[funch]

Quote:

I replaced the stock Rectifier tubes with USAF-596's. They are a 4 pin that need an adapter. I got the adapters from 2359Glenn here on Head-Fi.
 
To quote Silent One regarding the external wires:
 
Silent One - "Those are anode wires connecting to the grid cap. Lower powered tubes usually have this construction internally, as opposed to external wiring. The USAF-596 is a powerful compact rectifier, and the external anode construction allows for more power in a smaller package; higher gain; better operation at higher frequency.
 
Additionally, designers had the foresight to include the "Cool factor" for later generations  

 
Does 2359Glenn make the adapters. I have a JAN-596, but had to get the adapter from ebay. Not a terribly good one, so looking for something better.

 

[longbowbbs]

Yes, 2359Glenn makes them. I have two and they work perfectly.

 

[negura]

Quote:

Yes, 2359Glenn makes them. I have two and they work perfectly.

 
Cool. I will PM him. I have the eBay chinese one and not particularly pleased with the build quality.

 

[Kendoji]

I just ordered a cheap RCA 5Y3GT and a couple of Tungsram EL84s. Should be fun.
 
Regarding the hum, I put my ear to the transformer last night (with no music playing) and it's definitely humming loudly. @ Those of you who aren't getting any hum, does yours do the same?
 
Also, mine came with the Valve Art 274B rectifier - which isn't the one mentioned on the product pages. Did everyone else get this rectifier too?

 

[Rizlaw]

Quote:

I just ordered a cheap RCA 5Y3GT and a couple of Tungsram EL84s. Should be fun.
 
Regarding the hum, I put my ear to the transformer last night (with no music playing) and it's definitely humming loudly. @ Those of you who aren't getting any hum, does yours do the same?
 
Also, mine came with the Valve Art 274B rectifier - which isn't the one mentioned on the product pages. Did everyone else get this rectifier too?

 
Kendoji,
 
My CSP2+ and Taboo III are dead silent. I had them foil lined when I ordered them to reduce the likelihood of EMI/hum interference from any of my computer equipment which sits right next to my Decware equipment. I did this based on the fact that the Decware phono stage ZP3 is foil lined for EMI shielding. I figured it couldn't hurt to do it for the CSP and Taboo since their wooden cases are not normally foil lined. It has to be requested at the time of order.  I'm not sure this will reduce or solve your hum problem, particularly, if, as you believe, it might be due to transformer variability.
 
My Taboo III came with the VA 274B. Steve tells me that he believes the VA274B is just a slightly better grade 5U4G in a 274B bottle. He seems to be shipping these tubes more often in Taboo IIIs, probably because they sound better than Chinese Ruby 5U4Gs. My stock VA 274B started to arc (flash over) after something like 100 hours of use. This is to be expected for most 274B type tubes because the Taboo III use 47uf caps and 274Bs want to see 10uf or less otherwise they will arc and eventually die. When I spoke to Steve about it, he told me that it was probably a weak tube from the beginning and to just trash it. He says, so far, the VA274B is holding up if you get a good one. Anyway, since I like the sound of the VA 274B, I ordered two more cryoed VA274Bs from Cryoset and they have been working fine (so far, about 75 hours) in my CSP+ and Taboo III. I'm wondering if the cryo treatment helps toughen up the tubes.

 

[negura]

Quote:

I just ordered a cheap RCA 5Y3GT and a couple of Tungsram EL84s. Should be fun.
 
Regarding the hum, I put my ear to the transformer last night (with no music playing) and it's definitely humming loudly. @ Those of you who aren't getting any hum, does yours do the same?
 
Also, mine came with the Valve Art 274B rectifier - which isn't the one mentioned on the product pages. Did everyone else get this rectifier too?

 
Transformer humming no. Valve Art yes. Good call on the RCA and let us know about the Tungsram compared to stock tubes.  I need to start rolling some output tubes.

 

[thegrobe]

So it sounds like those who have a "silent" Taboo through headphones have no physical noise coming from the transformer.

Those with audible hum through headphones can also hear the transformer physically humming with no cables or headphones plugged in.

Good. This is good information to have when I get Steve on the phone. Thanks folks for helping out.

 

[Kendoji]

Yes, this is very helpful!  FYI I've also created a thread on the Decware forums:
 
http://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1376488724/0#0

 

[koiloco]

Well, let the wait begin for me.  Hopefully, I'll receive it before Xmas so I can wrap it up myself, put it under the Xmas tree and act so surprised as if it came from Santa. 

Hopefully, my wife will believe that amazing story.
 
Also, Steve just got an accident.  I received an auto email from Devon today in reply to my questions.

 

[OPR8R]

Quote:

Well, let the wait begin for me.  Hopefully, I'll receive it before Xmas so I can wrap it up myself, put it under the Xmas tree and act so surprised as if it came from Santa. 

Hopefully, my wife will believe that amazing story.
 
Also, Steve just got an accident.  I received an auto email from Devon today in reply to my questions.

Yeah, I talked to DeVon earlier this week.  We're pretty lucky.  Steve fell off a ladder and spent the weekend in recovery.  It was bad enough for him to miss his daughter's wedding.  Scary.
 
Also, I listened for around 3 hours last night.  I heard no hum throughout.  Still no hum off my transformer either.

 

[Kendoji]

Ouch, poor Steve.

Well regarding the hum I'm increasingly worried that it's a hardware problem with recently built Taboos. Having to ship it back to the US for repair would be a nightmare. I'm not sure I could bring myself to go through it. But I don't think I could live with the hum either.

 

[IHMEYERS]

Quote:

Amp is certainly warmed up. So not that. I'll try the other set of output tubes I have later today. Thanks.

Anyone else? Lucid mode humming?

I had some humming as well, especially when paired with the CSP2+.  This has been mitigated to a large degree when replacing the stock tubes in the CSP2+ (the stock tubes in the Taboo had previously been replaced).  There is a very low level of hum now, but only with the volume controls on both amp and preamp wide open which is way louder than normal listening levels.
 
Unrelated to above, I became aware this morning that Steve has been injured falling from a ladder.  Thank G-d he will be OK but he is just out of the hospital and isn't back to work yet.
 
Wishing him a speedy recovery!

 

[Kendoji]

Hmm this is a long shot, but just now I put my ear close to the transformer again to hear the hum, and realised that I can't be certain that it isn't coming from the rectifier. Is it possible / advisable to try switching the Taboo on without the rectifier inserted, or is that a bad idea?

 

[OPR8R]

Quote:

I had some humming as well, especially when paired with the CSP2+.  This has been mitigated to a large degree when replacing the stock tubes in the CSP2+ (the stock tubes in the Taboo had previously been replaced).  There is a very low level of hum now, but only with the volume controls on both amp and preamp wide open which is way louder than normal listening levels.
 
Unrelated to above, I became aware this morning that Steve has been injured falling from a ladder.  Thank G-d he will be OK but he is just out of the hospital and isn't back to work yet.
 
Wishing him a speedy recovery!

Steve was at work when I spoke with him Monday.  It was only after I spoke with him and was given back to DeVon that I found out he had been injured, so I didn't get to ask him about it directly.
 
Quote:

Hmm this is a long shot, but just now I put my ear close to the transformer again to hear the hum, and realised that I can't be certain that it isn't coming from the rectifier. Is it possible / advisable to try switching the Taboo on without the rectifier inserted, or is that a bad idea?

I think I remember reading that will blow the fuse, but I could be wrong.
 

 

[thegrobe]

I had some humming as well, especially when paired with the CSP2+.  This has been mitigated to a large degree when replacing the stock tubes in the CSP2+ (the stock tubes in the Taboo had previously been replaced).  There is a very low level of hum now, but only with the volume controls on both amp and preamp wide open which is way louder than normal listening levels.

Unrelated to above, I became aware this morning that Steve has been injured falling from a ladder.  Thank G-d he will be OK but he is just out of the hospital and isn't back to work yet.

Wishing him a speedy recovery!

First off, yikes! I hope Steve is okay and recovers quickly. That is far far more important than any problems anybody may be having with an amplifier.

IHMYERES- the hum I (and I believe Kendoji) are having is independent of volume setting. It is constant regardless of volume all the way down or up. In fact, I can crank the volume 100%, ( with no music playing of course) and plug in very sensitive IEM's and get zero HISS. So I know the amp is quiet other than this hum.

Hmm this is a long shot, but just now I put my ear close to the transformer again to hear the hum, and realised that I can't be certain that it isn't coming from the rectifier. Is it possible / advisable to try switching the Taboo on without the rectifier inserted, or is that a bad idea?

I don't know if that's a good idea. The manual states that the only thing that would blow the amps fuse is a bad rectifier. So maybe no rectifier is bad? That said, I have three different rectifiers I've tried and the hum is unchanged. Put a wood stick to the transformer and the other end to your ear. An old mechanics trick to identify where a noise is coming from.