[Jbucla2005]

I ground out the edges of the opening of my unit to allow 6SN7 tubes to fit, with the adaptor of course. Now I regret it, as I’ve settled on the 6386 tube which fits fine without modification.

 

[Loftprojection]

You have the newer metal panel version, I have the original Orchid with the plexy panels, not as easy to modify! Is this the 6386 we see on the picture you posted?

 

[Jbucla2005]

You have the newer metal panel version, I have the original Orchid with the plexy panels, not as easy to modify! Is this the 6386 we see on the picture you posted?

Yes, that’s the tube. I got it here:

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/vacuum-tube-6386-lgp-jj-electronics-gold-pin

 

[Loftprojection]

Yes, that’s the tube. I got it here:

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/vacuum-tube-6386-lgp-jj-electronics-gold-pin

Thanks much, do you remember where you got the adapter? I found one for 6922 but not for 6386 yet.

 

[Jbucla2005]

Thanks much, do you remember where you got the adapter? I found one for 6922 but not for 6386 yet.

You don’t need an adaptor for it. It’s the same as the 5670.

 

[Loftprojection]

You don’t need an adaptor for it. It’s the same as the 5670.

Great thanks a lot

 

[Dawgfish]

I tried a few WE396A’s a while ago but they weren’t exceptional tubes for me, if I remember right they were a bit thin sounding, but maybe mine weren’t good ones. I believe they were later incarnations of the tube which are not as famous? Anyway, the smaller signal tubes like 5670 tend to be brighter with less bass. The 5670’s that I use were made by Raytheon, GE, and RCA. The JJ 6386 is a bigger tube with more bass. It’s not as bassy as a 6SN7, though. The sound is balanced and detailed (the most detailed tube I've tried,) but maybe a little “boring” compared to say, the Electro Harmonix 6922 which is a little brighter and more “tubey” (creamy.) The EH6922 can be a pretty enjoyable tube though, if you like a lush tube presentation, and is pretty low-cost.

It sounds like you got a bad example of a WE396A. They tend to sound warm and full sounding. I'm not saying the WE396A is any better sounding then the other tubes you have tried but they tend to be a full sounding tube and definitely not thin sounding. You may very well have a bad example of that tube.

 

[Pharmaboy]

It sounds like you got a bad example of a WE396A. They tend to sound warm and full sounding. I'm not saying the WE396A is any better sounding then the other tubes you have tried but they tend to be a full sounding tube and definitely not thin sounding. You may very well have a bad example of that tube.

This was my experience with the WE396A, also.

In this connection, it should be said that some (perhaps many) of the pricey NOS tubes F.S. on Ebay and other "wild west" sites are either fakes, or worn out/used original tubes being sold in a "last hurrah" fashion to enrich the seller. Consequently, I tend to stick to 2 or 3 thoroughly known, respected, and vetted sellers when I buy NOS tubes. I pay more for the privilege, but it's worth it. I've purchased tubes that didn't sound as great as expected (with all the gear & headphones involved, there are many variables at play); but I've gotten many that sounded even better than expected. And not a single one was a flat-out failure, defective in any way.

 

[Jbucla2005]

Lately I've been using a NOS RCA 5670 that I think is from the 50's. It has a good bass and little more lively sound than the JJ 6386.

Here is the list of recommended tubes from the manufacturer:

http://www.mhdtlab.com/tube.htm

 

[Loftprojection]

I wonder why MHDT is now making the Orchid with 6922 tubes? They don’t mention anything if it’s sound related or whatever?

 

[cats4cans]

I wonder why MHDT is now making the Orchid with 6922 tubes? They don’t mention anything if it’s sound related or whatever?

When I bought mine the premium 5670 tubes had skyrocketed in price and availability was low enough it wasn’t offered as an option. I was not at all impressed with the stock tube. I assume the premium tubes sound better. Once I started using the 6922 adapter every tube sounded fuller and more correct. These were only $20 and $40 NOS 6DJ8 tubes, I imagine the improvement extends to the exotics. So it could just be supply, but it’s going to improve the sound as well.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I now have 3 NOS DACs which I use in my 2 audio systems in home office (2 are always in use w/1 on the shelf):

• MHDT Labs Orchid w/my favorite output buffer tube, the Mullard CV5331
• Audio GD R2R-11 MK2
• Metrum Onyx with DAC2 chips

Ever since I bought the Orchid ~4 years ago, it has been my F.T. DAC in the main system, which features a preamp, multiple headphone amps, an electronic crossover, big class D amp, passive speakers (currently the vintage KEF 103.2s) and a good sub (JLAudio e110). I love the sound of everything in this system.

I loaned the Orchid to a friend, so for ~3 weeks I had either of the other two DACs in my main system in place of the Orchid. It's important to note that the Onyx retails for ~2X the Orchid's cost and ~3X the Audio GD's cost, yet for reasons I cannot comprehend, it didn't sound as good as the others in the main system. The Audio GD sounded solid, but not even close to the Orchid.

Yesterday I put the Orchid back in the main system and did some listening on headphones. It was immediately obvious that the wonderfully expansive, bassy, weighty sound of the Orchid was back, large and in charge. At least in the main system, the other 2 DACs can't come close to the Orchid.

I bought the Orchid "blind" (had no chance to hear it beforehand, just went by reviews). I really lucked out that day, because the sound of the Orchid is absolutely everything I want: digital sound that is so analogue-like that I completely forget it's digital.

 

[warp2600]

I now have 3 NOS DACs which I use in my 2 audio systems in home office (2 are always in use w/1 on the shelf):

• MHDT Labs Orchid w/my favorite output buffer tube, the Mullard CV5331
• Audio GD R2R-11 MK2
• Metrum Onyx with DAC2 chips

Ever since I bought the Orchid ~4 years ago, it has been my F.T. DAC in the main system, which features a preamp, multiple headphone amps, an electronic crossover, big class D amp, passive speakers (currently the vintage KEF 103.2s) and a good sub (JLAudio e110). I love the sound of everything in this system.

I have similar experience. I have had the MHDT LAB Canary for quite a few years now and although I have since bought a factory refurbished Lampizator Atlantic TRP, I would be hard pressed to say that the Atlantic, which costs multiple of the Canary, is way better than the Canary. The Lampi has an R2R digital board (I heard it's actually a Soekris board) to handle PCM to analog conversion and a superb tube analog stage but somehow I tend to enjoy listening to the Canary more when playing redbook material. I have run a near full circle with tube rolling starting with the stock GE 5670 through TESLA, Tung-Sol, a superb soviet tube, a Tungsram 6922 with adapter and now I am back to the stock GE tube, which turns out to be a nice 3-mica 5670 and I love it.
The Lampizator is able to play PCM up to DXD heights and also has a separate DSD board and I have many DSD (and some DXD) downloads so the Lampi is on as often as the Canary but when I want to play only 16-bit redbook, I choose the Canary. However, the thing is more complex, as I also have a fine SACD/CD player, the MARANTZ SA14S1 SE, and some CDs sound best playing on the Marantz, plus a vintage SONY player with the TDA1541 chip, which is nice in my headphone system but not so great in my main system through speakers so it is mainly used as a CD transport into the Canary.

 

[Loftprojection]

My main DAC is an Orchid (original version) which I love. There must be some kind of compoent mix (magic!) in these MHDT DACs that somehow produces a sound signature that is sweet and very apealing to the mind. It is not the most revealing and sparkling, it’s bass is strong but not the tightest, it has flaws but the overall sound is intoxicating. Its a bit like the magic of tube amps in a sense.

Can you imagine I still have the original DAC that started MHDT, the Paradisea. I don’t even remember how many years it’s been since I ordered that DAC from them, I think it was the beginning of internet! Hahaha. I still use it almost daily on my speaker system for casual listening and the Orchid is used on my desktop headphone system for listening enjoyment.

I’ve been waiting for a transportable R2R DAC for quite some time that could bring me the same enjoyment as the Orchid but reading the two posts above doesn’t lift my spirit, seems like even R2R DACs are not able to bring the enjoyment level of MHDT.

 

[cats4cans]

With all the glowing praise I feel more and more like an idiot for trying to sell mine. Maybe I shouldn’t. It’s good, but i think I must not have heard it at its best yet. FOMO How does anyone let their old equipment go?