[ericr]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear, the Bendix is in my MHDT Paradisea 3 (discontinued). Currently I also have the Stockholm 2 that Soundsgoodtome has on tour and it has a Bendix in it as well. I've not rolled with the S2 though.

For me the Bendix gives a solid combination of tonal accuracy, detail, tightness of bass, treble extension and excellent openness / soundstage / separation / placement. In my Project Ember amp I'm running the Sylvania 6SN7W which is well known for characteristics much like I attribute to the Bendix. These drive my 64 Audio A12 with the ADEL technology - a combo that putting me awash in an natural, realistic, and yet very impactful flow of music. One happy listener!

 

[Luckbad]

I went ahead and created general thread for MHDT Labs DACs. Hopefully this isn't stepping on anyone's toes!
 
I've included current drivers and manuals that I uploaded to Basshead.Club as well.
 
I'd like to compile information, impressions, tube recommendations, and anything else that can be useful as a resource to MHDT owners and prospective buyers over there.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/798259/mhdt-labs-r-2r-nos-tube-dacs

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear, the Bendix is in my MHDT Paradisea 3 (discontinued). Currently I also have the Stockholm 2 that Soundsgoodtome has on tour and it has a Bendix in it as well. I've not rolled with the S2 though.

For me the Bendix gives a solid combination of tonal accuracy, detail, tightness of bass, treble extension and excellent openness / soundstage / separation / placement. In my Project Ember amp I'm running the Sylvania 6SN7W which is well known for characteristics much like I attribute to the Bendix. These drive my 64 Audio A12 with the ADEL technology - a combo that putting me awash in an natural, realistic, and yet very impactful flow of music. One happy listener!

I'm on the same boat here, I find the Bendix 2c51 to be the subjectively superior tube. I recently acquired a JW WE2C51 and I still much prefer the Bendix tube although at this point it's nit-picking. Really the big difference is the WE has a slightly sweeter treble, maybe even a bit subdued in comparison to the Bendix. The mids on the WE are very, lush and tube sounding. The bass is more weighty in comparison to the Bendix.

For me though, I find the Bendix tube plays very well with all genres. Being a 'fast' tube it can keep up with even fast paced music as well as swelling (like say in a big orchestra piece). The bass is very controlled and doesn't linger as well, this is where some would prefer more weight to the bass and that's where the WE or pinched waist Tesla come in (I've yet to hear a good pinched waist Tesla as the one I got with the Paradisea is shot).

I find that having a second tube/hybrid in the chain, like the Project Sunrise/Ember tube would allow a better sound tailor as well.
 
@Luckbaduses a WE in the DAC and a tight/neutral sounding ElectroHarmonix 12BH7 on his Sunrise 3. You could go the other way around and get a Bendix in the DAC and say an RCA or Sylvania 12BH7 in the Sunrise which should yield similar results. BTW, between the MHDT DACs and the Garage 1217 amps.. what you get is a highly customize sound which you can further tune with the Sunrise/Horizon or Ember/Polaris and it's many settings.

@ericr uses a Bendix in the DAC and some weighty sounding 6SN7 tubes in the Ember. Essentially you guys both aimed for similar sounds but did it different ways. I wish I could use the 6SN7 tubes in the PS3 but it's quite noisy... the weird thing is using it on the MHDT Dacs with the proper Garage adapter, there is no noise.

I myself like the the Pagoda with the Bendix 2c51 tube and alter between the Audio-GD SA31SE and the Project Horizon 3. The JW WE2c51 nicely subdues the Pagoda's somewhat neutral/bright sound bringing it down nicely if I prefer to listen to music that needs a little bit of subduing due to mastering/production shortcomings.

 

[twinkle]

  Should have a full review/comparison write up of the Pagoda published in the next couple of weeks ... about half way done with the writing.  I'll post a link here once it's up ... since I've already written about the Stockholm and since the Pagoda shares so much with that DAC (same exact circuit except for different DAC chips) ... I'm mostly sticking to how the Pagoda differs from the Stockholm 2 ... and as I've found over the past couple/several months ... there is much to write about in that regard.
 
More on the way...
 
FYI ...

Hi s1rrah,
 
Thanks for the all the usefull info you've provided so far. Really looking forward to your in-depth review and comparisons with Stockholm. I couldn't figure out from your photos and video, which flavor of 1704 is in the Pagoda? Thanks

 

[s1rrah]

The 1704 chips in the Pagoda are "no label" chips.  According to MHDT Labs this is at the lower end of the main grades available among 1704 DAC chips.  Juin commented that they might release "J" grade and even "K" grade some time in the future.  The 1704 are quite expensive as chips go. 
 
Hope to have the review/comparison published by end of week ....

 

[s1rrah]

 
I'm on the same boat here, I find the Bendix 2c51 to be the subjectively superior tube. I recently acquired a JW WE2C51 and I still much prefer the Bendix tube although at this point it's nit-picking. Really the big difference is the WE has a slightly sweeter treble, maybe even a bit subdued in comparison to the Bendix. The mids on the WE are very, lush and tube sounding. The bass is more weighty in comparison to the Bendix.

 
Exactly my thoughts on those two tubes. 

 

[s1rrah]

Just an FYI, I finally finished the Pagoda review.
 
Here's a link:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/799153/mhdt-lab-pagoda-a-review-and-comparison
 
joel

 

[twinkle]

Wow, great thank you! I'm off to read your detailed review

 

[213Cobra]

After using mhdt Havana Balanced DACs in both of my audio systems for the last five years or so, I am moving up to the current 24 bit R2R DACs by mhdt. I have a Pagoda Balanced installed and in use for over a month now, and have a SE Atlantis as well. I am getting a SE Pagoda shortly, after which I will post comparative notes on all three, and relative to the Havana Balanced too.
 
Phil

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

  After using mhdt Havana Balanced DACs in both of my audio systems for the last five years or so, I am moving up to the current 24 bit R2R DACs by mhdt. I have a Pagoda Balanced installed and in use for over a month now, and have a SE Atlantis as well. I am getting a SE Pagoda shortly, after which I will post comparative notes on all three, and relative to the Havana Balanced too.
 
Phil

Hi Phil, what's the rest of your chain look like? Speakers or Headphones? You've collected quite the few MHDT Dacs!! Looking to hearing the differences between the Pagoda Balanced and SE.

 

[Luckbad]

After using mhdt Havana Balanced DACs in both of my audio systems for the last five years or so, I am moving up to the current 24 bit R2R DACs by mhdt. I have a Pagoda Balanced installed and in use for over a month now, and have a SE Atlantis as well. I am getting a SE Pagoda shortly, after which I will post comparative notes on all three, and relative to the Havana Balanced too.

Phil

Another Atlantean!

 

[213Cobra]

When I use headphones, which isn't often, I use vintage Stax SR5 electrostats powered by an equally vintage Stax SRA3s tube preamp/energizer. Most of the time I am listening to the mhdt DACs via speaker-based systems, in each of which I use the transport of Pioneer BDP-09fd bluray players feeding the coax input on an mhdt, or Tidal Hi-Fi streamed through AppleTV to the Toslink input of the mhdts.
 
Gear chains, apart from phono:
 
1/ Melody Pure Black 101 tube preamp > Audion Golden Dream 300B PSET mono amps > Zu Druid V speakers;
 
2/ Melody p2688 tube preamp > Audion Black Shadow 845 SET mono amps > Zu Definition 4 speakers.
 
Right now, I have the Pagoda Balanced into the Zu Druids system via its balanced outputs, and the Atlantis into the Zu Definitions system, where the preamp has only SE inputs. All cabling is Zu.
 
Phil

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Ah interesting, Zu Audio. I have a few of their power cables from reading up on their matching with the MHDT Dacs, which seems to be really favored even with the entry Birth cable. I think you're the only one I've ran across, let alone read on forums (albeit I don't really go into speaker forums unless a search takes me there), running Zu Speakers. MHDT Dacs like I've said before seem to be MUCH more popular in the speaker domain than headphones. Hopefully something we'll change here soon..

 

[richard51]

  When I use headphones, which isn't often, I use vintage Stax SR5 electrostats powered by an equally vintage Stax SRA3s tube preamp/energizer. Most of the time I am listening to the mhdt DACs via speaker-based systems, in each of which I use the transport of Pioneer BDP-09fd bluray players feeding the coax input on an mhdt, or Tidal Hi-Fi streamed through AppleTV to the Toslink input of the mhdts.
 
Gear chains, apart from phono:
 
1/ Melody Pure Black 101 tube preamp > Audion Golden Dream 300B PSET mono amps > Zu Druid V speakers;
 
2/ Melody p2688 tube preamp > Audion Black Shadow 845 SET mono amps > Zu Definition 4 speakers.
 
Right now, I have the Pagoda Balanced into the Zu Druids system via its balanced outputs, and the Atlantis into the Zu Definitions system, where the preamp has only SE inputs. All cabling is Zu.
 
Phil

how your listening session with the Stax SR-5 compare to your zu speakers system? i ask for that because i have the Stax SR-5 myself and i am interested in MHDT dac  ....thanks for your time

 

 

[Amish]

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