[DavidA]

Hello all,
I ordered a project ember ii and am awaiting delivery. I plan tot use it as a preamp aswel as a headamp. Can anyone tell me how the outputresistors and tube gain affect the preamp outputs? It wil function as a preamp into a 36dB gain poweramp (job 225) so i need the preamp gain tot be as low as possible. I dont want to be operating between 6oclock and 8oclock volume setting for pre and alot higher for headphones, accidents will happen. DAC is a violectric V850. I want to use the ember to learn about tubes and rolling for flavours. Figure out what i like and dislike. Also does the pre out have some form of dc-protection, since job 225 is DC coupled?

Best to talk to Jeremy at Garage 1217.

 

[Bren Arden]

I have received the Project Ember II today and am now testing it as preamp. First thing i MUST say is: It purrs like a kitten!!!
There are no clicks or pops and not even more hiss than from my dac-direct into the amplifier. I dont get anny sounds at all when turning it on or off or plugging in or removing headphones while my (DC Coupled) amplifier is on. This is VERY impressive. Soundwise i can turn my speakers louder than ever without them turning harsh... I did NOT expect this. I will be looking forward to test some tubes Jeremy advised me for speed and clarity (6dj8 or 6n23p personal preference), although i am LOVING the tube he supplied as standard (12au7).
I dont even feel like i lost anny transparancy nor speed coming from dac direct.... there is not more than few millisec delay when swapping songs or software...
This was all tested right out of the box with a 5 minute warmup...
I dont think this one wil be leaving me anny time soon

 

[Bren Arden]

Now to get my hands on some vintage Reflektor Holy Grail '75 6N23P SWGP Silver Shields... just to be sure i spend as much on a tube as on my amplifier? ^^

 

[Tuneslover]

I have received the Project Ember II today and am now testing it as preamp. First thing i MUST say is: It purrs like a kitten!!!
There are no clicks or pops and not even more hiss than from my dac-direct into the amplifier. I dont get anny sounds at all when turning it on or off or plugging in or removing headphones while my (DC Coupled) amplifier is on. This is VERY impressive. Soundwise i can turn my speakers louder than ever without them turning harsh... I did NOT expect this. I will be looking forward to test some tubes Jeremy advised me for speed and clarity (6dj8 or 6n23p personal preference), although i am LOVING the tube he supplied as standard (12au7).
I dont even feel like i lost anny transparancy nor speed coming from dac direct.... there is not more than few millisec delay when swapping songs or software...
This was all tested right out of the box with a 5 minute warmup...
I dont think this one wil be leaving me anny time soon

Sweet!

 

[rgmffn]

Yeah..! Nice, ain't it! I loove my Ember.

 

[DavidA]

Now to get my hands on some vintage Reflektor Holy Grail '75 6N23P SWGP Silver Shields... just to be sure i spend as much on a tube as on my amplifier? ^^

I think you get a better bang for the buck with 6SN7 tubes but if you have another amp like the Lyr2 then get a pair since the '75s are one of the best for it.

 

[Bren Arden]

I was kinda joking about the reflektor tube but.. i might later on. I feel its better to get used to the amp as it is, for when you do end up trying new tubes you wil end up hearing the differences more clearly. 180,00 Euro is a bit steep though for a noob like me. Stil loving the ember as preamp, i listen through speakers for 70% of the time and 30% or so through headphones.

 

[DavidA]

I was kinda joking about the reflektor tube but.. i might later on. I feel its better to get used to the amp as it is, for when you do end up trying new tubes you wil end up hearing the differences more clearly. 180,00 Euro is a bit steep though for a noob like me. Stil loving the ember as preamp, i listen through speakers for 70% of the time and 30% or so through headphones.

180 euros is really pricy, I got my 2 pairs (4 tubes total) for $160 many years ago but I only use them in my Lyr2 since they are matched pairs. These days I only use a pair for about a month in the Lyr2 and then swap in a different pair since I like to rotate all the tubes (currently have 28 pairs) that I have.

 

[ericr]

Now to get my hands on some vintage Reflektor Holy Grail '75 6N23P SWGP Silver Shields... just to be sure i spend as much on a tube as on my amplifier? ^^

Sylvania 6SN7W.

Holy grail sound, no risky epic quest needed.

 

[Bren Arden]

Thank you for the tip Ericr, if they are around 19-29 euros or so? I wil pick one up and test it. I also read some realy good stuff about 6n6p tube, might try one out aswel ^^.

I bypassed the input resistors aswel as the capacitors with the jumper. It works perfectly with no scratchyness at all on my project ember II with the stock 12au7s. Curious to see what happens when i insert my incoming siemens e88cc gold pins (29euros ebay hope its not fake). They arrive today together with my Alpha Prime headphones upgrade.

Has annyone heard the Alpha Primes on the Ember?

 

[DavidA]

Thank you for the tip Ericr, if they are around 19-29 euros or so? I wil pick one up and test it. I also read some realy good stuff about 6n6p tube, might try one out aswel ^^.

I bypassed the input resistors aswel as the capacitors with the jumper. It works perfectly with no scratchyness at all on my project ember II with the stock 12au7s. Curious to see what happens when i insert my incoming siemens e88cc gold pins (29euros ebay hope its not fake). They arrive today together with my Alpha Prime headphones upgrade.

Has annyone heard the Alpha Primes on the Ember?

I did hear the Alpha Prime with my Ember but it was over a year ago and audio memory is not really good. While I didn't care for the Alpha Prime with my Ember (overly warm) it was okay with my friends Hugo, but I've never really warmed to the tuning of MrSpeaker headphones, they are all a bit dry sounding to me and this includes the Ether/C.

 

[Bren Arden]

I like a dry sound, i like a warm sound to... depends on genre/style music i am listening to. One day i prefere my Sonorous III, other days my MrSpeakers or HD650. I guess it depends as much on my mood, as the headphones im listenign to. To date i have never had a headphone i did NOT like... unless it was just flawed to crap ^^.
I must admit though i have only heard 4 headphones so far being dt770 and the previous 3 mentioned. I read the sound of Alpha dogs/primes realy opens up to high power balanced riggs such as Violectric V281 or COS H1. Maybe one day il feel inclined to buy one... But not now and not for those prices.

 

[DavidA]

I like a dry sound, i like a warm sound to... depends on genre/style music i am listening to. One day i prefere my Sonorous III, other days my MrSpeakers or HD650. I guess it depends as much on my mood, as the headphones im listenign to. To date i have never had a headphone i did NOT like... unless it was just flawed to **** ^^.
I must admit though i have only heard 4 headphones so far being dt770 and the previous 3 mentioned. I read the sound of Alpha dogs/primes realy opens up to high power balanced riggs such as Violectric V281 or COS H1. Maybe one day il feel inclined to buy one... But not now and not for those prices.

I have to agree with you about all the headphones that I've kept, they all have their own unique sound and it does depend on the genre and my mood. Only thing that I have not liked so far are all MrSpeaker headphones, to me the tuning is just a bit to dry for me with the Ether/C and Alpha Prime that a friend brought over, and this is with pairing them with a Hugo which is a slightly warmer DAC/amp.

 

[Tunkejazz]

Sylvania 6SN7W.

Holy grail sound, no risky epic quest needed.

Indeed! I just got a pair of those for my FA Euforia and they work equally good on Ember.

Ps: NOT to be confussed with the 6SN7WGT variant, which is actually not as good.

 

[Bren Arden]

Anny of u guys have experience with a linear power supply? Anny advice on a good one?

Does the sylvania 6SN7W require an adaptor? And where to buy in europe?