 is a minimal cost in money and remarkable sound for the money.... The results are marvellous..... the soundstage is better , the global image more intense, the sound  of the he 400 headphone less harsh.... Before this change i have thinked about equalizing... no urgent need for eq now....  The hifiman he 400 sounded more vividly with this modification....... I think that the aune T1 is more a  marvellous tube dac than a marvellous  amp .... Certainly for the price this tube dac is  a great gear.......thank you to all of us ...

 

[jam3s121]

Hey guys, I am looking for something to replace my computers sound card due to me getting a smaller form factor system that won't have room for a sound card and two large graphics cards..
 
I currently use a titanium hd sound card and am looking for something just as good or better for $250 or less.. I was originally thinking the magni/mod to replace but someone also recommended this aune t1 usb dac.
 
My headphones are
V-Moda M100s mainly used 75% of the time, I listen to all genres of dance music, I love these cans after trying dt770's and sennheiser hd25-II. I am considering getting a900x's though after testing.
ATH AD700 (gaming occassionly usually only for fps games..)

 

[MrEleventy]

[COLOR=000000]Hello to all of you.[/COLOR] I must say that in experimenting with the marvellous tube dac Aune t1 ( with an orange globe 6dj8 tube), i decide to bypass his internal amp with an external one : the pa2v2. The pa2v2 is a minimal cost in money and remarkable sound for the money.... The results are marvellous..... the soundstage is better , the global image more intense, the sound  of the he 400 headphone less harsh.... Before this change i have thinked about equalizing... no urgent need for eq now....  The hifiman he 400 sounded more vividly with this modification....... I think that the aune T1 is more a  marvellous tube dac than a marvellous  amp .... Certainly for the price this tube dac is  a great gear.......thank you to all of us ...

I ran it for a short time myself as an all-in-one but tacked on an O2 shortly after. With my hps (DT880), it was a great improvement. Not long after that, I moved onto a Darkvoice 336. I love the combination. Will probably end up keeping the T1 as a DAC for a long time.

 

[MrEleventy]

Hey guys, I am looking for something to replace my computers sound card due to me getting a smaller form factor system that won't have room for a sound card and two large graphics cards..

I currently use a titanium hd sound card and am looking for something just as good or better for $250 or less.. I was originally thinking the magni/mod to replace but someone also recommended this aune t1 usb dac.

My headphones are
V-Moda M100s mainly used 75% of the time, I listen to all genres of dance music, I love these cans after trying dt770's and sennheiser hd25-II. I am considering getting a900x's though after testing.
ATH AD700 (gaming occassionly usually only for fps games..)

Gaming is going to suffer using an external dac, unless it's designed for gaming. Most dacs are stereo so you'll lose out on the positional cues from the 5.1 that the internal cards + software will process for you. You might be able to downmix to a PCM stereo output in game but I'm not sure if it'll work or even be effective enough. You might want to look into a mixamp or a Asus Xonar U3 for gaming.

 

[CoiL]

Spoiler: Pic & code about GAC

I ordered a new Genalex Gold Lion from Amazon and an old Amperex orange globe GAC from eBay. I got them both today. In terms of vocals, the Genalex is very similar to the stock 6922EH but the Genalex has a noticeably tighter bass. I really like the orange globe. The vocals is much more forward but the bass is not as much as the other tubes. I don't mind it at all though since I'm not too big into bass. It just seems to me the orange globe has a flatter response than the other 2

  Can you take a pic of your Amperex OG GAC and give factory code? Imho GAC is very dynamical & warm sounding tube with great mids section and "middle-sized" soundstage. I don`t know what your exactly mean under "flatter response than the other 2" but for me it`s more "colored" than 6922EH. Bass isn`t so loose and extended as 6922EH, it`s just about right amount... tightness might be little better but it`s ok and doesn`t bother me. 

Still interested about that code and pic... if possible?
 

  Hello to all of you. I must say that in experimenting with the marvellous tube dac Aune t1 ( with an orange globe 6dj8 tube), i decide to bypass his internal amp with an external one : the pa2v2. The pa2v2 is a minimal cost in money and remarkable sound for the money.... The results are marvellous..... the soundstage is better , the global image more intense, the sound  of the he 400 headphone less harsh.... Before this change i have thinked about equalizing... no urgent need for eq now....  The hifiman he 400 sounded more vividly with this modification....... I think that the aune T1 is more a  marvellous tube dac than a marvellous  amp .... Certainly for the price this tube dac is  a great gear.......thank you to all of us ...

 
After reading your post, also decided to try external amp for cans. Not that HD-681 need any juice, just to test sound improvement.
pa2v2 will be my first choice atm as it`s cheap and reading from internet, slightly warm-sided. 
Still, any other cheap recommendations to try out? cMoy 2.03 no competition against pa2v2 in terms of sound quality?

 

[richard51]

 

Spoiler: Pic & code about GAC

 

Still interested about that code and pic... if possible?
 
 
After reading your post, also decided to try external amp for cans. Not that HD-681 need any juice, just to test sound improvement.
pa2v2 will be my first choice atm as it`s cheap and reading from internet, slightly warm-sided. 
Still, any other cheap recommendations to try out? cMoy 2.03 no competition against pa2v2 in terms of sound quality?

I think the amp of the Aune t1 is minimal.... The pa2v2 is an improvement for me and the he 400... I dream to experiment with a higher gear than the pa2v2....I think that it will cost money to replace the tube dac aune t1 with higher gear...... The dac tube is really a deal for his price..... But the amp is minimal and its easy with not great cost to improve the amp......salutations to Mr. Coil and Eleventy...