[angpsi]

Hi angpsi.

Just for the record, even though the Melz tubes may sound very good, there are numerous quality problems with these tubes, so much so that Feliks Audio stopped using them (they were offered as an upgrade in the beginning of the Elise) because there were too many rejects.

BTW, I find UT's comment very interesting - after upgrading his DAC the tube selection became less important.

Hi Mordy, true enough—there have been several mentions of this in the past. Your advice justifies the point I made in my previous post! On the same note let me give you special credit for pointing me out towards some great value tubes, here and in private!
DAC upgrade sounds lovely, but even the Bimby costs more than I can afford at the moment... At least the Explorer 2 is widely accepted as a good value proposition!

 

[angpsi]

(...) BTW, I find UT's comment very interesting - after upgrading his DAC the tube selection became less important.

May I add that I project two possible routes for UT:

1. He gets a Ragnarok (same real estate, so he can put it on top of the Yggy)
2. He gradually dives back into tube rolling once his current audio bliss settles

Or he might just as well spend all of his money on that Rolls Royce for the soup kitchen!

Oh, wait—just realised that his funds are unlimited!!!

 

[pctazhp]

You may add those two possibilities and both are correct. His funds may not be unlimited, but I'm sure we can agree his ability to spend funds is unlimited. He is my hero

 

[hypnos1]

Wow how many typo's, must give up trying to write replies on my phone, too smaller screen. The are the 6f8g's are 1950's stock bought on eBay from the states and played in the same adapters as the 6c8g's, I thought the psvane's where the best I could get for this amp sound wise, having tried some RCA's and Raytheon's, but these tubes Ken-rad 6c8g's take it to another level, Clapton's Unplugged album with the acoustic all the way through sounds amazing, Saint Saens Calme des nuits - just voices, I'm in the room........ If the amp sounds this good with these tubes...... Mmmmm need to look further. UT, would be very interested to hear the results of your GEC 6080 purchase, when you've had a listen. Need my Aeon's, seem to be taking an age to get here, sure they'll be worth the wait. Are any of you guys going to Canjam London?

Hi SMF...sorry for the late reply but sadly, my time for devoting to this (and my Euforia thread) is much curtailed at the moment.

Glad to see you're enjoying Elise more and more as you discover new tubes...there is indeed a wide choice available, and browsing through past material (when you have the time lol!) might just entice you into alternative territory...once you've spent more time with your amp, and depending upon your own levels of curiosity!!.Above all...ENJOY!!..CHEERS!, CJ

ps. I am indeed going to CanJam in July (Sunday)...see you there?...

 

[blackrain139]

Guys,

I'm a new Elise owner and I'm loving this wonderful amp.

Does anyone here encounter the occasional "hum/buzz"? It is a short 1 sec hum/buzz and it happens intermittently and at random times - every 30 secs to 2 mins.

I'm using the stock power tubes and the upgraded PSVane driver tubes

 

[hypnos1]

Guys,

I'm a new Elise owner and I'm loving this wonderful amp.

Does anyone here encounter the occasional "hum/buzz"? It is a short 1 sec hum/buzz and it happens intermittently and at random times - every 30 secs to 2 mins.

I'm using the stock power tubes and the upgraded PSVane driver tubes

Hi b139...and welcome to this (also wonderful!) group.

Glad to hear you're loving the amp already, but sorry to hear of your hum/buzz. The most likely culprit at this stage is a poor connection somewhere - please check your power plug is in TIGHT; same for the tubes (perhaps 'wiggle' them GENTLY to see if it can be induced, but remember the powers especially get very HOT!); same for the interconnects...ie. each and every connection in the system lol! Also, if a tube is possibly to blame, try removing them one at a time, starting with the front drivers - ONCE COOL! - and see if that shows up anything.

Hopefully this will trace the cause...if not, further examination for possible interference from electrical items in the vicinity may be needed.

If still no joy, power everything off and try again a little later. Perhaps others will have further advice.

I hope it turns out to be something simple, related to what I've just mentioned...keep us informed, please...CJ

 

[UntilThen]

Guys,

I'm a new Elise owner and I'm loving this wonderful amp.

Does anyone here encounter the occasional "hum/buzz"? It is a short 1 sec hum/buzz and it happens intermittently and at random times - every 30 secs to 2 mins.

I'm using the stock power tubes and the upgraded PSVane driver tubes

Welcome and congrats Blackrain. At what volume are you getting hum/buzz? Is it with music playing or without?

I'm asking because I experience that with my Euforia previously .... with no music playing and volume to max. Strangely after changing my DAC to Yggy, that went away. Thinking it might be a problem with my previous NAD d1050, I reconnect the NAD now - that problem is no longer there !!! I'm a happy vegemite now. Will test further and if not a problem, I will let Lukasz know because I told him about it and being the amazing person that he is, he is willing to replace my Euforia.

Also let your Elise and tubes burn in for a spell. That will change things.

All the best and hope you will be rid of this problem and continue to enjoy Elise.

Cheers
UT

 

[UntilThen]

May I add that I project two possible routes for UT:

1. He gets a Ragnarok (same real estate, so he can put it on top of the Yggy)
2. He gradually dives back into tube rolling once his current audio bliss settles

Or he might just as well spend all of his money on that Rolls Royce for the soup kitchen!

Oh, wait—just realised that his funds are unlimited!!!

None of the above I'm afraid. I'm actually a down to earth street busker and a very good one too.

Regarding tubes and with other aspects of your gear, having a balanced system is important. Synergy. You can get the most expensive tube, tube amp and headphone but if they are not matching, you won't be happy. For instance, if your tubes are bright, your amp is bright and your headphone is bright, you probably will have to wear sunglasses when listening to music. Or if your tubes are warm, your amp is warm and your headphone is warm, you probably have to go nude when listening to music.

My point is, most tubes can sound good. Some exceptions though. The better tubes are more detailed and smoother. Some are more energetic like the TS 5998. Personal preference is a big factor. Some like matching brown base, shape of the tube, less heat, etc. For me I just close my eyes and let my ears take over. Well not quite.... I can't stand a messy setup with wires sticking out everywhere and tubes stack up on adapters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

I've come to the end of the road for tubes purchase. The only tube I might get is the GEC 6AS7G but at $500 for a NOS pair, I have to consider carefully. That could get me a Lynx AES16e pro audio card to feed Yggy with AES or I could buy a Black Dragon or Draug V2 or half a Cardas cable for my HD800. In the end, I might do none of those, pocket my $500 and just enjoy the music.

 

[pctazhp]

None of the above I'm afraid. I'm actually a down to earth street busker and a very good one too.

Regarding tubes and with other aspects of your gear, having a balanced system is important. Synergy. You can get the most expensive tube, tube amp and headphone but if they are not matching, you won't be happy. For instance, if your tubes are bright, your amp is bright and your headphone is bright, you probably will have to wear sunglasses when listening to music. Or if your tubes are warm, your amp is warm and your headphone is warm, you probably have to go nude when listening to music.

My point is, most tubes can sound good. Some exceptions though. The better tubes are more detailed and smoother. Some are more energetic like the TS 5998. Personal preference is a big factor. Some like matching brown base, shape of the tube, less heat, etc. For me I just close my eyes and let my ears take over. Well not quite.... I can't stand a messy setup with wires sticking out everywhere and tubes stack up on adapters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

I've come to the end of the road for tubes purchase. The only tube I might get is the GEC 6AS7G but at $500 for a NOS pair, I have to consider carefully. That could get me a Lynx AES16e pro audio card to feed Yggy with AES or I could buy a Black Dragon or Draug V2 or half a Cardas cable for my HD800. In the end, I might do none of those, pocket my $500 and just enjoy the music.

I very much agree with you about tubes.

For what it's worth (which will depend on how much you decide to send me for this advice), my many decades as an audiophile convinced me that money spent on cables is the most inefficient way to spend money on audio. I have never used anything with my HD800S other than the stock unbalanced cable so I can't speak from person experience on alternatives, but I cringe when I see the cost manufacturers charge for cables, including headphone cables.

As between GEC6AS7G and a Lynx card, if it were me I would go with the Lynx. I like my GECs a lot, but if I had a Yiggy I think I would want to use its best input. And maybe over time you might find a good deal on a decent pair of GECs.

I believe you have my mailing address to know where to send the check for generously providing you this advice.

 

[angpsi]

(...) Regarding tubes and with other aspects of your gear, having a balanced system is important. Synergy. You can get the most expensive tube, tube amp and headphone but if they are not matching, you won't be happy.

As an architect, I'm all in for synergy. I find that the Mullard 6080 and Sylvania 6sn7wgt will probably complement each other very nicely! In fact, I expect the warm reflection of the former including the metallic accents of the base to highlight the vintage yet confidently robust style of the latter very elegantly! On the contrary, I bought the TS as a grunge alternative. Since @HPLobster is on the lookout for my impressions I'll be sure to post good pictures too!

On the same note UT, there's an undeniable minimalistic elegance in your signature these days which is something we can all aspire to achieve some day!

JRiver 22 > Yggdrasil > Euforia by Feliks Audio > HD800

 

[UntilThen]

On the same note UT, there's an undeniable minimalistic elegance in your signature these days which is something we can all aspire to achieve some day!

You don't like this? Sigh I've to change avatar now.

 

[pctazhp]

I like it ok but it lacks the power and impact of "UntilThen Enterprises" or whatever your international audio conglomerate is called.

 

[myphone]

Mullard 6080 and Tungsol 6SN7GT (Rabbit ears) combo works really well, just right amount of richness, good resolution, and smooth flow.

 

[angpsi]

Mullard 6080 and Tungsol 6SN7GT (Rabbit ears) combo works really well, just right amount of richness, good resolution, and smooth flow.

Good to hear! Can't wait to try them out for myself! Honestly, I bought these for reasons of comparison to the Sylvania 6sn7wgt.

 

[angpsi]

You don't like this? Sigh I've to change avatar now.

No, it's quite befitting! In my mind the dress symbolizes the Yggy, the HD800... well... the HD800, and... well the Euforia is in the air!

Of course the UT productions avatar could give a poor man suggestions as to how you may possibly afford all your gear!