[upstateguy]

Quote:

I sold the Halide a few months ago (damn...I have to update my profile): I will use a Squeezebox Touch and a Sonos.
Sometimes I miss that nice converter, but I don't want to use a computer as source.

Wondering why not?

 

[SP Wild]

Quote:

I finally got the Havana!
I've found it used here in Europe, at a good price. Finger crossed
I've been thinking about the Havana and the Satch dac for a few months, and I'll probably build the Satch anyway, but I was so interested in trying the Havana that I couldn't pass on this.
 
I'm now going to read the 71 pages of this thread 

I'll be following your impressions with anticipation. 
 
What is it with reading threads...after purchasing a product.  I do the same, though it would make more sense to read before purchase.  I guess the reduction of post purchase anxiety plays a prime role in psychology. 
 
This new Havana balanced has my interest, I seem to favour Burr Brown chips, R2R and NOS...I also seem to favour rolled off trebles and fat mids.  Perhaps I could sell off my tube amp and use a tube source for my upcoming Phoenix as a compliment to pure solid state presentation.  Then again, it'd probably be so much cheaper just to purchase an ebay kit.

 

[realmassy]

Quote:

Wondering why not?

They're noisy, they have too many available configurations, options, tweaks etc etc and I just want to listen to my music.
I'm a software engineer, love computer for my work but I don't for my entertainment.
If I had space I would still be spinning CDs.
 

 

[realmassy]

Quote:

I'll be following your impressions with anticipation. 
 
What is it with reading threads...after purchasing a product.  I do the same, though it would make more sense to read before purchase.  I guess the reduction of post purchase anxiety plays a prime role in psychology. 

LOL
very true!!
Funny thing, before purchasing the havana I noticed only positive reviews...and now only negative :-O
 

 

[reiserFS]

I'll be jumping onto the balanced Havana near the end of January, looking forward to it. Anyone else thinking about ordering one?

 

[Mr.Mantas]

Looking forward for your review on balanced Havana!
Comparison between Havana SE and Havana XLR would be really great

 

[reiserFS]

Although I don't own the SE Havana, I'll be comparing it between the Yulong D100, which also received much praise here.
 
Quote:

Looking forward for your review on balanced Havana!
Comparison between Havana SE and Havana XLR would be really great

 

[loserica]

 
I upgraded to OIMP V-Cap capacitors and feel the difference. I am happy.
 

 

[niamex]

Quote:

 
I upgraded to OIMP V-Cap capacitors and feel the difference. I am happy.
 

I am going the same way so I wander what you have payed to VH for the caps ? I have already replaced many caps and resistors, also installed a BNC for the coax and eliminated the USB and optical inputs., Planning to replace the diodes with schotkeys and separate the digital from analog PS /second transformer/. Even now the Havana sounds sweet I love it. Please share your listening experience after sveral hours with the new caps.
Cheers,
Ignat

 

[realmassy]

My Havana will be delivered today, can't wait to come back and listen to it 

 

[realmassy]

Listening to the Havana right now.
I'm the second owner but the previous owner used it only for a few hours, so probably some break-in is till needed.
It comes with the stock tube.
Sonos ZP90 --> Havana (coax) --> WA3 (Cardas 300b) -->HD650 (Zu Mobius)
I also have a netbook with MPD 0.16 to try the USB connection.
I listen mainly to classical music.
 
In the last 15 months I tried many DACs: Little Dot DAC_I, V-DAC, DacMagic, X-DAC V3, HRT Music Streamer, Audio-GD Ref.5 and I'm currently using a Valab Luxury. The Valab has been (and it still is) a real love, and my introduction to the NOS world. As I said in a different thread I prefer the Valab to the Ref.5.
 
First impression of the Havana is...it sounds closer to the Ref.5 than to the Valab!
There's a great control in the low and high end: percussion and cellos sound more clean and less bloated, transients are slower, with a smaller dynamic impact.
The stage isn't wider, but deeper, while the Valab has a more intimate presentation. The Valab has also better mycrodynamics: with string quartets you can "feel" the bow over the strings, and you can touch them during the pizzicatos. The Havana sounds softer, and to my ears less detailed.
 
Where the Havana is absolutely superior is with large orchestra works. Beethoven's 5th (deutsche grammophon, karlos kleiber) is exemplar, never heard so well: a lot of air between instruments and perfect control over percussions. Brasses are particularly great, they don't tend to cover the rest of the orchestra, they are part of it. With the Valab and the Ref.5 they weren't so natural, they sound raw. The result is amazing with period instruments: Beethoven's 7th (van immerseel and anima eterna orchestra) left me speechless.
 
Going back to listen now!

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

Listening to the Havana right now.
I'm the second owner but the previous owner used it only for a few hours, so probably some break-in is till needed.
It comes with the stock tube.
Sonos ZP90 --> Havana (coax) --> WA3 (Cardas 300b) -->HD650 (Zu Mobius)
I also have a netbook with MPD 0.16 to try the USB connection.
I listen mainly to classical music.
 
In the last 15 months I tried many DACs: Little Dot DAC_I, V-DAC, DacMagic, X-DAC V3, HRT Music Streamer, Audio-GD Ref.5 and I'm currently using a Valab Luxury. The Valab has been (and it still is) a real love, and my introduction to the NOS world. As I said in a different thread I prefer the Valab to the Ref.5.
 
First impression of the Havana is...it sounds closer to the Ref.5 than to the Valab!
There's a great control in the low and high end: percussion and cellos sound more clean and less bloated, transients are slower, with a smaller dynamic impact.
The stage isn't wider, but deeper, while the Valab has a more intimate presentation. The Valab has also better mycrodynamics: with string quartets you can "feel" the bow over the strings, and you can touch them during the pizzicatos. The Havana sounds softer, and to my ears less detailed.
 
Where the Havana is absolutely superior is with large orchestra works. Beethoven's 5th (deutsche grammophon, karlos kleiber) is exemplar, never heard so well: a lot of air between instruments and perfect control over percussions. Brasses are particularly great, they don't tend to cover the rest of the orchestra, they are part of it. With the Valab and the Ref.5 they weren't so natural, they sound raw. The result is amazing with period instruments: Beethoven's 7th (van immerseel and anima eterna orchestra) left me speechless.
 
Going back to listen now!

Thanks for the initial impressions. Very interesting comments. Looking forward to reading more.
 
BTW: the Havana is quite responsive to tube rolling; for instance, some counterpoint to the impression it sounding a tad "softer" than some of the more analytic DACS (which I happen to agree with, BTW) could possibly be changed via tube rolling.
 
Some good tubes to try for detail/microdynamics:
 
1. Bendix 6385 - extremely nice sounding tube; one of the best with the Havana; at the upper end of detail and "air," crisp, great soundstage. I had one for about a year and loved it. Fairly rare and expensive (you would pay between $100 and $300 depending on year and usage)
 
2. Bendix 2C51 - almost as good as the Bendix 6385, very similar sound, leaning towards detail and "air;" just the tiniest bit more laid back than the 6385, however and soundstage not as impressive but still a fantastic tube ($50 to $100 or so)
 
...
 
My current tube is a JW branded WE396A (JW WE396A) from 1954. It is outstanding and far superior to the earlier year 396A's (I've had a variety and then just decided to drop the $ on a JW 396A from the mid to early 50's as I'd read so much about them and heard a friends in his Paradisea DAC. It's got the detail of the Bendix 6385 but a bit more "meat" and "weight" in the midrange, which I enjoy. If you research this tube, be sure you specifically look for the "JW" variant, which simply means that they were created for military use. The difference is very great. Also, I'm not sure about the post '55 tubes as I've not heard any. You'll pay around $100+ for a NOS tube.
 
Have fun.
 
 

 

[realmassy]

Thanks s1rrah.
As always happens when a new toy is in the house, the listening sessions yesterday has been addictive...I couldn't stop!
I will spend some time during the weekend, my son permitting!
 
BTW, a few days ago I let him wear my HD650 (he's only 1 year old) connected to the WA3: you can't imagine how big was the grin on his face
I put some Mozart's music (concerto for flute and harp) and he listened to it for 15 minutes.
 
Anyway, I'l try to resist and not to buy any tube replacement for now, I just want to understand how the Havana sounds with the stock one, so I can spot easily the differences.
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll put an eye on ebay

 

[loserica]

Yes, I agree.  WE396A are very good.

 

 

[loserica]

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Sorry I have not answered yet.
V-Cap sound has improved noticeably. Basically, the two capacitors have cost me about $ 132 without transport, but it was worth. The differences with the stock capacitors are especially visible at the level of transparency, texture, sound separation and resolution. The sound is open ... Before instaling V-Cap capacitors, I compared Havana with a Dyi converter of a friend and I noticed something that Havana sounds dark on medium and high frecvents. Transparency! Even the Lavry DA10 I liked more than Havana in this chapter. As vocal, Havana is superior without question, but classical music felt differences. Lavry have a brighter sound.
After about 100-150 hours of listening to mount V-Cap capacitors felt a change in the sense that I liked Havana increasingly more. Same effect as when I changed the tube (with WE396A).
I use Havana with a solid state amplifier DIY "eXStatA" based on discrete circuits and a pair of electrostatic STAX SR-404LE "Limited Edition". At this level can honestly say that she felt any change in sound: which may come from the output capacitors, tube, power filter, interconnections,...
 


 




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