The main point of owning good cables is ability to hear the difference between your old and new better device. Otherwise you probably won’t notice any improvement.
Cayin HA-3A, a Compact 6V6s Transformer-coupled Tube Amplifier
- Thread starter Andykong
- Start date
Chuy24
100+ Head-Fier
I’m just jelly of Betula’s Black and White Ebony Caldera
My gorgeous babies!
fullbass
500+ Head-Fier
Yes I can hear the difference between cables. but as I said above there is no point in investing a large amount of money in cables instead of a device. a device should be really expensive and high level to buy expensive cables for it.
The main thing is to have good wire inside and connectors.
but I never understood when someone bought $300-$500 cables for a $500-$1000 device.
Maybe because he knew himself well.
Next year he bought 2k $ device)
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dunpeal
100+ Head-Fier
Hey all, I just got the amp in a day ago and I am hearing some static on all my dynamic driver cans, but planars are dead quiet. I've tried both balanced and RCA connections, but still hear the static. I'm using all stock tubes, but do have some tubes recommended in this thread on the way. Hopefully some tube rolling will fix this. Is this a common issue with the stock tubes?
fullbass
500+ Head-Fier
Usually he wants to buy more expensive cables in such a case as well
For example, I have been using various custom power cords with different costs for a long time. But lately I gave up all of them in favor of a regular black cable with a large thickness (3x2.5mm), which are used for ASIC cryptominers. And you know, these cables are no worse than the custom cables I had. I got a clean, balanced sound. Do you know how much a cable like that costs? 5 dollars. I recommend you try it yourself.
But the RCA/XLR cables I still use are the custom ones. Although their cost does not exceed 200 dollars per pair. And I consider this cost acceptable for a 1000$ amplifier.
Hengstenberg
100+ Head-Fier
please describe "static"
hum, hiss, crackling or noise? will it become louder if you increase the volume or stays the same?
Can you also hear it if volume is 0/off ?
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dunpeal
100+ Head-Fier
It is more of a hiss/crackling sound. I still hear it with the volume at 0, which stays the same till the dial hits 12 o'clock and then gets louder as I turn the dial. Same behavior in balanced or SE irrespective of gain.
Hengstenberg
100+ Head-Fier
According to my experience with Cayin amps, crackling comes most from a non or very poor isolated USB connection or a EMF source near the amp and constant "hiss" even at volume 0 comes from the amp itself.
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Anyone have link to cage extension part?
Chuy24
100+ Head-Fier
You can google for "banana plugs", there are many you can choose from. Different colors, lengths, branding, and materials.
NJoyzAudio
100+ Head-Fier
Chuy24
100% agree with Renexx (Who is a great resource in this forum, as many of his posts here helped me along in my searches too, especially the chart he posted that showed a divided into 4 quadrants for 12AU7 tube sound by make/model. THANK YOU Renexx, can't remember if I've properly passed on my sincerest thanks to you as that helped me along also)
When I went looking for original Mazda 6v6G ST, I saw and purchased a pair of these from KCA, and they were true NOS, and one had a Mazda logo but as Renexx is reporting I do NOT think they were Mazda's as the sound signature is much warmer than the True Mazda 6V6G's I run as daily drivers today
Interesting to read Renexx's comments that Mazda did re-label Brimars which I think these are (see below) .
Mazda's tend to be a little more to the neutral side, but have clear solid bass/mid-bass just not overly warm. I think Renexx is correct here. Nothing but good things to say about KCA as one tube came in DOA, but I could tell it was tested and the pair was matched so probably just shipping mishap. KCA quickly replaced it, and true to word the replacement and one of the originals are labeled with a Mazda logo, but they sure don't sound like it. (NOTE I don't think any odd things are going on here with the KCA side, on the contrary he is selling what the tubes were labeled as, and doing so in complete good faith IMO - I consider him one of the good guys out there selling and can recommend KCA with Confidence from the experience I've had with him)
I've found true Mazda 6V6G ST and 6V6GTY's in the US but I just prefer the older ST tubes (Personal thing, not really around the sound but I keep telling myself they do sound different, friends have called me out on this...FYI) and these are just getting flat out harder to find.
Betula,
I've seen advertised some true Mazda vintage logo'd 6v6GT and GTY tubes from what others have stated are reputable sellers, but like you found with tubes from the US, they are mostly in Europe, so I have the opposite $80-$120 shipping to the US, so I can't confirm both reputation and authenticity of their tubes as I have not tried purchasing from them.
I posted about a month back all of the tubes I went out and found as the tube rolling bug bit me pretty hard.
I've got the KCA 6v6G ST Tubes (sound suspiciously like Brimars I've borrowed from a friend to compare them with that his were labeled as Brimar and they sound similar), a set of RAF Blackglass 6v6G/CV509, I've been able to secure 2 sets of the Mazda 6V6G ST's, a set of Fivre 6v6G ST's and the 2 sets of Bendix 5992's
Hanging on to all of them for now as each of these 6V6's sound different, and in general all 6V6's are just getting harder to find due to many of the guitarists snapping them up for their amps as the supply of 6V6's for amps out of Russia has affected the availability for these musicians, and I've personally seen a run on 6V6 tubes of ANY make and style, but may turn a few sets I have loose as they are now just sitting, haven't decided to date.
I've also added to the 12AU7 NOS stash I posted previously with a set of Amperex 7316's (12AU7's that were made to a tigher spec to compete with the higher grade Mullard and Telefunken's), and a set NOS RCA Grey Plate clear tops, but may soon thin out that stash too as I just keep coming back to the Bugle Boy 12AU7's or the Mullard E80cc's (or really any of the E80cc's I have from Philips, Tungsram or Amperex) and those NOS tubes from RCA and others just sit. I'm not doing any of them justice
As noted I may still try out some older Mullard's before they too become extinct, but leary of going to eBay for these as just keep reading too many horror stories of relabeling/mislabeling of many Mullard 12AU7's due to their popularity. Probably also one of the reasons I don't pull the trigger on the many so called NOS Telefunken G73R's out there, as also have read some relabeling or finding out not NOS but pulls with over 50% life gone horror stories there too (and not willing to chance the HUGE investment it will take to get those, plus not sure I want to spend that much, when I can allocate those funds for something else. for this hobby..)
Again Thanks for letting us know Chuy24 for your finding, appreciate it when anyone on these forums helps out another!
Hope this info helps
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Chuy24
100+ Head-Fier
NJoyz the great one. Thanks for the heads up and great knowledge. Looking at it now and comparing it to yours I do notice a slight difference in appearance as well.
I believe these cheap power cords are good enough for a minimalistic headphone system, but not for me. I mostly listen to speakers, my speaker cables are not shielded (and relatively cheap) just because all of my power cords are shielded. The last thing I want is the mains hum from my speakers. It has been proven by experience.
Sorry for all these debates after my reply to TheAbyss2022. He asked me about XLR interconnects I recommend. I can’t recommend anything but items tested by myself.
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