[doukhobar]

Thanks all! Thanks Zach!
 
I've actually been meaning to contact Zach directly about a discussion regarding his woods. I am torn between cherry and blackwood. There is also a beautiful Zebrawood available now on sale. I've read pretty much all the reviews available, and realize they are more similar than different. Hopefully I will get a chance to listen to an Omni at Urban Hifi in Maryland in the near future. 
 
I listen to about 50% classical off NPR from my Sansui TU-666 tuner. I next most listen to my tube DAC playing 50's-60's jazz like Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Ellington, Modern Jazz Quartet, Stan Getz and newer international jazz artists like Avishai Cohen on trumpet (not the bassist of same name). I am a former professional trumpet player so am pretty tuned towards jazz.
 
I also enjoy listening to some heavier alternative rock/metal and EDM about 20% of the time when the wife and kids are asleep. Bands like Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, DJ Tiesto, etc. so pretty diverse spectrum. 
 
Any suggestions of one wood over the other Zach? Happy to take this discussion offline. 
 
I also have a large collection of tubes for the Taboo, both rectifiers and signal tubes. This can be an expensive hobby, tube collecting! So I need to factor this into my decision for a wood. 
 
Right now I am more consistently using a Brimar 5R4GY which is great with classical and jazz choice as it has a bit more body and midrange warmth. However with electronica and rock it can be too syrupy. I don't usually bother swapping the rectifier when I feel like changing genres late at night, but that would be ideal. I have quite a large genre of 5Y3 type tubes, including mesh plate from Neotron (France), several Bendix 6106 (5Y3 equivalent), many older U50 tubes (5Y3 equivalent) from likes of Marconi and Mullard. Also at my disposal are a Brimar 5U4G, Cossor 53KU and metal Phillips 5AR4, which I have yet to try any of these. My friend in Holland has two Phillips metal bases he wants to sell me for 150 euros each in NOS condition. 
 
So I can obviously do alot of tuning. Have not even gotten into the E88CC collection on hand yet. I obviously care alot about being able to listen to what my tubes have to offer, and not get overwhelmed by bass, for example. Thoughts?

 

[Argo Duck]

There is a well done rectifier shootout in this or one of the other Decware threads, about 2-3 years ago. Nick Dangerous iirc.

I am another unlikely to ever sell my Decwares. My CSP2+ runs from a yggdrasil dac and feeds my power-amp and speakers and my hd800 and lcd3 phones. The taboo mk ii drives my lcd2 phones in my office. Both are superb.

 

[rnros]

I am another unlikely to ever sell my Decwares. My CSP2+ runs from a yggdrasil dac and feeds my power-amp and speakers and my hd800 and lcd3 phones. The taboo mk ii drives my lcd2 phones in my office. Both are superb.

Not sure which one of these to purchase. If the first one is good, I may end up owning both.
Currently using Oppo PM-1/PM-3 and HD600/650. Sony MDR Z1R arriving soon, and HD800S sometime after that.
DAC is GungnirMB. (Currently using Schiit tube amps.)
LOL, been going back and forth on these two for a while now. Any thoughts?

 

[doukhobar]

  Not sure which one of these to purchase. If the first one is good, I may end up owning both.
Currently using Oppo PM-1/PM-3 and HD600/650. Sony MDR Z1R arriving soon, and HD800S sometime after that.
DAC is GungnirMB. (Currently using Schiit tube amps.)
LOL, been going back and forth on these two for a while now. Any thoughts?

Hi @rnros - do you use speakers at all?
I do not own the CSP, but I can tell you that the Taboo does a great job with my dynamic driver headphones including an HD650. Do you roll a lot of tubes, or plan on doing so? My research indicates that the Taboo is excellent with the HD800 as well.
I would say, if you listen to speakers at all, the Taboo is without question the better choice. Also, if you do not listen to any speakers, and are not planning on rolling the 6922 tubes as much, the CSP may be a better choice (though I am not sure how CSP handles planar headphones). 

 

[rnros]

  Hi @rnros - do you use speakers at all?
I do not own the CSP, but I can tell you that the Taboo does a great job with my dynamic driver headphones including an HD650. Do you roll a lot of tubes, or plan on doing so? My research indicates that the Taboo is excellent with the HD800 as well.
I would say, if you listen to speakers at all, the Taboo is without question the better choice. Also, if you do not listen to any speakers, and are not planning on rolling the 6922 tubes as much, the CSP may be a better choice (though I am not sure how CSP handles planar headphones). 

Thanks for the reply! Speaker upgrades will be next year's project, so yes for future intent.
Do I roll tubes? I have far too many tubes to be considered sane. So, yes on that also.
Great. Appreciate the input.

 

[doukhobar]

Hi, well then if you plan on using speakers in the near future, especially before you plan on getting the second piece of gear, I would definitely select the Taboo over the CSP first. I've run the taboo both with and without a preamp and it sounds great both ways. Certainly no need for a preamp if you use efficient speakers. With the preamp, the sound is a bit weightier, but loses some delicacy. 
Regarding tubes, I also like that you can roll the Taboo with changing out just 1 6922 in the front (which the CSP also has) but the CSP also has 6922 matching pairs. Those are harder to come by in certain tubes, so just a thought to keep in mind. I have no plans to roll the power tubes of the Taboo, as far as I can tell. Maybe one day try EL84 with certain rectifiers, but that's all. 

 

[chengdigger]

I have a Taboo in the build queue and realized that this amp, with only one 6922, may be a great outlet to use some of my orphaned CCa tubes when it's mate in a matched pair failed. Has anyone been happy with CCa's in the Taboo?

 

[doukhobar]

Hello there, I have been getting great results using these Siemens and Telefunken E88CC tubes with rectifiers that provider a thicker sound, like the Brimar 5R4GY with classical music. What a great combo! When I use my 5AR4 rectifier, I prefer the Phillips *SQ* E88CC, since the Siemens sound is airy and combined with the 5AR4 is too technical for me, even for electronic music. On the other hand, I have a Valvo CCA yellow font that I find more neutral - not too warm, nor too technical. 

 

[chengdigger]

Awesome, thanks. I was planning to roll some rectifiers as well. 

 

[doukhobar]

Yes - the Taboo is incredibly transparent to tube rolling. You can completely modify the sound of this amp by swapping two tubes. So cool! It really is a great layout, and I like how you can play the rectifier off the signal tube with each other to get just the right combination. I have also tried Mullard U50 (5Y3GB) and Ken Rad 5Y3GT to very good effect. They all sound great and are less extreme than the Brimar 5R4GY or Phillips 5AR4. Does anyone have a favorite rectifier for this amp, or have they tried a GEC U52 or Cossor 53KU? 

 

[Muziqboy]

I currently just use either a Western Electric 422A or GEC U52. The WE is the most neutral sounding of all tubes I've tried. The GEC is also neutral with a touch of warmness. I tend to listen to the GEC the most lately since it is IMO, the best rectifier tube when you listen to a lot of female vocals.
 
Check this thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/694525/dubstep-girls-massive-5ar4-5r4-5u4g-rectifier-review-comparison-rectifer-tube-rolling-thread
 
She did a very extensive comparison of rectifier tubes and how each of it sounds.
I can confirm that she is very spot-on with the 2 tubes above that I am currently using.

 

[doukhobar]

Thank you @Muziqboy !
Yes, I have referred to that very thread often, and it has lead me on my rectifier chase around the world, including my pursuit of several metal 5AR4 tubes which are pretty great for electronic music of all types. I have not yet splurged on the U52 GEC/Osram/Marconi due to their cost, and the WE 422A is extremely difficult to find in excellent shape for <$700 these days (that seems to be the asking price for a new one). It sounds like the GEC may be a nice tube to drop into this amp!
Can I ask specifically, what was the texture of the GEC U52 like in the Taboo? How is it with classical and what headphones do you use? Thank you so much in advance! 

 

[Muziqboy]

  Thank you @Muziqboy !
Yes, I have referred to that very thread often, and it has lead me on my rectifier chase around the world, including my pursuit of several metal 5AR4 tubes which are pretty great for electronic music of all types. I have not yet splurged on the U52 GEC/Osram/Marconi due to their cost, and the WE 422A is extremely difficult to find in excellent shape for <$700 these days (that seems to be the asking price for a new one). It sounds like the GEC may be a nice tube to drop into this amp!
Can I ask specifically, what was the texture of the GEC U52 like in the Taboo? How is it with classical and what headphones do you use? Thank you so much in advance! 

 
Don't listen much to classical. But like I said, lately I've been listening to a lot of female vocals and the GEC U52 excels here. Neutral but with warmness in the sound and also lots of air in the treble.
 
Quoting Dubstep Girls review of this tube
"Just like the WE422A, this tube can really bring you to tears on the right music, so much magic in the sound of legendary tubes."
 
Listening to Sarah McLachlan's song Angel, the above quote is very true.
I am listening to a modded HD800 and using Sonarworks to fix the issues with the HD800.

 

[chengdigger]

This has been a very illuminating discussion of rectifiers. That referenced thread is great. I will have to hunt down a U52. Does anyone have any recommended sources in the US?

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

Hey gang. Has anyone used any Stax headphones with this amp? Really curious to hear an opinion on it!