Excellent! I'll get another single then. Thanks for the advice. My wallet is relieved (which usually doesn't happen on this site : )

Are the original measurements still something to go by? They've been used quite a few hours (without me being able to say exactly how much).

Good to see some discussion of the slightly more affordable tubes : ) Has anyone been able to compare the Linlai E-300B vs the Psvane WE300B replica? I had a pair of Psvane WE300B replicas in my HA-300 (mk1). Unfortunately one of them blew (all white inside), and I presume replacing only the...

Thank you, that's very helpful. I'll probably let the budget grow a little and see if I can get a hold of a used Verite Open. Still curious about the MG though, so hopefully I get a chance to audition them some day.

I'm running the Mk 1 on a pair of AN-J/SPe right now. Sounds great! Compared to the AN OTO SE this might be even a bit more liquid, but suffers from a slightly more bloomy bass. For normal listening volume I'm at around 11 o'clock on the volume, so reckon it should be okay with your HE model.

To any of you who tried both the Elear and Clear MG. If I didn't get along with the Elear, is there still a chance the Clear MG might be a good choice? Or is this still the same house sound with smaller variations to someone not accustomed to Focal? A bit more of an explanation: A few years...

Thank you! I see Huber+Suhner has a recommended plug as well. Perhaps that might be worth a shot? Or is Amphenol considered the better plug?

Do you mind sharing which Ampenol plugs you got? Found 4 different options for 50ohm with the berillium copper. I suppose the 'extreme exposure' versions aren't needed, so then it's an RG-58 and an RG-174 version left (I'm completely clueless what is behind these numbers).

@JaMo That's very helpful, thank you for this and your impressions along the way! Think I might just go for it. With all the rebates/coupons/ali coins one of the sellers has it down to USD 436. Would love to get the DI20HE, but haven't acclimatized to paying USD 1k for a DDC yet (does not...

@JaMo Any chance of one last (almost final) impression before the Aliexpress sale ends tomorrow? Had been eyeing the DI20HE, but the price has made me kick the bucket, so if this is in the same ballpark that would be fabulous.

Thank you for your impressions @OneEyedHito, very helpful! I'm guessing my taste might tilt a little further towards the warm side than yours - so perhaps that would indeed be a good combination for me. Despite the WA22 adding more warmth than needed, you didn't feel that obscured the Oors strenght?

The whole chain is the HE1000 V2, Ferrum Oor/Hypsos fed from a Denafrips Pontus II hooked up to a Raspberry Pi/HAT via I2s. Started out with a Musician Pegasus DAC, but the Pontus was a good step up. Also tried it with an older Audio Note DAC 3.1x (usually resides in the living room) which is a...

Did anyone test out the Oor with a tube pre-amp or tube-buffer? I've had the Oor/Hypsos for almost a week now. Using them with the HE1000 V2. I absolutely love the pristine clean sound and control the Oor has, and yet I feel a good chunk of my playlists has lost the magic/soul tubes brought...

There's a workaround with a custom XLR to 2x RCA cables posted by Alvin here.

Thanks for the help! Got a multimeter today and think I found the fault. R+ which was supposed to be connected at the tip of the 2,5mm connector had been connected to the middle section. Adapters are probably all fine.

After lurking around here for a while I ordered one of Xinhs modular cables for a Hifiman HE1000 v2 (2,5mm). The cable looks brilliant and the adapters click solidly into place. Unfortunately sound only comes through on the left side of the cable, while the right side is dead. Same result with...

Equally interested in hearing VintageAudios experience with the PI2AES. I've been running a similar Chinese HAT for a while using I2S with the Pegasus. Works like a charm. Runs in the Pegasus default I2S mode.

I never had any complaints about the bass with my unit. During the first day of use the higher frequencies were a bit hot though. That settled down nicely after leaving it on for about 24 hours.

The Pegasus came before the TA-20/Ananda replacing a Chord Mojo. Tested the Mojo and Pegasus head to head with the Rega Elex-R driving a pair of Guru Junior speakers. It was a substantial improvement. Previously it had been slightly harsh, sometimes a bit fatiguing. That went away, while also...

Completely missed your question, sorry about that. I see in the meantime you went for the CTH, don't have any experience with that one. I've been using the TA-20 with balanced output to the Ananda. It in turn is fed by a Musician Pegasus DAC via the record out of a Rega Elex-R (driving...

I've been using the Ananda with the TA-20 and a pair of Philips NOS tubes. Sounds sublime. When I first got the Ananda I demoed it in the store on an Ayon tube amp which sounded marvelous. Got them home and didn't sound as good on the amps I had. Was a bit light at the bottom, and a bit too much...

There's another impression over here https://soundex.ru/en/obzory/sources-obzory/musician-pegasus/ From what I've read so far it seems it's character is rather different from Denafrips and the more "soulful" character often associated with R2R DACs. So perhaps more a matter of taste? Would be...

Their site is still accessible (not using Google though) http://www.musician-audio.com/en/ and their distributor Aoshida is still there http://smsl-topping.com/musician-pegasus-r2r-dac-p2746387.html

Thanks Ezduzit! Great to hear you're having a good experience with a more affordable option. Besides the warmer sound, do you feel it still keeps most of the detail and space? Was hoping to jump straight to a end-point amp (easier said than done without auditioning : ). I do have a few...

Did anyone try Ananda with the Xduoo TA-20? Got the Ananda about a week ago (coming from a Fidelio X2). Been a great upgrade in most respects, but feel I'd like to inject a bit more warmth and body if I can. Best of my amps so far seems to be the Rega Brio for just that reason, more body, weight...