[akltam]

Hi djd17.

I am using 0.47 x 2 (630v) Clarity MR cap for each channel. So I am getting about 1uf for each channel. According to Music Paradise, you can use 1uf to 4.7uf. So I am about there. I use 0.47 x 2 for each channel because I have a bunch of these caps left from my previous project.

Today I have bought a pair of 1uf 630V Jenzen Copper foil (PIO) Copper tube capacitor. I have about 6 hours on these caps. They sound beautiful. In terms of highs and lows this cap has got it. It just sound beautiful and that is the only way I can describe it. Very musical too.

I have also bought some rectifier tubes today. One is the Fivre 5R4 and the other one is a RCA 5Y3GT. So far, I have bought 4 different rectifier tubes for this DAC. These tube are NOS but not the exotic type. Cost about 50-100 USD each. They do sound a little different from each other and all of these NOS tubes do sound better than the stock. I will do a comparison on these rectifier tubes later after spending more time on each of them.

This DAC is truely a play house for tube rolling and different caps.

Alan

 

[gkr7007]

The rectifier tubes don't alter the tone or sonics of a DAC. It simply may alter the voltage of the rectifier circuit and, in doing that, may alter the sound of the output tubes in a small degree by eliminating "sag" or extreme voltage drops. When I changed out the POS Chinese rectifier tube to NOS RCA 5U4g there was a nice boost to bass impact and a better transition from low to miss. And I've tried several caps, including Jantzen and Mundorf Silver oil. I keep going back to the original voiced Obligatto gold and added the Russian military teflon cans as a bypass cap. Combine that with a air of Telefunken e88cc NOS or a set of Raytheon branded Siemens NOS and thats it for me anyway. That tube / cap rolling game can just as well be a curse as a joy unless you can buy with a 30 day return policy. Anyway....glad every one is happy with this unit. I believe it to be one of the best buys on the market right now. The AK 4497 chips with the velvet filters, and some nice tubes and this thing is a keeper.
Everyone enjoy.

 

[akltam]

I have asked the same question whether rolling tube rectifier will make any changes to the sound.

https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tubes/messages/27/273759.html

And if you follow the discussion, all seems to think that the rectifier made all sort of character changes to the sound behaviour.

If you follow the trace of the power supply of this MP-D2 mkII dac, the B+ to the tubes does not change much by changing different rectifier tubes. I do measure them. It seems that this DAC is not following a text book approach. Most such rectifier will charge up a cap of 4-8uf. But this tube rectifier is charging a 150uf electrolytic followed by an LC and then separate RC to each channel. Kudos to Music Paradise to implementing a separate RC between the channels. This really helps to give a much better channel separations.

 

[Thetubeguy1954]

Hi djd17.

I have also bought some rectifier tubes today. One is the Fivre 5R4 and the other one is a RCA 5Y3GT. So far, I have bought 4 different rectifier tubes for this DAC. These tube are NOS but not the exotic type. Cost about 50-100 USD each. They do sound a little different from each other and all of these NOS tubes do sound better than the stock. I will do a comparison on these rectifier tubes later after spending more time on each of them.

This DAC is truely a play house for tube rolling and different caps.

Alan

Hi Alan if you haven't tried it you owe it to yourself to try the Bendix 6106 / 5Y3WGT tube! They can be had from as little as $65 up to $99 depending on where you buy them. So price-wise it should fit your finances. I'm using the Bendix since I purchased my MP-D2 unit about 10 months ago now. I absolutely love how it sounds and from all the people I've personally exchanged emails or posts in forums with the only tube some prefer is the Psvane WE GZ34 replica.

I'm listening to: Bob's Diner by Bob's Diner

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society -- Full-range/Wide-range Drivers -- Front & Back-Loaded Horns -- High Sensitivity Speakers
======================================================================================================================================
My System: YBA Genesis CD4 CDP/transport, Musical Paradise MP-D2 DAC, Mastersound Reference 845 SET integrated (40W/ch) Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers w/Lowther DX4 drivers

 

[akltam]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your recommendation. I may try the Bendix 6106 in my next months budget and purchase.

After over a week on this machine, I am still dying to get on with this playing music. Amazing.

 

[djd17]

Hi Tom
You mention and give some praise to the psvane we gz34.
So the shuggy version of this is the same as the psvane?

 

[djd17]

Regarding the output coupling cap
So like Gary voiced his dac with 2.2 uf caps .. But yet I see people seem to think they can go to .47 uf x 2 = 1 uf and that meets Gary's suggested min .
So why would you do that ? As Gary would have installed that value to begin with if it sounds better
So I'm confused and don't feel like spending gobs of $ testing caps .. Duelund caps are very expensive as an example but ok justified if the dac can beat out a 10k $ dac for example
I guess this hobby all about trail and move on . To bad home depot doesn't sell caps .. Lol .
Well think I will enjoy the music for now .. I just upgraded from a mid level tube amp to a higher powerEd tube amp with a pedigree.. Wow what a difference. Now my digital system sounds so wonderful with this dac upgrade and amp upgrade .
Tubes rock !

 

[Thetubeguy1954]

Hi Tom
You mention and give some praise to the psvane we gz34.
So the shuggy version of this is the same as the psvane?

I'd be hard pressed to believe these are the same tubes when the Shuguang GZ34 is a very close reproduction of the Mullard/Philips type construction, has a different shape glass and cost as little as $14.99, as seen here: http://www.nosvacuumtubes.net/product/chinese-5ar4-gz34-shuguang/ vs the Psvane GZ34 which is a Western Electric replica and costs $425! You can read what people who purchased the Psvane WE GZ34 said about how much better the WE GZ34 sounds here: http://psvanetube.com/wordpress/author/admin/ I hope this helps...


I'm listening to: Pictures at an Exhibition (Live) by JW Orchestra & Marco Gotti

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society -- Full-range/Wide-range Drivers -- Front & Back-Loaded Horns -- High Sensitivity Speakers

============================================================================
My System: YBA Genesis CD4 CDP/transport, Musical Paradise MD-P2 DAC, Mastersound Reference 845, SET, integrated amp (40W/ch) and Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers w/Lowther DX4 drivers.

 

[akltam]

Regarding the output coupling cap
So like Gary voiced his dac with 2.2 uf caps .. But yet I see people seem to think they can go to .47 uf x 2 = 1 uf and that meets Gary's suggested min .
So why would you do that ? As Gary would have installed that value to begin with if it sounds better

There are bascially inifinte combination you can change to tweak the sound coming out from the DAC. The output cap is one area of them. There are many reasons the manufacturer put in the specific output cap. Apart from the technical requirement other reasons include such as available of parts (long terms, short term), cost of parts (whicn include this capacitor), synergies with other components, combination of the systems, ...etc. and possibliy a combination of a few of these.

In terms of technical requirement, the output of the tube circuitry usual go through an RC (capacitor coupled) which block off the DC on the tube supply. So what value of the output cap you need? Theoretical the required C and R you can use the formula fc = 1 / ( 2*PI*C*R). I checked that the resistor (couple the output cap to the ground) in my MP-D2 mkII is about 500K. Outpu cap of 1uf is plenty of juice to keep your output to less than 1Hz.

OK, this hobby is not about theories. I don't buy that either. That is why Music Paradise give you the options to change different caps (and including different values within the technical requirement) so that you can taste music differently. And kudos to MP for giving us this option. (MP wants you to tastes different caps) And thinking that the supplied cap is the best option is really not logical given there are literally thousands of caps on the market that satisfied the technical requirement.

It is impossible to hear all of them but I can taste the joy of rolling a few different caps.

Alan

 

[akltam]

I simply cannot keep my hand still. On top of output tube rolling, rectifier tube rolling, output cap rolling, I have modded my MP-D2 MkII by adding 2 chokes (one for each channel). The original circuit for the power supply is C - LC - separate RC for each channel. Kudos to Music Paradise for adding separate RC for each channel. This is extreme important to keep the right and the left channel from interfere each other.

At first I was thinking of simply changing the RC to LC by disconnecting the resistors. This will leave the original electrolytic capacitor in place. But then some member from the Audioasylum.com suggest to go all AC caps. So instead of replacing the resistor, I add another LC into the power supply using all polypropylene power caps. (one LC for each channel). I have to cut the trace on the power supply line in order to insert the choke.

Wow, the improvement is simply making the music more real. Very nice.

 

[djd17]

I'd be hard pressed to believe these are the same tubes when the Shuguang GZ34 is a very close reproduction of the Mullard/Philips type construction, has a different shape glass and cost as little as $14.99, as seen here: http://www.nosvacuumtubes.net/product/chinese-5ar4-gz34-shuguang/ vs the Psvane GZ34 which is a Western Electric replica and costs $425! You can read what people who purchased the Psvane WE GZ34 said about how much better the WE GZ34 sounds here: http://psvanetube.com/wordpress/author/admin/ I hope this helps...


I'm listening to: Pictures at an Exhibition (Live) by JW Orchestra & Marco Gotti

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society -- Full-range/Wide-range Drivers -- Front & Back-Loaded Horns -- High Sensitivity Speakers

============================================================================
My System: YBA Genesis CD4 CDP/transport, Musical Paradise MD-P2 DAC, Mastersound Reference 845, SET, integrated amp (40W/ch) and Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers w/Lowther DX4 drivers.

 

[djd17]

Hey Tom you picked the wrong tube
I'm referring to the shuguang 274b western electrics replica at $100 each
In a coke bottle shape .

 

[Thetubeguy1954]

Hey Tom you picked the wrong tube
I'm referring to the shuguang 274b western electrics replica at $100 each
In a coke bottle shape .

Can you send me a link to where these Shuguang WE 274B replica tubes are for sale so I can compare them myself?


I'm listening to: Bob's Diner by Bob's Diner

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society -- Full-range/Wide-range Drivers -- Front & Back-Loaded Horns -- High Sensitivity Speakers

============================================================================
My System: YBA Genesis CD4 CDP/transport, Musical Paradise MD-P2 DAC, Mastersound Reference 845, SET, integrated amp (40W/ch) and Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers w/Lowther DX4 drivers.

 

[aneep]

Can you send me a link to where these Shuguang WE 274B replica tubes are for sale so I can compare them myself?


I'm listening to: Bob's Diner by Bob's Diner

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society -- Full-range/Wide-range Drivers -- Front & Back-Loaded Horns -- High Sensitivity Speakers

============================================================================
My System: YBA Genesis CD4 CDP/transport, Musical Paradise MD-P2 DAC, Mastersound Reference 845, SET, integrated amp (40W/ch) and Beauhorn Virtuoso speakers w/Lowther DX4 drivers.

Here you go, Tom!

http://psvanetube.com/wordpress/store/products/psvane-we274b-11-replica-single/

Cheers

 

[djd17]

Whats the psvane . I thought shuguang made these for them , but im told NOT ... 2 different companies / factories . psvane are x shuguang people { had a falling out }

You can find this tube labelled Shuguang for 100$ each = less than half the psvane price on Flea -Bay .

They look the same.. But are they really ?

Still confused !