[Wes S]

Which output impedance setting are you guys going for on the Caldera? I feel like MID is the way to go for now.

Low for me, from the 1/4" at the moment, but I do like Middle as well.

 

[mattiastomas]

I've never used tubes that have centering pins before. I ordered a quad of Ei KT90's, and they are all missing the centering pin. The seller put this note:

"These tubes are missing their stems. There has been a white mark made on the side of the tubes where the key should be located."​

​

Will it be obvious how to put these in the Aegis?

If you look at the base of the socket there's a notch where the centering pin would align with. So you would just line that up with the white mark. Alternatively you can count the number on the sockets. Its numbered 1-8. You will see matching 1-8 on the bottom of the tubes. You would match them and insert it that way.

Here's a link with a way better explanation and good pictures https://www.thetubestore.com/guide-key-fix

 

[ckhirnigs113]

If you look at the base of the socket there's a notch where the centering ping would align with. So you would just line that up with the white mark. Alternatively you can count the number on the sockets. Its numbered 1-8. You will see matching 1-8 on the bottom of the tubes. You would match them and insert it that way.

Thank you! I'm less stressed about it now.

 

[Alenotta]

Which output impedance setting are you guys going for on the Caldera? I feel like MID is the way to go for now.

On Aegis I'm usually M or L with Caldera. On HA-300 I was always H. I also notice the PCM filters on my Gustard R26 make a pretty big difference in the sound. Some amps you don't notice that sort of thing as much.

 

[Alenotta]

I've been listening to Aegis, WA23 and Envy a lot lately. @LOrdGwyn is sending me some killer NOS tubes to try with the Aegis, and right now I'm using the upgraded set Zach sent me recently. I'll eventually post a review of Aegis after I give the NOS tubes a nice while to take in their sound, but, in the meantime....

The Envy has completely transformed for me since I've got a better source (Innuos ZENith and the Holo May KTE). It always sounded great in ways - an awesome weight to the sound, very wide soundstage, very "big" sounding with all the elements in the soundstage, but... the midrange and emotional connection wasn't there for me. Now with the Innuos/May, the emotional connection is insane. It's interesting how changing these thing have shifted it for me. This was all before changing tubes, too... but I do have WE3000Bs in right now. Envy is a very different sound from the Aegis and WA23. How I hear people talk about "the 300B sound" is how I hear the Envy. Wide soundstage, weight to the notes, it's got its own vibe. I like it a lot. Oh, and realism, I'm noticing even more with the May and Envy. It's pretty incredible.

WA23 has been my favorite since I got it about a year and a half ago. The midrange is magic on it, and it sounds very hi-fi at the same time, so technically and emotionally it's really beautiful. Lately though, I've been preferring listening to the Envy mainly because it's been like getting a new amp. Interestingly, the amount of details and texture on the Envy is beyond Aegis and even WA23, and I didn't really notice that before when I was using my other DACs (even the Weiss DAC502!). I still really like the WA23 though. I highly recommend giving it a listen if you haven't! Caldera, Caldera Closed and any ZMF for that matter, sound amazing on it.

Aegis sounds closest to WA23 tonally, but it's got its own thing. WA23 almost sounds like a souped up version of Aegis in ways. Bass is tighter, layering is even better, and the soundstage is bigger. There's something in the imaging that sounds very liquid to me on the Aegis and even more engaging compared to the WA23 and Envy. Voices are intoxicating and focused in a way even more-so on the Aegis versus the WA23, even though WA23 is really good there. Details and layering are really good on the Aegis, but it's the unique midrange focus - like voices, saxophone, trumpet, etc. that sound so engaging and the liquid staging. The Aegis sounds little brighter too versus WA23, Envy. It's not bright generally, generally I'd say it sounds warm, but there's a lift there that makes the WA23 and Envy sound touches warmer by comparison.

Don't have the Red October, but... and I find this really interesting - I've heard it twice at CanJams and it was one of the few instances that I didn't like the sound, flat-out. I tried it with the LCD-5, Susvara and Caldera and every time it sounded annoyingly bright to my ears. Sorry Red October fans, don't hate me!


Aegis doesn't struggle to run the Susvara - it sounds great. But, if you own Susvara, you know you're looking to scale it. Envy scales it the best, then WA23, then Aegis in my experience.

Yeah I'm excited to test a lot of NOS stuff over time, but I agree the Aegis has more sparkle on top than the HA-300mk II. It is bright, but not "hifi" or exaggerated. Overall the impression is still warmth. Cymbal hits are crisp.

@AcousticMatt how does the tube noise floor compare with the WA23 and Envy?

 

[JTbbb]

How are you guys with multiple amps dealing with the, well, multiple amps btw?
I have my Topping D30 which usually goes to my Genelecs and to my Cayin IHA-6.
Now with the Aegis I'll have to switch cables between the two amps if I want to listen to the other one. Is there a smart way to setup multiple amps and easily switch between them?

I use these RCA adapters. So two amps RCA’d and one balanced.

 

[Alenotta]

I use these RCA adapters. So two amps RCA’d and one balanced.

Oh wow this is cool. How I'm dealing with it is like a switchboard operator...

 

[AcousticMatt]

Yeah I'm excited to test a lot of NOS stuff over time, but I agree the Aegis has more sparkle on top than the HA-300mk II. It is bright, but not "hifi" or exaggerated. Overall the impression is still warmth. Cymbal hits are crisp.

@AcousticMatt how does the tube noise floor compare with the WA23 and Envy?

Agreed! Cymbal hits are crisp. Especially on Caldera - I notice it on other headphones too, but Caldera has that crystal clear peak into those realms and I love how natural they make things like cymbals sound. Interesting it's consistent against your Cayin.

Aegis is definitely the lowest noise floor. As you guys have pointed out, its astonishing really. Sounds like a solid state noise floor. WA23 is next and Envy is terrible, ha! I'm convinced it's power output, at least in part. Envy is 8 watts and WA23 is either 2 or 3 watts.

 

[AnyDave]

Oh wow this is cool. How I'm dealing with it is like a switchboard operator...

I have the same problem. Here's a picture of my rig from a few years back:

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Agreed! Cymbal hits are crisp. Especially on Caldera - I notice it on other headphones too, but Caldera has that crystal clear peak into those realms and I love how natural they make things like cymbals sound. Interesting it's consistent against your Cayin.

Aegis is definitely the lowest noise floor. As you guys have pointed out, its astonishing really. Sounds like a solid state noise floor. WA23 is next and Envy is terrible, ha! I'm convinced it's power output, at least in part. Envy is 8 watts and WA23 is either 2 or 3 watts.

You're onto something there! Higher power output means more gain, which means higher amplified noise. It's a real challenge to keep DHT headphone amps with a low noise floor, the reason being that the power supplies for the DHT filaments are big time noise generators. The DC used for the filaments has to be super clean too. That's the price you pay for making DHT amps, the filament supply is a real PITA.

Looking forward to your thoughts on the NOS tube power pack

 

[L0rdGwyn]

I have the same problem. Here's a picture of my rig from a few years back:

Nice set of Grados you have there, must be an HP-1000 prototype.

 

[AnyDave]

Nice set of Grados you have there, must be an HP-1000 prototype.

I was an early adopter.

 

[AcousticMatt]

You're onto something there! Higher power output means more gain, which means higher amplified noise. It's a real challenge to keep DHT headphone amps with a low noise floor, the reason being that the power supplies for the DHT filaments are big time noise generators. The DC used for the filaments has to be super clean too. That's the price you pay for making DHT amps, the filament supply is a real PITA.

Looking forward to your thoughts on the NOS tube power pack

Always cool to hear some behind the scenes stuff like this, thanks! Susvara seems to be "the test" for most amps (probably Tungsten now too), and I think it's one of the rare headphones that scales to stratospheric heights when the chain is right, but sometimes there's trade-offs with amps like Envy - the noise floor is higher and you don't get much play on the volume wheel. And there's been noise issues like RF galore for me with it. Aegis I think is a great mix of power/sound/performance and stays away from those kind of issues, does its thing and runs all headphones well.

And yeah, man! Looking forward to listening. Thanks again for sending.

 

[theveterans]

You're onto something there! Higher power output means more gain, which means higher amplified noise. It's a real challenge to keep DHT headphone amps with a low noise floor, the reason being that the power supplies for the DHT filaments are big time noise generators. The DC used for the filaments has to be super clean too. That's the price you pay for making DHT amps, the filament supply is a real PITA.

Looking forward to your thoughts on the NOS tube power pack

I'm pretty sure eventually you'll design one in the future Hum pots should be able to mitigate some of that

 

[L0rdGwyn]

I'm pretty sure eventually you'll design one in the future Hum pots should be able to mitigate some of that

Just one?

Now making something commercial and scalable is another story as there are a lot of logistical problems that come with commercial amps that I don't have to worry about when building one off circuits. Maybe someday, we will see.