[JamieMcC]

  Hi There!
 
Thanks. I was more asking about whether I should consider a SS Amp to go with my Tube Amp.
 
Are the two pictures above, one stock and the other with the modifications you have recommended? I am reluctant to mess with my Crack as I am pretty inexperienced and would then not know what troubleshooting to undertake if it went wrong, or know what voltage checks or resistance checks to run before I powered it up. I can build things, I am reasonable with a soldering iron, but I lack the electronics knowledge beyond that. If I had an idiots guide I might be able to do it.
 
Did you not put a speedball into your one, you just did the mods you mentioned? Or does it have both?
 
I am running whatever tubes came with the unit. I am happy to consider changing the tubes, as I don't think much can go wrong there. 

 
Yes the modified Crack has the speedball fitted the other pic is of a basic stock crack.
 
If your running stock tubes try something like the Svetlana Winged C 6H13 or Mullard 6080 would be a good place to start.
 
Ask for some recommendations for tubes on the Crack OTL thread
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/476650/crack-bottlehead-otl/6825#post_11528117

 

[dreambass]

Hi,

I've been owning  the Icon audio HP8 MkII for few days and I must say it's a fabulous pairing with the T1 !

It provides impressive power to drive the Beyer super easily, fantastic transparency & clarity, superb bass & trebles and wonderful midrange.
It's really a big step up in comparison with my ss amps Teac HA-501 and Schiit Asgard.

Before I got the Icon, my favourite combination was Teac HA-501 + fidelio X2, now it's clearly Icon + T1, even if the Icon is extremely good with the X2 and my closed AKG K550, since it is equiped with a 3 positions impedance selector.

I mostly listen to classic rock, blues and classical music, and the Icon + T1 does perfectly for both styles.
The sound of the guitars is super razor & crunchy, the bass is strong providing body and weight to the sound, the music is simply full with great depth and wide soundstage.
As an example, even the very average sound of the last deep purple In rock remasters becomes great.
With classical music, it's perfectly clear and transparent, very delicate when needed and powerful for orchestral explosions !

Till now I was a bit disappointed by the T1 performance, I was completely wrong.

Hope it'll help

I have not listened to the t1 on my icon but I have to say I wasn't impressed with the t1 on some rather expensive solid state amps like the trilogy and some burson etc.

However I purchased the T-90 for a great price £360 new and guess what it just didn't seem to impress on my dacmagic plus ( weak amp ) but also not the best on the fostex hpa8, a matter of taste I guess details, quality and soundstage all great but just didn't gel and satisfy, slight disappointment to me.

Anyhow my point is upon connecting the icon through the fostex dac and then listening to the t-90 again there was a significant fullness to the sound and such drive and authority it was immediately apparent that these headphones yearned for tube! They changed from regrettable to unforgettable, just goes to show. I couldn't really believe it however I seem to really appreciate music I don't necessarily listen to, they bring it to life, full smooth and more of a like your there sound! However as an example I prefer the blade runner soundtrack through the fostex and my 1540s!
I can only compare what I have here but a wav of Adele's daydreamers vocal coming in is magic!

 

[Gibsonmac]

So I just got a WA6SE about a week ago, then two days ago Amazon had a really great deal on the T1, so I of course bought them. My question is, would different tubes in my 6SE make it perform like the WA2 with the T1, or should I just send it back for the WA2? Right now with the stock tubes, the 6SE and T1 pair is just so-so. I've been told that the stock tubes in the 6SE are crap for the amp, but before I go and blow $500 or more on tubes, if it will never be as good as the WA2, I guess I'd just as soon send it back.

 

[Bibliophile]

Hey Gibsonmac - I just got the WA2 (used) and T-1 (eBay deal) combo, then promptly upgraded to NOS Tung Sol 5998 power tubes.  I haven't yet bought my DAC, so I'm just listening to computer audio out.  Since I was anxious to hear the differences between my old, Lo-Fi system and my new Higher-Fi system, I started playing with the combo without any break-in or DAC.  Lemme tell you, the difference is night and day better than before.  In Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (uncompressed stream) on Tidal, I can hear things in the music that I didn't know existed.  Things I need to upgrade to improve the chain include a good DAC, a better way of streaming audio from Tidal (maybe Amarra?), better cables (vs the cheapo ones I'm now using), letting the amp/tubes break-in (using NOS tubes).  Then I can start playing with different tube combinations.
 
So, I don't have a WA2 / WA6SE comparison, but I can tell you that, even in its most basic form and not being used to its fullest potential, the WA2/T1 combo is impressive.  Adding a good DAC and improving the source?  I'm hoping for Good Things...

 

[Gibsonmac]

How long does it take before the T1 bass starts to open up? I've got around 25 hours into them and the bass is still pretty weak, and pretty much nothing for sub bass... I could have sworn I read some reviews saying the T1 has a fair bit of bass for a reference can, north of neutral, and can hit the low notes, but I just can't get any authority or impact at all out of them. Maybe I'm just too used to hearing LCD-2/HE-560's

 

[Asr]

^ Which amp are you using to drive the T1? The WA6SE won't drive it effectively due to being a transformer-coupled amp; that type of amp is at its best driving low-impedance efficient headphones, not an ultra-high-impedance inefficient headphone like the T1. The WA2 would likely be an improvement over the WA6SE for the T1, since it's an OTL amp, which are generally better for high-impedance headphones.
 
Between your amps, the Lyr 2 would drive the T1 a lot better, but it's not really an ideal amp either.
 
I previously owned the T1 btw, and compared it between a variety of amps. It really doesn't sound great unless you drive it with an amp that can really push a lot of power into 600-Ohm loads (I had an SPL Auditor at the time, which could).

 

[heart banger-97]

^ Which amp are you using to drive the T1? The WA6SE won't drive it effectively due to being a transformer-coupled amp; that type of amp is at its best driving low-impedance efficient headphones, not an ultra-high-impedance inefficient headphone like the T1. The WA2 would likely be an improvement over the WA6SE for the T1, since it's an OTL amp, which are generally better for high-impedance headphones.

Between your amps, the Lyr 2 would drive the T1 a lot better, but it's not really an ideal amp either.

I previously owned the T1 btw, and compared it between a variety of amps. It really doesn't sound great unless you drive it with an amp that can really push a lot of power into 600-Ohm loads (I had an SPL Auditor at the time, which could).

Hi
do you have any experience with bottle head crack (I think that their tubes are optimally work at 300 ohm)?
Currently, I'm dridriving t1 with my modi/Vali. And I feel that something is missing.

 

[roiosdona]

Hi! Has anyone tried the Asus Xonar Essence One Muses Edition together with the Beyerdynamic T1s?
 
How is the combo?
 
Thanks!

 

[sanakimpro]

For me, the Mojo drives my T1 well enough with headroom to spare.  

 

[roiosdona]

  For me, the Mojo drives my T1 well enough with headroom to spare.  

What about a good DAP? Would you recommend the Acoustic Research AR-M2 over the Astell and Kerns?
 
Thanks a lot!

 

[sanakimpro]

Sorry, I haven't heard neither.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

  What about a good DAP? Would you recommend the Acoustic Research AR-M2 over the Astell and Kerns?
 
Thanks a lot!

 
AK380 + 380AMP in balanced mode can driver 600 Ohms T1 2nd gen. at respectable volume level and good sound quality. 

 

[Orestes1984]

Call me cheap but I listen to my phones through a $150 13 year old Onkyo TX-SR602 surround sound receiver I picked up in a yard sale at home. Suits me fine

power isn't the issue 110watts per channel. It will handle inefficient headphones reasonably well, input impedance goes up to 470‎Ω. Cheapskate is life, supports everything including optical so I can DLNA all my music to it should I so wish. There is plenty of these types of things laying around cheap because people throw them out for not supporting HDMI.

$1500 bracket receivers for stupid money if you don't mind solid state. Plenty of these and other, Pioneer, Marantz, Sony, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, what have you sitting around unloved on ebay for next to nothing just because they don't do HDMI.
 

 

[marcussmj]

Just got a pair of T1.2 for cheap. Any idea if a budget amp like the aune t1se would suffice?

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Just got a pair of T1.2 for cheap. Any idea if a budget amp like the aune t1se would suffice?

 
You can not beat WA6 for $699. It can drive T1.2 to its potential and more. Step up to WA7 and you'll get a high-end DAC too.
 
http://wooaudio.com/products/wa6.html
 
http://wooaudio.com/products/wa7fireflies.html