[electropop]

Yeah. And even if something would in objective terms really sound better, you've gotten so used to the sound sig that it's almost impossible to change. You can call it 'falling in love'.

http://casque.generationmp3.com/wp-c...tle_dot_I_.jpg

You see the two switches on the left, nearest to the volume pot? It reads '408' and '6J1' between them. Those two set left means 6J1-family, both of them right means 408's.. That easy

If you want to use EF92's, you need to put in jumpers, which are included in the package, to the places 4 o'clock from the switches between the blue/red 'transistors/capasitors? (not sure). The thing in the middle, between the two small green round things, is the opamp. Just pull it out, put the lt1364 in and have a listen. The two bottom screws on both sides of the amp (total 4) are pretty quick to remove.. Just saying, that don't be afraid to try some different tube-families, since it's really easy! I hesitated at first too, but here we are

And I think the 6J1's and others in that family have been hogging the least praisal.. So just saying..

-K

 

[cristox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by electropop /img/forum/go_quote.gif You see the two nubs on the left...

He means "switches", ot "nubs".

Quote:

Originally Posted by electropop /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want to use EF92's, you need to put in caps...

He means "jumper", not "caps".

Please be more precise, because the unexperienced may not understand you.

 

[electropop]

I am sorry, my terminology sucks, and i was le tired.. No excuse though. Will edit post.
But as far as I'm concerned, nub also stands for switch

Yes, but still, it's designed to be relatively simple for people taking their first leap into the tube world..

 

[sciberpunkt]

I'm looking for a source for the LT1364. While Linear Technology has the best deal on them, they want more than $25 for basic shipping to my address. I found a seller on eBay that has them for $12.95/each and $5 to ship:

eBay Item 110333253654

This appears to be the version that the LDI+ needs but I would appreciate some confirmation before I buy since I'm a noob. Thanks.

 

[electropop]

I haven't seen one, but I'd assume that's the correct version. CN8 is right..

 

[intoart]

My 6AK5s arrived Saturday. Two are RCA and the rest are Sylvania. I heard no difference between those brands, but the difference from the stock Chinese 6JIs was quite a bit greater than I was prepared to expect! The amp sounded so good already that I was skeptical about further improvement, and quite pleasantly surprised. I hope that the new op amp turns out to be an equally significant step up. (By the way, who decided that the Linear Technology chip was was the best choice, and what was that decision based on?)

I won't say that the soundstage is larger per se through the 6AK5s, but sound near the outer limits is louder (relative to the center) than before, which makes it seem more compelling. Bas now extends even deeper with no loss of tightness. Midrange is fuller and richer, and I think that I now understand what is meant by "tube warmth". Treble remains detailed, but with less sibilance/brightness.

With the new tubes, my DT770s now sound so good that I hope the D5000s really do turn out to be a major upgrade. It is getting more and more difficult to imagine how there could be room for even more improvement!

One oddity: when I first installed them, the right tube glowed more brightly than the left. I think the right channel may have been just slightly louder as well (though this could easily be my imagination or a quirk of my hearing.) I swapped the tubes, and now they look (and sound?) more "even". Has anybody else had an experience like that, or am I just nuts?

 

[electropop]

I think the LT1364 just received so much hype on the Zero thread, that it's been declared sort of a good all-rounder in the diy/head-fi community.. There hasn't been as much op-rolling for the LDI+ so it might not be the best.. But many seem to dig them

Where did you order your tubes? This is a common issue, if your tubes are not matched. Usually people here recommend ordering from trusted tube-sellers.
When i ordered the GE408s, i ordered two pairs and luckily found a good match. (They were 1,49usd a piece) Another thing concerning the volume balance is the volume-pot. With this price, it's not the best one and i hear imbalance, but only when listening with very low volume.
But no, you're not nuts..

Did I understand that you have two pairs of 6AK5's but from different brands?

 

[intoart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by electropop /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did I understand that you have two pairs of 6AK5's but from different brands?

I started a thread earlier about the meaning of "matched pairs". In it, I was advised that matching is not important with this particular amp. For that reason, when I saw 7 tubes for a good price, I bought them instead of spending more for matched pairs. The box contained four Sylvanias, two RCAs, and one stray GE (all 6AK5s.) If I try the 408As, will I get better sound by paying a bit more to get a matched pair?

 

[electropop]

I don't what that was all about, since i hear the difference clearly. Some seemed to ridicule the matter since the amp is so cheap..

Good thing that you have four of the same kind then. You should try different pairings and find the best match. Up to you, but I'd get totally schizo if i couldn't listen to an even set

Not exactly a matter of sound quality, just balance. Although some are extremely critical of the tubes and run them through testers and what not.. Meh, that does it for me

 

[intoart]

My new op amp arrived last night. I am afraid I heard no improvement whatsoever over stock. In fact, the only difference I detected at all was a slight tube hum with no music playing that I did not notice before (I suppose this implies that it is more revealing, but this did not make any obvious difference when listening to music.)

I did experiment a bit with the four Sylvania tubes and found two that seem like a match.

 

[nauxolo]

i'm really not liking the 408a sylvania gold

 

[intoart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nauxolo /img/forum/go_quote.gif so what exactly does differing tubes do other than change frequency charts? do they increase soundstage/headstage etc? i'm really not liking the 408a sylvania gold

My Sylvanias are a definite improvement over the cheap Chinese stock tubes (better soundstage, fuller midrange, more extended bass.) I do not know how they compare with other good quality tubes.

I am surprised that you do not like your gold 408s. I have not heard them, but they have a reputation as one of the best choices with this particular amp. Maybe the sound signature has poor synergy with your headphones?

(By the way, are soundstage and headstage synonyms, or do they mean different things? I doubt that I would recognize a difference!)

 

[electropop]

Just swapped in my lt1364. Can't really say there's much difference except in the detail maybe.
My two sets of tubes are waiting in the post office.. I'm really anticipating more of an improvement with them..

 

[intoart]

My D5000s arrived! They sound excellent with the I+ and 6AK5s. I will still try 408As with them at some point, though, just to see if I can detect a difference.

 

[oldskoolboarder]

I've tried the LD I+ with 480A's (thanks nauxolo) on my Beyer DT770-250's and my super.fi 5EB's.

For the DT770's, I actually prefer my Rotel 1070 output better. Wider soundstage and the bass is a bit more prominent. The source here was a Ah! Njoe tube CD player.

I'm at work now and the superfi's probably aren't the best match. I don't see much added from the LD I+ vs my iPod 5.5G headphone output. Can't say if that's more of a headphone issue.

I'll do more testing when my Grado 325i's arrive.