[PrTv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godkin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Welcome back, PrTv. Good to hear you're still enjoying your 332. I sold my 332 a while back and now own its successor, the 3322. Same tubes, but a more radical design. I agree with you, the 332 isn't working at its best with low imepdance headphones, though I tried the 3322 with a pair of 32ohm SUPERLUX HD681s and it didn't sound bad at all.

About the synergy with low impedance headphones, my friend modified his DV332 by replacing most of its component inside with audio-grade parts, and replacing the stock IEC socket with one from Furutec.

At the end the amp sounded a lot better and to my surprise, the synergy with ATH W5K significantly improved. My friend even preferred this amp to the HA5000 (which was designed originally by ATH to use with its W5K headphones).

About the amp's operating temperature, do you guys let it run hot?

I know that vacuum tube runs hot, but what worries me about this amp is the fact that the components inside aren't so good. I don't know how much longer they can survive if the internal temperature is as high as 70-80C (I don't know if it'll be that hot but here in Thailand in summer the room temp can go as high as 33C). So I always have a big fan blown at the case to keep it cool, but the noise is so annoying.

 

[gbacic]

FULL EDIT:
I'm stupid and paranoid and I plugged it into line in instead of DAC out on my Compass...

 

[Mullet]

Anyone have a pair of Svetlanas they want to sell or trade. I'm getting 4 ulys and I decided I would like to try the Svets first if possible. Still haven't received my 332c.

 

[psej71]

Hi all

I've got a chance of getting this amp with some upgraded tubes - I think Ericsson 403B's and M8100's.

This is my first adventure into headphone amps as at the moment I am running my AKG K702's through my Cyrus preamp preXvs. After reading through this thread I am really enthused about this amp and I am sure it will give me better sound than my pre amp.

Can I ask if you think this amp will be able to drive my 702's effectively. I'm a newbie and not sure about all this ohms and stuff (sorry!).

Cheers all

Paul

P.S. Forgot to say I'm in the UK and so will the voltage be an issue?

 

[Mullet]

I don't think you have to worry man. There are quite a few people in this thread along with the other Darkvoice related threads that have the AKG701s and are quite happy with how they play with these amps. Do a search in the thread and you'll find quite a few results.

 

[cws5]

Hi All,

Just received my DV332 yesterday. Been listening non-stop.

TUBES
Power: Svetlana 6c19n-b; Ulyanov 6c19n; Ulyanov 6c19n-b.
Preamp: CV4010, Ericsson 403B.

THOUGHTS SO FAR
The DV332 is clearly an upgrade from my ASL MkII DT/OTL. More controlled bass. Better resolution of detail. And the better resolution allows the coming through of those sound signals that make for a deeper and wider soundstage. Some on Head-fi have commented on the relative fatigue induced by the treble extension of the DV332, but that has not been my experience; on the contrary, the amp is less fatiguing than the ASL, while the top end nevertheless manages to not sound rolled-off. That is, to achieve the same level of upper-end realism on the ASL, I'd have to choose tubes that tended to brighten the sound too much, leading to fatigue. But with the DV332, the upper-end is there, unveiled, but without the harshness the ASL suffered when fitted with tubes that let the upper-end through.

CAVEATS
Your experiences with the DV332 might differ from mine. If that's so, the difference might be due to our using different sources or listening to different types of music. I'm running lossless FLAC, through an MHDT Constantine non-oversampling DAC, with solid silver interconnects, listening almost exclusively to sonically complex orchestral music or chamber music.

So that's it for now. I'd be interested in thoughts any of you DV332 owners have about your experiences with the amp not already mentioned somewhere in this thread.

 

[spookygonk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by psej71 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can I ask if you think this amp will be able to drive my 702's effectively. I'm a newbie and not sure about all this ohms and stuff (sorry!).

I recently got a pair of K701s and they sound great with my DV332, so you don't have to worry.

 

[cws5]

With more days of listening, I can now confirm, and admit, that I was wrong in my earlier post: contrary to what I had claimed, the DV332 is indeed just as bright as some have suggested.

 

[setamp]

It is interesting that some consider this amp to be bright.  I find it to extremely smooth and I am VERY sensitive to brightness/harshness of any kind.  I am using a Music Hall Maverick>MAC Palladium Cables>DV332 (sylvania 6ak5w)>DT990/600 and the results are warm and sweet.

 

[cws5]

After opening up the amp and making a sketch of the circuit, it's clear what is the main cause of the brightness some have found: the output coupling cap is grossly undervalued. It's 30uf. Most OTL amps come stock with at least a 100uf valued cap, though for the 300ohm HD600s so many use will be better served by a 220uf cap. So a common mod is to up that standard 100uf value. 
 
With the 30uf cap and a pair of HD600s, that puts the corner frequency for the DV332 at over 17Hz. What you want is a corner frequency of about 2Hz, since phase shift is known to occur at up to about 10x the corner frequency, which would be 170Hz. It's no wonder that the mid-bass is anemic. With the mid-bass response anemic, for types of music with wide dynamic fluctuation (like orchestral), to hear the heart of the music (the midrange) in low volume passages, the amp's volume must be set high enough, but that then puts the more easily produced high frequencies into ear-bleed territory in the loud passages.
 
The first mod any DV332 owner not happy with the unit's sound ought to do is to replace that cap. I've now got the stock cap paralleled with a 220uf electrolytic. The sound is much, much improved. It's not the best solution -- the cap should outright be replaced to avoid the problems created by paralleling different types of caps of such similar value. Most reasonable here would be a 220uf electrolytic bypassed with a small-value film cap.
 
Why does the amp come stock with the wrong cap? Probably due to cost and pricing limitations, given the designer's desire to use a film rather than electrolytic cap. The stock cap is an SCR MKP cap. That is, it's a Solen film cap, which is of course a nice cap to use for audio signal applications. Retail they cost about $8US each. Even just a 100uf MKP cap can run 3 to 4 times that much money, not to speak of what a 220uf would cost. (And the 220uf wouldn't even fit in the chassis.) Adding that cost would significantly cut into what is already probably a pretty small profit margin, or would increase the retail price too much, making the DV amps much less appealing to the producers' target market.
 
The moral here is that an electrolytic of the proper value is a much better choice than a film cap of a horribly incorrect value. Even the folks at Bottlehead, who sure know what they're doing, supply their Crack OTL kit with an electrolytic for that output coupling cap. 

 

[setamp]

Nice detective work!

 

[dhammavijaya]

Anyone know if the HiFiMAN HE-5LE would go well with the 332?

 

[agnostic1er]

Hello,
 
I just bought a used Senn HD 800. My current amp is a top notch solid state DIY one. I'm happy with this combo, very resolving and neutral, seems the HD800 gives me exactly what it's "technically" capable of with a well engeniered SS amp.
However I have the opportunity to buy a DV THA332 for a very good price and ask myself if it could be worth in terms of listening results vs this SS amp. Never tried tubes haed amp but they catch my curiosity, tube rolling, caps tweaking...
So what do you think about this idea?
Thanks.

 

[archsam]

Having 'rediscovered' this thread, I thought it might be fun to contribute to this 'ancient' post after so many years

I bought the Darkvoice 332 way back in 2007, when I was just settling in the UK and was strapped for cash. The DV amp was a pretty expensive purchase at the time, and it was one of the first real 'hifi' gear I bought new. I enjoyed many hours listening to this amp, paired first with a Sennheiser HD 595, then later with my AKG K702 (I still have both cans). Those were the days when the HD650 was the summit of headphones at under £300 and I couldn't afford them at the time! Anyway, I really enjoyed what was then the start of my audio journey. I used to follow this tread, and at the advice of many posters I played with tube rolling and had a great time doing that.

Time past, and I moved on from the Darkvoice amp. I packed it up and it stayed in the shed for many many years. Then yesterday when I was reorganising my AV shelf I realized there is now a free spot I can place the Darkvoice amp. So, what the heck, I went and dig up the amp from the shed. The heavy duty packaging did a great job protecting the unit, and when I placed it on my shelf it is looking pristine, not a scratch on the shiny black casing.

My audio journey has clearly moved on since my younger days back in 2007. I just purchased a Matrix Audio Element X DAC / streamer, a state of the art source component that is a far cry from the days when I bought cheap second hand gears from ebay. I stream FLAC and DSF files from my home NAS to the the Element X via wifi, and playback is either through my Harbeth P3esr speakers, or my current favourite headphones the Focal Clear. All I am trying to say is that the sound quality I am now accustom to is well past my 2007 setup.

So I hooked up the Darkvoice to my Element X via RCA, and plugged in my Focal Clear, just to see what the sound is like. I have little expectations, the DAC / headphone combo cost well over 10x the price of the Darkvoice. On top of that, the Element X's headphone amps are excellent with more detail and 3D sound stage than what I have experienced so far in my set up. Besides, the Darkvoice is OLD! Well, just for fun, let's see how it goes.

What I heard really surprised me. The Darkvoice delivered a fantastic clear sound, with lots of detail and a smooth mid that puts weight behind the vocals. The bass is a little loose compared to my other amps (I am more used to solid state amps inside the Element X / my old Benchmark DAC1, even the headphone out from my Yamaha A-S3000 is really good) but my God, they go deep, and with more weight and power than all my other headphone outputs can manage. It doesn't present a holographic sound stage (definitely shallower than what I'm now used to) but it does not distract from the fantastic overall presentation I'm hearing.

The sound is so good I've been listening to this amp non stop since I hooked it up yesterday!

In this world where we are always chasing the latest and greatest 'next big thing', it's nice to rediscover where we are is not necessary better than where we came from. My Darkvoice amp will now (re)occupy a permanent spot in my living room.

 

[spookygonk]

I know this is a another time jump / bump, but I'm going to get my old DV332 in for a technical checkup as it hasn't been used for about 10 years. Is there somewhere I can find a copy of the schematic drawings / electrical circuit diagrams of the Darkvoice 332 amp to pass on to the technician?

Thanks in advance.