[MojoAudio]

Been reading through Ben's AudioFiles...definitely not mainstream opinions (which I already knew), but a very interesting read indeed!

 
I certainly welcome any opposing opinions on digital audio theory in the form of screen shots from oscilloscopes and sound pressure meters

 

[drbluenewmexico]

Ben's observations of the effects of different materials and parts and vibration solutions have been
personally experienced by me in his laboratory. His systems , both the speakers (Maggies) and the
headphones (Senn 800s and Stax) driven by the ZOTL2 and his custom STAX circuits, are hallucinatory.
They convey the musical information and emotional communication of the music better than anything
i have heard outside of live concerts that i produce and attend. sometimes better. He is not just trying
to be "right" , he puts his money where his ideas and research are and creates products and systems
that truly reveal the signal from the noise. I was convinced that nothing could match analogue vinyl
systems till i heard Mojo-labs reference systems in his labs.....he is a mad scientist, or should be say
obsessed audio engineer, focused on the realities what really conveys the magic in music.....
Thanks for sharing more of your technical information on this thread, Mojo!

 

[MojoAudio]

But back to the topic of the mZ2...
 
mZ2 upgrade anyone?
 
I've been getting so many emails off thread for mZ2 upgrades, so here you go...
 
I talked things over with Dr. Blue and we're going to do a comparison of upgrades where my mZ2 gets totally stripped down and premium parts and Dr. Blue's mZ2 gets upgraded with the highest value parts. Likely Dr. Blue won't want me to strip his mZ2 down as far as mine.
 
Then Dr. Blue is going to compare each upgrades, from stock to high-value to insane, and do reviews all along the way.
 
After Dr. Blue, the fully upgraded mZ2 and first production Illuminati power supply will be going to Dr. Jazz and Kevin Heine to review for different headphone magazines. Then this insanely upgraded mZ2 will be at RMAF.  After that I may put it "on tour" to any of the Head-Fi group that want an in home audition.
 
If you want to get in on this DIY party, you'll need the following tools (come to the dark side...we have cookies):
 
1. Soldering gun, soldering gun cleaner, flux, and solder.
2. De-soldering gun and de-soldering tools.
3. Wire cutter and wire stripper...could be one tool.
4. Needle-nosed pliers...smooth if possible.
5. Medium point Philips head screwdriver.
6. 7/64" Allen head driver to open the top of mZ2.
7. 5/64" All head driver for volume knob and 1/4" jack)
8. 17mm open end wrench for the inside nut one the power switch
9. 11mm open end wrench for the Alps attenuator and binding posts.
10. 5/16" open end wrench for the input selector switch.
11. 13mm open end wrench for the RCA jacks.
 
Well, that's all I can think of for now...I have no doubt something else will come up...it always does

 
Keep in mind that those are the wrenches I had that seemed to fit - for all I know your mZ2 uses slightly different parts (I've heard there are a few incarnations). I'm sure you get the idea: you need a set of both metric and English open end wrenches.
 
A basic principle of upgrading performance of any component: "less is more."
 
First I'm going to show you how to strip unused features, such as the binding posts, second input, and power switch, as well as separating and isolating the input(s) from the outputs and the signal from the power.
 
This is a no cost upgrade.
 

 
Here is a photo of my mZ2 with the top and face plate removed.
 
In order to do a proper job of simplifying the wiring you need to remove the face plate and remove the connector, button, switch, and attenuator, to gain access to the wiring. You also may want to remove the locking nuts from the RCAs and binding posts to get better access when soldering/de-soldering wires from them.
 
Note that my mZ2 is sitting on a piece of soft thin foam...a 100% cotton towel is also good.
 
Notice my removed parts are organized into zip bags. I find these better protection if you are clumsy or have children and/or cats.
 
 
Parts you can order today for upgrades I'll cover next week.
 
One of the biggest bottle necks in your mZ2 is the Alps Blue attenuator.
 
I'll be spending about $175 on a Goldpoint stepped attenuator.
 
http://goldpt.com/
 
If I had only $175 to spend upgrading my mZ2 I would spend it on this stepped attenuator - yes it is THAT good.
 
The stock mZ2 has a 50K ohm Alps Blue conductive plastic element attenuator...let's call it Toyota level performance (best value) .
 
Just for perspective, you can buy a similar Alps Blue attenuator on eBay for about $20. 
 
I happen to have a 10K ohm TKD conductive plastic element attenuator in my spare parts bin..almost identical in construction to the stock Alps Blue...let's call it Lexus level performance (better performance - good value).
 
I'm going to install that TKD attenuator in Dr. Blue's mZ2 so that he can compare it to the significantly more expensive Goldpoint.
 
I paid about $50 for that TKD attenuator and I almost fell off my chair when I saw the latest price online was $85!
 
Certainly a bit less of a value, but roughly half way in price between the stock Alps Blue and the Goldpoint.
 
It will be interesting next week when Dr. Blue compares them

 
Here's a couple of my favorite places to get connectors, wire, attenuators, and small amounts of shrink, braided coverings, and shielding.
 
Mike Percy usually has good prices, he is very helpful and knowledgeable, but his website is just a page with a downloadable PDF catalog. You have to copy/paste the model numbers from his PDF catalog into an email and he sends you a PDF invoice you can pay with PayPal or CC. Not too user friendly, but Mike has some of the best exotic parts that few others carry and among the lowest prices you'll find. You can also trust his opinion - he does this stuff and knows first hand how this part performs vs. that one.
 
http://percyaudio.com/
 
VH Audio is my other favorite. I could say the same things about Chris Van Haus as I did about Mike Percy and more. Chris has several great "recipes" on his website for things like high-value DIY interconnects and power cables.
 
http://www.vhaudio.com/
 
Both Mike and Chris sell some of the exact brands and parts but each has their specialty parts.
 
For example, I'm going to rewire my mZ2 with VH Audio's 24AWG UniCrystal OCC high-purity silver wire in cotton insulation that is $8.99/foot. I'm going to end up spending over $100 on the hook up wire alone.
 
Both Mike and Chris have quite an assortment of wire at all different price points that you can use.
 
Here's a link to some high quality mil spec or aerospace surplus silver plated copper Teflon covered wire on eBay that is the high-value wire upgrade option.
 
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xsilver+plated+mil+spec+wire.TRS0&_nkw=silver+plated+mil+spec+wire&_sacat=0
 
Now comes the question of "what value" attenuator?
 
Most common in the audiophile industry is a 100K ohm attenuator so that nearly any source will have decent bass.
 
Of course the higher the value the more veiled and distorted the sound due to something called "Miller Effect."
 
I normally use a 10K ohm attenuator, but I know that whatever DAC I'm using has a strong enough output stage to drive such a low impedance. You can't go wrong with a 50K like the stock mZ2 comes with. 
 
As for connectors, I'm a Furutech fan.
 
The stock mZ2 comes with what appears to be some rather high-quality CMC gold plated machined copper RCAs and binding posts. I consider these to be a very high-value connector and I would not recommend upgrading them unless you've already decided to put in some expensive hook up wire and an expensive attenuator.
 
I would consider Cardas to be a bit better than the stock CMC - possibly not worth spending the $$$.
 
I would consider Furutech, XHadow, and Eichmann to be notably better  than the stock CMC RCAs and binding posts (and considerably more expensive).
 
I wouldn't recommend upgrading to any of these premium connectors unless you also got the Goldpoint or a similar premium stepped attenuator. Don't fall for those cheap stepped attenuators on eBay - you can't get a decent stepped attenuator for much less than about $100 in parts.
 
Another important thing is the size of your attenuator - I know both the TKD and Goldpoint will fit comfortably inside the mZ2 chassis. Some of these large stepped attenuators and motorized attenuators can be quite large and might not fit. Also motorized and remote controlled stepped attenuators always have slightly lower performance than similar manual ones. Power = noise.
 
So get your tools together...get your parts lists together...order some of the parts.
 
Tomorrow I'll be stripping down my mZ2 with that "no cost" upgrade and giving it to Dr. Blue to find out if he can hear any difference between the stripped and stock mZ2. Next week when my attenuator arrives I'll be upgrading the attenuators on both mZ2 and giving them to Dr. Blue to review.
 
More to come

 

 

[claud W]

So, after all the research, are you going to offer MZ2 upgrades by MoJo Audio for those of us less handy with tools?

 

[doctorjazz]

But back to the topic of the mZ2...

[COLOR=FF0000]mZ2 upgrade anyone?[/COLOR]

I've been getting so many emails off thread for mZ2 upgrades, so here you go...

I talked things over with Dr. Blue and we're going to do a comparison of upgrades where my mZ2 gets totally stripped down and premium parts and Dr. Blue's mZ2 gets upgraded with the highest value parts. Likely Dr. Blue won't want me to strip his mZ2 down as far as mine.

Then Dr. Blue is going to compare each upgrades, from stock to high-value to insane, and do reviews all along the way.

After Dr. Blue, the fully upgraded mZ2 and first production Illuminati power supply will be going to Dr. Jazz and Kevin Heine to review for different headphone magazines. Then this insanely upgraded mZ2 will be at RMAF.  After that I may put it "on tour" to any of the Head-Fi group that want an in home audition.

If you want to get in on this DIY party, you'll need the following tools (come to the dark side...we have cookies):

1. Soldering gun, soldering gun cleaner, flux, and solder.
2. De-soldering gun and de-soldering tools.
3. Wire cutter and wire stripper...could be one tool.
4. Needle-nosed pliers...smooth if possible.
5. Medium point Philips head screwdriver.
6. 7/64" Allen head driver to open the top of mZ2.
7. 5/64" All head driver for volume knob and 1/4" jack)
8. 17mm open end wrench for the inside nut one the power switch
9. 11mm open end wrench for the Alps attenuator and binding posts.
10. 5/16" open end wrench for the input selector switch.
11. 13mm open end wrench for the RCA jacks.

Well, that's all I can think of for now...I have no doubt something else will come up...it always does :confused_face:

Keep in mind that those are the wrenches I had that seemed to fit - for all I know your mZ2 uses slightly different parts (I've heard there are a few incarnations). I'm sure you get the idea: you need a set of both metric and English open end wrenches.

A basic principle of upgrading performance of any component: "less is more."

First I'm going to show you how to strip unused features, such as the binding posts, second input, and power switch, as well as separating and isolating the input(s) from the outputs and the signal from the power.

This is a no cost upgrade.




Here is a photo of my mZ2 with the top and face plate removed.

In order to do a proper job of simplifying the wiring you need to remove the face plate and remove the connector, button, switch, and attenuator, to gain access to the wiring. You also may want to remove the locking nuts from the RCAs and binding posts to get better access when soldering/de-soldering wires from them.

Note that my mZ2 is sitting on a piece of soft thin foam...a 100% cotton towel is also good.

Notice my removed parts are organized into zip bags. I find these better protection if you are clumsy or have children and/or cats.


[COLOR=0000CD]Parts you can order today for upgrades I'll cover next week.[/COLOR]

One of the biggest bottle necks in your mZ2 is the Alps Blue attenuator.

I'll be spending about $200 on a Goldpoint stepped attenuator.

http://goldpt.com/

If I had only $200 to spend upgrading my mZ2 I would spend it on this stepped attenuator - yes it is THAT good.

The stock mZ2 has a 50K ohm Alps Blue conductive plastic element attenuator...let's call it Toyota level performance (best value) .

Just for perspective, you can buy a similar Alps Blue attenuator on eBay for about $20. 

I happen to have a 10K ohm TKD conductive plastic element attenuator in my spare parts bin..almost identical in construction to the stock Alps Blue...let's call it Lexus level performance (better performance - good value).

I'm going to install that TKD attenuator in Dr. Blue's mZ2 so that he can compare it to the significantly more expensive Goldpoint.

I paid about $50 for that TKD attenuator and I almost fell off my chair when I saw the latest price online was $85!

Certainly a bit less of a value, but roughly half way in price between the stock Alps Blue and the Goldpoint.

It will be interesting next week when Dr. Blue compares them

Here's a couple of my favorite places to get connectors, wire, attenuators, and small amounts of shrink, braided coverings, and shielding.

Mike Percy usually has good prices, he is very helpful and knowledgeable, but his website is just a page with a downloadable PDF catalog. You have to copy/paste the model numbers from his PDF catalog into an email and he sends you a PDF invoice you can pay with PayPal or CC. Not too user friendly, but Mike has some of the best exotic parts that few others carry and among the lowest prices you'll find. You can also trust his opinion - he does this stuff and knows first hand how this part performs vs. that one.

http://percyaudio.com/

VH Audio is my other favorite. I could say the same things about Chris Van Haus as I did about Mike Percy and more. Chris has several great "recipes" on his website for things like high-value DIY interconnects and power cables.

http://www.vhaudio.com/

Both Mike and Chris sell some of the exact brands and parts but each has their specialty parts.

For example, I'm going to rewire my mZ2 with VH Audio's 24AWG UniCrystal OCC high-purity silver wire in cotton insulation that is $8.99/foot. I'm going to end up spending over $100 on the hook up wire alone.

Both Mike and Chris have quite an assortment of wire at all different price points that you can use.

Here's a link to some high quality mil spec or aerospace surplus silver plated copper Teflon covered wire on eBay that is the high-value wire upgrade option.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xsilver+plated+mil+spec+wire.TRS0&_nkw=silver+plated+mil+spec+wire&_sacat=0

Now comes the question of "what value" attenuator?

Most common in the audiophile industry is a 100K ohm attenuator so that nearly any source will have decent bass.

Of course the higher the value the more veiled and distorted the sound due to something called "Miller Effect."

I normally use a 10K ohm attenuator, but I know that whatever DAC I'm using has a strong enough output stage to drive such a low impedance. You can't go wrong with a 50K like the stock mZ2 comes with. 

As for connectors, I'm a Furutech fan.

The stock mZ2 comes with what appears to be some rather high-quality CMC gold plated machined copper RCAs and binding posts. I consider these to be a very high-value connector and I would not recommend upgrading them unless you've already decided to put in some expensive hook up wire and an expensive attenuator.

I would consider Cardas to be a bit better than the stock CMC - possibly not worth spending the $$$.

I would consider Furutech, XHadow, and Eichmann to be notably better  than the stock CMC RCAs and binding posts (and considerably more expensive).

I wouldn't recommend upgrading to any of these premium connectors unless you also got the Goldpoint or a similar premium stepped attenuator. Don't fall for those cheap stepped attenuators on eBay - you can't get a decent stepped attenuator for much less than about $100 in parts.

Another important thing is the size of your attenuator - I know both the TKD and Goldpoint will fit comfortably inside the mZ2 chassis. Some of these large stepped attenuators and motorized attenuators can be quite large and might not fit. Also motorized and remote controlled stepped attenuators always have slightly lower performance than similar manual ones. Power = noise.

So get your tools together...get your parts lists together...order some of the parts.

Tomorrow I'll be stripping down my mZ2 with that "no cost" upgrade and giving it to Dr. Blue to find out if he can hear any difference between the stripped and stock mZ2. Next week when my attenuator arrives I'll be upgrading the attenuators on both mZ2 and giving them to Dr. Blue to review.

More to come :atsmile:  

Man, Ben, this thread is getting really interesting since you jumped aboard. I can't wait to hear about the upgraded and audition the upgraded ZOTL!

 

[drbluenewmexico]

Mad scientist or obsessed audio engineer or both? Ha.....the quest for theRapy Grail of sound continues!!!!

 

[jamato8]

I have used Goldpoint attenuators by Arn for years. Great stuff. DACT copies what he does. Too bad Arn couldn't have patented his control originally. I have used dead soft silver for over 20 years and it is my preference for any type of wiring. 

 

[MojoAudio]

Good morning everyone.
 
I was up last night until about midnight doing that first upgrade post.
 
I promised myself that I wasn't going to get back to it until I got some other work done today, but I've been waiting over a year to do these upgrades to my mZ2...I'm all stoked

 
So I'm getting back to it this morning and I'll likely drop this mZ2 over at Dr. Blue's house when I'm running errands later this afternoon.
 
Before I go any further, I want to make a few things crystal clear:
 
These upgrades should only be attempted by people with proper skills and tools.
 
Benjamin Zwickel, Mojo Audio Inc, Linear Tube Audio, and my cat Rufus are in no way responsible for any damage that may occur to you, your mZ2, people, pets, plants, surrounding municipalities, or Universe as we know it, should you attempt to do any of the upgrades.
 
And most importantly, the stock mZ2 is an INCREDIBLE versatile high-value product. The parts choices and construction methods Mark used when engineering the mZ2 are sheer genius, in that Mark was able to sell a headphone amp of this level of performance for only $1,100. Think about it: the original mZ sold for about the same price how many years ago? If you factor in inflation, you would think LTA would have to sell the mZ2 for over $2,000 today.
 
The next thing I want to point out is that there are concerns manufacturers all have with CE and UL listing, insurable safety features (negligence), durability, and so on, that the "upgrader" doesn't have to concern themselves with. For example, the high-temperature wire used in a stock mZ2 is far more durable than the cotton covered wire I want to use. I'm not worried that I may have to replace my wire in 5 years because the heat inside the mZ2 degraded the cotton covering. Where as the stock wire in your mZ2 will likely last for decades with little or no sign of degradation.
 
And the last point I want to make is that what I'm going to be showing you is not rocket surgery - you don't think Mark knows most of this stuff?
 
Today I'll show you how to "strip down" your mZ2 and remove unused features. This could be compared to stripping down a car to give it better performance. What would happen if you removed the spare tire, back seat, passenger seat, door windows, door mechanisms, interior liner, carpeting, dash board, inner door panels, and and anything else that weighed anything that you're not using from a car?
 
Less weight = higher performance.
 
With this first no-cost upgrade I'll show you how to turn your mZ2 into a "stock car" and maximizing it's performance by minimizing it's options.
 
But keep this in mind: the higher the performance of your source, headphones, cables, and power supply, the more of an improvement you'll hear from each of these upgrades.
 
That is partly why I'm doing two levels of upgrades and letting Dr. Blue compare them (high-value and high-performance). He'll also be able to compare them on a medium performance power supply, similar in performance to the ZOTL LPS, as well as a higher performance power supply that costs two times (our Joule v5) and three times (our new Illuminati) as much as the ZOTL LPS.
 
In all truth, I have no idea what upgrades are going to be audible on what system (this is going to be fun).
 
I don't want any of you wasting your $$$ on upgrades you won't appreciate.
 
So start here before you do any of the following upgrades that require a soldering gun:
 
1. Upgrade your the power supply on your mZ2 to at least a ZOTL LPS.
2. Upgrade the anti-resonance on your mZ2 as described in my earlier post (I'll cover it in more detail in a later post).
3. Upgrade the tubes in your mZ2 (Dr. Blue with have a posting on that in the next week or so).
 
I'm going to loan Dr. Blue my collection of famous 6SN7 NOS tube variants for him to review. I have anything from RCA "Red Base" 5692s to a couple of pairs of Sylvania "Chrome Tops" to the famous Ken-Rad "Smoked Glass." I'm even going to give him a surprise pair of tubes for the input stage on the mZ2 that is not the same type as the stock tube.
I think you're all going to like what Dr. Blue has to write about the way these whose who NOS tubes sound

 
But all of that has to wait a week or three. This week end Dr. Blue is having one of his famous "3-Sided Hole" music festivals. Dr. Blue has a huge bit of un-developed land on an ancient Native power site (meridians or some such). Every year Dr. Blue holds ABQ's equivalent of Burning Man.
 
Seriously...likely today he's organizing the set up of the stage, lighting, and amplification. The live music goes on nearly 24/7 for DAYS with drum circles, Pagan rituals, and alien abductions, in an atmosphere of Universal cooperation, spiritual enlightenment, artistic appreciation, and general deviant hedonistic debauchery.
What more could you ask for?

 
I believe Bo Diddly's grandson will be playing his grand dad's classic songs on Saturday

 
Point being, I doubt Dr. Blue will have much listening time for about a week, and there is always the distinctive possibility that he may misunderstand his spirit guide's instructions and could end up being abducted by aliens. Stranger things have happened at a Dr. Blue party.
 
Enough disclaimers and explanations...in my next post I'll get down to showing you how to turn your mZ2 into a stock car.

 

[doctorjazz]

I'm actually dying to try some of this stuff, though I have some considerations, as I will review some gear. Once I upgrade the ZOTL, it is no longer that useful in comparison to other amps (though it would MORE useful reviewing OTHER gear through it with increased fidelity). Those of us with 10 thumbs (some broken) approach this stuff with a bit of trepidation, but seems there is some stuff, like damping, that even I should be able to pull off.

Looking forward to Blue's write ups, but I do know that he will be busy tending to the flocks, indulging in spirituality and debauchery (as it should be)...have to get out to one of these things one of these days!

 

[MojoAudio]

That is my intention: to offer different upgrades at different price points that require different levels of skill.
 
I was also considering offering upgrade "kits" to Head-Fiers.
 
Where as the individual would have to order from a dozen different sources and pay retail + shipping, I could let's say order enough parts to make 10 mZ2 DIY upgrade kits, and save all of your shipping excessive shipping and hassles. I could even have stuff like the B-Quiet chassis dampening sheets pre-cut to fit the mZ2.
 
After reading these upgrades, let me know...if enough of you want DIY upgrade kits I'll be happy to put them together for you

 

[vapman]

   
After reading these upgrades, let me know...if enough of you want DIY upgrade kits I'll be happy to put them together for you

For the inevitable day I finally pick up a mZ2 I'd be super interested in some sort of upgrade kit
I'll have to see if a tour pans out

 

[jamato8]

For input tubes I am really liking the 7062. I have many 12AT7 types but the 7062 really pan out. Also the TS round plate and the 6F8G in round plate do very well. 

 

[MojoAudio]

  For input tubes I am really liking the 7062. I have many 12AT7 types but the 7062 really pan out. Also the TS round plate and the 6F8G in round plate do very well. 

 
I totally agree - that was the surprise input tube I was going to put in Dr. Blue's mZ2.
 
If you look at the plate area it is significantly taller than the 12AT7, yet this tube can be substituted for the more common 12AT7 in most components.
 
All things being equal, more plate area could be equated to more cc's or more cylinders in a car: the sound has more "torque" out of the hole.
 
Weight, extension, speed, effortlessness: I can't recommend this more as a high-value mZ2 upgrade that only requires modest skills.
 
And because the 7062 is not in as much demand as other NOS tubes you can get better tubes for less $$$.
 
Check out eBay's seller...you can get an excellent matched pair for $60-$90:
 
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=7062&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X7062+tube.TRS0&_nkw=7062+tube&_sacat=0

 

[jamato8]

The 7062 also has a long life. I do not like the pinched waste in this tube, duller sounding. 

 

[MojoAudio]

Stripping down your mZ2, part 1:
 
In order to efficiently and cost effectively assemble electronics, they are often broken down into "modules" and "wiring harnesses" that can be manufactured and tested off-line prior to the final assembly of the component. Hard wiring components is far less efficient and far more expensive.
 
The mZ2 has a main board and a few wiring harnesses that were assembled and tested prior to putting them into the chassis.  While I'm stripping out the unused wiring harnesses I'm going to remove the main board to figure out the upgrade parts I need to order. I could do some of the anti-resonance stuff at as long as I have things apart.
 
Point being, you won't have to remove the main board to simplify your mZ2's wiring, but you may want to consider holding off and doing everything at once to save yourself redoing several of the assembly and disassembly operations.
 
So here is the first simple mod: separating the power and signal wires.
 
Before you do ANYTHING to your mZ2 I assume you all have enough sense to unplug it from the power supply and remove the tubes?
 
Good.
No need to prove Darwin right under my watch

 
This mod requires only a modest skill level - aside from the 7/64" Allen driver needed to remove the top of your mZ2, all you'll need is a wire cutter, toenail clipper, or other sharp object.
 
And this mod is easily reversible with modest skills and tools as well.
 
Take the top off of your mZ2.
 
Observe on the L and R sides of the mZ2 chassis where there are bundles of wires tied together with tiny tie straps.
 
On the L side the inputs are tied with the power - most would consider this to be a no-no.
 
So carefully cut the tiny tie straps and separate the signal and power like the photo below.
 
Similarly on the R side the different outputs are tied together.
 
Excess wire can act like an antenna attracting and amplifying EMF and RFI noise.
 
Carefully clip those tiny ties and separate those wires as well.
 
It should look something like the photos below:
 

 

 
Notice how the wires are kept away from everything, including each other, as well as away from anything hot, like the tubes.
 
You can't see if from the angle of the photo, but the wire that was moved to the center actually goes both out and up at an angle to avoid the tube and the attenuator.
 
If you want at this point you can put your tubes back in, power her up and take a listen if you want (no need to put the cover back on).
 
Can you hear any difference?
 
I would guess you would need a VERY sensitive system to hear this mod, but when you combine it with the other low-yield mods in this "strip down" section, the result should be a notable improvement.
 
Next I'll be removing all the wire harnesses and the main board.