[UntilThen]

Last tour and farewell song from Crowded House on the forecourt of the Opera House.
 
Don't Dream It's Over.
 

 

[louisxiawei]

Hey guys,
 
My  new Mullard 6080WA arrived today. However, When I put them on the Elise first time, after switched on for about 5 minutes, I can hear a ring-ish sound like "Dang" from the right channel like every other 5 seconds. Is it normal? 
 
After I played few songs, the interval time of that "dang" noise gets longer, like every 20 seconds and that "Dang" goes quieter. Any idea what that sound is? Is it supposed to be like that as new tubes?

 

[UntilThen]

  Hey guys,
 
My  new Mullard 6080WA arrived today. However, When I put them on the Elise first time, after switched on for about 5 minutes, I can hear a ring-ish sound like "Dang" from the right channel like every other 5 seconds. Is it normal? 
 
After I played few songs, the interval time of that "dang" noise gets longer, like every 20 seconds and that "Dang" goes quieter. Any idea what that sound is? Is it supposed to be like that as new tubes?

Louis, I'm really happy for you. I am smiling for you not because of the 'dang' sound but what you told me. Please share your experience with the group here.
 
I feel extreme joy when someone tells me how wonderful Elise sounds even on the first listen. 

 
ps.. that noise is probably the tube being new and breaking in. If it doesn't go away after several hours, let us know otherwise you are fine and should have a wonderful time listening to music.

 

[louisxiawei]

 
Louis, I'm really happy for you. I am smiling for you not because of the 'dang' sound but what you told me. Please share your experience with the group here.
 
I feel extreme joy when someone tells me how wonderful Elise sounds even on the first listen. 

 
ps.. that noise is probably the tube being new and breaking in. If it doesn't go away after several hours, let us know otherwise you are fine and should have a wonderful time listening to music.

UT helped me out by PM, thanks a lot. I will keep an ear on the noise after several hours burn-in.

---

Now I can finally enjoy the beauty of Elise.  
 
I'm not a fuzzy person or having any placebo effect but I've never heard my T1 like this good before. I especially listened to Alice Sara Ott's new album "Wonderland: Edvard Grieg -  Piano Concerto" with my SS-amp lehmann linear over and over again during last weekend due to the bad stock tube and want to have a fresh comparison.
 
Alice produced the requisite thunder and lightning yet poetic passion in this concerto of Grieg. As I told UT in PM, first listen out of Elise is amazing. I'm so shocked. The sound is so grand and rich. Musically dynamic explosion while micro-detail are more real and lush, I feel no odd when capturing those details (string, bassoon, Cello bass, etc they are just musical compared to no-musical, analytical SS-amp Lehmann) . 
 
I have a feeling that with my SS-AMP Lehamnn, I was listening to a very sonic produced album record. With Elise, I feel like I sit in the concert grand hall listen to this beautiful piece with red velvet curtain behind it. (I'm not exaggerating). Maybe the lushness reminds me of the red velvet curtain on the stage.
 
Keep burning.
 
Will keep you update with my Elise. Thanks again for all your guys' wonderful recommendation.
 
 

 

[richdytch]

  Hey guys,
 
My  new Mullard 6080WA arrived today. However, When I put them on the Elise first time, after switched on for about 5 minutes, I can hear a ring-ish sound like "Dang" from the right channel like every other 5 seconds. Is it normal? 
 
After I played few songs, the interval time of that "dang" noise gets longer, like every 20 seconds and that "Dang" goes quieter. Any idea what that sound is? Is it supposed to be like that as new tubes?

Hi Louis, I have a phenomenon like that with my elise in both channels simultaneously. It varies depending on the tubes I'm using. I've always assumed it was something to do with a ground loop that I've never quite managed to isolate... but I really am not sure. 
 
It doesn't generally bother me... these days. I've learned to accept it... if I connect to amp with lower gain than my quad, I can't hear it at all. 

 

[richdytch]

So folks, here's a question. If I wanted to achieve the weight of the RCA 6080, as well as its ability to turn down the glare on sharp recordings, BUT also to combine it with the silky transparency of the Chatham 6AS7G, which power tube would you recommend? 
 
Answers on a postcard please, thank you!
 
PS I can't afford anything made by GEC. 

 

[UntilThen]

@richdytch  I'm going to address those 2 things one at a time.
 
I'm not sure the 'dang' noise is normal or what it's attributed to. All I know is in my setup with headphones or using Elise as preamp, with any tubes, I have zero noise. That's right. Zero.
 
To get weight, lushness and transparency at the same time depends on the whole chain, not just the tubes used in Elise. Because I can tell you which tube combination gives me that but then I'm using T1 mainly, at times modded HD650 or HE560. You are using speakers.
 
So for me, to get weight, transparency, warm and lushness with T1 headphone, I'd pick EL3N and Chatham 6520. 5998 works too. If I'm using modded HD650, I could even have gone with C3G and 5998 because HD650 has a more saturated tone.
 
ps... I should add that the eventual sound you hear depends on driver and power tube combination because you have only mention about power tube recommendation.

 

[Oskari]

Hey guys,

My  new Mullard 6080WA arrived today. However, When I put them on the Elise first time, after switched on for about 5 minutes, I can hear a ring-ish sound like "Dang" from the right channel like every other 5 seconds. Is it normal? 

After I played few songs, the interval time of that "dang" noise gets longer, like every 20 seconds and that "Dang" goes quieter. Any idea what that sound is?

Thermal expansion?

 

[UntilThen]

Thermal expansion?

Yup, it goes 'Tick tock, tick tock.... boom'.

 

[Oskari]

Yup, it goes 'Tick tock, tick tock.... boom'.

Not as violent as that.

 

[pctazhp]

I want to say something about noise. Like @UntilThen I have had virtually no problem with tube noise. I did have a hum with ECC20 but that was easily solved with grounding. And I had some early problems with the EL3N six-pack, but I think that might have been an adapter problem or just needed burn-in time on some of the EL3Ns I was using. For me the six-pack is not one of my favorites, so I haven't used it in a long time. Unlike UT, I don't use Elise as a pre-amp.
 
Other than that I have had ZERO noise with all the numerous tubes I have had in my Elise.
 
It seems to me that sounds like thumping or dangs aren't ground loop problems, which should sound like a steady hum. And it seems that such problems are far more likely related to tubes themselves instead of something defective with the Elise. I don't see how it could be a design problem with the Elise as many people seem to have no problem. And given the age of most of the tubes we use, it seems like the tubes are more suspect than a defective part in the Elise.
 
Having said that, I do understand the frustration those who deal with such problems must feel and I empathize. 

 

[UntilThen]

I did have a 5998 that died before my eyes. I had just received a pair of 5998 and was trying it out in the Darkvoice 336se. This was before Elise arrived. As you can see in the photo before, the left tube looks dodgy. It has some kind of rust or whatever at the base of the glass. When I power on the DV, I saw a flash of light go up the filament. I reached for the power button faster than the speed of light. It was scarier than hearing tick tock tick tock.
 
Anyway that tube literally became coated with powdery stuff inside the glass after the flash of light. A picture is somewhere in the old Elise thread. So @pctazhp  is correct. You can never tell with these tubes. Not even a $100 Tung Sol 5998. Fortunately eBay got me my refund.
 

 

[Riverstalker]

My stock tubes make some klicking / dangling sound too during warm up. After two minutes dead silent. Just like our stove. Ordered a HD 600 today, hope elise and this cans will team up well. Had a DT880 600 ohms and a HD 650 for a few days. 880 is too bright and the 650 was quite good but a bit dark sounding even with elise. Hope the 600s are somewhere in between.

 

[Oskari]

I did have a 5998 that died before my eyes. I had just received a pair of 5998 and was trying it out in the Darkvoice 336se. This was before Elise arrived. As you can see in the photo before, the left tube looks dodgy. It has some kind of rust or whatever at the base of the glass. When I power on the DV, I saw a flash of light go up the filament. I reached for the power button faster than the speed of light. It was scarier than hearing tick tock tick tock.

Anyway that tube literally became coated with powdery stuff inside the glass after the flash of light.

The tube expired, lost vacuum. It is an ex-vacuum tube.

 

[louisxiawei]

Thermal expansion?

Thanks Oskari.
 
After 2 hours, the dang sound still exists every time I switch on. After around 15 minutes, I can still hear some very tiny small "dang" sound but barely can bother me. But if I increase the volume to the maximum, the noisy, signal interference sound increases. It is still not zero noise so far. (not perfection yet)
 
I will keep burning for several days and see where it goes. I do have a feeling it's like metal material thermal expansion.
 
I still remember, although my bad stock tube generated unbalance sound from channels, they don't make the dang sound. So I think it's the 6080WA's problem.