Are you going to say next that my $899 super rejecter crystal doesn't rearrange the atoms in the air near my RCA inputs, pushing away the noisy atoms from the amp?!
In fact, this is like your psychanalyse it gives you a lot of benefits if you pay a lot for it. So I shouldn't say it is not useful. I've visited once a kind of shop where you have crystal, special wood feet, decoupling plates ... and selling €€€ cables. That was a nice journey.
This is when I talk a bit more about the driver tubes used in Destiny. This is Eric's choice of drivers to drive the 300b tubes. I've not heard of 6EM7 / 6AE7 before and a quick Google search reveal this...
The 6EM7 double triode was purpose designed for 525 line American television receivers.
what's unique about this tube is that the 2 triodes within are of different construction. One half is high gain low current while the other half is low voltage high current. This according to Eric, makes it an ideal 2 stage driver in Odyssey using just one pair of tubes. He would otherwise have to use 6SN7 > 6V6 > 300b to achieve similar effects.
Sadly even though you can buy singles of these tubes, pairs are harder to come by but Eric has enough to issue a pair for each new 300b amp he produce. I was given a choice of Zenith 6EM7 black plates coinbase or GE 6AE7 grey plates high base and I flip a coin and it landed on GE. So that's how I got GE and now Bcowen will be part of my Destiny... I did however buy a pair of Zenith 6AE7 black plates tall base from a friend, so I have enough to last for eternity. Well if I run out, I'll go back to Eric for the coinbase.
Thanks Bill... I did think that Destiny is drop dead gorgeous but it's a living, breathing organism with atoms flowing freely. I would not miss this experience for the world and did I tell you that the sound is also drop dead gorgeous?
@UntilThen - what are those "noise stopper end caps" in the RCA outs?! Never heard of that...
I am so happy to read how much you're enjoying your 300B amp! Hope to join that club in a few months myself
Hello Zachi, Mr Jonathan Livingstone has already explain what those end caps are for and I'm awaiting to see your 'wonder' 300b in a few months time. Should be very exciting !!!
These end caps are not for show. Another friend who got one of Eric's KT150 amps say that when he turn the input selector switch to an unused RCA input, he can hear very faint music that is creeping through. So he bought these gold plated end caps with a inner shaft from AliExpress and bingo it's silence since then. So I got him to buy a pack of 4 pairs for a cheap $30 for me and aside from filtering off noise and RFI suppression, I hope it has some bling. Destiny can't have enough gold.
Do I need Cardas end caps? Nah that's not gold !!!
Destiny is McChanson standard 300b amp with the addition of headphones out provision, interstage transformers in place of capacitors, upgraded hardware which includes CMC style tube sockets, RCA inputs and speakers out. Also comes with double chokes to minimise noise.
I need to clarify this... and for the record, I gain no commission from this amp and paid full price for it.
I did want to point out that the inexpensive Neutrik 1/4 inch and xlr 4-pins headphone outputs of metallic construction are a worthwhile consideration for any amp because the contact is solid. Best I've come across until you can show me something better.
Just to preclude any potential disaster here, there are "caps" like the Cardas ones @jonathan c linked above, and then there are "shorting plugs" where there is a center pin conductor that basically shorts the "+" and "-" portions of the RCA jack together. Shorting plugs are fine to use for input RCA jacks, but never, ever use a shorting plug on an output RCA. Really bad things can or will happen. The caps (like the Cardas with no center pin) are fine for output RCA's, just don't make the mistake of using a shorting plug there by mistake.
Hear, hear, take note. Bcowen does know a thing or two. I always knew he's intelligent. Will have to promote him. He's no longer my driver. He's my PA now.
That will come 3 months later... I have yet to burn in the Gold Lion and that could take many moons. In the next day or 2, this golden child will be taken to the lounge to have a go with my Axis LS88 tower speakers of 4 ohms and 92 dB efficiency.
In 2 months time or more, Odyssey will be arriving and there will be more KT150, KT88, 6550, EL34, EL12 spez tubes to try. Is there such thing as too much fun?
Tomas showed me Odyssey power transformer with silver end cups. Sowter output transformers are still winding. This is the amp that I'll be anticipating more than the golden child.
These end caps are not for show. Another friend who got one of Eric's KT150 amps say that when he turn the input selector switch to an unused RCA input, he can hear very faint music that is creeping through. So he bought these gold plated end caps with a inner shaft from AliExpress and bingo it's silence since then. So I got him to buy a pack of 4 pairs for a cheap $30 for me and aside from filtering off noise and RFI suppression, I hope it has some bling. Destiny can't have enough gold.
Do I need Cardas end caps? Nah that's not gold !!!
Yes you can have some kind of anthena effect on un-plugged SE input but :
Do you listen unplugged source ?
Do you think that unselected hot point is going to your amplifier input signal ?
But if it makes you more comfortable and have a nicer look this is a good buy for you.
About gold, yes it is a better match with your front plate and rca finish
Yes you can have some kind of anthena effect on un-plugged SE input but :
Do you listen unplugged source ?
Do you think that unselected hot point is going to your amplifier input signal ?
But if it makes you more comfortable and have a nicer look this is a good buy for you.
About gold, yes it is a better match with your front plate and rca finish
Not sure if this is relevant in this case but with my DAC it has 2 outputs to amp which are both on simultaneously so obviously the signal could be picked up from the other output to the one in use at the time.
I don't intentionally but once I mistakenly turn the input selector to an empty slot and could hear music very faintly. Was wondering what's wrong with my setup. So these plugs stop that.
Day 2 with Destiny. Was a hurried exercise to listen to speakers with the 300b amp. Rather than moving it into the rack and using the RP8, I grab whatever I can and there's music of the sweetest kind. Did not expect the amp to drive my Axis LS88 4 ohms 92 dB tower speakers so well. @xtiva was on hand and being a classical lover, we listen to some of his cello favourite and I requested Beethoven 5th symphonies. Convincing enough to make me smile. Moving on to more classic tones by Dire Straits 'Brothers in arms', I immediately sober up. Then on to 'Dreams' and Mike Fleetwood drumming was enjoyable again, especially at the intro. Played a couple of oldies by CCR 'Have you ever seen the rain' and Crowded House 'Don't Dream it's Over' and I'm transported to 1986 again.
Nostalgic songs by a nostalgic old school design 300b amp make real because it sound real and surreal at the same time. If I was very pleased with the performances of my various headphones with Destiny, speakers cement my love for the amp. Doing both so well with full body tone and sparkly high end sweetness of which I did not expect.
Towards the end, managed to listen to the original unmodified Sennheiser HD800 and I'm more than convinced that you don't need HE1 but you need HD800 and Destiny.
Circled back now to my 2 days old LCD4 and I'm totally, totally addicted to Destiny ..... let's see how Odyssey fare against this 300b amp. It would be a tough act to follow.
Don't creeped out with my high end cables because that's what the audiofile store send me... cutting cost I think... but that didn't stop the speakers sounding like a touch of heaven.
Lastly I don't know how heavy Destiny weighs but my guesstimate is at least 20kgs ! I remember Tomas telling me that Odyssey will weigh at least 20 kgs. We have 2 Sumo wrestlers here.
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I have yet to burn in the Gold Lion and that could take many moons. In the next day or 2, this golden child will be taken to the lounge to have a go with my Axis LS88 tower speakers of 4 ohms and 92 dB efficiency.
