Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

[RCBinTN]

This has got to be the new low for this thread.
Hope the bier fest went well, Jason!

 

[Ripper2860]

I must respectfully disagree with ripper.

I use a Logitech 2.1 desktop system at work, with my magni 3 as preamp. I cannot turn that 2.1 more then a third of the way up. Any further and it will get awful distortion/clipping when turning magni past 12 o clock.

My advice would be to play around with your gear and use what sounds best to you. All this gear interacts differently with different components. YMMV and all that.

YMMV certainly applies. I did forget to add that I suggest low gain setting when driving externally powered speakers. Otherwise, you can overdrive the speaker input and drive the internal speaker amp into clipping. Rensek is correct, however -- situations and equipment varies and what works for some may not work for others.

 

[golfbravobravo]

It's been a bad December so far ......

November was a fabulous month, we were travelling in Europe and had an amazing trip. We got back Friday and I fired up all the hi fi and have had a couple of days music fix.

My Freya has been fine driving my Vidar. I had bought a couple of sets of tubes to try out.

I swapped in a set of 6N7S/6H7C/6N7GT tubes (photo of the set of four below). I switched on the Freya and all was well until the “forty seconds” elapsed and the relay switched in. Then I got light grey smoke (not acrid) and quickly switched off.

I’d welcome any inputs:

* what I did that caused this, as far as I know the tubes are compatible?
* should I test tubes (other than by plugging them in )? If so how?
* How can I avoid a repeat?

Any other comments?

Cheers

Graham

 

[Ripper2860]

I think what you wanted are 6H8C tubes -- not 6H7C. The 6H8C is equivalent to 6SN7, while the 6H7Cs you purchased are equivalent to 6N7S (w/ the S after '7'). They are not the same electrically.

BTW -- 68NS is the Russian version of the 6SN7 and is electrically identical. 68HC=68NS=6SN7 compatibility-wise and Freya can take any of these without an adapter.

Sorry to hear about your issue. I've almost pulled the trigger on a 6H7C and 6N7S vs 6H8C and 6SN7 for my Lyr 3 several times. It's easy to do if one's not careful.

 

[Ableza]

Looks to me simply that not all octal based tubes are the same. The 6H7C (a tube I'm not familiar with) is likely simply not the 100% compatible as the 6N8S that is used in Freya. I know that's a simplistic answer but without looking up the data sheets I'd guess a difference in filament or anode voltage that fried these tubes.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

6H7C and 6SN7 have different pin-outs so the are not directly compatible.

JC

 

[sam6550a]

It's been a bad December so far ......

November was a fabulous month, we were travelling in Europe and had an amazing trip. We got back Friday and I fired up all the hi fi and have had a couple of days music fix.

My Freya has been fine driving my Vidar. I had bought a couple of sets of tubes to try out.

I swapped in a set of 6N7S/6H7C/6N7GT tubes (photo of the set of four below). I switched on the Freya and all was well until the “forty seconds” elapsed and the relay switched in. Then I got light grey smoke (not acrid) and quickly switched off.



I’d welcome any inputs:

* what I did that caused this, as far as I know the tubes are compatible?
* should I test tubes (other than by plugging them in )? If so how?
* How can I avoid a repeat?

Any other comments?

Cheers

Graham

The 6H7C tube has a common cathode for both triode sections. The 6SN7 has a separate cathode for each triode. Since Freya is DC coupled between stages, I can envision all sorts of devices that contributed to your observation of smoke. Just because it fits does NOT mean it will work electrically--if you don't know what you are doing, DON'T DO IT!

 

[jimmers]

6H7C and 6SN7 have different pin-outs so the are not directly compatible.
JC

Definitely not an area for dyslexics as 6H7C and 6N7S are equivalent it seems

 

[Paladin79]

The 6H7C tube has a common cathode for both triode sections. The 6SN7 has a separate cathode for each triode. Since Freya is DC coupled between stages, I can envision all sorts of devices that contributed to your observation of smoke. Just because it fits does NOT mean it will work electrically--if you don't know what you are doing, DON'T DO IT!

I try to be overly cautious with tubes, even when using adapters I will use a lesser expensive tube amp before I risk better gear.

You were honest about the mistake Graham, so perhaps Schiit repair will look kindly upon you considering the amount of gear you have purchased.

 

[the finisher]

Well that sucks Graham I'm sorry to hear about that.

 

[golfbravobravo]

So it seems that it was a 'dyslexia' thing between a 6N7S and a 6SN7. That looks like it might be a very expensive transposition (

When I ordered the tubes it looks like I made the transposition in searching and didn't spot that. The good news is that with all the white smoke, I guess I have a new Pope living in my hi-fi in the future!

Looks like I may have to try out my Modi feeding the Vidar whilst the Freya goes back to California.

Hey ho!

Cheers

 

[KoshNaranek]

I feel for you, especially since I can see myself doing the same thing

 

[TomSix]

It's been a bad December so far ......

November was a fabulous month, we were travelling in Europe and had an amazing trip. We got back Friday and I fired up all the hi fi and have had a couple of days music fix.

My Freya has been fine driving my Vidar. I had bought a couple of sets of tubes to try out.

I swapped in a set of 6N7S/6H7C/6N7GT tubes (photo of the set of four below). I switched on the Freya and all was well until the “forty seconds” elapsed and the relay switched in. Then I got light grey smoke (not acrid) and quickly switched off.



I’d welcome any inputs:

* what I did that caused this, as far as I know the tubes are compatible?
* should I test tubes (other than by plugging them in )? If so how?
* How can I avoid a repeat?

Any other comments?

Cheers

Graham

Unfortunately, the tubes you tried have a radically different tube pin-out than the tubes specified for the unit. So, fully incompatible.

Almost certainly some parts have been damaged on the PCB. With luck only a resistor or two, but quite possibly solid-state active devices and/or capacitors have been damaged as well.

I would *not* attempt operation of the unit until it is inspected and repaired by Schiit.

Don't be too hard on yourself. This is an easy mistake to make, and I guarantee you're not the first to do so, nor will you be the last.

Good luck

 

[CAPT Deadpool]

Unfortunately, the tubes you tried have a radically different tube pin-out than the tubes specified for the unit. So, fully incompatible.

Almost certainly some parts have been damaged on the PCB. With luck only a resistor or two, but quite possibly solid-state active devices and/or capacitors have been damaged as well.

I would *not* attempt operation of the unit until it is inspected and repaired by Schiit.

Don't be too hard on yourself. This is an easy mistake to make, and I guarantee you're not the first (or last) to do so.

Good luck

@golfbravobravo Graham thank you for posting your issue, hopefully if will save others from the same mistake. I suffer from transposition so I'll have to be extra careful too, especially since I foresee a Freya in my future. I hope the DI's were not harmed by the magic smoke!

@TomSix Where have you been? I missed your insightful posts while you were away and I know there were many others on here that missed you too. I even went so far as to save some of your posts to assist me with DIY work, parts selection, and tube purchases.

Thank you for giving us another chance, please stick around.

 

[golfbravobravo]

Yup, as I posted earlier I trnsposed a coupe of didgits when seraching on eBay and didn't pick that up. I'll be hanging around, I have been "missing" due to an extended trip to Europe for the Armistice anniversaary and a vacation in Italy.

We are now back and getting settled in a fall environment. New for us!

Cheers