andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
I have a Rockville dual 21 band graphic eq. I will take a pic of the eq tonight that I love with my 6xx and HATE with any other headphone.
Eufonika (Valve amps from Poland)
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
real odd. You'd think you'd notice it in only one ear and it'd be more obvious. Maybe someone modded them badly. Definitely doesn't sound like they're how they should be, then.
Have you no shame?! That's beautiful How do you like the Geshellis? I've been eyeing them but I have a good hybrid already. With the swappable dac versions I could sell my Modi 3 and always be able to upgrade. I think I remember they will let you try one out. Is that right?
g0ldl10n
500+ Head-Fier
When I order from Geshelli in the future, I am stealing your idea and having them place their logo on the top like you had them do - looks awesome, and it doesn't hurt their stuff is amazing lol.
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
Haha - thanks man!!! I LOVE my J2s!! left one is 4493, right one (just got it) is J2S 4499 ex dual chip with Sparkos op amps in xlr and rca. Highly recommend the J2s - and Geno and Sherri are awesome to work with. I can't try one out unfortunately, coz I'm slightly "down under",,,
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
Agree 100% - and yes Geno was hesitant at first to "brand" them in Pardauk as it is a soft wood but they all agree it turned out perfectly!! And now the Purple Heart too.
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
I'm excited about the new Dayzee!!!!!
andrewchoppa
500+ Head-Fier
Yes they are certainly going in different directions. If I had the Dayzee, I wouldn't need the 2 J2s haha!!! Maybe one day....Man, their new flagship DAC and AMP, Dayzee and Zoofa look freakin amazing!
Hi, just wanted to drop by and introduce myself, I am new here although been lurking for a long time. I bought my H5KPCU about 6 months ago or so. I have a pair of HD6XX I was using at the time. At first I wasn't really that impressed. It came with a 6N8S and 6080. Wieslaw suggested I try a 6N13s and 6F8G. They arrived last week and the adaptor for the 6F8G arrived today. This is my first OTL and I wasn't sure what to expect. I first installed the 6N13S. I loved it. A few weeks back I got a pair of OG ZMF Auteur. Wow, they really sing on this amp. Today I installed the 6F8G. It sounds wider and imaging seems improved, more detailed too I think? Anyway, I just ordered a pair of ZMF Atrium closed and can't wait to hear them. Can someone educate me a little on OTL design, or specifically my amp, what does each tube do in the signal path? I love the sound so much I am now debating an upgrade.. what are the advantages of moving up the Eufonika ladder? Sorry for all the questions..
LobalWarming
500+ Head-Fier
Congrats! And welcome to the Eufonies Club.Hi, just wanted to drop by and introduce myself, I am new here although been lurking for a long time. I bought my H5KPCU about 6 months ago or so. I have a pair of HD6XX I was using at the time. At first I wasn't really that impressed. It came with a 6N8S and 6080. Wieslaw suggested I try a 6N13s and 6F8G. They arrived last week and the adaptor for the 6F8G arrived today. This is my first OTL and I wasn't sure what to expect. I first installed the 6N13S. I loved it. A few weeks back I got a pair of OG ZMF Auteur. Wow, they really sing on this amp. Today I installed the 6F8G. It sounds wider and imaging seems improved, more detailed too I think? Anyway, I just ordered a pair of ZMF Atrium closed and can't wait to hear them. Can someone educate me a little on OTL design, or specifically my amp, what does each tube do in the signal path? I love the sound so much I am now debating an upgrade.. what are the advantages of moving up the Eufonika ladder? Sorry for all the questions..
The H5 is wonderful OTL design. Plays far above its price point. Given a diverse diet of driver and output tubes - from only the best vintage electron chefs. So far you have but a tasty appetizer. There's many rich, delicious meal plans available.
Output Transformer Less (OTL) have the advantage of working without costly, big, heavy output transformers. In the golden days of tube amplification, transformer coupling was du rigor. Because they were well understood and could be wound to a very high standard. Output transformerless designs were a rarity, as capacitor technology was limited by technology/manufacturing. A good output transformer was the cheaper alternative to at-the-time expensive caps. With the advent of those dreaded solid sand devices, capacitor development needed to be developed - and was, dramatically.
In the 90s, OTL headphone and speaker amps became mainstream - in the tiny little trickle called the audiophile pool. Today, it is much less costly to build a high quality OTL amp than an output transformer coupled amp (OTC). For example, a good pair of output transformers from Lundahl costs about $900-$1200USD.
The topology of an OTL is different from an OTC. Most OTL designs, like the H5, use low impedance output tubes in a cathode follow circuit, which further reduces the output impedance. Usually those tubes are triodes - created originally for AC regulation duty, such as the 6AS7/6080.
Before jumping into the deep end of the OTL pool - where tube costs are double, but satisfaction is not, suggest you collect and roll some gourmet tubes. Seems you are in the UK, you can begin your search with the exquisite tubes of England from GEC, Marconi, Mullard, Brimar, STC and more. Both for drivers and output tubes.
Good places to shop are: https://www.langrex.co.uk/ and https://audiovalves.co.uk
What to shop for? It's a really big list. Why not start with some of my favs from the land of excellent thermionics? Sounds good to me.
Output tubes:
GEC 6AS7 - the most enchanting - and now most expensive 6AS7 ever made.
GEC 6080 - one of my most enjoyable 6080s. The 6080 is eclectically similar to the 6AS7 in straight-sided glass.
Mullard 6080 - almost as tasty as the GEC 6080 - but usually less expensive.
GEC CV4079/A2293 - These are my daily sustenance - more enjoyable to all 6080 to my ears - closer to the mighty GEC 6AS7 than their reasonable cost would imply. The catch is they are single element tubes. Require a pair for that stereo sound that is so popular among two-eared headphone listeners. Adapters are available such as this one. Custom ones are available too.
Driver tubes:
That 6F8G is the predecessor to the 6SN7. My fav is the Tungsol round plate VT-99 from the 1940s. But it's a crass American offering.
In the British 6SN7 family:
Brimar CV1988 - clear or black glass. Not cheap, but very sweet.
GEC B65 - some claim it's the best 6SN7 ever made... and priced like it + 250%
Mullard's rich, potent answer to the 6SN7:
ECC32 - same pinout as 6SN7, but higher heater current - which the H5 can handle. Available for lower cost as the ECC31 - needs an adapter to work in the 6SN7 socket.
ECC33 - Mullard's answer to the 6SN7 for computer use. And delightful sonics for 6SN7 audio use.
ECC34 - lower gain than the ECC32, but if found for a lower cost, a great value.
The best 6SN7 isn't a 6SN7 - it's a pair of 6J5s. Or in this case a pair of L63s. Twin 6J5s, tend to offer a more open, wider soundstage with great tonality - at least the ones from Britain. Requires a dual adapter.
GEC L63 - a great straight-sided tube - at reasonable cost. So far.
GEC/Marconi L63 - glorious tone wrapped in a shapely bottle.
Brimar 6J5G - another shapely beauty with a clean, open balance.
Kiddie's Tubes - or noval. There are so many wonderful options in this playground. Again require an adapter - to migrate those 9 little pins into 8 manly ones.
Mullard CV4003 - ECC82 with the Mullard Magic.
Brimar ECC82 - long plate version can be sublime
ECC82 is the same gain as the 6SN7 and similar electrically.
The ECC81 is higher gain - much higher, but can be a great way to wake up sleepy output tubes.
Brimar 6060 Yellow T - one of my fav driver tubes. Period. Balanced tonally with wonderfully details and precision. Also available from 70s stock - White T. I prefer the Yellow T from the 60s. Some say the 70s version are just as good.
There's also the RFT ECC81 foil getter that is wonderful... but we're not venturing over to the continent just yet.
Twin Kiddies. A single section (and predecessor to the ECC82). Adapter required. To fit into your ECC82 to 6SN7 adapter. Don't worry, eventually it will only seem you have as many adapters as tubes.
Mullard M8080 - Like a 6J5 in a toddler jumpsuit - but big boy sonics.
GEC CV133 - The detail king of the little twins.
That's my little menu from old England. Accumulate most of the above tubes and you will be well on your way to tube rolling bliss - and possible financial ruin.
Later we can discuss the big American output tubes - like the legendary Bendix 6080WB with graphite plates - takes at least 30 minutes to get up to operating heat. Then there's the well-loved and over-priced TungSol 5998. The TungSol 7236 is a lower cost alternative.
Enjoy your H5 - and later let's chat about cap rolling. There's even more fun to be had in the H5.
Wow! That was brilliant! Exactly what I was after. Thanks so much.. a lot to take in.. I will have a look around at some of the tubes you mention, I might as well order the adapters now though eh, they seem to take a bit longer to arrive coming from China! What does the driver tube do vs the output tube? Is it like a pre amp & power amp in a LS stereo?Congrats! And welcome to the Eufonies Club.
The H5 is wonderful OTL design. Plays far above its price point. Given a diverse diet of driver and output tubes - from only the best vintage electron chefs. So far you have but a tasty appetizer. There's many rich, delicious meal plans available.
Output Transformer Less (OTL) have the advantage of working without costly, big, heavy output transformers. In the golden days of tube amplification, transformer coupling was du rigor. Because they were well understood and could be wound to a very high standard. Output transformerless designs were a rarity, as capacitor technology was limited by technology/manufacturing. A good output transformer was the cheaper alternative to at-the-time expensive caps. With the advent of those dreaded solid sand devices, capacitor development needed to be developed - and was, dramatically.
In the 90s, OTL headphone and speaker amps became mainstream - in the tiny little trickle called the audiophile pool. Today, it is much less costly to build a high quality OTL amp than an output transformer coupled amp (OTC). For example, a good pair of output transformers from Lundahl costs about $900-$1200USD.
The topology of an OTL is different from an OTC. Most OTL designs, like the H5, use low impedance output tubes in a cathode follow circuit, which further reduces the output impedance. Usually those tubes are triodes - created originally for AC regulation duty, such as the 6AS7/6080.
Before jumping into the deep end of the OTL pool - where tube costs are double, but satisfaction is not, suggest you collect and roll some gourmet tubes. Seems you are in the UK, you can begin your search with the exquisite tubes of England from GEC, Marconi, Mullard, Brimar, STC and more. Both for drivers and output tubes.
Good places to shop are: https://www.langrex.co.uk/ and https://audiovalves.co.uk
What to shop for? It's a really big list. Why not start with some of my favs from the land of excellent thermionics? Sounds good to me.
Output tubes:
GEC 6AS7 - the most enchanting - and now most expensive 6AS7 ever made.
GEC 6080 - one of my most enjoyable 6080s. The 6080 is eclectically similar to the 6AS7 in straight-sided glass.
Mullard 6080 - almost as tasty as the GEC 6080 - but usually less expensive.
GEC CV4079/A2293 - These are my daily sustenance - more enjoyable to all 6080 to my ears - closer to the mighty GEC 6AS7 than their reasonable cost would imply. The catch is they are single element tubes. Require a pair for that stereo sound that is so popular among two-eared headphone listeners. Adapters are available such as this one. Custom ones are available too.
Driver tubes:
That 6F8G is the predecessor to the 6SN7. My fav is the Tungsol round plate VT-99 from the 1940s. But it's a crass American offering.
In the British 6SN7 family:
Brimar CV1988 - clear or black glass. Not cheap, but very sweet.
GEC B65 - some claim it's the best 6SN7 ever made... and priced like it + 250%
Mullard's rich, potent answer to the 6SN7:
ECC32 - same pinout as 6SN7, but higher heater current - which the H5 can handle. Available for lower cost as the ECC31 - needs an adapter to work in the 6SN7 socket.
ECC33 - Mullard's answer to the 6SN7 for computer use. And delightful sonics for 6SN7 audio use.
ECC34 - lower gain than the ECC32, but if found for a lower cost, a great value.
The best 6SN7 isn't a 6SN7 - it's a pair of 6J5s. Or in this case a pair of L63s. Twin 6J5s, tend to offer a more open, wider soundstage with great tonality - at least the ones from Britain. Requires a dual adapter.
GEC L63 - a great straight-sided tube - at reasonable cost. So far.
GEC/Marconi L63 - glorious tone wrapped in a shapely bottle.
Brimar 6J5G - another shapely beauty with a clean, open balance.
Kiddie's Tubes - or noval. There are so many wonderful options in this playground. Again require an adapter - to migrate those 9 little pins into 8 manly ones.
Mullard CV4003 - ECC82 with the Mullard Magic.
Brimar ECC82 - long plate version can be sublime
ECC82 is the same gain as the 6SN7 and similar electrically.
The ECC81 is higher gain - much higher, but can be a great way to wake up sleepy output tubes.
Brimar 6060 Yellow T - one of my fav driver tubes. Period. Balanced tonally with wonderfully details and precision. Also available from 70s stock - White T. I prefer the Yellow T from the 60s. Some say the 70s version are just as good.
There's also the RFT ECC81 foil getter that is wonderful... but we're not venturing over to the continent just yet.
Twin Kiddies. A single section (and predecessor to the ECC82). Adapter required. To fit into your ECC82 to 6SN7 adapter. Don't worry, eventually it will only seem you have as many adapters as tubes.
Mullard M8080 - Like a 6J5 in a toddler jumpsuit - but big boy sonics.
GEC CV133 - The detail king of the little twins.
That's my little menu from old England. Accumulate most of the above tubes and you will be well on your way to tube rolling bliss - and possible financial ruin.
Later we can discuss the big American output tubes - like the legendary Bendix 6080WB with graphite plates - takes at least 30 minutes to get up to operating heat. Then there's the well-loved and over-priced TungSol 5998. The TungSol 7236 is a lower cost alternative.
Enjoy your H5 - and later let's chat about cap rolling. There's even more fun to be had in the H5.
roderickvd
100+ Head-Fier
Welcome to this cozy thread! Great answer as always by @LobalWarming. Don’t forget about the E80CCs too, loving my Philips Heerlens.
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