[TooFrank]

I am very unexperienced in the tube world. Did a quick search on NOS General Electric 396a and this is one of the results:

Sound rather cheap - is this the right stuff?
Again many thanks and excuse my ignorance

 

[dcguy73]

Many thanks. I am in Europe too. Where did you buy them? Please if you have a link?

You have a lot of choices available to you, @TooFrank. Take a look through previous posts in this thread. eBay is one place to look, but I have seen European audio stores online that also sell tubes. I like 2C51 tubes in the iFi products, myself.

 

[TooFrank]

You have a lot of choices available to you, @TooFrank. Take a look through previous posts in this thread. eBay is one place to look, but I have seen European audio stores online that also sell tubes. I like 2C51 tubes in the iFi products, myself.

Thanks a million, I was just concerned if I can make a bad choice. I liked the statement saying that there will more noticable difference between ssd, tube and tube+.

 

[iFi audio]

I liked the statement saying that there will more noticable difference between ssd, tube and tube+.

Suffice it to say, differences between these modes are rather easily noticeable

 

[MLGrado]

A small update on my iDSD Pro tube rolling. I purchased my unit second hand, and it had to my great excitement Western Electric 396a already rolled into it. Unfortunately, they were very gassy tubes, and at higher volumes caused nasty, nasty noises. The iDSD as a whole hated the whole experience. Everything would go haywire when those tubes acted up.

Got my hands on a true NOS pair of 1960's vintage RCA next. I liked them just as well as the WE (when the WE was actually working properly)

But today I decided to try a pair of Sylvania 5670 Gold Labels. WOW. Best sound yet out of the iDSD Pro. Oh my goodness. Tube sweetness with increased bass authority and definition and a treble even more airy and sublime and smooth without any harshness or unwanted harmonic distortion.

BUT PLEASE TAKE NOTE. If you have no experience tube rolling, I suggest you leave this unit well enough alone. The tube sockets are easy to break if you are not especially careful, and the Wifi Antenna cable MUST be accounted for with great care during the disassembly and reassembly. I don't want to be responsible for anyone hurting their unit and voiding the warranty on this most incredible piece of gear.



The RCA I just took out

The Sylvania I rolled in

My NOS GE STASH... so I keep this 'End Game' DAC/head-amp running on her tubes for as long as she decides to live lol

And here is an interesting vintage pair I picked up. I am not familiar with CECO. Any one have knowledge who made these and when? I am reading up all the sparse info I can find on this company. It seems they were absorbed by Gold Seal, which I believe was then absorbed my RCA, so I feel fairly safe proclaiming these are RCA tubes as well.

 

[Louisiana]

But today I decided to try a pair of Sylvania 5670 Gold Labels. WOW. Best sound yet out of the iDSD Pro. Oh my goodness. Tube sweetness with increased bass authority and definition and a treble even more airy and sublime and smooth without any harshness or unwanted harmonic distortion.

I use the same Tubes, and yes, best i hear so far, i like them more as my Bendix!

 

[iFi audio]

A small update on my iDSD Pro tube rolling. I purchased my unit second hand, and it had to my great excitement Western Electric 396a already rolled into it. Unfortunately, they were very gassy tubes, and at higher volumes caused nasty, nasty noises. The iDSD as a whole hated the whole experience. Everything would go haywire when those tubes acted up.

Got my hands on a true NOS pair of 1960's vintage RCA next. I liked them just as well as the WE (when the WE was actually working properly)

But today I decided to try a pair of Sylvania 5670 Gold Labels. WOW. Best sound yet out of the iDSD Pro. Oh my goodness. Tube sweetness with increased bass authority and definition and a treble even more airy and sublime and smooth without any harshness or unwanted harmonic distortion.

BUT PLEASE TAKE NOTE. If you have no experience tube rolling, I suggest you leave this unit well enough alone. The tube sockets are easy to break if you are not especially careful, and the Wifi Antenna cable MUST be accounted for with great care during the disassembly and reassembly. I don't want to be responsible for anyone hurting their unit and voiding the warranty on this most incredible piece of gear.



The RCA I just took out


The Sylvania I rolled in



My NOS GE STASH... so I keep this 'End Game' DAC/head-amp running on her tubes for as long as she decides to live lol



And here is an interesting vintage pair I picked up. I am not familiar with CECO. Any one have knowledge who made these and when? I am reading up all the sparse info I can find on this company. It seems they were absorbed by Gold Seal, which I believe was then absorbed my RCA, so I feel fairly safe proclaiming these are RCA tubes as well.

Thanks for this feedback! I have to ask our tube geek about these. WE369As were his fav thus far

 

[Matschgo]

Dreamteam on the rocks

 

[iFi audio]

Dreamteam on the rocks

Sure is!
Great shots and cool stuff with LS50

 

[chaz_flhr]

So if I would upgrade the tubes in the idsd Pro, which would you recommend and how much are they?
mane thanks

Make sure they are matched sets both ifi pro products are finicky about tubes that aren’t closely matched.

 

[Fugue]

I ordered one of these DACS yesterday, so this might be a bit premature, but assuming I leave the unit on in tube mode for 8 hours a day, how long should the tubes last? And when the time to change them arrives, do I just remove the 4 screws on the back? The owner's manual doesn't address changing tubes. Thanks in advance.

 

[iFi audio]

Make sure they are matched sets both ifi pro products are finicky about tubes that aren’t closely matched.

Tubes should be matched, yup!

assuming I leave the unit on in tube mode for 8 hours a day, how long should the tubes last?

Stock tubes (JAN GE 5670) can go for thousands of hours.

And when the time to change them arrives, do I just remove the 4 screws on the back

All screws on the rear should be removed, so that the front panel with the main PCB attached can easily slide off.

 

[Fugue]

Tubes should be matched, yup!



Stock tubes (JAN GE 5670) can go for thousands of hours.



All screws on the rear should be removed, so that the front panel with the main PCB attached can easily slide off.

Thank you. I actually bought one a few months ago, but it kept locking up/freezing (it wouldn't even turn off--I had to unplug it!), so I returned it. I loved the sound, so I'm hoping that was just a bad one.

 

[iFi audio]

Thank you. I actually bought one a few months ago, but it kept locking up/freezing (it wouldn't even turn off--I had to unplug it!), so I returned it. I loved the sound, so I'm hoping that was just a bad one.

It looks like you got a faulty unit. They shouldn't behave like that, and our support is always here to help in case of any issues: https://support.ifi-audio.com

 

[JaquesGelee]

Thank you. I actually bought one a few months ago, but it kept locking up/freezing (it wouldn't even turn off--I had to unplug it!), so I returned it. I loved the sound, so I'm hoping that was just a bad one.

I got the same problems of suddenly freezes and N/A shown on the dislpay in idle and source select for month now. Unplugging power plug is the only way to revive. A few tickets, no concret answer to this. I don´t know, unit is a few month young.
But i haven´t opened the unit and i don´t think about to do it, definetly not until guarantee ends.