Quote:
[size=xx-small]Originally posted by Rob N[/size]
88Sound,how do you find the sound compared to the EMP with the Grados?
I find the sound of the RKV with Impedencer to be pretty neutral,much less 'tube like' than the EMP with more extended highs and a tighter bass.The best thing about the RKV is it's soundstage which is vast,the best I've heard (I've also tried EAR HP4 and Sugden Headmaster) this side of Stax,the EMP by comparison sounds closed in. The EMP doesn't have the depth that the RKV has and so sounds a little 'flat'.
The RKV isn't perfect but it's definetely better than the HP4 (and much cheaper) but I wish it had more of the EMP treble smoothness (it sounds brighter by comparison)
I'm beginning to think it's not possible to have a large soundstage,full sound,deep bass and EMP-like tubiness. |
I prefer the RKV/Impedancer with the Grados over the EMP. The RKV is much more powerful and controls the phones better. The RKV still maintains the characteristics that I like with tubes, a glassy, smooth quality although on a tubiness scale of 1-10 the RKV is a 2 and the EMP is an 8.
My impressions of the RKV vs EMP in the treble department are just the opposite of yours. My EMP has better treble extension, more delicate but better. The RKV sounds slightly rolled off in the treble, this works quite well with the AKG K1000 and also the Grado 325. The NOS Telefunkens give the EMP an incredible sound stage and depth, nearly as good as the RKV IMO which is huge, this is a big difference over the stock tubes but this is also with the EMP/Telefunken/W2002 combo and although it sounds good with a short warm up period, it sounds incredible with a long one, 2 hours plus. The only phone I have tried so far with the RKV that I don't like is the W2002 (probably because the EMP sounds so much better to me with this phone)
Have you tried the Telefunken NOS tubes in your EMP? They are expensive but worth it and to my ear are going to do exactly what you want in the soundstage/depth department anyway. With the W2002 and this combo you also get a full deep and very articulate bass, like you can tell what kind of pickups an electric bass player is using, just great.
Quote:
[size=xx-small]Originally posted by Gariver[/size]
The AKG K1000 headphones push the RKV too much. So the amp heats up.
I blew a 4.7 Ohm resistor-fuse (2 to 4 watt) due to excessive heat!
I am also using my AKG K-1000 and RKV amp with NOS Telefunken PCL805s. What can I say? Those Telefunkens are simply fantastic! Great sound from top to bottom. The original Polamp PCL805s don't even come close in the high frequencies! Actually, that's the problem with the Polamps: They lack HF extension. |
I have not noticed additional heat with the K1000's over any other phone, maybe I'm not pushing them as hard. My RKV , although it has plenty of space around it is enclosed on a shelf inside a rack.
I also blew that same 4.7 Ohm resistor-fuse on one of my channels but it had nothing to do with heat. I rolled some Mullard tubes into the RKV and the instant I turned on the amp one of the tubes flashed blue and that blew the resistor out.
I purchased 8 Telefunken tubes. Upon inspection 3 were diamond bottom, 1 seemed older but still not diamond bottom and 4 looked newer non-diamond bottom and on these the boxes all had the same #5 along with the PCL805. When I rolled the 3 diamonds and one older the amp made this incredibly distressful sound, a very loud hum. I removed these tubes immediately and have some apprehension in using the RKV to test which tube/tubes might be bad (I don't own a tube tester). This horrible sound was in both channels BTW. When I rolled in the #5's they did indeed sound like they had a little more treble but it sounded edgy, not smooth so I removed them and went back with the Polamps.
Do you think this treble edgyness will go away with these Telefunkens if I let them break in for a while?
