[llamaluv]

I bet he will like them in the exact order he listed them.(6sn7 types)

Wait, in ascending or descending order?

 

[ken6217]

Wait, in ascending or descending order?

does it matter? You’re in the headphone hobby. There’s no logic to anything. Buy them all.

 

[llamaluv]

does it matter? You’re in the headphone hobby. There’s no logic to anything. Buy them all.

Yea, true

 

[llamaluv]

As part of doing a "reconnaissance lap", I briefly sampled the headphones I have on hand and found the Susvara easily stood out as the most interesting pairing.

Okay, so I lied: I actually skipped trying the Abyss Phi TC previously, having read some slightly tepid reports on that combination, so wanted to wait until I got some better tubes and/or let things burn in a little first before trying them so as to avoid getting an overly negative first impression.

I swapped out the stock tubes for new (non-burned-in) EML 300B's and Sylvania Baldwin 6SN7GTB's c. 1950 (with low hours still, thanks again, Ken) and can easily say that the synergy is there -- this headphone pairing should work out. Frequency extension is there in full in both directions and it's as big and dynamic and lively as it should be. On the low impedance setting, it sounds extra expressive and loose (as in reactive), while on medium, it's more controlled, somehow.

Edit: Also worth noting is that there's an added midrange emphasis. I'm guessing for now that it's the nature of this pairing rather than the particularities of these (un-burnt-in) tubes. In contrast, I get a slight recession in the lower-to-middle-mids with my speaker amp.

As an aside, I had first tried out some well-burnt-in PSVane CV181 TII's for the driver tubes and found the combination to be well resolving but too bright.

 

[Andykong]

Okay, so I lied: I actually skipped trying the Abyss Phi TC previously, having read some slightly tepid reports on that combination, so wanted to wait until I got some better tubes and/or let things burn in a little first before trying them so as to avoid getting an overly negative first impression.

I swapped out the stock tubes for new (non-burned-in) EML 300B's and Sylvania Baldwin 6SN7GTB's c. 1950 (with low hours still, thanks again, Ken) and can easily say that the synergy is there -- this headphone pairing should work out. Frequency extension is there in full in both directions and it's as big and dynamic and lively as it should be. On the low impedance setting, it sounds extra expressive and loose (as in reactive), while on medium, it's more controlled, somehow.

Edit: Also worth noting is that there's an added midrange emphasis. I'm guessing for now that it's the nature of this pairing rather than the particularities of these (un-burnt-in) tubes. In contrast, I get a slight recession in the lower-to-middle-mids with my speaker amp.

As an aside, I had first tried out some well-burnt-in PSVane CV181 TII's for the driver tubes and found the combination to be well resolving but too bright.

The slightly tepid reports probably originated from me. I shouldn't have said that as a brand rep. but the audiophile blood inside me somehow sold me out.

I think the Abyss AB-1266 + HA-300 is more a synergy issue between 300B power tube and the house sound of 1266, and the latest Phi TC just put things slightly more difficult then the previous version. To me, the glorious part of 300B power tube is intimating mid-range, outstanding microdynamic, extremely rich harmonic and holographic presentation. The headphone implementation of 300B placed these beautiful tonal characteristic in full-scale dynamic and FR extension context, something uneasy to obtain from speaker application. Unfortunately, I still find the 300B lacking if you are after rumbling bass and wide soundstage in a magnificent presentation.

But I haven't heard the EML 300B (I assume you have the XLS version) which is said to be the strongest 300B tube, maybe this can contribute to the synergy issue and help HA-300 and Aybss Phi TC matching. So maybe keeping the Sylvania Baldwin 6SN7GTB as-is, AB compare the stock 300B vs EML 300L with your Abyss Phi TC will clarify my hopothesis.

 

[llamaluv]

I think the Abyss Phi TC offers an important improvement in the mids over its predecessor, which might account for some of the difference. I'm running the non-XLS version of the EML 300Bs...

Here are some updated headphone pairing impressions:

After having listened to the HA-300 exclusively for a few weeks, I'm now in the phase where I'm switching back and forth somewhat between the HA-300 and my other amps to compare, and can say I prefer the Phi TC with the HA-300 over my Pass Labs X150.8 speaker amp, quite handily. For me, the "musicality" and fuller mids of the HA-300 wins, and it's more tonally balanced in general. Also, I'd previously commented on how I heard the TC as being a little extra-forward in the mids on the HA-300, but after the power tubes burned in, I no longer think that's the case (I kind of regret now that -- in my enthusiasm -- I started posting impressions while the amp and tubes were still close to brand-new :/ ).

For the Susvara, however, the X150.8 wins for being faster, more expansive-sounding, and having deeper bass extension. Though the HA-300 still sounds very good with the Susvara and brings something slightly different -- as I'd mentioned earlier, and especially with acoustic music -- so I anticipate doing a good part of my listening with the it on the HA-300 into the future...

A couple other headphones to mention:

The Denon D9200 sounds fantastic. I think I was vaguely not expecting much for this pairing for some reason, but what the HA-300 brings to the party is probably most evident with this headphone over the others I've tried. Most of all, it opens it up a lot. This headphone is criminally overlooked (IMO), and really sings when paired well. I prefer the HA-300 over the DAVE headphone-out, and it promotes the D9200 to being on the same playing field as the rest of my headphones in terms of preference (despite it being a closed-back, which I normally only fall back to for purposes of sound isolation).

Same goes for the Empyrean (which I'd been borrowing for a couple weeks), as @ken6217 has mentioned. There's a mid-range bloom and very nice soundstage expansion which cuts through the Empyrean veil and slightly closed-back-like sound. I prefer it on the HA-300 to the DAVE headphone-out as well.

Last up is the Utopia, which sounds very good, but I have to do more listening to have much more useful to say on it. Except that it more than the others sounds the most like itself (hopefully that makes sense... to someone ).

 

[Andykong]

I think the Abyss Phi TC offers an important improvement in the mids over its predecessor, which might account for some of the difference. I'm running the non-XLS version of the EML 300Bs...

Here are some updated headphone pairing impressions:

After having listened to the HA-300 exclusively for a few weeks, I'm now in the phase where I'm switching back and forth somewhat between the HA-300 and my other amps to compare, and can say I prefer the Phi TC with the HA-300 over my Pass Labs X150.8 speaker amp, quite handily. For me, the "musicality" and fuller mids of the HA-300 wins, and it's more tonally balanced in general. Also, I'd previously commented on how I heard the TC as being a little extra-forward in the mids on the HA-300, but after the power tubes burned in, I no longer think that's the case (I kind of regret now that -- in my enthusiasm -- I started posting impressions while the amp and tubes were still close to brand-new :/ ).

For the Susvara, however, the X150.8 wins for being faster, more expansive-sounding, and having deeper bass extension. Though the HA-300 still sounds very good with the Susvara and brings something slightly different -- as I'd mentioned earlier, and especially with acoustic music -- so I anticipate doing a good part of my listening with the it on the HA-300 into the future...

A couple other headphones to mention:

The Denon D9200 sounds fantastic. I think I was vaguely not expecting much for this pairing for some reason, but what the HA-300 brings to the party is probably most evident with this headphone over the others I've tried. Most of all, it opens it up a lot. This headphone is criminally overlooked (IMO), and really sings when paired well. I prefer the HA-300 over the DAVE headphone-out, and it promotes the D9200 to being on the same playing field as the rest of my headphones in terms of preference (despite it being a closed-back, which I normally only fall back to for purposes of sound isolation).

Same goes for the Empyrean (which I'd been borrowing for a couple weeks), as @ken6217 has mentioned. There's a mid-range bloom and very nice soundstage expansion which cuts through the Empyrean veil and slightly closed-back-like sound. I prefer it on the HA-300 to the DAVE headphone-out as well.

Last up is the Utopia, which sounds very good, but I have to do more listening to have much more useful to say on it. Except that it more than the others sounds the most like itself (hopefully that makes sense... to someone ).

When we launch the HA-300 at Canjam New York 2018, we have the Susvara, Kennerton Thror (debut), Empyrean (debut) and Utopia on the same audition bench and the Utopia with DanaCable Lazuli Reference cable stands out as the most impression setup according to a lot of visitors, Dave Hanson described this combo as "perfect synergy" and "one of those listening sessions I know will stick with me for a long time". I bought a set of Lazuli Reference cable from Dana at the end of the show, unfortunately I don't have the Utopia after that. So my advice is, get a good copper headphone cable for your HA-300/Utopia combo, it will shine.

 

[llamaluv]

I used to own the Lazuli Reference for the Utopia, and liked it just fine. Since then I've gone in the opposite direction with a Wireworld Nano Eclipse Platinum.

 

[Jon L]

I used to own the Lazuli Reference for the Utopia, and liked it just fine. Since then I've gone in the opposite direction with a Wireworld Nano Eclipse Platinum.

Hmm.. the Wireworld is small AWG pure silver (27 AWG). It is not too lean in tone?

 

[llamaluv]

Hmm.. the Wireworld is small AWG pure silver (27 AWG). It is not too lean in tone?

I'd always subscribed to the the-thicker-the-better school of thought and made my cable choices accordingly, but this was the cable that disabused me of that notion as one which is overly simplistic.

It's not thin with the Utopia with any good upstream components (and definitely not so on something like a 300B tube amp). It's very dynamic and resolving, fast and deep in the bass. Brighter than the Danacable house sound for sure, though neutral in absolute terms (IMO). It's my favorite cable on the Utopia out of about half a dozen I've owned (including the Lazuli Ref), though everyone's preferences differ and I usually prefer silver to copper.

As an aside, when used with an adapter on the Abyss Phi TC, I find it to be less sucked-out in the lower-mids compared to the Abyss stock cable.

 

[Strayngs]

Hi guys. I Am very interested in this amp. I used to own a ampsandsound SE84. And miss it sooo much. I sold it when I purchased my Audeze LCD4. Has anyone tried a LCD4 with this amp? I am wanting to get that tube sound again as my Wells Audio Milo is good....but I miss my tubes.

Second question. Does that black protective cover over the tubes that I have seen in some of the pictures come with the amp? Thanks guys.

 

[ken6217]

I can only answer one of your questions. The protective cover does come with the amp.

 

[Jon L]

It's my favorite cable on the Utopia...
As an aside, when used with an adapter on the Abyss Phi TC, I find it to be less sucked-out in the lower-mids compared to the Abyss stock cable.

But is it your favorite cable on the Abyss..?
I think I am just going to make my own shorter Abyss cable at this point, possibly with VH Audio OCC copper with Airlok or OCC silver with Airlok, maybe a hybrid of both...

 

[llamaluv]

But is it your favorite cable on the Abyss..?
I think I am just going to make my own shorter Abyss cable at this point, possibly with VH Audio OCC copper with Airlok or OCC silver with Airlok, maybe a hybrid of both...

Jon, I'll PM you in a sec so as to not go further off-topic.

 

[CayinSupport]

Cayin's Chinese New Year Holiday Announcement

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