$5-6k headphone amp suggestions/thoughts
Jun 6, 2008 at 12:29 PM Post #61 of 65
Glad to hear that it finally showed up and that it's work well. I do hope that you get to check out the 307A as well, but for now one sweet amp will just have to be enough.
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Jun 6, 2008 at 12:59 PM Post #62 of 65
lol yep, that and wallet needs to recoup anyway
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Bleh seems like one of my 6BL7GTAs is causing static. Is it wise to mismatch tubes to figure out which one might be failing? All I have left are 6SN7GTs that could replace them.

Edit: NM, seems the 6SN7GTs have it too so I dont think its the tubes. Anyone have any ideas? Seems to only happen randomly, bad AC or interference?
Edit2: Yep seems the AC in my room stinks. Stuck a BC86PC to the Supra and it cleared things up. Need to look into some power conditioner/filters for my AC outlets
 
Jun 11, 2008 at 5:21 PM Post #63 of 65
Quote:

If you're going to spend $5k-$6k, get the best. Don't settle for 12AU7 and 12AX7 tubes.



But what is the best? One of the biggest problems with audio is my best is different from your best, which may be different from a thousand other bests I would like better than my current best but which I've never heard and may never have a chance to hear.
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For example, if my MPX wasn't an SE version, where I can use 6bl7xgta tubes, I would have been very disappointed with the amp. The 6SN7 and SLAM-based output tubes (the same ones the B-52 uses, I can't remember the #) are boring by comparison. Same with the inputs. If I couldn't use the Tung-Sol 2c51 on the MPX and Extreme (and certain 12AT7's on Extreme), I would be also be missing a great deal of the capability of these amps.

That's why I would never buy a B-52 or this Millett 307A now without being able to directly compare to my current setup beforehand. I don't like the B-52's output tubes on my MPX at all. And I don't like the input tubes of the 307A on my MPX or Extreme compared to many others. Can the rest of the amp make up for the dislike of the tube choices? I don't know and would not take the risk blind given my current setup. That's one of the things I really like about SinglePower amps, is that I can easily try over six major classes of input tubes (and many more sub-classes), and several types of output tube classes to figure what I like best.

I'm still trying new things, but my current setup is the best I've heard so far. And while I'd love to go to some of the meets and try these different things, I know from experience that it usually takes me days and weeks to truely figure out if I like a certain component or not. And it's usually next to impossible to effectively evaluate something without direct comparison to my reference. I just don't have that good of sonic memory.
 
Jun 11, 2008 at 5:27 PM Post #64 of 65
Ricey20,
I just got a power conditioner for my Ed. 9 - SP Extreme setup with a couple of semi-expensive power-cords. I couldn't believe it previously, but it's a piece of cake now to hear the difference of different power cords. Power cords! (Of course very nice interconnects and APS-recabled Ed. 9's help me be able to hear the differences. Crazy stuff.)
 
Jun 11, 2008 at 8:00 PM Post #65 of 65
Nice... good ending indeed. Funny thing is, as big as that SP is, its NOTHING compared to how big it can get. Lifting & setting up my ES-2 is a 1-2 hour affair. The amp and PS together weight over 100lbs.

Neil

PS - oh and instead of spending 6K on yet another dynamic amp - why not investigate the world of Electrostats? I've been listening to headphones all my life and nothing, NOTHING I have heard touches my setup
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(HE90-ES2-NWO 3.0GO or EMM Labs SE) but I am biased (pun intended)
 

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