[mbphotox]

Hi
 
I just recently got a pair of Beyer DT990 (Edition, 250Ohm) and have been eyeing the DestinY Audio Aristaios for years now.. (It's 329€ brand new)
 
I already own a DestinY Audio EL34 Classic Tube amp and love it!

 
 
 
There's only one review and it gets off very nicely considering the price, but I was wondering whether any of you guys had personal experience with it?
I know that it's a rebranded Chinese amp but I also know that (at least in the case of my EL34) they make sure that they are safe and reliable.
 
 
 
I would use it on my desk where I have an ASUS Xonar Essence STX (for linear output and to feed my Yamaha Studio monitors) in the computer.
 
 
Anyone?

 

[mbphotox]

Srsly?
I'll just have to order one myself then..

What replacements for the 6AK5 can you recommend?

Cheers

 

[mbphotox]

Ordered it yesterday and added some Svetlana 6J1P-E tubes (set of four for 20 bucks, to have two spares at hand)..
 
Really hearing forward to this beauty.
 
 
Unfortunately, the Cayin HA1-1A mk II is out of my budget range..
Should I ever "move up" to a Beyer DT-1990 pro or a Grado RS-2e, I will certainly consider upgrading to the Cayin

 

[mbphotox]

Got it yesterday. It looks beautiful and the haptics are amazing! (I'll take some photos on saturday)
 
Connected the FiiO X5 2nd gen via line-out (3.5mm jack to stereo cinch).
Then I plugged in my 250 Ohm Beyer DT-990 and tried various genres of music.
 
 
First of all, the amp is extremely potent!
I have the line out signal at 0dB and the Poti on the amp never got past 11 o'clock without my ears starting to ring.
 
I'm a purist and love tubes, but I don't usually hear that much into amps.. (although I can differentiate between my Destiny EL34 tube amp and a purely transistor-based amp on high end speakers.)
 
 
The first thing I noticed, was that the Destiny goes MUCH louder than the FiiO, which had me confused at first..
But then I checked the FiiO datasheet again and realised that it's only got 30mW at 300 Ohms, whereas Destiny lists the Aristaios at 300mW (300 Ohms).
 
Then I simply leaned back, focused on the glow of the tubes and relaxed.
 
The amp will get a spot on my desk when my new computer is finished, then I'll get more listening experience and will report further findings.
(Will also try to do a comparison with my ASUS Xonar Essence STX soundcard)
 
 
Cheers

 

[mbphotox]

Took a few pics last night, with one lamp pointed at the ceiling and a black cloth as background.. but they turned out rather nicely, if I may say so myself
 
 

 
 
and without the cages

 
 
This amp will look amazing on my desk with the new computer and everything.

 
 
ps: and this not so pretty one, taken with the smartphone a few minutes ago, shows my "test" setup.
Beyer DT-990, FiiO X5 2nd gen and the Aristaios mk II

 

[mbphotox]

Installed Svetlana tubes and finished my desktop rig.

Unfortunately, there is some weird interference on the tube amp.. I blame the sound card for this, because it's also there on my studio monitors.. (moving the mouse causes a high pitched screeching sound..)
Additionally, the tube amp has a high base noise level that I couldn't yet get rid off.. might have to connect it via the headphone jack instead and not use rca connectors.

 

[mbphotox]

Ordered an ART DTI to isolate the connection..
http://artproaudio.com/isolators/product/dti/

It seems that there is a ground loop in my system and, since everything sits on the same power bar already, something like a DI box seems to be the only solution to that.
Since I don't have/need symmetrical connection, I went with the DTI box. It will also allow me to connect the studio monitors separately via XLR cables should I ever take the tube amp out of the loop.

 

[rikk009]

Good to hear about the amp. There are a lot of companies with good products but a lot of them don't get exposure for lack of trial. Good to hear that you like your purchase. How would you compare both the amps?

Keeping tubes around PCs and wifis is not a good idea IMO.

 

[mbphotox]

I'll grab the DTI tomorrow, then I'll see if I can get rid of the noises..

Which two amps do you want me to compare?
The EL34 doesn't have headphone outs, I'm afraid.

I will, however, try to compare the Aristaios to my Soundcard's amplifier.