Joined a club I should have joined a long long time ago. What a beautiful, well designed amp. I think erics75 did a fantastic job of describing the amp and how it compares to DNA (I'm a DNA fan as well) in this thread and the ZMF thread. I will say, and I think erics75 would agree, the HP8 does a lot of what DNA does but with a smaller soundstage. I wish I bought an HP8 a long time ago.
What is the consensus for ZMF Dynamics for output impedance? Medium or High? I'm still breaking in but I did a quick toggle from medium to high and noticed more bass.
.... with the 300-ohm ZMF dynamics, definitely use the "H" impedance setting. It is a load matching with a moderate, not chokingly high, damping factor (load impedance source impedance). Sound 'blossoms' without 'restraint' -- at least to my ears.
So I don’t usually have my headphones on when flipping the power switch off or on. Most of the time I don’t even have them plugged in. But I did. And I heard a water rushing kind of static mostly on the left. No clue what could make that noise. It seemed to happen consistently though. I started wondering if this was something peculiar about this amp in particular or if it was just a brand new (to me) way a tube could complain. Then I started hearing a familiar randomly intermittent crackle that didn’t change with volume also only on the left. So I cleaned some pins and swapped my power tubes. No change. Finally, with great sadness I swapped out the Brimar CV455. All my other 12AT7 tubes are in pairs. I the bought the single specifically for this amp. I think I have disproportionately bad luck with NOS tubes. But at least I’m learning a lot. Going to add some more singletons to my next tube order.
I just noticed a static noise (it sounds to be mostly out of the left channel but I’m not 100% positive) on my new HP8. Is this a interference issue or possibly a bad tube?
I just noticed a static noise (it sounds to be mostly out of the left channel but I’m not 100% positive) on my new HP8. Is this a interference issue or possibly a bad tube?
I had the same static noise experience, found out the culprit was my home plug router. You could try to plug the amp to other electrical network to see if there is any noise within your electrical network. HP8 is a good amp, I had it since 2018 and it still sound great. Enjoy it......
I love Worlds Best Cables. Well build, affordable, and so far for me, indestructible. Been using them for years and they're still tight fitting and look great, other than the dust.
Hart Audio shows out of stock but they can make one for you if you email them. I love their modular headphone cables, it's what I use on my Bokehs. Assuming you want to ditch the stock cable instead of using pigtails. If you want more info on what to get for the modular system, just holler.
I agree. I love World's Best Audio Cables. They make great cables that sound amazing for $50-60 for a pair. Mogami or Canare Wire with amphenol or neutrik connectors depending. They are often out of stock as their stuff sells so well. I use a pair of Canare's and a pair of Mogami's into each tube amp and I have yet to hear a difference with a higher end cable. Margins are so insane on cables, especially when it cost them next to nothing to buy them and my preference is pure copper, always. I just like the sound.
I just noticed a static noise (it sounds to be mostly out of the left channel but I’m not 100% positive) on my new HP8. Is this an interference issue or possibly a bad tube?
This sounds (no pun intended!) more like tube noise (if by “static” you mean a crackle, as opposed to buzzing or humming, which would be electrical line noise).
Is it sporadic or fairly constant? It could also be source-specific. Yesterday I had my desktop tube amp presenting some static, and fortunately I had a couple solid state amps to quickly check against. It turned out that Windows was somehow acting up, even though I’m using an external DAC; a reboot took care of it.
Since it’s always good to have a set of spare tubes on hand as backup, that would probably be where I’d start. Trying to reconfigure space is frequently a frustrating exercise, especially in older homes.
I just noticed a static noise (it sounds to be mostly out of the left channel but I’m not 100% positive) on my new HP8. Is this a interference issue or possibly a bad tube?
Do you have your phone near the amp? Day 1 i heard static. In my excitement to plug it in and start listening I set my phone down near the amp. Once the phone was moved about 3-4 feet away the static disappeared. Been dead silent since, thankfully.
Thanks for all the tips. I am currently building a bunker around the amp! Just kidding. I am going to clean up the power strips and keep my phone away. Hopefully that clears it up.
This sounds (no pun intended!) more like tube noise (if by “static” you mean a crackle, as opposed to buzzing or humming, which would be electrical line noise).
Is it sporadic or fairly constant? It could also be source-specific. Yesterday I had my desktop tube amp presenting some static, and fortunately I had a couple solid state amps to quickly check against. It turned out that Windows was somehow acting up, even though I’m using an external DAC; a reboot took care of it.
Since it’s always good to have a set of spare tubes on hand as backup, that would probably be where I’d start. Trying to reconfigure space is frequently a frustrating exercise, especially in older homes.
I agree. I love World's Best Audio Cables. They make great cables that sound amazing for $50-60 for a pair. Mogami or Canare Wire with amphenol or neutrik connectors depending. They are often out of stock as their stuff sells so well. I use a pair of Canare's and a pair of Mogami's into each tube amp and I have yet to hear a difference with a higher end cable. Margins are so insane on cables, especially when it cost them next to nothing to buy them and my preference is pure copper, always. I just like the sound.
Thanks for the recommendations guys. I've have a pair of XLR worlds best cables I use to connect my a90/d90 stack. It's a great brand although I have had issues with them occasionally getting loose (I move my stack a lot). I ended up going with Audio Ninja since I liked the straight forward approach and they offered 6 in cables (all I need since its going to sit on top or to the side if my D90)
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
source impedance). Sound 'blossoms' without 'restraint' -- at least to my ears.
