[hypnos1]

With most inexpensive protection circuits, IF they are designed and working properly will crowbar the output to Zero volts in the event of failure. These ones on your board I believe also disable the regulator chip in the event of a short on the output lines as well.

So you should be alright as far as one can trust inexpensive Chi-Nee products...

 
Thanks TD...at least my new reg'r does seem to have more 'goodies' in it than the first, lol...
 

  Wow! Just got my 6HM5s... SO much better than stock... How many hours are they rated at? Might pick up another set at this price.  Thanks for the suggestions, this amp just got 5x better ^.^

 
Hi G8.
 
Now you're getting some idea of just what our humble LDs are capable of...   WELL DONE!... But remember, they can do much  more - something for you to look forward to?

.
 
I do believe the 6HM5s have a very good life - perhaps someone else has the true figures?...Whatever, as TD says, it ALWAYS pays to have a couple in reserve, lol...

 

[philiptw]

So my headphone upgrade bug hit me and I am now venturing for a LCD-2..
 
Any suggestions on what settings/tubes to use with my LD mk3 to drive it? I have heard that OTL amps are in general not very good for planar headphones.. but is a significant factor?
 
@TrollDragon Would really appreciate your input seeing you seem to have a vast understanding of tube amps.. 

 
 
ps.. discovered the death of 1 of my 6J1P-EV tube from 1975.. quite sad what am I going to do with the other one lol

 

[superdux]

now i've listened to a few albums and these C3G's seem quite refined and now i really can enjoy my music.Thx for the tip Hypnos and Gibosi
 

 

 

[gibosi]

  So my headphone upgrade bug hit me and I am now venturing for a LCD-2..
 
Any suggestions on what settings/tubes to use with my LD mk3 to drive it? I have heard that OTL amps are in general not very good for planar headphones.. but is a significant factor?

 
According to the Audeze home page, the LCD2 has an impedance of 70 ohms. The HE-500 has an impedance of 38 ohms and a number of folks in this thread report that it sounds fine with their mk3 and mk4, so I would think that the LCD2, with almost twice the impedance, would also be fine.

 

[gibosi]

  Wow! Just got my 6HM5s... SO much better than stock... How many hours are they rated at? Might pick up another set at this price.  Thanks for the suggestions, this amp just got 5x better ^.^

 
Glad you are enjoying the 6HM5's. But.... the C3g's are "SO much better" than 6HM5's! Rather than picking up another pair, I think you should start saving your money to purchase C3g's!

 

[sgbwill2]

  now i've listened to a few albums and these C3G's seem quite refined and now i really can enjoy my music.Thx for the tip Hypnos and Gibosi
 

 

Looks good. May I ask where you ordered the 7 pin miniature tube extender/socket saver from? I've ordered mine from lee's radio and its been 4 weeks now and they still haven't arrived. My c3g's are sitting here and I cant use them

 

[superdux]

sorry for your long wait, but i also ordered at lee's radio.Maybe just ask where they are?I live in germany and mine arrived in about a week.
 
http://leedsradio.com/parts-sockets.html#savers
 
oh and beware not to touch the socket savers during playback cos they are for collecting measurements and wire protrudes at the top of them.

 

[philiptw]

   
According to the Audeze home page, the LCD2 has an impedance of 70 ohms. The HE-500 has an impedance of 38 ohms and a number of folks in this thread report that it sounds fine with their mk3 and mk4, so I would think that the LCD2, with almost twice the impedance, would also be fine.

 
From calculation, I think the mk3 can throw out ~150mW at 60ohm , acheiving peak dB of ~113 (91dB/mW) - so providing that I listen at around 97dB (which is already much louder than my normal listening levels) I should have a 16dB headroom which should be plenty..
 
Tho having said that, I can use my DX90's built in amp (2.8Vrms) to drive it a max of 112dB as well.. 
 
I don't really get why every/most threads I read on says LD mk3 is terrible for LCD-2.. it cant be that bad can it?
 
 
EDIT: found 1 post a while back that makes sense imo.. 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/495631/amp-recommendations-for-audeze-lcd-2/7230#post_10424733
 
Please correct me if my understanding is incorrect cheers

 

[TrollDragon]

  So my headphone upgrade bug hit me and I am now venturing for a LCD-2..
 
Any suggestions on what settings/tubes to use with my LD mk3 to drive it? I have heard that OTL amps are in general not very good for planar headphones.. but is a significant factor?
 
@TrollDragon Would really appreciate your input seeing you seem to have a vast understanding of tube amps.. 

 
 
ps.. discovered the death of 1 of my 6J1P-EV tube from 1975.. quite sad what am I going to do with the other one lol

Hey philiptw,
 
I don't have a vast understanding of tube amps, I got into electronics after tubes. 

I was a technician for Rat Shack when they were big here in Canada, fixing their CB's 8Tracks, Cassette Deck's, Reel to Reel's and those big ugly Direct Coupled amplifiers they used to sell as well as all the other assorted junk in their catalog.
 
So no... I am just a tech from a bygone era, a Hack and a Tinkerer. 

 
But I ran the LCD-3's for a few weeks on the MK IV with no problem...

6CS6's as drivers, before all the thread advancements.
 
Over in the MK IV appreciation thread there is a post from a user who runs LCD-2's, they work good with his MK IV but sound so much better he states from his Schiit Lyr. Which makes sense since the LCD's are a low Z headphone and the Lyr (2 Now) is a hybrid that can dump out a massive 6 Watts in 32Ω, there is ample power with a ton of headroom to play with. The Conductor SL could run the LCD-3's with some authority as well but it's a SS amp.
 
Something you might want to seriously consider looking into.
 
Sorry for your tube loss as well... 

 

[tjw321]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Originally Posted by TrollDragon /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Hey philiptw,
 
I don't have a vast understanding of tube amps, I got into electronics after tubes. 

I was a technician for Rat Shack when they were big here in Canada, fixing their CB's 8Tracks, Cassette Deck's, Reel to Reel's and those big ugly Direct Coupled amplifiers they used to sell as well as all the other assorted junk in their catalog.
 
So no... I am just a tech from a bygone era, a Hack and a Tinkerer. 

 
But I ran the LCD-3's for a few weeks on the MK IV with no problem...

6CS6's as drivers, before all the thread advancements.
 
Over in the MK IV appreciation thread there is a post from a user who runs LCD-2's, they work good with his MK IV but sound so much better he states from his Schiit Lyr. Which makes sense since the LCD's are a low Z headphone and the Lyr (2 Now) is a hybrid that can dump out a massive 6 Watts in 32Ω, there is ample power with a ton of headroom to play with. The Conductor SL could run the LCD-3's with some authority as well but it's a SS amp.
 
Something you might want to seriously consider looking into.
 
Sorry for your tube loss as well... 

 

That is the most awesome headphone stand ever!

 

[hypnos1]

  now i've listened to a few albums and these C3G's seem quite refined and now i really can enjoy my music.Thx for the tip Hypnos and Gibosi
 

 

 
Hi superd.
 
Glad you like the C3gs...another convert! Just wait 'til you have 40-50 hours on them, lol!
 
Then...some nice 6SN7s behind them? Better still, be brave and enter 6AS7G/6080 land?...Aaaaahh

 

Well ILM2... Most of the stuff in this thread is unorthodox...

 
Unorthodox?...AGREED, TD. But I would also venture to add : resourceful; pioneering; fascinating; educational; rewarding, BRAVE...and not a little MAD! But isn't this precisely what so often results in the greatest quantum leaps in any endeavour? (And, no doubt, been a source of a little amusement for the 'purists', lol!).
 
Whatever, hopefully what has been achieved is proving to be of great benefit to those LD owners who are now enjoying a level of sound from their lowly machines way beyond what may have ever been thought possible (well, it is for me anyways!). And hopefully also for those yet to come...

.

 

[TrollDragon]

  That is the most awesome headphone stand ever!

Thanks!
 
Here is another one I made. 

 
Here is a Flickr Set
https://www.flickr.com/photos/troll_dragon/sets/72157635038856825

 

[tjw321]

  Thanks!
 
Here is another one I made. 

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 
 
Here is a Flickr Set
https://www.flickr.com/photos/troll_dragon/sets/72157635038856825

Very nice - both of them. My metal-working skills are non-existent but if I get a bit of spare time, I think I might have a go at making something (maybe wood would be a safer medium for me

). The corner of my monitor will thank me for it....

 

[TrollDragon]

  Very nice - both of them. My metal-working skills are non-existent but if I get a bit of spare time, I think I might have a go at making something (maybe wood would be a safer medium for me

). The corner of my monitor will thank me for it....

Thanks! but there is not much metal working skills there...
Just 1/2" copper pipe and some fittings. The big one was epoxied with PC-7 & JB Weld, the small one was soldered and that makes a real mess which does not look as good when you buff it.
 
Have you looked through the DIY Headphone Stand Thread? Many a great stand and lots of ideas in there. 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/249671/the-diy-headphone-stand-thread
 
 
Do something up for sure!

 

 

[mordy]

Hi philiptw,
 
Unless your Voskhod tube turned white inside instead of the silver coating I do not believe that it is dead. I once had a 6N6P tube that I wrote off for dead, but did not throw it away. A year later I gently scraped the pins with a pocket knife blade, pushed it in and out of the socket a few times, and it worked perfectly again. Seems a little oxidation caused it to malfunction.
 
Take any kind a knife blade that is small, hobby knife, pen knife etc, and just scrape each pin gently from different angles. Take a look if you can see oxidation on the pins, and if so, especially scrape those parts.
 
Let me know when you revive the tube...
 
Good luck!