[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Is there a pictorial or a list of parts I have to change to get the most out of my Bravo Audio V2? Received mine today and I am not pleased with the sound compared to my Fiio E17.
I use a Behringer UCA222 DAC

The forum on the website Rockgrotto has a subsection on headphone amplifiers were they talk about modification of the little single tube headphone amps.

 

[JonnyN]

Funnily enough mine arrived yesterday!
 
Out of the box I'm actually quite pleased with the sound, no hissing or crackling or pops or any noise while on idle with the volume up high.
 
Will probably still mod it, but more just for the prospect of a new project than anything else.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

Is there a pictorial or a list of parts I have to change to get the most out of my Bravo Audio V2? Received mine today and I am not pleased with the sound compared to my Fiio E17.
I use a Behringer UCA222 DAC

Both are imo have different sound characteristics. Let your burn-in helps greatly with tube amp's such as the Bravo.
 
As for mod's from the one's I already explained, you can consult to Rockgrotto board's, they have pictures and a list of the mods I mentioned performed step by step (well not exactly lol):
 
http://rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=m&action=display&thread=5297&page=1
 
Enjoy.
 
Ohh and as much as an impact those mod's make, they are only subtle not alot but it helps with listening discerns you will come across if your not happy with a particular sound, tube rolling makes the biggest difference.

 

[Makiah S]

Let me go ahead and ask, I'm planning to buy a Bravo v2. What are some nessicary Modifications in addition I want to add a "bass boost" is that possible. Also I'd like to keep my Mod Budget Under $30 [not including Tube Rolling] Thanks :3

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Both are imo have different sound characteristics. Let your burn-in helps greatly with tube amp's such as the Bravo.
 
As for mod's from the one's I already explained, you can consult to Rockgrotto board's, they have pictures and a list of the mods I mentioned performed step by step (well not exactly lol):
 
http://rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=m&action=display&thread=5297&page=1
 
Enjoy.
 
Ohh and as much as an impact those mod's make, they are only subtle not alot but it helps with listening discerns you will come across if your not happy with a particular sound, tube rolling makes the biggest difference.

Liked what I saw there, also liked that it was CHEAP... I don't want a cheap Hybrid Tube... I want an intro Hybrid tube. An seeing as I can Mod this one I think for around $70 out of box and then with around $30 worth of parts... for $100 I can have a nice intro tube that will decide if I want to pursue BIGGER tubes :3, thanks for the help! 

 

[troll]

I just got a V1 Deluxe and plugged it in.

I'm noticing that there is a high-pitched whine, even when the volume is turned all the way down (or the input isn't plugged in), and some crackling. It's pretty annoying, and mars the quality of an otherwise good amp.

It appears that I can affect the whine a bit by moving the headphone cord around (when I raise it up, the whine gets louder). Thus, it is possible that the problem is crosstalk/interference of some sort.

Is it defective, or is this normal behavior? Any thoughts?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Funnily enough mine arrived yesterday!
 
Out of the box I'm actually quite pleased with the sound, no hissing or crackling or pops or any noise while on idle with the volume up high.
 
Will probably still mod it, but more just for the prospect of a new project than anything else.

Get a digital Multi-meter, like the DT830, usually sells and ships for $5, use it to balance the right and left channels and fine voltage adjustments.
You need to do the adjustments after the tube amp has warmed up for 5 to 15 minutes, which I'm guess that the manufacturer does not take the time to do.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Get a digital Multi-meter, like the DT830, usually sells and ships for $5, use it to balance the right and left channels and fine voltage adjustments.
You need to do the adjustments after the tube amp has warmed up for 5 to 15 minutes, which I'm guess that the manufacturer does not take the time to do.

Wow how would you do that, also... BIAS Procedure e.e what is that and why is it required b4 I swap a 12volt tube for a 6volt one... 

 

[geetarman49]

Quote:

Wow how would you do that, also... BIAS Procedure e.e what is that and why is it required b4 I swap a 12volt tube for a 6volt one... 

if you google 'rockgrotto bravo amp' you'll find the link on how to bias the bravo amps - very good description of the procedure, complete with pictures.
 
unless the amps provide a switch or jumper for substituting 6- and 12-volt type tubes, you'll quickly discover that you cannot arbitrarily make this type of substitution.  if your amp has been provided with 6922 (6-volt type) and there is no switch/jumper for 12-volt, then you must stick with 6-volt types such as 6dj8, ecc88, pcc88, etc.  if your amp has been provided with 12au7 (12-volt type) and you swap in a 6-volt type, you'll discover that it is possible to burn out tubes.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

if you google 'rockgrotto bravo amp' you'll find the link on how to bias the bravo amps - very good description of the procedure, complete with pictures.
 
unless the amps provide a switch or jumper for substituting 6- and 12-volt type tubes, you'll quickly discover that you cannot arbitrarily make this type of substitution.  if your amp has been provided with 6922 (6-volt type) and there is no switch/jumper for 12-volt, then you must stick with 6-volt types such as 6dj8, ecc88, pcc88, etc.  if your amp has been provided with 12au7 (12-volt type) and you swap in a 6-volt type, you'll discover that it is possible to burn out tubes.

well my amp has a 6-12volt jumper thankfully. My question is why the different voltages? I would Assume a 12 Volt Tube will have more voltage to drive with "obviously" 

 

[Evshrug]

Woooow, took me forever, but finally completed reading this whole thread from the beginning. Started like sometime this summer, lol. Stupidly, I didn't bookmark the pages with the most useful info (like which parts to swap, what effect each upgrade has on the sound, etc).

Mshenay,
How are you liking your amp?
I ordered a digital multimeter off amazon, they really are cheap, it should arrive before Christmas and hopefully work accurately enough.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Woooow, took me forever, but finally completed reading this whole thread from the beginning. Started like sometime this summer, lol. Stupidly, I didn't bookmark the pages with the most useful info (like which parts to swap, what effect each upgrade has on the sound, etc).
Mshenay,
How are you liking your amp?
I ordered a digital multimeter off amazon, they really are cheap, it should arrive before Christmas and hopefully work accurately enough.

 
 
Here is my review http://www.head-fi.org/t/642250/review-indeed-g3-modded-hybrid-tube-amp
 
and it sounds really nice! Glad I paid $100 for mine [already modded] instead of buying a Bravo [no offense xD] still though the G3 is about $40 more and comes stock with a good number of the recommeneded Bravo Mods [like the improved Mofsets] so if you like and CAN mod your electronics I think the Bravo is ur amp... but if u can't mod ur electronics xD the Indeed [for $40] should be sufficent. 
 
Still, Indeed G3 sounds great. http://www.head-fi.org/t/642250/review-indeed-g3-modded-hybrid-tube-amp check it out there

 

[Evshrug]

I finally got a multimeter for biasing my tube amp properly, the background is SILENT and I don't have any buzz now. I had both channels turned up to like 18 v each, yeesh! Sounds wonderful now. I'm listening to "Armchair Apocrypha" by Andrew Bird right now, very timely lol, but also alt-rock featuring violin & stuff for a very fun listen, an excellent display of the liquid mids, expansive soundstage, and fun typified by a tubey amp

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I finally got a multimeter for biasing my tube amp properly, the background is SILENT and I don't have any buzz now. I had both channels turned up to like 18 v each, yeesh! Sounds wonderful now. I'm listening to "Armchair Apocrypha" by Andrew Bird right now, very timely lol, but also alt-rock featuring violin & stuff for a very fun listen, an excellent display of the liquid mids, expansive soundstage, and fun typified by a tubey amp

Yea, the Indeed and Bravo apprently sound simmilar. I Belive the Bravo v1 has the Harmonix 6992, and the v2 has the 12UA7. But yea to much Volt won't allow the tube to work. From my understanding to much is bad for the sound, to little is BAD FOR THE AMP... to little volt on ur bias and your tube might explode and to much and the flow of electrons will be to restrive for it to sound good.
 
But I LOVE those nice liquid, rich mids from tubes! My "tubey" cMoy doesn't even compare! 

 

[Evshrug]

Just swapped/tuned a different tube for the first time... From an Amperex 6DJ8 made in Holland (white letters) for a Sylvania JAN 6DJ8, apparently made in the USA (green lettering). It's hard to quickly compare two tubes from the same amp, because I let the new tube warm up before I opened up the amp and biased it, but it is distinctly different... It's less thick, seems to emphasize sweetened highs. The mids and highs seem to sound more like the Ad700 presentation, a little bright and very spacious. And even though it doesn't seem to be based in bass as much, I definitely notice more articulation and detail in my bassy test song ("Angel" by Massive attack... Listening right now, artificial drum stuff hasn't started yet... Ok there's that bit, w/ev).

Ok basically I just put the music on, so far I think I may actually prefer this tube for the detail, air, and texture. Seems that a slight graininess is fading as the tube warms up/burns in. Liking it! I bet this tube would be fantastic for gaming.