[steveting99]

Guys,
 
Just recently got  into the head-fi gear and bought a HiFiMan HE-400 headphone to go with the HA-INFO DA1 DAC. Both units are  being burned in and sounding nice. I'm interested in the tube sound and came across this thread. The HE-400 has low impedance so it's easy to drive with the DA1, but as [size=17.77777862548828px]dpmalito[/size] found out, the orthodynamic headphones are a bit heavy (the HE-500 is heavier than the HE-400) and I'm slowly getting used to the addition weight.
 
So my question is the pairing of the HE-400 with Aune T1? Also, how does the Aune T1 compare to the Tubemagic D1? Has anyone checked if plays bit perfect?
 
Steve

 

[joeq70]

Quote:

I just received my Aune T1 today which came with a 6N11 tube yet i chose to use an Electro Harmonix 6922 tube which I have, I will use this for break in till i feel comfortable rolling. My AKG K240 Studio headphones are not a good match yet they sound OK. I buddy loaned me some Audio Technica headphones and they sound really good.
 
I am using my Mac mini 2010 SSD 8GB Ram, my Audiophile USB cable and i also have the Aune t1 using silver resolution interconnects going into a pair of AudioEngine A2 speakers.
 
How long does it take for the T1 to break in? Which tube seems to work well and also, which headphones mate well with the T1?
 
Thanks in Advance.
 
Liz

I haven't really noticed any difference between now and when I purchased the unit. I'm not sure I believe there is any "break in." The sound can be shaped to taste by tube rolling, of course, so whether or not it pairs well with a particular headphone will be a matter of tube preference.
 
I can attest that it does not quite have enough juice to power most orthodynamic headphones (except the he-400 since it is relatively easy to drive).
 
It powers the HD800 fine, all Beyers in the DT series,  and Grados. I haven't really heard anything that sounded bad out of the T1 except for the LCD-2 which was clearly underpowered. I like the Voskhod tube with my Magnums. I like the 6n23p-eb tube that everyone at rock grotto mentions with the AKG K702 Anniversary and Sennheiser HD-650. I liked the Voskhod tube with the HD800 but did not get a chance to try the HD800 with the 6n23p-eb. I have another tube coming in soon that seems to be a potential winner.
 
I'm going to soon be using the T1 as just a USB tube DAC and pair it with an Emotiva mini-x a-100 so that I can properly power my Hifiman HE-5LE.  Full report soon to follow!

 

[LizardKing01]

Interesting. I am having some issues when using it as a Dac between my Mac mini and Audio Engine A2 speakers. I do not select the Aune T1 in Audio Midi setup, turn off the speakers then the headphone sound comes alive.
 
A buddy loaned me some headphones to try the Audio Technica ATH AD900 sounded the best. I am looking at Sennheiser headphones. Which phones do you Aune T1 users prefer?
 

 

[killerweed]

I have a new pair of Senn 598s, which are a very good match with the T1 (using the Russian tube right now). I am going to go back and forth with the tubes and see which one i prefer (also have the EB tube as well.

 

[dpmalito]

Just today i got in the ecc88/6dj8 mullard tube and boy does it make the thing sing.. It's almost psychedelic when using the ODAC as an input. Tomorrow I will test it with the dacmagic plus.

 

[LizardKing01]

Hi,
 
I just order the Senns HD 598 earlier TODAY. I am using a EH 6922 tube for now until I roll the tube. Will try my Mullard 7DJ8s for now and RCA 6Dj8. I like to let the unit break in first before I roll tubes.
 

 

[killerweed]

Hope you like the Senns. I think they are a fantastic value. They sound great both with the Aune and my Arrow/iPod Classic duo. Heck, they even sound pretty good straight from the iPhone 5. But still, the amping makes a difference.

 

[LizardKing01]

Quote:

Hope you like the Senns. I think they are a fantastic value. They sound great both with the Aune and my Arrow/iPod Classic duo. Heck, they even sound pretty good straight from the iPhone 5. But still, the amping makes a difference.

Thanks. I changed the tube tonight and OMG, what a difference. I have some Mullard PCC88 tubes which are aka 7DJ8 tubes, I bought these NOS back in the mid/late 90s. I have never had issues using these in any circuirt, IE, my old preamp and vaunted Dac before I had the circuit changed to 12Au7 tubes.
 
The Aune is serving as both a headphone amp and Dac between my 'puter and speakers. Right from the get go after some warmup, I coudl hear the differences, warmth and body. The SQ is so nice, non fatiguing, etc.
 
For tonights session i dill not using headphones as I wait for the Sennhesier HD 598 to arrive. Using my mac mini, Aurdirvana plus, my vaunted USB cable and Audio engine 2A speakers, I am getting such a musical , i am using the stock speaker cable for now as i had to get the termination changed.
 
The Aune T1 is a killer product that sounds much better than it's price tag.

 

[dpmalito]

Let me just ask once and for all. If I have the dacmagic plus RCA output going to the aune t1 RCA input is it still using the tube in the t1 to amp the phones?

 

[Jupiterknight]

Quote:

Let me just ask once and for all. If I have the dacmagic plus RCA output going to the aune t1 RCA input is it still using the tube in the t1 to amp the phones?

 
No, only the Dac part uses the tube as a buffer. As an example, I tested it using external DAC's and amps that if the tube is removed then the DAC part doesn't work, but the amp section does work (without a tube installed) feeding from an external DAC .
 
When I purchased the Aune T1 I initially believed that the Aune T1 amplifier section was using the tube, but it doesn't seem to do so. Also check the pictures of the internals in the Rock Grotto thread. There you will see it as well. The Dacmagic+ will work as an external DAC with the T1 of course, but it won't be using the tube in the T1. This is my conclusion so far, but I could be wrong..

 

[dpmalito]

No, only the Dac part uses the tube as a buffer. As an example, I tested it using external DAC's and amps that if the tube is removed then the DAC part doesn't work, but the amp section does work (without a tube installed) feeding from an external DAC .

When I purchased the Aune T1 I initially believed that the Aune T1 amplifier section was using the tube, but it doesn't seem to do so. Also check the pictures of the internals in the Rock Grotto thread. There you will see it as well. The Dacmagic+ will work as an external DAC with the T1 of course, but it won't be using the tube in the T1. This is my conclusion so far, but I could be wrong..

Well good thing I got a project sunrise ii coming tomorrow.

 

[Jupiterknight]

Quote:

Well good thing I got a project sunrise ii coming tomorrow.

 
Well, then you know what will occupy some of your time during  X-mas holidays Hope it works out!

 

[HoukaiAmplifier]

Would these pair well with Hifiman HE-400s? I'm interested in one of these
 
EDIT- oops was reading the 7th page while I wrote this.  The HE 400s were being dicussed on the 8th

 

[LizardKing01]

I recieved the Sennheiser Hd 598 headphones today. I feel ill with a cold /allergies so using headphones as I have breathing problems is not a good time to assess their performance. I upgraded to Audirvana Plus 1.4 and using the T1 with the PCC88 Mullard tube going into Audio Engine 2A speakers is so musical.
 

 

[dpmalito]

I just got my project sunrise ii amp together (by the way the staff at projsun is great, spent an hour on Skype with me from Netherlands addressing an issue)' and it does compare to the aune t1

I'm using grado rs1 and dacmagic plus with the projsun ii and compared to the aune t1 the difference is not Anne near as much as I expected. The dacmagic/ps combo is bright and poppyusing a bugle boy 12au7 tube but the aune t1 using the 6dj8 tube was large and forward, and by all means an acceptable substitute for 200 bucks! Only huge difference is the dacmagic/psunii combo is drop dead quiet during pauses. Aune is quiet with the right tube but still a bit noisy

All I can say is spring for a great tube like a telefunken