[baronbeehive]

  Am I late to the party with this amp? .......

 
.......well we're on page 91. Looking at it one way, it's still generating a lot of interest which is great.
 

  Yeh I bet. I'm thinking tubes first, then new balanced dac, then maybe after warranty runs out i'll go for the resistor and caps upgrade.

 
I waited 6 years for my upgrade...... and I'm still waiting for the caps to drop through the letter box so I can wait a bit longer I think!

 

[baronbeehive]

................sorry page 92.

 

[greenkiwi]

What is the easiest way to get a new set of tubes for the VI?  I currently have my original stock tubes and think that one might be having trouble.  Figure it might be easier to just get a whole new set then try to find the bad one.

 

[Cheesebaron]

I guess you could buy them on the Interwebz? Which ones do you suspect faulty?

 

[Poladise]

Does anyone know if the Psvane CV181-TII 6sn7 tubes work in the MK VI+? I read the Shuguang Treasure 6sn7 tubes dont work / fit.
cheers

 

[Cheesebaron]

I do think they work. However, you will need to get a socket saver or riser to get them fit, as the base has a bigger diameter, at least on the Shuguang. I think there are posts about this earlier in the thread.

 

[Poladise]

Cool just found this from last year.
 
 
Quote:

  The Treasure CV181 don't fit because of their larger base. The Psvane CV181 and Mullard do....

 
I think Zenpunk has the T1s, I bet the T2s are the same base. I'll email & find out. Thanks

 

[2K9R56S]

The CV181 tubes do fit and work by themselves, BUT...  It's a very snug fit and the pins aren't going all the way into the socket.  You'd be better off using a pair of socket savers with them.
 
I also remember seeing a picture a while ago of someone removing the gold rings around each driver tube socket.  Though I don't know how much of the amp you'd have to disassemble to get to them.

 

[Poladise]

k thanks for the info. Before I got the amp I was intending on finding the most tubey and smooth tubes for the VI, but after hearing the stock 6n9p tube's overly soft, almost cloudy sound and rolled treble with the LC2s, now I looking for clarity and treble extension instead.

 

[2K9R56S]

 
 
I removed the 2 aluminium rings that usually surround the base of the driver tubes. This allows me to use my favourite driver tubes without using socket savers to get them to fit inside the aluminium rings. So the gold plated pins plug straight into the amplifier, which has to be better than going through the cheap nasty steel pins of the socket saver.
 
Thanks G600 for the information about which resistors to replace, and for letting me know about the KIWAME resistors. They are a good quality product. They work well with the other parts in the Little Dot MK VI+.

 
 
Here it is. 

 

[Poladise]

Nice. That'll be plan B if the Psvanes are an awkward fit. Might try some cheaper nos tubes first though.

 

[john57]

I wonder about the steps it takes to remove the motherboard in order to reach the other side of the motherboard to replace parts or the screws that holds the brass ring around the tubes. It seems to take a bit of work to make that happen.

 

[baronbeehive]

  I wonder about the steps it takes to remove the motherboard in order to reach the other side of the motherboard to replace parts or the screws that holds the brass ring around the tubes. It seems to take a bit of work to make that happen.

Yes, I've just heard that mine was a job to remove as well, it seems that space is at a premium with the LD to fit everything in, also the ceramic valve holders are very tight and difficulty not to damage when removing the PCB. Incidently 2 of my 5W resistors where burnt as well although still functioning which probably explains the burning I noticed a while ago so people ought to be aware of this. I don't think I've had defective tubes so it could have been caused by tracking or such like.
 
Regarding the caps, I've had a change of plan because the Audyn True Copper don't fit without removing the fans so I'm going to plan B, which means I have the 4 Audyn caps surplus to requirements. I don't want to fit an external fan as I want to keep the form factor of the amp as it is although there's nothing wrong with changing the fans, but I certainly don't want to do without active cooling, I think its a bit too risky.

 

[G600]

My amp is working flawlessly without any cooling, since it's waiting for a custom bottom I haven't even began.
How far are you into the mods ?

 

[baronbeehive]

Resistors done mounted slightly above PCB so as to allow cooling between them and board. Old WIMA caps removed and PCB put back allowing the new caps to be put in without removing the PCB again. Although you many not get overheating problems the PCB is very susceptable to problems caused by heat and any warping could have deleterious effects so I'm not going to risk it. I did think of changing the fans but as I don't hear fan noise when I'm actually listening to music I'm not bothering with that. Regarding the caps I'm going to experiment with audiophile caps at different capacitance because that is the one thing that makes the biggest difference, up to a maximum of 1uF,  anything beyond that is probably overkill and very high values could introduce instability in the system I believe. If I don't get as big a difference as I want I may then splash out on Mundort Supreme Silver/Oil caps at twice the price of the Audyn's but still not as expensive as the Silver/Gold/Oil. Some say that the Silver/Oil is the best anyway.
 
One slight problem...... if the improvement is dramatic I will have to upgrade the speaker system as well..... oh dear.