[kukkurovaca]

The CV5 with 6111 fits that description (a bit dry) but so does the Oriolus BA300S with the same tubes so... did you try the CV5 with other tubes?
I missed the Oriolus BA-10 altogether... but it's not a tube amp is it?

I hadn't heard of HP-V1 before, 6N16B-Q tubes... maybe can be found for CV5?

Bear in mind that most of the amps in discussion are hybrids, so they shouldn't necessarily be expected to sound the tubey-est. (There are all-tube (trans)portable amps, but they're more obscure and largely more expensive, as well as huge: Woo WA-8, Analog Squared Paper TU-05, Phatlab Phantasy.)

 

[davidmolliere]

After further testing it was not the 6111 that hisses more than 6832 but the DX120 which hisses much more than WM1Z with the CV5, so source was to blame not the CV5 which doesn't hiss much...

@kukkurovaca Yeah good point, CV5 is hybrid... WA-8 is something I'd like to get my ears on...

 

[jerick70]

After further testing it was not the 6111 that hisses more than 6832 but the DX120 which hisses much more than WM1Z with the CV5, so source was to blame not the CV5 which doesn't hiss much...

@kukkurovaca Yeah good point, CV5 is hybrid... WA-8 is something I'd like to get my ears on...

Woo makes awesome kit. I sold my WA-5 and regret it every day. The only issue with the WA 8 is it's not really portable. It's huge and really only barely transportable.

 

[kukkurovaca]

Yeah, they're enormous. I snagged a Phatlab Phantasy for a ridiculously low price on eBay, and it's a delightful amp (although very quirky and probably not very technically clean). It's not as the big as the WA-8, but it still clocks in at 750 grams. The issue with full-tube portable designs is that they've got to include output transformers and manage heat, so they can't be that small even when they use compact tubes.

 

[gr8soundz]

My Cv5 arrived today. Never know quite what you'll get until it's in your hands but, gotta say, this amp is worth the original asking price and a steal at $399.

I guess 'boutique' isn't a bad word when it's done this well. Packaging is excellent (sorry, no unbox pics) and this is the first amp I've seen that comes with not 1, but 2 cases! The leather case is perfect for protecting the amp while in use and the perforated fabric bag protects them both for storage or transport. No need to search for a custom case this time.

The Cv5 is heavier than expected and heftier than its size suggests. Build quality is superb and the volume knob feels perfect, especially for a portable where you need precise volume adjustments but don't want the knob moving too freely (which was one of the few issues with the HP-V1, iirc).

So far, it sounds equally great. Great extension on both ends, especially the lows with high gain. Soundstage is very good but not quite as wide as my Oriolus NT-1. The Cv5 has power to spare too; more than any of my other portables and much more expected for an amp this size. On high gain I barely get past 10 o'clock volume with my T50rp mk3.

For now, the Cv5 is temporarily strapped to my AK Jr. for some burn-in. It'll be interesting to see if or how much the amp improves over time.

 

[Iluin]

Looks like FedEx has trouble keeping up with the Black Friday, package shipped friday won't reach me at the scheduled date and is stuck at "International shipment release", hope the CV5 reaches me tomorrow...

How

My Cv5 arrived today. Never know quite what you'll get until it's in your hands but, gotta say, this amp is worth the original asking price and a steal at $399.

I guess 'boutique' isn't a bad word when it's done this well. Packaging is excellent (sorry, no unbox pics) and this is the first amp I've seen that comes with not 1, but 2 cases! The leather case is perfect for protecting the amp while in use and the perforated fabric bag protects them both for storage or transport. No need to search for a custom case this time.

The Cv5 is heavier than expected and heftier than its size suggests. Build quality is superb and the volume knob feels perfect, especially for a portable where you need precise volume adjustments but don't want the knob moving too freely (which was one of the few issues with the HP-V1, iirc).

So far, it sounds equally great. Great extension on both ends, especially the lows with high gain. Soundstage is very good but not quite as wide as my Oriolus NT-1. The Cv5 has power to spare too; more than any of my other portables and much more expected for an amp this size. On high gain I barely get past 10 o'clock volume with my T50rp mk3.

For now, the Cv5 is temporarily strapped to my AK Jr. for some burn-in. It'll be interesting to see if or how much the amp improves over time.

How long would you say the burn-in period should be?

 

[gr8soundz]

How long would you say the burn-in period should be?

For products where it makes a difference, it can vary (according to some; burn-in is still heavily debated) up to 100s of hours. Imo, if you don't hear any difference after about 10 hours minimum, there may not be much difference even after 200 hours.

However, I plan to just use the Cv5 and let it slowly 'break-in' over time. Unlike previous amps/headphones/etc, this time (for some reason) I don't feel the need to leave it in a drawer playing music for a week to speed things up. I guess it sounds good enough already. Any further improvements would just be a bonus.

 

[Iluin]

For products where it makes a difference, it can vary (according to some; burn-in is still heavily debated) up to 100s of hours. Imo, if you don't hear any difference after about 10 hours minimum, there may not be much difference even after 200 hours.

However, I plan to just use the Cv5 and let it slowly 'break-in' over time. Unlike previous amps/headphones/etc, this time (for some reason) I don't feel the need to leave it in a drawer playing music for a week to speed things up. I guess it sounds good enough already. Any further improvements would just be a bonus.

Thank you for your answer.

 

[davidmolliere]

So I got myself a discounted ALO SXC22 interconnect (29$ instead of 149$) as I only had a fairly generic FiiO L17 handy and... this is a game changer really you owe it to the CV5 to get a good interconnect this changes everything the dynamics is greatly improved, timbre is more accurate and clarity and transparency are just a clear step up... Need time now to REALLY listen to the CV5

 

[gr8soundz]

So I got myself a discounted ALO SXC22 interconnect (29$ instead of 149$) as I only had a fairly generic FiiO L17 handy and... this is a game changer really you owe it to the CV5 to get a good interconnect this changes everything the dynamics is greatly improved, timbre is more accurate and clarity and transparency are just a clear step up... Need time now to REALLY listen to the CV5

Thanks for posting this. Missed it when ordering my Cv5. Appears Alo's Deals site is separate from their main site; can't even put items between sites in same cart so have to place separate orders and pay additional shipping.

Just ordered 2 of these and will use the 2nd for another stack or the rare occasion when I triple stack. I was also using a Fiio cable as the custom cable I have was a bit too bulky.

 

[davidmolliere]

Thanks for posting this. Missed it when ordering my Cv5. Appears Alo's Deals site is separate from their main site; can't even put items between sites in same cart so have to place separate orders and pay additional shipping. Just ordered 2 of these and will use the 2nd for another stack or the rare occasion when I triple stack. I was also using a Fiio cable as the custom cable I have was a bit too bulky.

I missed it as well so ended up paying twice for shipping, so to speak... I think the deal is now back to 49$ and it's a slightly different cable.
There is a Ref8 mini to mini at 169 instead of 249 as well.

 

[gr8soundz]

I missed it as well so ended up paying twice for shipping, so to speak... I think the deal is now back to 49$ and it's a slightly different cable.
There is a Ref8 mini to mini at 169 instead of 249 as well.

They're two slightly different cables. The $29 one is new old stock and appears to have all metal connectors. $49 one looks rubber or plastic but might have better strain relief. Cheaper one should be fine for my use and, as you stated, a decent upgrade over the L17.

https://aloaudio.deals/shop/sxc-22-compact-right-angle-mini-to-mini/

https://www.aloaudio.com/shop/mini-to-mini-sxc22-rt/

 

[davidmolliere]

@gr8soundz Spot on, I thought the promo had expired... that is great value for money, yeah there isn't much leeway with the old stock version, but it works alright...

 

[jeffri]

I have their Copper 22 Compact M2M that used the same jack as the old SXC22, while I like the sounds, the huge jack is quite a hassle to use for stacking with CV5. It got in the way of the gain switch and the headphone out. I guess that's the reason they changed the jack. Haha...

But it's definitely a good deal there!

 

[nurie]

My CV5 arrived today and I've been trying to charge it for some time now. I'm pretty sure it's been at least 5 hours (maybe even 6 by now) and the light still hasn't turned green. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong though as I'm a complete newbie with all this. I'm really sad that I can't try my andromeda s on them yet. I'm dreading having to send this back if there really is something wrong...

Does it have to be fully charged for it to turn on? I even tried connecting it to my laptop and tried turning it on too... nothing. The tube won't light up or anything either... ): I thought it'd at least have enough charge to turn on while connected to the laptop?