[windrider]

Just got a second hand MKIII. It was cheap so i couldnt hold back my curiousity

I am pleasantly surprised by this amp. First impressions (on a hd600) on gain setting 10

- its got ALOT more punch and amount of bass than the darkvoice 332, which was what i have been looking for all the while for the hd600s. Although this could be due to the difference in tubes (stock dv332 tubes/LM Ericsson 5654 vs GE5654).
- the emphasis seems to be a little heavy on the lower frequencies... which is nice, but lower mids/vocals seem to be a little hollow/missing abit of body/recessed in comparison.
- not harsh sounding.
- has a tubey "reverb" compared to the dv332. Dv332 has a much cleaner sound, and much cleaner vocals, and gives me the impression that there's more "sparkle" in the treble.
- Although Dv332 has a very clean sound, it all blends together very nicely and doesnt feel analytical. In comparision, LD MKIII has a weird soundstage... i dont really know quite how to put it. For example, although the bass is very nice it seems to be "detached" from the rest of the music at times. Decay is alot more smoother and natural on the dv332. Instruments/parts seem to be less separated than on the dv332, but how they blend/overlap onto each other sounds a little weird.
- they sound VERY different from each other on the hd600.

To me, the dv332 is more natural sounding, despite me finding the lows lacking on the dv332. Maybe of the slight hollowness in mids of the mkIII, or maybe just because the dv332 is cleaner/clearer/smoother. But its also twice the price of the LD MKIII. IMO the MKIII is extremely impressive for its price, especially with the oomph it provides in bass with the stock configuration. Personally though i would vote for the 332 in terms of better sounding with the hd600s.

I will be getting some tung sols 5654s soon so i'll be eager to find out how both the amps sound with them

Maybe i should try the GE5654s on the DV332 too and see if i get a similar sound to the LD MKIII.

 

[apatN]

Thanks. However, did your unit have enough break-in time? Also, try some more gain settings and let us know about your findings! I'm also looking into a nice tube amp.

 

[windrider]

its a 4 months old unit and the previous owner said he "loved it" so i guess it should be pretty much fully broken in by now.

As for the gain setting, Shouldn't gain 10 be the best match for the high impedance hd600 already?

 

[windrider]

Swapped the tubes and the results were interesting. Or even shocking.

- dv332 using ge5654 still retained the sound characteristics that i'm familiar with it; still light on bass, having maybe just abit more bass; mids were kinda abit more recessed/less smooth.
- however, LD MKIII using LM Ericsson 5654 results were shocking. The whole sound signature transformed into the same one i've been listening to for weeks and have gotten so used to. With the exception of slightly more punchiness in the bass, slightly less smooth, slightly less detail/air, slightly less decay/less 3d sound, slightly less dynamic sound. Its like 80-90% of what i've been getting with the dv332.

 

[Palantiri7]

Thanks Windrider. Your impressions of the Mk III are similar to what my new Mk II sounds like with stock tubes.

 

[windrider]

Actually after abit more listening the mids seemed to have improved compared to my first impression of them. Probably i was listening at too low a volume level at first... or maybe the tubes haven't warmed up properly just now.

 

[fdhfdy]

I prefer k701 on MK3. Just so good!

 

[Pricklely Peete]

The MK III's ability to change with tube rolling is remarkable. Check out the tube rolling thread for insight.

Feed the MK III a high quality signal and it just gets better and better.

Peete.

 

[windrider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdhfdy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I prefer k701 on MK3. Just so good!

havent heard the k701 but from what ppl have described of it sounds like it'll be a good match with the mkIII

 

[windrider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pricklely Peete /img/forum/go_quote.gif The MK III's ability to change with tube rolling is remarkable. Check out the tube rolling thread for insight. Feed the MK III a high quality signal and it just gets better and better. Peete.

Yes i've been following that thread too. All that i've read about the mkIII tempted me to get one

Can't wait to try tung sols and mullards on it.

 

[ciphercomplete]

If you want a more full sound from the MKIII you might want to try the Tung Sols. The Tung Sols have almost too much body for my taste but you think the stock tubes are a little light so the Tung Sols might be a good choice for you. I think I am going to give the Tung Sols another try tonight.

I think the "Russians" (as I affectionately call them when I can't remember their real name) offer the best mix of body and high end detail for my HD-580s. You should also give the Mullard 8161 a listen but given what you stated in your original post they might be a tad too "light" for your tastes.

Thanks for the comparison. I am thinking about getting DV337 so it was nice to hear how my current amp compares to a DarkVoice.

 

[windrider]

Actually i'm happy with the amount of body in bass especially. Fuller mids never hurt though... So far my experience is that the fuller the mids are the more pleasant it is.

Personally i hope to find some combination that gives punchier bass even if its a little less in amount. I like articulate bass lines that dont "bleed" too much into mids.

But i'll try the tung sols first and see how they go. I ordered some russian 6n6p too.

 

[JimSmiley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by windrider /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes i've been following that thread too. All that i've read about the mkIII tempted me to get one Can't wait to try tung sols and mullards on it.

I love the EF92 family with mine. Mullard CV131 are my favorite.

 

[Penchum]

Yes, Jim's got the right idea. Try some from the EF92 family. Better mids and super low bass. Both the M8161 and 6CQ6 (full shield) should sound outstanding. Don't forget, NOS tubes sometimes need up to 45 hours to mature, so this can impact your impressions in the end.

 

[RumpleForeSkin]

I'm totally thinking about grabbing myself one of these to go with my 595's. Question though, even though the files are lossless, I'm still getting some distortion while using my ipod as the source - will an amp fix this, or just make it worse?