[bilbo6209]

Hey guys,
 
I had an Aune t1 mk2 with a new Gold Lion tube that just flaked out on me. The Aune is under warranty (purchased from Massdrop) and Massdrop is offering a replacement or a refund. So im looking for advice...
 
I am pushing a pair of Shure se535's, and I listed to primarily FLAC files played by a player on my PC that has a craptastic sound card (work PC so I can't/shouldn't install a different sound card LOL) so I need/want a DAC. I listen to anything form Disturbed, A perfect Circle, to Musicals, to Stan Getz, Louie Armstrong, I don't tend to listen to any hip hop or RAP I tend to like good music  
 
I prefer the sound produced by tubes so I would prefer to go back to a tube amp DAC combo. 
 
1. Would I be better off getting the replacement Aune
2. getting a separate DAC and headphone amp
3. ??? getting a different sub $300 DAC Tube amp combo. 
 
Just a quick search on Amazon there are a few that would meet my requirements i think LOL
Pangea Audio HP 201
Pangea Audio HP 101
Mistral HP-509
HIFIMan ef2c 
HIFIMan ef2a
Nobsound NS-01D
Mistral HP-509
 
If there is a non tube option that sounds great in the price range I would be willing to at least look at it. When my Aune died I went back to my old FIIO e10 and the sound is just lacking it lost warmth, fullness and just sound boring compared to the Aune.
 
I'm sure there are others these are just what I found in a quick search on Amazon.
 
I did look at reviews but I dont see that many lower end tube amps on the list.
 
Bill

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

I have not tried all the models you listed but I can say that I despise the ef2a. The sound quality is very meh meh meh.

Have you tried looking into the Little Dot I+? It pairs really well with the ODAC.

I'm having the T1 too and I can say that while it's perhaps the most solid tube amp/dac choice, the T1 amping section is rather underwhelming. It is perhaps best used as a tube-buffered dac, and even then, it cannot match seperate DACs in terms of micro details.

 

[bilbo6209]

I have not tried all the models you listed but I can say that I despise the ef2a. The sound quality is very meh meh meh.

Have you tried looking into the Little Dot I+? It pairs really well with the ODAC.

I'm having the T1 too and I can say that while it's perhaps the most solid tube amp/dac choice, the T1 amping section is rather underwhelming. It is perhaps best used as a tube-buffered dac, and even then, it cannot match seperate DACs in terms of micro details.

So you are saying you really like the Aune? OK SO you are suggesting either getting a separate DAC and Amp or due to your experience with it, stick with the Aune?
 
With the Gold Lion (new not NOS ) I was quite happy with the Aune, and the price was great (I paid around $170 on Massdrop), but I am kinda new to the Audiophile quest  I have a pair of Mid 80's Klpsch k4 i think at home, but I haven't gone to a good amp yet, they are being driven by a 10+ year old mid level Sony receiver, but they get used mainly to play vinyl off my old Technics 1700 turntable.  And I am in the process of building my Car audio system (7 to 9" screen that is connected to a Raspberry Pie 2 with a HiFiBerry Digi+ board feeding digital to a DSP that takes Digital input then out to good SQ amps to some older but kick ass Morel speakers!! )
 
If there is going to be a noticeable difference I really don't mind spending around $250 or $300 for a better DAC, the Amp isn't really that important with the Shure IEMs, I actually had the Aune volume at maybe 15 to 20% and the PC volume at about 15 to 20% and it was great, except when the noisy annoying co-worker was talking then it needed to be MUCH louder LOL

 

[fjrabon]

The EF2C fixed most of the issues people had with the EF2A, but the stock tubes it comes with aren't very good.  Also the DAC isn't very good either.  I consider the EF2C to be amp only, for all intents and purposes.  I love the amp with the Voshkods in the EF95 family and the AudioEngine D1 feeding it as a DAC.  It's clear, punchy, resolving and spacious in this configuration.  Just a touch of warmth, without being mushy.  Very analog smooth response without losing detail.  I think it's not a bad value, as it's a very well constructed hybrid circuit.  It's a shame they crippled the stock configuration with very mediocre tubes.  And that the DAC doesn't really work right (you have to lower the volume to 3/4 from within the player program).  However, it may be a bit noisy for IEMs, but that will be true of almost any tube amp, as their noise floor is almost always going to be higher than a comparable solid state amp, especially the lower quality units in a combo unit.  As much as I love mine, I have a hard time recommending it to people because it has the stock tubes and DAC caveats.  If they simply fixed the DAC and used better tubes, it would be amongst the best values in hybrid amps.  I like mine in the configuration I use it in better than the Vali2.
 
The EF2A had severe channel imbalance at low volumes (like you'd be using on IEMs).  I would consider it a complete no-go with IEMs, and wouldn't really recommend it to anybody, as the DAC is also mediocre, and just like the EF2C it needs to be re-tubed.  I briefly owned the EF2A and thought it was a bad product overall.  In just the right circumstances, it could be good, but it had way too many caveats.  It was really only good with medium efficiency headphones, as it didn't have enough power for low efficiency headphones, and high efficiency headphones suffered from the channel imbalance issue in the volume pot.  
 
The NOBsound you mention is also bad with efficient headphones.  It's a class A all tube OTL design that will overheat with efficient headphones and shut off due to overheating.  Essentially with class A amps, all the power that they don't use driving the headphones they convert to heat.  This is exacerbated in this model by: being high powered (ie a LOT of power is being converted to heat), having 6 tubes (which put off a certain amount of heat on their own), having a DAC (which also puts off some amount of heat), and having very minimal heat sinking and little/no active or passive cooling.  Using it with IEMs would cause it to shut down every 5-10 minutes.
 
I haven't tried the Pangea or Mistral models you asked about.
 
Honestly tubes with IEMs will be tough no matter what.  Their noise floor is going to get in the way unless it's an extremely well designed unit.  Most tube amps' output impedance is too high and will cause the bass to lose control due to improper electronic damping.  The Lyr2 worked well with IEMs when I had it in low gain mode.  However it's both outside of your price range and not a combo unit.

 

[bilbo6209]

Frjabon, thanks for the great info! 
 
 
 
Anyone know about Maverick Audio TubeMagic d1plus? I saw the a1 in the reviews and it looked very well reviewed. 

 

[fjrabon]

  Frjabon, thanks for the great info! 
 
 
 
Anyone know about Maverick Audio TubeMagic d1plus? I saw the a1 in the reviews and it looked very well reviewed. 

also, forgot to mention that the Vali2+Modi would probably work well for you as well.  Though the Vali isn't particularly "tube-y" sounding.  It is fairly quiet at low volumes, and the low gain switch is perfect for IEMs.

 

[bilbo6209]

What do you guys think about the combo of a Mavrick A1 with NOS factory matched Raytheon 6AK5 tubes, getting fed by a HiFime UH1 384kHz USB DAC 
 
The A1 is $40 off so it ends up being $199, and I just looked on Myfihi's site and the DAC is  $139, I will look to see if anyone has it for less. 
 
The A1 has a the headphone amp, and the UH1 has 2 outputs, one amped the other non amped, so it would be a clean signal going to the A1. This ends up being a bit higher than what I wanted to spend but it seems like a good mix. 
 
or maybe a Modi2?

 

[12many]

Just to take things in a different direction, have you considered full size over the ear headphones?   Might provide the sound you are after. 

 

[bilbo6209]

  Just to take things in a different direction, have you considered full size over the ear headphones?   Might provide the sound you are after. 

thats not a bad thought but I am really happy with my Shure's and a lot of the time I only have one ear in, because we are a chatty group at work and I need to be able to hear whats going on around me SO over the ears would be out. 
 
 
Just another thought I have a FIIO e10, could I use it as my DAC and just do a new amp? would the E10 have decent sound compared to the Modi2 or the Myhifi? The only thing that concerns me at all about doing that would be that the E10 is also an amp, so I would be amping an amp and any characteristics the E10 has will then be amplified going through the A1.
 
EDIT: The E10 has a Line out that I forgot about. might just save the  money for the Dac and just get a A1 for now. unless someone has a better suggestion. I know people said that the tubes will more heat with the Shure IEMs, is this a concern?

 

[12many]

I don't think much of IEM and don't listen much with just one ear.  I'm not very chatty either. 
 
I like your idea of the TubeMagic D1 Plus DAC .   Nice selection of digital inputs and you have get both the analog input for just the amp and the preamp out put (with our without the tube) from the DAC to feed into a different amp.  Seems like a lot of flexibility for future upgrades (to a better amp- SS or tube and a set of over the ear HP to make some real music) and gives you everything you need right now.  Plus, it is only $209.  I would buy it for my office if I did not already have a DAC/AMP for my office. 

 

[bilbo6209]

Do you see any problems with using a tube amp with very efficient IEMs? 36ohm
 
I know fjrabon thought the tubes would end up wasting power as heat, I'm sure over the long term that isn't good for them.

 

[fjrabon]

Do you see any problems with using a tube amp with very efficient IEMs? 36ohm

I know fjrabon thought the tubes would end up wasting power as heat, I'm sure over the long term that isn't good for them.

To be clear that's more of an issue with class a amps.

 

[12many]

What about hum or buzz?  I thought I read that every efficient - low impedance HP or iem may pick up a hum.  I could be mistaken. 

 

[thejammonster]

I use 41ohm (I think) Aurisonics IEMs with a Schiit Lyr 2 and have no problem.

 

[bilbo6209]

I was talking to my brother, not a huge audiophile but loves his tubes and vinyl, and he suggested I get some ****, I mean schiit so I'm almost positive I will be getting a Vali 2 and I already ordered 1 nos tube, have a bid in on one and an offer in on another on ebay lol