[UntilThen]

  Did you use one of these tools to put the bands on? 
 
 
I wish you'd asked a day or so ago. I finalised a deal with someone else on Head-Fi to buy their T1s literally 2 minutes before reading this thread.
They seem to sell pretty quickly so I'm sure you'll find a buyer for yours.

Ingenious they have a tool to put the bands on. 
 
You're traveling fast Spork. I wish you every happiness with the T1. You might give up fishing.... and golf.... and eating.

 

[connieflyer]

  Did you use one of these tools to put the bands on? 
 
 
I wish you'd asked a day or so ago. I finalised a deal with someone else on Head-Fi to buy their T1s literally 2 minutes before reading this thread.
They seem to sell pretty quickly so I'm sure you'll find a buyer for yours.
 
 
Wish I would have known about those it would have been much easier!
 

 

[connieflyer]

I have some exciting news to share!!!!  I have made a huge discovery on my amp! I purchased a couple of accessories that have made the world of difference to the sound coming over the headphones!!!!   I had purchased a couple of tube socket extenders, to help preserve the original sockets, so as not to wear them out when rolling tubes in and out!  Well let me tell you, I put them under the two El3N dual adapters, and not only did it solve my overheating problem on account of having six tubes so close together, I am sure, that was going to happen eventually!! But, and this is a big butt, having the two dual adapters in the power position has not only elevated the tubes, giving the amp an entirely new look, like nothing else you have seen before, definitely one of a kind now. It changed the looks so much when I came back after lunch I had to look around to be sure it was the right amp!!  Now you might find this hard to believe, but having the power tubes extended up in the air, has increased the clarity and frequency response to new heights!!!  I was so overcome with pure joy and Ecstasy that I almost forgot to remove the tube dampers!!  If you want to experience this nirvana for yourself, remember to order the extenders only from Mrs. X. as I am positive that she adds some special additives to the wires in the adapter.  Well, now that the dampers are off, I better go finds some pampers so I can relax!  I truly hope you can enjoy this as much as I do and remember, I started this trend!!!

 

[geetarman49]

  I have some exciting news to share!!!!  I have made a huge discovery on my amp! I purchased a couple of accessories that have made the world of difference to the sound coming over the headphones!!!!   I had purchased a couple of tube socket extenders, to help preserve the original sockets, so as not to wear them out when rolling tubes in and out!  Well let me tell you, I put them under the two El3N dual adapters, and not only did it solve my overheating problem on account of having six tubes so close together, I am sure, that was going to happen eventually!! But, and this is a big butt, having the two dual adapters in the power position has not only elevated the tubes, giving the amp an entirely new look, like nothing else you have seen before, definitely one of a kind now. It changed the looks so much when I came back after lunch I had to look around to be sure it was the right amp!!  Now you might find this hard to believe, but having the power tubes extended up in the air, has increased the clarity and frequency response to new heights!!!  I was so overcome with pure joy and Ecstasy that I almost forgot to remove the tube dampers!!  If you want to experience this nirvana for yourself, remember to order the extenders only from Mrs. X. as I am positive that she adds some special additives to the wires in the adapter.  Well, now that the dampers are off, I better go finds some pampers so I can relax!  I truly hope you can enjoy this as much as I do and remember, I started this trend!!!

i think you're just punnin' us ... u r just funnin' us, right? 
 
i hope you are because my order from mrs. x has already shipped.

 

[DecentLevi]

I spent the whole afternoon yesterday carefully assessing the difference tube dampers make on tubes for the Elise for you guys. I found consistent and very refined results on a variety of tubes I tried it on, and concluded these have good synergy with the Elise amp. In return I was mocked and teased by almost everyone on this thread. Of course we don't expect everybody to buy everything that's recommended by peers on this forum, but the way you dismissed this with such disrespect was really surprising - something that has shown great results and is such a low risk and easy remedy in-line with something we are all after: further improving the sound.
 
So, rubber bands are a worthless invention that have no use for anything? If so, they wouldn't still be around. These tube dampers may be related to rubber bands, but they are in fact aerospace quality 100% silicone with a temperature rating of over 400 degrees F. Most cars even have a sort of thick rubber band under the hood as well (though the functional name has slipped me).
 

​

 
These dampers work by absorbing vibrations from the tube - a process I too definitely would never have noticed was needed until after trying them. In short, what I realised in my testing was that these have a positive effect on the dynamics, imaging / instrument separation and sense of air / upper detail - allowing me to hear layers I've never heard before and giving an overall more pleasing sound that takes the SQ up another level for dynamic 'cans, the likes of HD-650.
 
Somebody said that I'm the "only one" who agrees about the discoveries I make. So to set the record straight, I will now name seven specific examples of where other Head-Fi'ers have agreed with me on various hi-fi related upgrades:
 
* GE 6SN7 GTA tubes (Howie)
* Christmas Tree tube setup (Howie)
* Bimby DAC with Elise (several people)
* EL3N + 6BL7's as powers (Mordy)
* Bendix 6080 tubes as powers
* Visseaux and Zenith 6J5 tubes (about 10 people on the Ember thread)
+ I am the one who originally introduced both CF and Howie to Elise
 
Per the above I don't wish to sound boastful, but am just trying to prove the point that my hearing ability / preferences are not too far off of the general consensus, so I hope that people can put at least some degree of trust in my impressions.
 
I may have also mislead somebody in my comments about the need for critical listening and a top-end system in order to hear the difference these make. I meant that only as a guess on why tube dampers may have been overlooked for so many years; that is, that maybe these only play well on certain systems and with people who know what to listen for. But rest assured, these specific type of dampers really do synergize quite well with the Elise and with this amp, I would say the difference it makes can be heard without too critical of a listen. (especially does wonders for rhythmic music and that which was recorded in a big space).
 
My only reason for posting about these is in hopes that maybe somebody else will confirm their results and to share my joy of this awesome remedy. I'm not claiming it makes a drastic change, but it's certainly more than a subtle improvement. You'll never know until you try it, and maybe some of you also can bask in the glory of this discovery! 

 

 

[connieflyer]

As per this review the Focal Elears are not for me, sticking with the Senn 800...http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-800-headphones/reviews/16930 Read what he said about the Elear and was close to the concensus of others. Sound stage on 800 is best I have experienced.

 

[DecentLevi]

  As per this review the Focal Elears are not for me, sticking with the Senn 800...http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-hd-800-headphones/reviews/16930 Read what he said about the Elear and was close to the concensus of others. Sound stage on 800 is best I have experienced.

I actually also agree on that! The Elears sounded too artificial to me and nowhere near the level of the Utopia, maybe comparable to the HD-600 but not quite the level of HD-800

 

[connieflyer]

By the way I was researching the Elise and two other amps before getting this amp.  Did not even know of the other folks that came here from the Ember. Big differencein amps glad I got this, instead of either of the other amps I evaluated.

 

[HOWIE13]

Hello gents,

Just wanted to check if anyone would be interested in a pristine set of T1 Gen1s (S/N 13XXX)?
I am the second owner, not a mark on these beauties. I used them for about 2h

They did unfortunately cause me some serious listening fatigue so I am back using my trusty HD 600s.
I really wanted to make these my primary headphones as they did so much right. They breathe like no other I've tried and sound very live like at times.

I think I am done trying headphones as I really like the HD 600s. Will spend the money on music from now on... and maybe a DAC

I wonder, if you are considering a DAC, whether an NOS, R2R type would suit you better than a oversampling type. My friend Ricky had tinnitus and he found using an NOS DAC was much more comfortable for his ears and produced excellent sound through his headphones. They tend to be more expensive though, unfortunately.

 

[HOWIE13]

  Seems like you already have your heart set on other DACs, but I just want to say I love my Bifrost MB with Elise. I feel no need to try to improve my system with a different DAC.
 
I think if you read the Schiit threads carefully you may find that most people don't claim to have experienced a significant improvement from bottom to top of the Schiit MB DAC line. The Mimby at $250 has received a lot of praise. And the Bimby at $600 is below the cost of the other DACs you are considering. Above the Bimby, all of the Schiit MB DACs are balanced, which really seems to me unnecessary, at least if you are running the DAC with a single ended amp like the Elise.
 
I agree that for a more expensive Schiit MB DAC you will have to pay more. I don't necessarily agree that for "better DACs" in the Schiit line you have to pay more than the cost of a Mimby or Bimby.

Mojo is good for me.

 

[UntilThen]

NAD d1050 is good for me.
 
Read this rather glowing review of it. 
http://headphone.guru/nad-d1050-review/

 

[richdytch]

Here's why I tend not to sell off tubes that don't work well for me. This morning I've tried some 1954 RCA 6SN7GT with bottom getters, from my Little Dot days, which I'd tried with various power tubes on the Elise. and had written off as sounding flat, edgy and thoroughly unrewarding. Turns out they are much more happy with RCA 6080. A nice surprise - very smooth and quite sweet with nicely extended treble. Not quite a game changer but really nice. They were cheap too. 

 

[Spork67]

  Ingenious they have a tool to put the bands on. 
 
You're traveling fast Spork. I wish you every happiness with the T1. You might give up fishing.... and golf.... and eating.

 
CF helped me to fund the T1 purchase - he decided not to sell his 5998's. 

I was underwhelmed with the HE-400i so I sold them.
I also found a buyer for my turntable - I really can't be bothered with vinyl.
 
That was plenty for some used T1's - and I still have some left over for maybe some more tubes.
 
I doubt I'll give up fishing. It's my quiet time (I often fish alone from my kayak all day).
Haven't felt the need to ruin a perfectly good walk with a silly little white ball for years.
I can eat and music at the same time. 
 
Hope I like the T1s as much as you guys do.

 

[UntilThen]

He decided not to sell the 5998 did he? 

 Neither would I.
 
I've always felt that a good pair of 5998 is worth keeping. It is special in Elise, just as it is special in Bottlehead Crack. It has perhaps the most solid and punchy bass of all the tubes I've tried. Coupled with C3G, it's quite a potent combination.
 
I've always wanted to do fishing but getting into Head-Fi makes me forget about it. Used to love golf a lot. Tee off with a driver and hitting the sweet spot on a par 5 is an incredible feeling.
 
Alright back to what matters. You sold off your turntable? Not one of this I hope.
 


As for T1, it's a headphone for all genre. Some key attributes which I love. Superb details and clarity. Soundstage. Tight, impactful bass. Realistic sound. It just sound right driven by a tube amp such as Elise. I hope it works for you.

 

[Riverstalker]

Fishing matters UT ! Flyfishing at least