[walterboss]

Everyone has different ears and I had a nice pair of Brimars from the 50s - military, from the right plant and everything - and wasn't that impressed or at least with my set up it lacked synergy - these had halo getters. I've gathered that the D getters may indicate something superior - a better production series or something magical going on and that those are the ones to really look for. I've owned Sylvania 6sn7w, Sylvania 6sn7 VT-231, Sylvania 6sn7gt, Brimar CV1988, RCA VT-231, Ken Rad VT 231, Tung Sol BGRP, Melz 1578, RCA 5692 and maybe a few others I can't recall - the two that stood heads and tails above the rest are the Tung Sol BGRP and the Melz 1578. I still own Ken Rad and RCA VT 231 too along I think the Ken Rads fall behind the rest but they are holographic and fairly neutral with decent bass.

A like isn't enough for all that. Thank you!

 

[walterboss]

I disagree, I used my recent addition caldera with my chord dave and liked it but like it a lot more with my envy in fact on the envy it has become one of my favorites HP's

I was really underwhelmed with caldera on envy Vs atrium. I feel like they would be a great headphone if I didn't have 1266 and Sus and wanted a little of both.

That said, caldera is a smashing headphone. Just not quite for me and doesn't fit with my stable. Hence me selling it on here.

I've got a Utopia 22 coming soon. I hear it likes tubes.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I was really underwhelmed with caldera on envy Vs atrium. I feel like they would be a great headphone if I didn't have 1266 and Sus and wanted a little of both.

That said, caldera is a smashing headphone. Just not quite for me and doesn't fit with my stable. Hence me selling it on here.

I've got a Utopia 22 coming soon. I hear it likes tubes.

Btw the link to your classified in your signature points at your m-scaler not the Caldera

 

[Leto Dal]

Loved Caldera with Bliss back in the day, it was my daily driver for about a year.
I heard Cal just the last weekend on Envy. Wasn’t a fan after Susvara too. Still would highly advice to look into Verite Open, prefer it to Utopia by a large margin and it’s just glorious with Envy.

 

[robo24]

Loved Caldera with Bliss back in the day, it was my daily driver for about a year.
I heard Cal just the last weekend on Envy. Wasn’t a fan after Susvara too. Still would highly advice to look into Verite Open, prefer it to Utopia by a large margin and it’s just glorious with Envy.

I feel like I'm in the minority but my Caldera with Envy is about as good as anything I've ever heard. I only have the Hugo, Mojo 2, Ragnarok 2, and Pendant SE to compare with as far was what I've owned and the Envy was leaps ahead of the rest. It was also my favorite pairing at the 2 CanJams I've been to where there are many amps in the ZMF room. Preferred over that $30k dcs Lina system, though that was amazing too. But I do agree that the Verite Open really does scale even better and hearing it on the Envy is why I bought the Envy in the first place.

 

[jlbrach]

you arent in the minority the caldera loves the envy at to my old ears....

 

[DeeT79]

Finally sending my Envy to Upscale Audio after living with a slight transformer hum for 9 months. Couldn't hear it unless I put my ear close to the transformer. I couldn't hear it through headphones like Susvara on any gain setting but on more sensitive headphones I could hear it slightly on MED until music starts playing but not on LO through any headphones.

I spoke to Upscale Audio and they informed me that if I can hear it at all through headphones that I should have the power transformer replaced. I was informed that they had replaced a few Envys for the same reason and that another customer contacted them the same day that I did with the same issue. They asked Lukasz to send some power transformers and those transformers arrived today so they told me to ship my Envy to them.

I could've lived with the slight hum but since they told me I should have the power transformer replaced, I decided to do so. Hopefully this resolves the issue.

 

[jlbrach]

what you describe isnt unusual...I thought I had a problem until I changed out the 6sn7 tubes and now the transformer hum requires me to put my ear up to it which doesnt concern me...there are certain HP's which are so easy to drive that yes you will hear some tube noise...on my erzitech charybdis I can only listen at low gain because otherwise there is simply too much volume....before I switched out the tubes I heard some noise through the the very sensitive HP's...now silence....when I went to canjam I was curious to listen for transformer hum at the unit there and even in the loud environment I could hear a slight hum if I listened for it...I am afraid you might well get back something that sounds exactly the same...hopefully not

 

[DeeT79]

what you describe isnt unusual...I thought I had a problem until I changed out the 6sn7 tubes and now the transformer hum requires me to put my ear up to it which doesnt concern me...there are certain HP's which are so easy to drive that yes you will hear some tube noise...on my erzitech charybdis I can only listen at low gain because otherwise there is simply too much volume....before I switched out the tubes I heard some noise through the the very sensitive HP's...now silence....when I went to canjam I was curious to listen for transformer hum at the unit there and even in the loud environment I could hear a slight hum if I listened for it...I am afraid you might well get back something that sounds exactly the same...hopefully not

I believe you are right and I expect to hear the same noise when I get it back. That is why I lived with it for so long. I figured it is probably par for the course. The tech at Upscale Audio convinced me that they have fixed this issue on several Envys by swapping the power transformer and suggested I send it in. I really didn't want to send back such an expensive amp. If the swap doesn't fix the hum, I won't be upset because I don't think it will but Upscale insists that it will.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I believe you are right and I expect to hear the same noise when I get it back. That is why I lived with it for so long. I figured it is probably par for the course. The tech at Upscale Audio convinced me that they have fixed this issue on several Envys by swapping the power transformer and suggested I send it in. I really didn't want to send back such an expensive amp. If the swap doesn't fix the hum, I won't be upset because I don't think it will but Upscale insists that it will.

It really depends on which hum we're talking here.

If you can hear a noise standing 2 feet away from the amp without headphones, that's an issue you can expect to be resolved.

However if you hear noise on Medium and high gain through sensitive headphones, that's perfectly normal and most likely won't go away. (Low gain should be silent for those as well though, depending on tubes used)

 

[DeeT79]

It really depends on which hum we're talking here.

If you can hear a noise standing 2 feet away from the amp without headphones, that's an issue you can expect to be resolved.

However if you hear noise on Medium and high gain through sensitive headphones, that's perfectly normal and most likely won't go away. (Low gain should be silent for those as well though, depending on tubes used)

That's exactly why I'm having second thoughts about sending it in. I only hear slight external transformer hum with my ear very close to the transformer without headphones.

When using Hifiman Arya or even more sensitive Sennheiser headphones I can hear a slight hum through the headphones on Medium and High gain. I cannot hear the hum when music is playing.

I cannot hear transformer hum with any of my headphones on Low gain. I have 6 different pairs of driver tubes and 2 pairs of power tubes.

The tech at Upscale Audio told me that I should not hear transformer hum when using headphones at all and that replacing the power transformer should fix it. I'm not so certain although I've heard others on this forum who have said that they have no external transformer hum nor any transformer hum when using headphones.

 

[105tc]

T



The main question is always, which Headphone(s) and dac? It always comes down to the synergy with the chain imho.

Utopia 2022
Cardas Clear Beyond HP cable
Feliks Audio PE
WE 300b & Brimar CV1988
Eversolo DMP6
Nordost power cables & xlr interconnects

No power conditioner or upgraded fuse, yet…

 

[nfandi]

Just received an e-mail from Lyric Audio that my replacement WE300B tubes have arrived and they are in good condition. They will ship tomorrow and then the wait begins to see what UPS can do to them this time. I will post an update when I receive them.

My replacement tubes arrived today. I’d previously given Lyric Audio permission to unpack the tubes to confirm they were in good condition before sending them. They sent me a video of this procedure and I can confirm that the tubes and the packaging are exactly as seen in the video i.e. the serial numbers are the same. The condition as far as I can see is perfect this time and I’m very pleased with the service offered by Lyric Audio in resolving what happened with the first set. The first set are now on their way back to Spain.
Edit: The tubes were received by Lyric Audio 15/4 from WE, were handed over to UPS 16/4 and received by me 19/4; an indication of delivery time for anyone thinking of buying from Lyric Audio.

 

[jlbrach]

That's exactly why I'm having second thoughts about sending it in. I only hear slight external transformer hum with my ear very close to the transformer without headphones.

When using Hifiman Arya or even more sensitive Sennheiser headphones I can hear a slight hum through the headphones on Medium and High gain. I cannot hear the hum when music is playing.

I cannot hear transformer hum with any of my headphones on Low gain. I have 6 different pairs of driver tubes and 2 pairs of power tubes.

The tech at Upscale Audio told me that I should not hear transformer hum when using headphones at all and that replacing the power transformer should fix it. I'm not so certain although I've heard others on this forum who have said that they have no external transformer hum nor any transformer hum when using headphones.

FWIIW I have a Gilmore CFA3 and if I try to listen to a very efficient HP on it I will hear low level noise...none with my susvara or 1266 so that aspect I do not think is simply an envy issue

 

[theveterans]

FWIIW I have a Gilmore CFA3 and if I try to listen to a very efficient HP on it I will hear low level noise...none with my susvara or 1266 so that aspect I do not think is simply an envy issue

You'll only hear zero noise with the Envy and any SET amps on sensitive headphones only when you have the most unicorn/cream of the crop tube batch