[JazzVinyl]

Very nice @DecentLevi - glad to hear that your amp will be swapped by FA!! Gets no better than that!

And on the FDD20's - I think any old half decent 12v power supply will do, but it does have to be properly grounded to run quiet.

Cheers!

 

[Audict123]

  Hi audict123,
 
Looked up your regulated power supply on eBay. It is only 5A so it would not be suitable for me. I am using a 12V PC 430W PS that is rated at 15A together with a 15A voltage regulator.
 
It is quite possible that the wires I were using in the past were too thin, but I now have the 6x adapter with much thicker wires and there is no noticeable voltage drop with the 0.6A and 1.5A tubes.
 
 
 

Of course, that works fine too. Even more flexible at the max. current site. If there is no need to go to higher voltages this is cheaper: most people have an old PC power supply lying around. In fact, I did try that route but my powersupply was too clever and only wanted to provide current with a motherboard attached.

 

[HOWIE13]

  @HOWIE13 I see you've updated your icon to the quad 6J5 + 6BL7 power tube combo so I take you're enjoying that one. One note I have however is to replace one of the Coke bottle shaped 6J5's on each side for a straight-form one (such as Sylvania instead of Zenith). My careful comparisons have shown me that this 'intermixed' combination (one straight + one Coke shaped on each side) results in a tone that is more organic and sweet than euphonic, and a lot less microphonic.
 
Speaking of Faraday cages - I've tried this on the Elise but to no effect at all to eliminate hum. It was back when I first tried my FDD20's. I tried both methods: completely covering them in tin foil, grounded to the RCA jacks via the foil top, also numerous positions of my metal trash can around the Elise (clean, not touching). It seems this solution does not work for the Elise, and the problem was later attributed to my lousy power supply rather than the Elise.

I thought you might notice 

.  I thought it was time for a change.
 
I do like the power combo of 6J5+6BL7 and am sticking with it for now while I concentrate on rolling Drivers. I'll try your tweak, however, with some straight bottle Sylvanias I've got somewhere. They were the earliest 6J5's I bought, way back in those pioneering Ember days.
 
I used to get bad hum with 6A6 tubes and Ember and that's when I used the Faraday Cage. Elise's background is silent with 6A6's as drivers, yet nothing has changed in my room/setup so presumably the hum with Ember must have been an amp thing. Did I also read somewhere that Elise has an anti-hum circuit?
 
Actually, the K-R 6A6 drivers have given my Elise a unique coolness and 'sharp etched' clarity I have not heard before with her. It's not over bright or edgy though, just very appropriate for some of my fine detailed instrumental woodwind and brass recordings. This combination in Elise really brings these recordings to life.
 
It's wonderful that Elise responds so effortlessly to the characteristics of different tubes and can achieve such treble clarity without ear-piercing fatigue.
 
Here's a picture of my gorgeous Ken-Rad 6A6's, no longer confined to a metal cage. 
 
 
 

 

[Audict123]

Could some of you report back how much heater voltage your Elises put out? Mine is quite low at 6.0 volts. That's perfectly within the +/- 5% margin that tube manufacturers recommended, but old NOS tubes tend to like a bit of higher voltage the first couple of hours (not lower) to 'wake up'. I wonder if the Elises that 'take everything' deliver more voltage, closer to 6.3.

 

[HOWIE13]

  Could some of you report back how much heater voltage your Elises put out? Mine is quite low at 6.0 volts. That's perfectly within the +/- 5% margin that tube manufacturers recommended, but old NOS tubes tend to like a bit of higher voltage (not lower) to 'wake up'. I wonder if the Elises that 'take everything' deliver more voltage, closer to 6.3.

How do you measure this?

 

[Audict123]

In both the front and rear tubes, the heater voltage is on pins 7 and 8. If you look at Elise's sockets from the front and start from the 'notch' that helps to insert the tubes correctly, they are the first and second holes in the socket to the left. Wait: here's a picture showing it clearer - it's the socket holes with the red lines next to them. It's the same on every socket. BUT: the voltage must be measured with tubes in. So one of the tubes must be inserted 'shallow' to enable contact with the measuring pins of a voltage meter. I wouldn't want any of you to experiment if you are not comfortable to 'basic electronics'  - there is a risk for a shortcircuit if you touch two pins with one measuring pin of the voltmeter.
 

 
 
WAIT: there's an easier and more secure way for those of you who have EL3N tubes in use. The adapter for those has readily accessible copper contact points on top, directly next to the contact points of the tubes. They are accessible during play with tubes inserted normally.
 
This is the pinout for EL3N tubes:


Again the two heater contacts are indicated with the red lines. EL3N tubes have two 'sets' of four contacts, one set closely spaced, the other wide. You need to measure between the two center pins of the narrow spaced set.

 

[DecentLevi]

Yeah I think the Elise's anti-hummm circuit is the coiled wires from the transformer which has a de-humming effect, IIRC.
 
I'll tell ya that photo looks amazing and I'll bet it must sound as EPIC is it looks... like a rare avant-garde artifact! 

I'm glad we've finally struck down the notion that this power set up being something dangerously adventurous to be a myth - instead it is a relic of a combo able to produce effortless immense 3D sonic bliss!
 
At least that's what we on Head-Fi are now reaslising - and that's NOT saying much about the haters on the... shall we say 'trip overseas' website if you know what I mean... You know, the website that's not allowed to me named around here... the one with people making wild unsubstantianted claims. And now their official review of the Elise is that it's bass is "murky" with no sub-bass extension and lacking clarity... from which was tested by just 1 guy with stock tubes. 

 

 

[HOWIE13]

  In both the front and rear tubes, the heater voltage is on pins 7 and 8. If you look at Elise's sockets from the front and start from the 'notch' that helps to insert the tubes correctly, they are the first and second holes in the socket to the left. Wait: here's a picture showing it clearer - it's the socket holes with the red lines next to them. It's the same on every socket. BUT: the voltage must be measured with tubes in. So one of the tubes must be inserted 'shallow' to enable contact with the measuring pins of a voltage meter. I wouldn't want any of you to experiment if you are not comfortable to 'basic electronics'  - there is a risk for a shortcircuit if you touch two pins with one measuring pin of the voltmeter.
 

 
 
WAIT: there's an easier and more secure way for those of you who have EL3N tubes in use. The adapter for those has readily accessible copper contact points on top, directly next to the contact points of the tubes. They are accessible during play with tubes inserted normally.
 
This is the pinout for EL3N tubes:


Again the two heater contacts are indicated with the red lines. EL3N tubes have two 'sets' of four contacts, one set closely spaced, the other wide. You need to measure between the two center pins of the narrow spaced set.

Sorry, but using both methods I just can't get a reading. Just 0 VDC.  Obviously my crap  technique as the tubes light up and the amp works fine.
The multi-meter is working ok when I check a 9V battery.
 
PS.  I did touch a couple of other pins maybe 2,8, not sure now, of the 6SN7 and reading of 16V came up. Don't know if that helps any?

 

[geetarman49]

  Well, I accept your apology, however the offer of fivew million dollars was for a limited time only so since you did not respond within 30 minutes the offer was withdrawn.  I would have Feliks start a trace on the package, the shipper usually can find out more than and individual with just a tracking number.  If he finds it to be in customs, they should be able to tell him why the long wait.  Maybe some guy in the shipping cage at customs is burning in your tubes for you!

hmmm ... that 5mil sounds suspiciously like a nigerian offer that i received via email some time ago ... just sayin'

.
 
cdnpost tracking shows elise to be in customs .. no ifs ands or buts -- as for why the long wait --- well, it takes roughly 1 wk after acceptance ffrom canada post before they even get to it. then they ascertain what it is & if they don't like the 'looks' of things, they ask for proof of purchase via copy of invoice and bill of sale/receipt  ...
 
as for the notion of burning it in (it's happened, i suspect) haha ... i ordered w/o toobs.

 

[geetarman49]

  Sorry, but using both methods I just can't get a reading. Just 0 VDC.  Obviously my crap  technique as the tubes light up and the amp works fine.
The multi-meter is working ok when I check a 9V battery.

either your probes are not making sufficient contact with the pins or you've got the wrong pins.

 

[HOWIE13]

 
either your probes are not making sufficient contact with the pins or you've got the wrong pins.

I did touch a couple of other pins maybe 2,8, not sure now, of the 6SN7 and a reading of 16V came up. Don't know if that helps any?
 
I'm rubbish with tech stuff. No doubt someone else will try. 
 
I'm seeing my friend Edward this afternoon. I'll see if I can borrow his multimeter, or better still ask him to measure it for me. I would be interested to find out.
 
Meanwhile I'll stick to measuring batteries.

 

[HOWIE13]

  Yeah I think the Elise's anti-hummm circuit is the coiled wires from the transformer which has a de-humming effect, IIRC.
 
I'll tell ya that photo looks amazing and I'll bet it must sound as EPIC is it looks... like a rare avant-garde artifact! 

I'm glad we've finally struck down the notion that this power set up being something dangerously adventurous to be a myth - instead it is a relic of a combo able to produce effortless immense 3D sonic bliss!
 
At least that's what we on Head-Fi are now reaslising - and that's NOT saying much about the haters on the... shall we say 'trip overseas' website if you know what I mean... You know, the website that's not allowed to me named around here... the one with people making wild unsubstantianted claims. And now their official review of the Elise is that it's bass is "murky" with no sub-bass extension and lacking clarity... from which was tested by just 1 guy with stock tubes. 

 

Well I can tell him who shall not be named that I have just listened to Bach's Organ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, amongst other organ stuff, which has some of the loudest and deepest bass going and Elise WITH ITS STOCK TUBES is totally articulate and dynamic. Sound Level touched 110db, when the 32 foot organ pipes rumbled out their 16Hz. Not muddy, just vibrating bones. 

 

 

[connieflyer]

Big deal, my bones rattle when I pass gas!

 

[HOWIE13]

Big deal, my bones rattle when I pass gas!

....but is it as pleasant as listening to Elise? 

 

[HOWIE13]

 
either your probes are not making sufficient contact with the pins or you've got the wrong pins.

Nephilim has kindly explained to me that I should be measuring AC not DC so I've checked again and all my sockets are reading 6.4V.
 
Hope this helps some, though it's only a cheap multimeter and maybe not particularly accurate.
 
Cheers.