[Lazerboy2000]

WOW! I just got this and am already in love. Its so different than my pa2v2 amp and seems to give the music so much more musicality! I really don't know how to explain it, it's just awesome. This is my first tube amp and for $50, am very happy in this investment.
 
I'm going PC>>gamma 1 lite>>bravo v2 with stock tube>>Alessandro MS-1i
 
Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is breathtaking.

 

[zest]

 
Quote:

I'm pretty sure that they all were derived from the same basic amp, but there are some real differences that make the G2 the best platform (IMO) for this type of hybrid amp.

 
My bad, I meant slight difference in components choice or values are significant in sound with these amps. You're right, they're all based on DIY Sijosae's Hybrid amp :
 

Quote:

The V2 is just okay unmodded. I got mine for I think $13 or $14.
 
You're lucky, I had my G2 for 56$.
 
The G2 is primarily better for one reason: it takes either 6 or 12 based tubes. It is a much larger PCB than either the V2 or MK2, which makes tinkering with it somewhat easier for my old eyes and hands. Unmodded, it sounds very good to my ears (even with the stock, 1980s vintage 6n23p). It is extremely clean and crisp. Modded with additional and better PS caps and better output caps, cathode bias caps and WIMA film caps, it borders on being incredible for the money I have in it. The best thing has to be rolling tubes, though. I can go from a sweet caramel, 1960s Mullard E88CC to a bluesy, 1956 RCA 12au7 (black plate) to a head-bangin' 1970s, 6n23p-ev in less than an hour. Or I can leave a Siemens rebranded Sylvania 7308 (steel pin) in it for days.
 

Received my E88CC RTC gold pins tube.

 

[zest]

Quote:

I'm probably going to get tied to a chair, covered in acid and cut with rusty razors if I say the three band equalizer sounds atleast fun to try. My AKG K 272 HD are a bit on the light side so why not, or does the EQ harm the sound quality even when set to zero? Anyway, I'd like to be running my headphones through Bravo V2 or V3 with uDAC 2 as the source, and my active speakers through just the Nuforce uDAC 2 since the Bravo lacks the connectivity. Should I be using the uDACs RCA out directly to my speakers RCA input, and connect the uDAC and the Bravo via 3.5mm out to RCA in? Aesthetically this would make the most sense because there wouldn't be a long cable running from the front of the uDAC, but a short interconnect to the Bravo which would be sitting nearby. Or should I use a stereo RCA -> 2x stereo RCA cable to split the signal from uDACs RCA out to the active speakers and the Bravo, or does this result to bad hi-fi voodoo and a painful explosion?

The first thing I'd do with the Bravo is cut a black acrylic front plate and replace the clear acryl with black to match my decor. I know nothing about tubes, are there tubes that'd glow a pretty orange tinge, the blue seems a bit funky to my taste (I know I'm being shallow but you never know if you don't ask~)

Bravo amps are headphone amps and preamps, you can plug the RCA outputs to an amp between Bravo and the speakers. The blue light comes from a blue LED which is right in the middle of the tube socket

, you can replace it with an orange LED if you, or some friend, have some skills in soldering.

 

[mm38]

$50 ??? is it include shipping cost?
i cant find price like that in ebay
Quote:

WOW! I just got this and am already in love. Its so different than my pa2v2 amp and seems to give the music so much more musicality! I really don't know how to explain it, it's just awesome. This is my first tube amp and for $50, am very happy in this investment.
 
I'm going PC>>gamma 1 lite>>bravo v2 with stock tube>>Alessandro MS-1i
 
Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is breathtaking.

 

[Lazerboy2000]

After looking over my receipt, i actually only paid $42, including shipping. Of course it wasn't the first item I bid on so it took a little patience to get a good price, but it's not uncommon. 
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/Valve-Class-Tube-Headphone-Amplifier-pre-Bravo-V2-/260670308068?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb1293ee4
 
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$50 ??? is it include shipping cost?
i cant find price like that in ebay

 

[lazybum]

I paid around $40+ including shipping too. Still waiting for it to turn up.
 
The prices seem to be pretty bidded up these days. $40 seems to be the lowest you can get.
I noticed that there is this particular buyer k***y that seems to just keep buying those bravo amps, and seem to be responsible for the high prices nowadays. Every time i lose a bid and i check the winning buyer and its this particular guy almost every time. And sometimes he bids up to almost $40.
 
Maybe he's someone from bravo trying to prevent the price from being too low?

 
edit: oh wow the postman just came to deliver it the moment i posted this! Time to try this toy out

 

[pocketrocket]

I don't see any RCA outs on the Bravos, only inputs, how can they be pre-amps? Also really, a LED? That's just.. Why would anyone in their right mind do that to an attractive product? I guess I'll just cover it with a small piece of black electric tape and do a small (maybe less tall, leaving more of the tube exposed) chassis for it.

Nevermind about the question concerning RCA outs, I realized the G2 has them so now I'm looking for one of those.
 
Quote:

Quote:
Bravo amps are headphone amps and preamps, you can plug the RCA outputs to an amp between Bravo and the speakers. The blue light comes from a blue LED which is right in the middle of the tube socket

, you can replace it with an orange LED if you, or some friend, have some skills in soldering.

 

[zest]

I thought Bravo V3 had pre-out RCA like the G2, I can select headphone or preamp output. About blue light, a crappy picture I took few weeks ago:
 

 

[Ultrainferno]

Bravo V2 does not have RCA outs. I hate the blue LED too. Judge or anyone have any idea how I can loose in an easy non techie way?
Remember, I have no knowledge what so ever of soldering

 

 

[zest]

I think this blue LED is only for decorative purpose (if some experts could confirm), maybe you could cut the connections (at least one) with cutting pliers.
 

 

[pocketrocket]

If it turns out you can snip that LED then awesome, if not then I'll just have to make an opaque casing for it.
I'd love to get a pre-assembled USB DAC and build a case with the same footprint as G2 so I could neatly stack them on my table. Anyone got ideas?

 

[real128]

I think I read earlier in the thread that the red led was functional but the blue led was not, but definately read the thread.  Sometimes the red led will come on flashing and the amp will not output sound until you turn it off and on again.  This happens when I first plugged it in to ac power (also when turning it on from a power strip, weird). 

 

[Ultrainferno]

yes, the red one shouldn't be touched, that's mentionned before. Looking at the blue one now...must kill it...

 

[pocketrocket]

Okay, there's a guy with 50% of his total bids on the Indeed dealer in eBay, I wonder when will the guy stop stocking up on G2s. And yes I'm just pouting because I was outbid.

 

[Ultrainferno]

I had the same thing for the V2. I checked all auctions for weeks (I have no life

) and it obviously was one of Bravos guys who was upping the price when it was to low (imho)