[mordy]

Hi Oskari,

For whatever it is worth, I would caution against using the EF86 tubes with 2.5A power tubes, because I think that it makes the auto bias circuit run too hot. No such problems with EL12N and EL12 1.2A power tubes.
Since I got my Euforia I do not use the Elise any more. And since I got the Beyerdynamic T1 Gen 1 I almost gave up listening through speakers.

 

[UntilThen]

A good speaker system is still the way to go but it will cost you, including acoustic treatment for your listening room.

A good headphone with capable source and amp, on the other hand will give you instant gratification.

HD800 and T1 were both introduced in 2009 and have remained as true classics to this day. Compared to new TOTL headphones today, they are value for money but they are not everyone's cup of tea. If you're a coffee drinker, it's best to look elsewhere.

With OTL amps such as Elise and Euforia, these headphones are as compatible as bears in the woods.

As for EF86, EL Dorado tubes, well I'm a reformist now. Use what the manufacturer tells you.

 

[mordy]

Hi UT,

Yes, I like coffee. Two cups in the morning and I am good to go. Did you get the HD800 or HD800s?

There is a guy in Russia with no feedback that is selling a HD800 - the price will probably end up around $500. But I am leery of a guy in Russia without feedback.....

It occurs to me that it is cheaper to get a state of the art headphone than a state of the art speaker system.

PS. I am planning a shootout between my GEC/6SN7 combo and EL11/EF86//EL12N/EL6. There is no doubt in my mind now that my speaker system may need different tubes than my T1s to sound their best. ATM concentrating on the headphones.

 

[UntilThen]

I got the original HD800 which is my preference. May do the SDR mod later if it's reversible. I heard both versions at the Sydney meet in 2016. I listen with HD800 first on a setup with Metrum Hex and Woo Wa2. Sounds pretty good to me. Then I swap to HD800S. Immediately I get more bloom, a fatter bass and a few decibels off the treble. I scrunch up my face in agony.

However I listen to HD800S on an Audio Gd 5 dac and separate Audio Gd balance amp later. This dac and amp combo is definitely leaner and more neutral in tone. Now the HD800S starts to sound lovely.

So both versions can sound good with the right dac and amp. However HD800S will not be as revealing as HD800 but not everyone wants to hear every high note that @pctazhp sings. Sometimes truncation will save your hearing.

Cheaper to get a TOTL headphone system than a TOTL speaker system? Heh that's a given. However they are both different experience. You cannot really compare. It's like saying if a Tai Chi martial artist and a championship boxer fights, who wins. I'd say the one who carries a capsicum spray or the stun gun.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to mow the lawn.

 

[UntilThen]

Yggy now has 211 hours and HD800 has probably about 80 hours. Euforia .... I have lost count

I sense that the tone has mature. It could still evolve and I'll be happy if it does. I was right about Yggy being neutral and very revealing. There's no glare though. It's very listenable. Clarity is superb. In combination with Euforia and HD800, the tone is addictive. I felt though that I have to dial in more warm and weight, without compromising the superb clarity. So I've chosen Psvane 6sn7 UK version and Bendix 6080wb. This tube combination gave me the warm, weight and texture that I was hoping for. It's not lean nor bloom but the projected sound has good timing, pace and control.

It's a eureka moment.

 

[UntilThen]

Wow suddenly my system is alive !!! It's morphing before my ears and eyes. I thought it's only the HD800. Swapping to T1 and HD650 gave the same euphoria. Now which of the components is responsible for this. "Yggy, Eudy, Miny, Moe" I think it's all of them.

It's now the Royal Albert Hall.

 

[pctazhp]

Thanks to recommendation and generosity of @connieflyier, I just got this yesterday: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product..._sfl_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER It probably is the cheapest way of avoiding USB completely and creating a clean SPDIF coax source to a DAC - in particular in my case my multibit Bimby. It is a significant improvement in my system. It has an SPDIF pass-though function that avoids the card's own DAC/Amp. I appears to be very well shielded. It has a solid audiophile feel to it, and unlike the much more expensive Lynx card, uses power directly from the computer power supply, avoiding noise that may be present on the motherboard.

Most people who use the ASUS card seem to use it for it's DAC/Amp function, and most people who try to find ways of feeding SPDIF to Schiit DACs seem to not consider the ASUS card, preferring usually much more expensive Digital to Digital Converters (which convert USB to SPDIF). But even though DDCs still start with USB. The ASUS card completely avoids it. And I can attest that it is a significant improvement to this https://kitsunehifi.com/product/holoaudio-xeme2ve-usb-to-spdif-digital-interface/ - which in turn was a significant improvement to just straight USB, even with a fancy USB cable from my PC to Bimby.

I'm pretty sure no one else on HeadF will recommend the ASUS card for use with a Schiit DAC, but that doesn't necessarily my advice is bad. I seriously doubt there is an alternative way of feeding good clean (low jitter) SPDIF data to Schiit DAC at anywhere close to the cost of the card.

WARNING: Those who ignore my advice run significant risk of remaining hopelessly mired in ignorance and inferior musical enjoyment.

 

[pctazhp]

So both versions can sound good with the right dac and amp. However HD800S will not be as revealing as HD800 but not everyone wants to hear every high note that @pctazhp sings. Sometimes truncation will save your hearing.

see here's the thing. HD800S provides the most natural, real, organic listening experience ever known to man. If you want to hear me in my full glory (an experience not to be missed) you either have to hang out in my bathroom next to my shower or own HD800S.

 

[UntilThen]

Pct, I'm not prepared to upgrade my Royal Albert Hall yet even if the Queen gives me permission. Any improvements will surely lift it to cloud 9 and that is a phenomenon I'm not ready for.

See how natural that red tip looks? Until someone donates a Auralic Aries full version to me, this will stay.

 

[pctazhp]

As I recall the objection Mike and others have to USB is that it was never designed for music. It reminds me of Cassette tapes, which were originally designed for transcription. Companies like Nakamichi tried to squeeze every possible bit of music from Cassette tapes, but they didn't come close to reel to reel. The Yiggi has Schiit's Gen 3 implantation of USB, so perhaps they are doing the same thing for USB that Nakamichi tried for Cassette tape.. I don't know how successful they have been at doing that. I chose to consider the modern version of reel-to-reel decks (direct feed of SPDIF) as a perfect compliment for my Schiit R2R DAC.

 

[mordy]

The volume knob on my Euforia has an almost invisible thin groove to indicate the volume level. Any suggestions how to easily color it in so that I can see it better? I tried a very thin sliver of a white self stick label but it does not look that great.

Gave up on the shoot out between different tubes as mentioned in a previous post - everything sounds great. ATM running TS 6SN7GTB reissues with EL12N - sounds very good.

Every combination is slightly different, a little more forward or recessed, a little more emphasis on this or that, but all excellent.

I can see the current trend on this forum for other enhancements to the sound than the amp itself and tubes. As always, my philosophy is to try to get the most bang for the buck - I am following all the developments to find what shakes out......

 

[UntilThen]

As I recall the objection Mike and others have to USB is that it was never designed for music. It reminds me of Cassette tapes, which were originally designed for transcription. Companies like Nakamichi tried to squeeze every possible bit of music from Cassette tapes, but they didn't come close to reel to reel. The Yiggi has Schiit's Gen 3 implantation of USB, so perhaps they are doing the same thing for USB that Nakamichi tried for Cassette tape.. I don't know how successful they have been at doing that. I chose to consider the modern version of reel-to-reel decks (direct feed of SPDIF) as a perfect compliment for my Schiit R2R DAC.

Help !!! I woke up to find my Yggy has morph into a Nakamichi Dragon-DAC. !!!

 

[UntilThen]

The volume knob on my Euforia has an almost invisible thin groove to indicate the volume level. Any suggestions how to easily color it in so that I can see it better? I tried a very thin sliver of a white self stick label but it does not look that great.

Gave up on the shoot out between different tubes as mentioned in a previous post - everything sounds great. ATM running TS 6SN7GTB reissues with EL12N - sounds very good.

Every combination is slightly different, a little more forward or recessed, a little more emphasis on this or that, but all excellent.

I can see the current trend on this forum for other enhancements to the sound than the amp itself and tubes. As always, my philosophy is to try to get the most bang for the buck - I am following all the developments to find what shakes out......

Ah ha Mordy. 'Every tube sounds good' has never been more true than the arrival of my Yggy and HD800. I'm sure it's due to audiophile nervosa. However the good ole sages will tell you that what goes in will come out or it will never come out if it didn't go in. Or if it went in but if the outlet is not good enough, it will be blocked. I.e take care of the system and the system will take care of you.

ps... don't worry about colouring the groove on the volume knob. Learn to feel it.

 

[pctazhp]

Help !!! I woke up to find my Yggy has morph into a Nakamichi Dragon-DAC. !!!

But where do you insert these?

 

[UntilThen]

But where do you insert these?

You need to rip it in as flacs