[brokemember]

Got it.

Btw, the umbilical cord is 89cm (in case someone else is looking for that information too).

 

[Wes S]

Hey folks! Happy to say, I will be joining the HA300mk2 club soon, as I just purchased a silver version from my favorite dealer this morning. This will be my first time ever hearing a 300B tube, and I am so pumped I can barely contain myself. I am an avid tube roller, and can't wait to have some serious fun with this amp. I plan to stick with the stock 300B's for a while just to get a base line. As for the 6SN7's, I already have a ton of experience with those, and plan to roll them from the start, as I know new production 6SN7's can't hold a candle next to some of the better NOS ones. Fun times ahead and more to come soon. . .

 

[dadracer2]

Hey folks! Happy to say, I will be joining the HA300mk2 club soon, as I just purchased a silver version from ZMF this morning. This will be my first time ever hearing a 300B tube, and I am so pumped I can barely contain myself. I am an avid tube roller, and can't wait to have some serious fun with this amp. I plan to stick with the stock 300B's for a while just to get a base line. As for the 6SN7's, I already have a ton of experience with those, and plan to roll them from the start, as I know new production 6SN7's can't hold a candle next to some of the better NOS ones. Fun times ahead and more to come soon. . .

Yes please, keep us updated. This is a topic I have been pondering over for a while now.

 

[steve468]

Hey folks! Happy to say, I will be joining the HA300mk2 club soon, as I just purchased a silver version from my favorite dealer this morning. This will be my first time ever hearing a 300B tube, and I am so pumped I can barely contain myself. I am an avid tube roller, and can't wait to have some serious fun with this amp. I plan to stick with the stock 300B's for a while just to get a base line. As for the 6SN7's, I already have a ton of experience with those, and plan to roll them from the start, as I know new production 6SN7's can't hold a candle next to some of the better NOS ones. Fun times ahead and more to come soon. . .

I've seen your tube rolling proclivities in the ZMF Pendant thread - a habit (addiction?) I also share. I will say though, at least on the mk1, the stock tubes were actually pretty good. Not the best, but not the worst. What was apparent though was some thought was put into the choices - they were clearly going for a warm and detailed sound, and selected based on that. There's real synergy in the stock roll. Hopefully it's no different for the mk. 2.

Congratulations, and welcome to the club! I bet you're gonna love the HA-300.

 

[brokemember]

@steve468 if I'm not mistaken you had used some other tubes to help with the hum/noise when using headphones such as the ZMF VCs, do you happen to have any specific/updated recommendations for people dealing with the hum issue?

 

[steve468]

@steve468 if I'm not mistaken you had used some other tubes to help with the hum/noise when using headphones such as the ZMF VCs, do you happen to have any specific/updated recommendations for people dealing with the hum issue?

I have a pair of Melz 1578 that were the quietest in this regard (and probably the my favourites overall). Stock tubes are pretty quiet too. But they still aren't completely silent. If I want a completely black background I use an attenuation cable from Garage 1217 that does the job well. No background noise whatsoever, with any sensitive headphone I have.

 

[brokemember]

Didn't know about the attenuation cable, do you feel it takes away from the sound a bit? I understand this question can be a bit hard to answer but whatever input you have would be helpful. My brain says that a cable like this would be 'ruining' the sound that I'm chasing with this amp... on the other hand can't really use my ZMF VCs right now and that is a pretty big bummer!

Stock tubes are pretty quiet too. But they still aren't completely silent

I take it that means that you didn't encounter the hum to the extent some other users have on this thread? Right now the way it is showing up on my end means that you can't listen to anything which has a 'quiet' part. If it was only apparent when nothing was playing then I could probably come to peace with it.

As for the Melz 1578, is there any particular retailer you would recommend?

Thanks

 

[steve468]

Didn't know about the attenuation cable, do you feel it takes away from the sound a bit? I understand this question can be a bit hard to answer but whatever input you have would be helpful. My brain says that a cable like this would be 'ruining' the sound that I'm chasing with this amp... on the other hand can't really use my ZMF VCs right now and that is a pretty big bummer!



I take it that means that you didn't encounter the hum to the extent some other users have on this thread? Right now the way it is showing up on my end means that you can't listen to anything which has a 'quiet' part. If it was only apparent when nothing was playing then I could probably come to peace with it.

As for the Melz 1578, is there any particular retailer you would recommend?

Thanks

The cable probably affects the sound, but it's really hard to tell. A/B-ing is tough in this situation. I THINK the sound is a bit softer with it. I will say if the trade off is not using your VCs you're missing out!

I don't get any hum, what I have is more like a tape hiss. I get the same thing when I plug my headphones into my speaker amp.

As for Melz, they are really hard to get right now. I used a great seller of the really good, hard to find Russian tubes, but he was in Ukraine, so...

 

[brokemember]

I THINK the sound is a bit softer with it. I will say if the trade off is not using your VCs you're missing out!

My thoughts exactly!

As for Melz, they are really hard to get right now. I used a great seller of the really good, hard to find Russian tubes, but he was in Ukraine, so...

I've noticed that with tubes in general (I joined tube gang very recently). If you don't mind I'll send you a link or two, just to get an idea of the tube to get.

 

[steve468]

My thoughts exactly!



I've noticed that with tubes in general (I joined tube gang very recently). If you don't mind I'll send you a link or two, just to get an idea of the tube to get.

There's lots of great info all over Head-fi about which Melz are true 1578, including detailed pictures (try the 6sn7 thread). My understanding is that the defining features are: plates with several vertical holes (holed plates), metal support brackets at the top, as opposed to plastic, and rectangular mica with tabs as opposed to oval. To make things confusing, there are holed plates that are not 1578!

Right now I have a shiny black plate (earlier production) and one matte gray plate (1984 production, considered inferior). They work, but I'd love to get a pair that are closer in years and construction. That's how I know how hard to find they are!

 

[brokemember]

There's lots of great info all over Head-fi about which Melz are true 1578, including detailed pictures (try the 6sn7 thread). My understanding is that the defining features are: plates with several vertical holes (holed plates), metal support brackets at the top, as opposed to plastic, and rectangular mica with tabs as opposed to oval. To make things confusing, there are holed plates that are not 1578!

Right now I have a shiny black plate (earlier production) and one matte gray plate (1984 production, considered inferior). They work, but I'd love to get a pair that are closer in years and construction. That's how I know how hard to find they are!

Thanks. Guess I have to do some more reading — was secretly hoping that it would be as simple as going to ebay and buying from the first link.

If you don't mind me asking, how much should I expect the tubes to cost (on average)?

 

[steve468]

Thanks. Guess I have to do some more reading — was secretly hoping that it would be as simple as going to ebay and buying from the first link.

If you don't mind me asking, how much should I expect the tubes to cost (on average)?

This picture should be all you need to identify 1578s. As for how much to pay, I can't even find any for sale, so . They've absolutely exploded, and the few I've spied for sale recently were among the most expensive 6sn7 variants right now. Sucks for us that were slow to jump on the train.

 

[Wes S]

This picture should be all you need to identify 1578s. As for how much to pay, I can't even find any for sale, so . They've absolutely exploded, and the few I've spied for sale recently were among the most expensive 6sn7 variants right now. Sucks for us that were slow to jump on the train.

I have been buying hard to find NOS tubes for years, and it seems they show up in cycles. There are more and more collectors (hoarders) selling their stashes as they get too old to hear properly or perhaps just need money, and I am sure more 1578's will show up sooner or later. I think a few members in this thread have been buying them up left and right for a while now as well, and I imagine most of them have more than they need already and will quite buying them eventually. So, I have a good feeling we will see some more in the future eventually.

 

[brokemember]

I have been buying hard to find NOS tubes for years, and it seems they show up in cycles. There are more and more collectors (hoarders) selling their stashes as they get too old to hear properly or perhaps just need money, and I am sure more 1578's will show up sooner or later. I think a few members in this thread have been buying them up left and right for a while now as well, and I imagine most of them have more than they need already and will quite buying them eventually. So, I have a good feeling we will see some more in the future eventually.

@steve468

At the risk of giving away how little I know of tubes....a ballpark number would really help. The only tubes I have ever priced were the WE 300B tubes and those were a lot simpler to figure out!

For example, I see tubes listed on online any where from around $100 to mid $200s — and a couple in the $60s.

 

[steve468]

There you go, you have your ballpark. Honestly, I'm no expert - there are people here with MUCH bigger tube collections and knowledge bases for buying tubes. I've only been in it less than 2 years, and I certainly made mistakes at the beginning. I mostly regret buying too much of the tubes that would not end up being my favourites after I'd tried more.

Just keep reading and learning from the fine folks here on the internets, and you'll be fine. And don't pay more than you're comfortable with, many of the most expensive tubes are only a bit better, or even just different than the cheaper tubes.