[Silent One]

Quote:

May I present to you, the He-6 "amp"-off
 
 
 
The puny Topping Tp60 vs Copland 505 (4x Svetlana 6550C Winged + Chinese 12AX7 + 12AU7) driven by a custom-made passive preamp vs Kenwood Ka 9100 fully restored.
 
All fed by a Lampizator hiding somewhere down the table 

 
Looking forward to this.

 

[khaine1711]

Test is a bit rigged though. Tubes has never been replaced, and it's missing the (rather expensive) pre-amp that Copland sell with the CTA 505. Next week when I got the time I'll replace them with KT88 + Raytheon 12AX7, maybe find a decent active preamp, and get a demo Lynx Hilo/Benchmark Dac2 too.
 
Also, fun stuff, the Kenwood got a meter for power output.  The He-6 doesn't consume that much Wattage, they just happen to need really high quality watt 

 
Anyone know if these black things do anything? I'm guessing it's some kind of tube dampening?
 

 

[wuwhere]

Quote:

Test is a bit rigged though. Tubes has never been replaced, and it's missing the (rather expensive) pre-amp that Copland sell with the CTA 505. Next week when I got the time I'll replace them with KT88 + Raytheon 12AX7, maybe find a decent active preamp, and get a demo Lynx Hilo/Benchmark Dac2 too.
 
Also, fun stuff, the Kenwood got a meter for power output.  The He-6 doesn't consume that much Wattage, they just happen to need really high quality watt 

 
Anyone know if these black things do anything? I'm guessing it's some kind of tube dampening?
 

 
They're tube coolers.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

May I present to you, the He-6 "amp"-off
 

 
The puny Topping Tp60 vs Copland 505 (4x Svetlana 6550C Winged + Chinese 12AX7 + 12AU7) driven by a custom-made passive preamp vs Kenwood Ka 9100 fully restored.
 
All fed by a Lampizator hiding somewhere down the table 

 
 

 

[wuwhere]

Quote:

Test is a bit rigged though. Tubes has never been replaced, and it's missing the (rather expensive) pre-amp that Copland sell with the CTA 505. Next week when I got the time I'll replace them with KT88 + Raytheon 12AX7, maybe find a decent active preamp, and get a demo Lynx Hilo/Benchmark Dac2 too.
 

 
Which KT88s? On my CTA 504, I've used EH KT88, their alright but I prefer the GE6550 grey smooth plates and 4 vintage Mullards 12AX7A VOM made in Great Britain for phase inverters and a 1 JJ for pre. The GE6550s are rebadged vintage Tung Sol 6550 smooth plates made in USA.
 

 

 

[khaine1711]

Current plan is to roll all the stuff that I can return first (reissued gold lion Kt88, reissued tungsol 6550, sovtek 6550) 

. Then I'll go for the Canada Fuller Kt88. I want to try NOS Tungsol too, but these things are hella expensive - and you need 4 to boot. Any ideas on these GE (they're called MPD GE 6550)?
 

 

Pre would probably be 2x 12AX7 Raytheon blackplate; phase splitter 4x Raytheon 5814. I'm sure anything would be better than the no name gold dragon chinese stuff atm =p.

 

[wuwhere]

I have 4 of those GEs installed in my Audio Research amp. They're better than the Sovteks, I haven't tried them yet in my 504. The Tung Sol 6550 reissues are alright, a little weak on the bass. I also have EH KT88s, I prefer them over the Tung Sol reissues. I've read good things about the Fuller KT88. I like the Mullards 12AX7As, before them I had JJ 12AX7s and they're very good, a little dark, I also tried some vintage CBS 12AX7s, they're comparable to the JJs. But the Mullards are much better. And in that photo, I set in triode.

 

[gikigill]

Just ordered the Musical Paradise MP301 Mk3 as a first step in tube land. Will it power the HE-6 properly from the speaker out or will the Hifiman adapter will be required? The headphone out is pretty good at 2W per channel.

If this pans out, I might go for a more powerful valve amp specifically for the HE-6. Something in the range of 50W per channel.

 

[Armaegis]

You need to use the adapter in order to protect the output.
 
I've tried the MP-301mk3 with the HE-6 and it does have enough power. Sonically... not the greatest details, nor the best soundstage, but it's got a really fun groove to it. Personally I think it might have even sounded better from the headphone jack rather than speaker outputs.
 
Now, the MP-301mk3 with a Stax energizer... that's where the magic is at. 

 

[gikigill]

Damn, didn't realise I could connect the Stax to it too.

Now I am waiting even more eagerly for it. Will report back with how it powers the HE as the newest version is supposed to have a beefier power supply.

 

[rawrster]

So I was looking around the BTG Audio website thinking of buying an iem cable and then I came across this: http://btg-audio.com/webstore.htm#!/~/product/category=2609209&id=20207679
 
It replaces the connector with another one. It looks like the one that Audeze uses. Has anyone tried that? I definitely hate the Hifiman one and something like that could be real tempting especially if I can get my Hifiman cable reterminated into that one instead.

 

[khaine1711]

Quote:

So I was looking around the BTG Audio website thinking of buying an iem cable and then I came across this: http://btg-audio.com/webstore.htm#!/~/product/category=2609209&id=20207679
 
It replaces the connector with another one. It looks like the one that Audeze uses. Has anyone tried that? I definitely hate the Hifiman one and something like that could be real tempting especially if I can get my Hifiman cable reterminated into that one instead.

Gurus from this thread actually commissioned BTG audio to do something similar to that. You can use any connector with this kind. I think if you're going to remove the connector, just hardwire them.
 

 

[alota]

Quote:

 I think if you're going to remove the connector, just hardwire them.
 
 

right!

 

[Happy Camper]

If you can accept a lessor gain than the AX, try an AY. I was rolling some AX7s through my tube output DAC and was suggested to try a RCA command series 5 star. The clarity was better with a bit more top end sparkle without sacrificing bass. Lots cheaper than premium AXs.

 

[zenpunk]

Quote:

 

 
I am sorry, but that looks absolutely dreadful and  incredibly impractical..yuck!   

And just realised they didn't even bother with strain relief at the headphone's exit point. I feel sorry for whoever that can belongs to.