A New Member of the HP 8MK2 Club... built-in headphone output of the Matrix-Audio Element X isn't terrible, it's just not "tubes"!
Burning in new production JJ 12ATX7s (waiting on the Brimar CV455s Footscray to ship from the UK)
Burning in new production Tung Sol 6SN7GTBs (need some reasonably priced NOS to try here - Raytheon VT-231's maybe))
Need to think about replacing the caps (V-Caps, Mundorfs, Jensens, etc) ?
Barely an hour on this amp and I am really liking it...
And don't forget the RCA interconnect... I was waiting for the Moon-Audio Black Dragon to come in. Initially hooked it up with the rca that came with my turntable. Received the Black Dragon this morning and plugged it into the HP8. Fuller body, tighter bass - a very natural, musical interconnect cable at a decent price. The HP8 is starting to sound down right out "juicy". I'm thinking the HP8 will be a keeper for a while.
And don't forget the RCA interconnect... I was waiting for the Moon-Audio Black Dragon to come in. Initially hooked it up with the rca that came with my turntable. Received the Black Dragon this morning and plugged it into the HP8. Fuller body, tighter bass - a very natural, musical interconnect cable at a decent price. The HP8 is starting to sound down right out "juicy". I'm thinking the HP8 will be a keeper for a while.
The interconnects do make a difference with the HP8. I experimented with both the Kimber Kable Silver Streak and the Harmonic Technology Truth-Link II (copper, like your Black Dragon). The sound with the Truth-Link is much warmer and fuller - and definitely more to my liking in my system.
And on a personal note - always good to see another Head-Fi'er from Texas. Have not met many! Hoping to make it to CanJam Dallas in November. I see in your sig., you also have the ProAc Response 2. That was my favorite speaker back when I had a 2-channel speaker system. (Now it's all headphones... )
And on a personal note - always good to see another Head-Fi'er from Texas. Have not met many! Hoping to make it to CanJam Dallas in November. I see in your sig., you also have the ProAc Response 2. That was my favorite speaker back when I had a 2-channel speaker system. (Now it's all headphones... )
Hoping to be in TX for the Dallas CanJam as well. My wife is from East TX and we lived in San Antonio while I was in the military. It's my second home state after FL. Got relatives in the Houston and Dallas areas too.
Hoping to be in TX for the Dallas CanJam as well. My wife is from East TX and we lived in San Antonio while I was in the military. It's my second home state after FL. Got relatives in the Houston and Dallas areas too.
@JerseyD , Yep I'm considering the HP8 and watching the classifieds. I was a bit late and missed geofalter's sale which was a good deal.
I like NJ's seasons, history and easy travel to Philly, NYC and NE states. I've enjoyed my time here but will be retiring later in FL with less taxes.
The interconnects do make a difference with the HP8.** I experimented with both the Kimber Kable Silver Streak and the Harmonic Technology Truth-Link II (copper, like your Black Dragon). The sound with the Truth-Link is much warmer and fuller - and definitely more to my liking in my system.
And on a personal note - always good to see another Head-Fi'er from Texas. Have not met many! Hoping to make it to CanJam Dallas in November. I see in your sig., you also have the ProAc Response 2. That was my favorite speaker back when I had a 2-channel speaker system. (Now it's all headphones... )
Harmonic Technology Truth-Link II (copper, like your Black Dragon). The sound with the Truth-Link is much warmer and fuller - and definitely more to my liking in my system.
Very interesting. I just picked up a 2M Truth-Link II...want to hear this with my HP8, an amp that repays every sonic favor I do for it.
A couple months ago I bought a gently used 2M pair of Harmonic Technology Pro 9 speaker cables. Read some very positive reviews and user comments on these cables. When they got here I almost fell over. The pictures I'd seen didn't have any other objects in them to indicate the scale and actual size of these cables. They're firehoses, close to 1" diameter, heavy AF!! Still haven't figured out how to install them in my very cramped desktop system, but will eventually do so.
All to say I Harmonic Technology wire are on my radar. Just read some reviews/comments about the Truth-Link II interconnect, and again, people really praise them.
OK, found an open box/demo for sale and it arrived today. I'm digging it, just plugged in my ZMF VC's and its making them sing nicely. Luscious tubey goodness.
Very impressed with the build--like a British Mark V tank! I like symmetry and it does not get very warm to the touch except for the tubes of course.
I am getting a slight hum in the background when I pause the signal and turn up volume past 1'oclock. Not unexpected with a tube amp and I'm having to use an extension cable for power. The 12AX7/ECC83 stock tube is a new Psvane which is not bad from what I heard others mention. The stock Chinese 6SN7GT's that came with it look a bit old and iffy so I'll switch those out soon. I have a pair of NOS Zenith/GE 6SN7GTB's I'll try next. This is a sweet amp!
The stock Chinese 6SN7GT's that came with it look a bit old and iffy so I'll switch those out soon. I have a pair of NOS Zenith/GE 6SN7GTB's I'll try next.
Will do mate. I'll follow up in a few days after I clear some bench/desk space and set up a better source-signal path.
25 years ago I was stationed at an RAF base near Thetford and drove over to Norwich to go clubbin' on a few weekends. Lived there two years and had a good time pub crawling around East Anglia and visiting the sites in London, Cambridge area, Scotland and as much of Europe I could see before my military tour was done.
Interesting, out of curiosity I swapped the 12AX7 with a 12AU7 and it reduced the background hum some. I know a 12AU7 has a lesser gain factor so maybe that is why?
Yeah, my hearing has a permanent threshold shift in higher frequencies due to being too close to jets among other damaging impact noise.
The worst was the aerospace ground equipment turbines (screaming mini-jet engines) for mobile power generation. During an exercise at RAF Brize-Norton I noticed the UK teams had smartly engineered it out of their generators with an exhaust design that was double-backed or maybe Venturi-tubed. Theirs were much nicer with less hazardous noise.
Soon-to-be new HP8 Signature owner (many thanks to Warren from Audioarcan!). Going to pair with my ZMF VOs. Do folks here have DAC pairing recommendations for this amp? Looking for the under-$2k price range. Among others, have considered MHDT and Soekris but open to anything.
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