Aegis DIY Tube Headphone Amplifier
- Thread starter L0rdGwyn
- Start date
Gotcha, some people refer to SBAF as "the other site/forum" since even talking about it here can be flagged by the moderators. Only a couple builds done there but feedback has been very positive.
Galapac
1000+ Head-Fier
Good to hear Keenan, they can be a tougher crowd over there, more engineers I feel than audiophiles, so if you pass over there you know you have a winner. Great job!
raindownthunda
500+ Head-Fier
Thanks for posting these impressions - I bet it’s incredibly rewarding. Love the sleek build!I spent most of today listening to the Aegis. Went with new production tubes as it was easier on the wallet for now.
Mullard GZ34, Tung-Sol 6SL7 and Gold Lion KT66. Fed by a Schiit Bifrost 2/64.
Listening for the most part done on ZMF Atrium Closed.
I mostly listen to Pop / Rock with some other genres thrown in here and there.
Holy cow! This setup sounds amazing!
First thing I noticed was that with no music playing this amp is dead silent. I now understand their phrase “completely black background”. Not a single hiss or hum. Also you don’t feel any pressure that you sometimes feel with other amps when nothing is playing and you turn the volume way up.
Biggest thing I noticed was the clarity and soundstaging. I’m hearing so many small details in songs that I never heard before. A tiny guitar or piano counter melody here and there, an egg shaker part, vibrato of a guitar. Also reverb and echo become really apparent and obvious.
All of a sudden the same tracks I’ve listened to countless times sounds so much more layered and complex than I’ve ever heard them.
Timbre sounds very natural. Guitar plucks and piano notes sounds simply divine.
Also the sub bass of the Atrium Closed went up a notch on the Aegis. Can’t even describe how good that sounds.
I swapped in a Senn / Drop HD6xx for about an hour. I have never heard a 6xx sound so good. If it was my first time hearing it I would believe it if I was told the 6xx cost $600. Crazy to experience how that headphone scales so well.
And to think it’s my first 8 hours with this amp. And the amp and tubes burn in I’m sure it will sound better!
So far this tube combo sounds so good I don’t even feel like tube rolling (for now anyway, I do hear Mullard EL37 whispering my name).
Am also saving up for ZMF Caldera and can only imagine how good that would sound on this setup.
The biggest thing that takes the cake though is the sense of satisfaction that I built this thing myself (with a lot of help from L0rdgwyn’s directions).
If anyone is on the fence about making one I say go for it. The satisfaction of building it with your own two hands combo-ed with the fact that this thing sounds amazing is a winner in my book.
I spent most of today listening to the Aegis. Went with new production tubes as it was easier on the wallet for now.
Mullard GZ34, Tung-Sol 6SL7 and Gold Lion KT66. Fed by a Schiit Bifrost 2/64.
Listening for the most part done on ZMF Atrium Closed.
I mostly listen to Pop / Rock with some other genres thrown in here and there.
Holy cow! This setup sounds amazing!
First thing I noticed was that with no music playing this amp is dead silent. I now understand their phrase “completely black background”. Not a single hiss or hum. Also you don’t feel any pressure that you sometimes feel with other amps when nothing is playing and you turn the volume way up.
Biggest thing I noticed was the clarity and soundstaging. I’m hearing so many small details in songs that I never heard before. A tiny guitar or piano counter melody here and there, an egg shaker part, vibrato of a guitar. Also reverb and echo become really apparent and obvious.
All of a sudden the same tracks I’ve listened to countless times sounds so much more layered and complex than I’ve ever heard them.
Timbre sounds very natural. Guitar plucks and piano notes sounds simply divine.
Also the sub bass of the Atrium Closed went up a notch on the Aegis. Can’t even describe how good that sounds.
I swapped in a Senn / Drop HD6xx for about an hour. I have never heard a 6xx sound so good. If it was my first time hearing it I would believe it if I was told the 6xx cost $600. Crazy to experience how that headphone scales so well.
And to think it’s my first 8 hours with this amp. And the amp and tubes burn in I’m sure it will sound better!
So far this tube combo sounds so good I don’t even feel like tube rolling (for now anyway, I do hear Mullard EL37 whispering my name).
Am also saving up for ZMF Caldera and can only imagine how good that would sound on this setup.
The biggest thing that takes the cake though is the sense of satisfaction that I built this thing myself (with a lot of help from L0rdgwyn’s directions).
If anyone is on the fence about making one I say go for it. The satisfaction of building it with your own two hands combo-ed with the fact that this thing sounds amazing is a winner in my book.
Nice Grumpy Goose in the background there, as well!
Awesome impressions, my excitement to get the Lundahl gear in and complete the build is hitting fever pitch now!
Managed to snag one in the latest release he did.
Is the Lundahls the only thing you're missing? I would recommend getting spare screw now for them. Mine had screws missing and delayed the build. I know a few other's received theirs with some screws missing too. So would be good if you had some on hand.
Oh yeah, there can be some difficult ones, but overall my projects have been very well received there. When you put the effort in, I think it shows and people respond to that. And thanks!
Looks like my Atrium Closed shipped, looking forward to trying this pairing!
Sweet! I'm really enjoying mine on the Aegis. I highly recommend the suede pads. Really brought it together for me.
it's a very good combo!
strong second on the sueded pads (shared my pad experience in my original AC review)