[UntilThen]

I use the EF86 in the 339 all the time. I just have not got around to buying adapters to actually try the EF80 so cannot make any decisive conclusions. Some others before me said they preferred the EF86 to the EF80 but I remain curious.



I used to own the Gumby and now own the Yggy. The Gumby is nearly indistinguishable from the Yggy, with a touch more euphonic warmth than the Yggy. The Yggy also slams harder in the bass. I think the Gumby resolves just as much microdetail and conveys microdynamics pretty close to the Yggy, even if the Yggy is more reference level accurate in timbre.

As far as decrapifiers, I have some experience here as well. First, don't worry about at first. Work on the source later. If possible at some point, try to avoid USB altogether, or at the very least try to eventually get an affordable and quality DDC such as the Singxer devices (SU-1) that allow you to feed a USB signal into the Gumby's superior BNC input. This in itself is a great option. But what would be better is picking up a Lynx pci or pci-express card (which can be put in a Thunderbolt enclosure) in order to evade USB from the source to the DAC.

However, there is very solid evidence Schiit themselves (see Mike Moffat's blog) will soon release a highly price-competitive DDC-type device that also allows one to evade USB output from source. Mike Moffat, the designer for Schiit's DACs, hates USB with a passion and repeatedly claims it is the worst input on his DACs, even if his DACs still sound great through them and are a great place to begin.

I would hold on to your NAD M51 instead of picking up the Denafrips. The Gumby may indeed be a more substantial upgrade. I am admittedly quite interested in the Danish Soekris DACs as well.

Responding to the comment about balanced outputs, the Gumby still sounds fantastic through the RCA outputs (that's what I predominately used) and is still better than the Bimby through them. I once owned a Jensen PC-2XR XLR/RCA transformer, which is what Eddie Current uses in their amps to allow for XLR output from the DAC, and I noticed a very marginal difference with the Gumby and Yggy to the point where I sold it. I am currently using the RCA outputs from the Yggy into the 339 and ZDS and feel absolutely zero qualms about it.

Sorry for the OT discussion, but I thought chiming in with the above might be helpful given the recent topic on DACs.

I am glad you are enjoying the EUFORIA; I wish I can hear it soon!

LJ, thanks for responding. I was hoping you would and give your take on Gumby and Yggy. Good to hear from someone who has actual lengthy experience with them.

I don't have the NAD M51. It's the NAD d1050 that I have, hence I'm looking for an upgrade. I think you have just convince me to go for Gumby. Don't think I need the Yggy.

Based on your info on Mike Moffat's impending DDC, I might just hold off on those gadgets and use plain vanilla USB straight from the iMac or PC. I was toying about buying the Schiit Wyred or even the Singxer SU-1 but I will now wait and see what new DDC Schiit will produce.

 

[richard89]

Umm, I don't want to hijack the thread (at all!) with this, so this will be my only post about Kameleon...

Sure you can use it with any DAC/AMP combo as long as they are connected via RCA cables. You just need to place it between your DAC and your amp (whichever brand they may be). So the chain would be:

DAC -> RCA cable -> Kameleon -> RCA cable -> Amp

If you are based in Europe, you may be able to source one from user tupisac (over diyah.boards.net) for 200 EUR including one filter module and external power supply.
http://diyah.boards.net/post/26270/thread

If you are in the US, the G1217 is probably the best option (more expensive though).

I just ordered my second Kameleon to use it with Euforia (from Tupisac). The effect, to my ears, is remarkable with the HD650 and HE400i. You can read about the effect of the filter on HD650 here:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-s-se/hd650/

I have read that the HD800 can be filtered nicely too:
http://diyah.boards.net/post/16854/thread

I have absolutely no affiliation whatsoever with the creators of these filters, I just find their effect quite remarkable in my system, in case you are interested. In my system, no tube change ever made such a difference in SQ as using the Kameleon, because it addresses particular issues that different headphones may have (like resonances, peaks, early roll off and stuff like that).

Not a cheap option, but if you put it into perspective, most tube combos discussed in this thread are in the same ballpark

Will definitely look into. Thanks.

 

[pctazhp]

LJ, thanks for responding. I was hoping you would and give your take on Gumby and Yggy. Good to hear from someone who has actual lengthy experience with them.

I don't have the NAD M51. It's the NAD d1050 that I have, hence I'm looking for an upgrade. I think you have just convince me to go for Gumby. Don't think I need the Yggy.

Based on your info on Mike Moffat's impending DDC, I might just hold off on those gadgets and use plain vanilla USB straight from the iMac or PC. I was toying about buying the Schiit Wyred or even the Singxer SU-1 but I will now wait and see what new DDC Schiit will produce.

If you buy Gumby I think that will make you the Leader of the Schiit Pack among Euforia owners, so congratulations

I'm also keeping an outlook for the Schiit DDC. It seems to me that if Mike believes USB is such a bad input on his DACs that Schiit should come up with a way to deal with that for those of us who primarily get our music from sources like Tidal HD.

 

[UntilThen]

If I get a Gumby, I want no crap jokes.

For all you know there already might be someone who owns Euforia with a Yggy. After all there is someone who owns Elise with a Metrum Pavane.

 

[pctazhp]

If I get a Gumby, I want no ****e jokes.

For all you know there already might be someone who owns Euforia with a Yggy. After all there is someone who owns Elise with a Metrum Pavane.

One of life's great imponderables I may never know !!!

 

[UntilThen]

Death, taxes and upgrades are certainties in life. So it's ok if you blow a couple of hundred grands. Just put it on the tax returns.

Where did you start from in your head-fi system? For me it's this tiny thing that had a tube on it. This and my Beyer DT880 250 ohms. Still had the Aune.

 

[pctazhp]

Death, taxes and upgrades are certainties in life. So it's ok if you blow a couple of hundred grands. Just put it on the tax returns.

Where did you start from in your head-fi system? For me it's this tiny thing that had a tube on it. This and my Beyer DT880 250 ohms. Still had the Aune.

I also started with that Aune, along with a Senn HD598, and still have both. Next upgrade was this: https://smile.amazon.com/Bravo-Audi...494254938&sr=8-1&keywords=ocean+headphone+amp

Then Little Dot Mk IV SE, where I met H1, and the rest is history.

 

[mordy]

I started with the Little Dot MKIII after reading a review in Stereophile Magazine by Sam Tellig. I still have it, but one channel got fried by a shorted out tube (caused by a faulty adapter).
Found the Head Fi Little Dot thread and met a lot of great guys. Had a lot of fun modding and trying out many goofy tubes (in Oskari's language) and really learned a lot.
Once some of the guys moved up to the Elise, based on h1's recommendations, I followed, and bought Elise #9. And now I have moved up in life, and am the proud owner of Euforia #8.
The wild mods and Frankenstein set-ups are gone, replaced by truly great sounding 4-tube combinations, but I do miss those days of outrageous exploration, excitement and fun......
And on a philosophical note, I do notice that there is a movement now on this thread towards musical perfection with costs climbing fast. As far as I am concerned personally, I will stay with just musical enjoyment. I am happy with what I have - no doubt there is better, but what I have is good enough to thoroughly enjoy.

 

[pctazhp]

I would never begrudge anyone choosing to spend their own money on whatever brings them pleasure. But in audio there certainly can be significant expense coupled with a fair amount of risk. It is difficult to audition and compare different equipment at home (be it amps, power conditioners and reconditioners, DACs, decrapifiers, headphones and especially tubes), which for me is usually the only way I'm totally comfortable evaluating choices.

I certainly remember the heady Frankenstein days - gone, not forgotten and (at least by me) not missed.

Sometimes improvements for me can occur unexpectedly based on what I read here. About a year ago I bought an Audioquest Jitterbug. For reasons I don't remember, it didn't stay in my system long. With talk here recently of "dirty" USB data, I inserted it back in between my PC and DAC. It does seem to clean up some grunge and provide a quieter background and better imaging, with a possible slight reduction in musicality but I can't be certain of that.

 

[pctazhp]

Just heard from Lukasz. My Euforia shipped last week and has arrived in New York. YAAAAAHY

 

[UntilThen]

Congrats Pct. I remember my excitement waiting for it. Remember to be careful with the tubes. The sockets are really tight.

 

[connieflyer]

I started out with the Garage1217 Ember, with dual 7193 tubes and the Senheiser 380HDphones, changed to 6sn7 tube, liked that, bought Elise number 50 and Senn 650.700's then the 800, then bought Euforia number 5. I think I am good for awhile

 

[pctazhp]

Congrats Pct. I remember my excitement waiting for it. Remember to be careful with the tubes. The sockets are really tight.

Thanks UT. The package is now in the hands of the US postal service. I just hope they don't decide to send it by way of the Panama Canal.

And thanks for reminder about the tubes. I had already forgotten about that.

PS. I see they have now eliminated the All and Unread thing from the upper right hand corner. Just great ((((

 

[pctazhp]

OK. So I see the Subscribed Threads up on the menu. It does take 2 clicks to see all subscribed threads, but no big deal. Can now search the thread through the search window. Good. Still can't see who is here, but maybe in the future.

 

[mordy]

OK. So I see the Subscribed Threads up on the menu. It does take 2 clicks to see all subscribed threads, but no big deal. Can now search the thread through the search window. Good. Still can't see who is here, but maybe in the future.

Hi pct,

Congrats on your new amp! You'll have it shortly - my Elise is sitting silently in a corner since the Euforia arrived....