[fjhuerta]

I'm thinking about getting a much stiffer power supply: 4A at 6VDC. Then, roll tubes and op amps. Can't hurt.

 

[TheBIGKill1998]

  I'm thinking about getting a much stiffer power supply: 4A at 6VDC. Then, roll tubes and op amps. Can't hurt.

Would you actually recommend getting a stiffer PSU? 
 
P.S.: interesting graphs you got there

 

[edulov]

Won't put these graphs here, but 60Hz noise is a problem with stock PSU. Even if it is below an audible level (unless you plan to kill your ear drums). But the price of the really good one is above 100$$, it is an overkill for the cheap amp. But I'll be looking for the universal model, 3-12V, up to 3-3.5A with switchable polarity and set of plugs.
Any ideas, BTW?

 

[vapman]

Can anyone post a shot of the pcb? thanks

 

[TheBIGKill1998]

  Can anyone post a shot of the pcb? thanks

in this video: https://youtu.be/9RhD-NO0n-4?t=143
 
you can see some close up shots of the PCB.

 

[vapman]

  in this video: https://youtu.be/9RhD-NO0n-4?t=143
 
you can see some close up shots of the PCB.

Thanks a bunch. I guess the google ones were right then =)
 
i will post when i have mine with linear PSU, swapped opamps (probably burson v5i), russian tubes

 

[Brian Coffey]

  Thanks a bunch. I guess the google ones were right then =)
 
i will post when i have mine with linear PSU, swapped opamps (probably burson v5i), russian tubes

Interested to hear your thoughts with the Bursons in it 

 

[edulov]

Be carefull with Burr-Brown's. ALMOST EVERYWHERE, old ones and new ones are classified as dark sounding ones with overall emphasis in lows and lower mids resembling frequency shift.

 

[Andrew Ellicott]

I just got one for my birthday.  Haven't had much time to play with it yet, but, at least for the time being I will be pairing this with a pair of JVC ha-sz2000's.  Anyhow I noticed with the stock tubes, 1 glows brighter orange than the other.  I switched the tube positions to make sure it was an issue with the tubes.  Is this normal, or something I should contact the MFG about?
 
Also is there a burn in period or anything I should be aware of to help my listening experience, besides swap tubes.  I'm COMEPLETELY new to all of this, besides a bit of reading.
 
Thanks!

 

[edulov]

If you have recording device capable to show detailed level (or soundcard with line input and more or less advanced free rec SW, connect amp's line out to rec device line in and reproduce the same intensity signal for L/R.
If recording levels differ more then 0.1-0.2dB you have a different wear of valves, so different colour mean different temperatures of the elements inside the lamp. If difference if constant, but small, you can change L/R balance of the playback device while recording to match recording levels. For the differences higher than 0.5dB better search for a replacement. If you plan to do tube rolling, better buy 3-4 units to select matching pair or pay more, ordering from reliable source which already guarantees pair matching via special testing device.

 

[fjer]

I have just ordered a NS-08E for tube rolling fun, but also a NS-01E (the small one with a single tube) to use at work.
With its 5x5 cm it can easily stand on top of an ODAC, and with a minijack jumper cable it will make a very compact solution. And hopefully a more pleasant listening experience than O2+ODAC, which I have found a bit too fatiguing with Ultrasone PRO900.
 
It will be interesting to compare NS-08E and NS-01E against each other.
Nobsound claims that NS-01E is their best headamp, but it might just be a marketing trick or because its stock tube is better than the ones on NS-08E.
 
Changing the tube on NS-01E is probably also a good idea, although it will require some soldering. Does anybody know which one it is? An ECC70/6021 perhaps?
 
EDIT:
How long does it generally take for these E180F/6688/6Ж9П tubes to burn-in enough to reveal their true sound signature when paired with the NS-08E?
I went a bit overboard and ordered 7 different sets of NOS tubes (Tesla, Philips, Dario Miniwatt, 60's Valvo, 80's Mullard, 70's 6Ж9П-Е and 80's 6Ж9П-Е). I am eager to try them out, but in order to make a fair comparison I should probably start out by doing some kind of systematic burn-in for all of them.
I am thinking about 24 hours of music at a reasonable volume level for each tube pair. Would that be enough to give them a fair amount of burn-in?

 

[TheBIGKill1998]

I have just ordered a NS-08E for tube rolling fun, but also a NS-01E (the small one with a single tube) to use at work.
With its 5x5 cm it can easily stand on top of an ODAC, and with a minijack jumper cable it will make a very compact solution. And hopefully a more pleasant listening experience than O2+ODAC, which I have found a bit too fatiguing with Ultrasone PRO900.

It will be interesting to compare NS-08E and NS-01E against each other.
Nobsound claims that NS-01E is their best headamp, but it might just be a marketing trick or because its stock tube is better than the ones on NS-08E.

Changing the tube on NS-01E is probably also a good idea, although it will require some soldering. Does anybody know which one it is? An ECC70/6021 perhaps?

EDIT:
How long does it generally take for these E180F/6688/6Ж9П tubes to burn-in enough to reveal their true sound signature when paired with the NS-08E?
I went a bit overboard and ordered 7 different sets of NOS tubes (Tesla, Philips, Dario Miniwatt, 60's Valvo, 80's Mullard, 70's 6Ж9П-Е and 80's 6Ж9П-Е). I am eager to try them out, but in order to make a fair comparison I should probably start out by doing some kind of systematic burn-in for all of them.
I am thinking about 24 hours of music at a reasonable volume level for each tube pair. Would that be enough to give them a fair amount of burn-in?

Well, the question is whether burn in actually is a thing or not.... but i dont want to start this discussion.
if you want to burn them in i think that 24 hours of music would be fine i guess.

 

[TheBIGKill1998]

How well do you guys think will this amp pair with a beyerdynamic dt 770 pro 80 ohm?

 

[erich6]

How long does it generally take for these E180F/6688/6Ж9П tubes to burn-in enough to reveal their true sound signature when paired with the NS-08E?
I went a bit overboard and ordered 7 different sets of NOS tubes (Tesla, Philips, Dario Miniwatt, 60's Valvo, 80's Mullard, 70's 6Ж9П-Е and 80's 6Ж9П-Е). I am eager to try them out, but in order to make a fair comparison I should probably start out by doing some kind of systematic burn-in for all of them.
I am thinking about 24 hours of music at a reasonable volume level for each tube pair. Would that be enough to give them a fair amount of burn-in?

I've tried a few different types of tubes and I haven't noticed much of a burn-in effect with any of them...certainly nothing like what I've experienced with some headphones.

 

[fjer]

Thanks, I also haven't noticed much change with the tubes I have tried so far. I thought that it would be different with NOS tubes after several decades of storage.

I am quite impressed by the Soviet tubes - mine are gold pin 6Ж9П-Е's from 07/86. They were by far the cheapest ones of all the tubes I had been looking at, so I didn't expect much from them.
They sound very good, and are completely dead in regards to microphonics. I can bang a chopstick against them without getting any feedback at all in the headphones. That does not hold true for the Philips, Mullard (military) and Tesla (military) tubes that I have put up to the same test, which all give a slight ring. And of course the sub-par Chinese stock tubes that ring even when tapping the amplifier enclosure.

Regarding the NS-01E; it's just as powerful as NS-08E, but it doesn't handle low-end frequencies very well IMO. However, the tube might be to blame. It seems to be a Chinese 6021 of the same brand as on NS-08E. It's dead silent when doing the chopstick test, though.
It would be interesting to replace it with a proper NOS tube to see if that improves its sound. Maybe also put in a couple of DIP8 sockets to allow for easy opamp rolling.
NS-01E also has two NE5532's and uses exactly the same power supply as NS-08E. My guess is that they just copied and miniaturized NS-08E's layout and replaced the two tubes with the smallest/cheapest dual-triode tube they could fit for the purpose, so that it could still be marketed as a "tube amplifier".

In other words, don't feel bad if you considered buying NS-01E but ended up with a NS-08E.