[TylersEclectic]

Since my mini rack is not as nice looking as yours, I figured I would make up for it with bling:

Well @Darthpool will like it anyway, he likes purple.
That is a 1963 Melz 1578 in the Lyr 3, for those of you who know tubes. Bass and mids are to die for.

That looks AWESOME!!! How are you liking the Hel so far? I think you mentioned you were liking it...I'm using it a lot on my Gaming PC been actually really impressed with it!

 

[Mumbles06]

Long time lurker, infrequent poster. Wanted to comment on how awesome the Gumby is.

I've had my Gumby for 2 or three years. For a while it powered my Vali2, and was a giant leap up from my modi2U. Then my Vali2 morphed into a Mjolnir2. It sounded really good. Then some work changes forced me to downsize my life and move to SoCal. I swapped my desktop setup to a (newly released) Lyr3 multibit. Not quite as magic, but it got the job done. My MJ2 left, but the gumby hung aroud for eventual 2 channel integration. A year later, my Gumby got back in the action when my Denon AVR died. Now I have Saga classic, Vidar into KEF LS50s. I have my Uturn orbit with a grado black into a mani and loki, my tv digital sources all go into Gumby toslink, and a raspberry pi 4 feeds the usb for flac streaming.

So thats my setup.

Recently I got Desert Sessions 11/12 on vinyl and CD. I ripped the cd to flac for streaming. I've spun it on vinyl a few times and thought it was kind of flat and bordering on lifeless. Today I ran it through the same speakers on the digital side. Wow! It sounded much more lively and enjoyable. This is not a typical result, just this particular album, but the difference isn't subtle. I may need to tweak the loki on the analog side (in fact I'll be doing that) but if anyone is on the fence about the warmth and musicality of the Gumby, don't be. It's just flipping fantastic, especially that it can hang with the warmth and analog vibe of vinyl, and in some cases beat it outright in my ears.

Ok, I'll end my rant.

 

[TylersEclectic]

Might be a noobish question, but why are you and @dieslemat using a preamp ( Freya + ) when Jotunheim R has a volume pot on it already. Is there that much of a SQ increase when bypassing the volume in the Jot R and using another preamp to attenuate the signal? I can see why @Torq bypasses the volume pot as his DAC has a volume control but I'm a bit confused because I always thought the less stuff in your chain the better.

I am wanting it for Volume control and for the Tube flavor =) Yes having too much stuff in the chain can make things wonky...but half the fun of setting it up is figuring out if there is any "wonk" and how to fix it =)

 

[TylersEclectic]

I think the answer can be found in the movie, Shakespeare in Love: "It's a mystery."

Someone else can give you the real reason a pre-amp improves the sound in most cases. However, my CD player has an analog fixed output and analog variable out (so it has a DAC built in) and I tried listening plugging it in directly to my Quad amplifier (and then, Thiel 2.0 speakers). It worked just fine - but when I finally got around to un-boxing my preamp (we'd returned from overseas) and putting it in the chain, the sound noticeably improved. I assume this has something to do with a pre-amp "bringing up the signal" to a point where an amplifier is happier dealing with it, but my Civil Engineering Degree didn't prepare me for understanding many of the technical intricacies of this hobby.
For my/our purposes, one can certainly "tailor" the sound of a DAC and amplifier to one's liking by inserting the (in my case, it would almost always be tube-based) preamplifier that minimizes flaws in other parts of one's system. With super-detailed headphones like the Raals or (to some people's ears) the SR-009 electrostatics, a preamplifier (or headphone amplifier with a preamp section - in "big system" terms, this would be an integrated amplifier) can soften the edges or add a bit of engagement to the end product.
At some point the disadvantage of adding another piece of equipment isn't only its cost, but if you aren't sensible (as many of us are not) the cost of another power cord, interconnect, and maybe vibration control, can easily add another thousand - or three - in addition to the cost of the added piece of equipment.

I think anyone who has listened with only an amplifier and then tried/added a preamp will tell you, their system sounded better with the preamp in the system.

Pretty much nailed it

 

[Paladin79]

That looks AWESOME!!! How are you liking the Hel so far? I think you mentioned you were liking it...I'm using it a lot on my Gaming PC been actually really impressed with it!

I have only checked out the DAC and headphone amp portion so far but they are a great value for that price. Eventually I will play with it more and even try running it with a battery pack.

 

[marca56]

I have only checked out the DAC and headphone amp portion so far but they are a great value for that price. Eventually I will play with it more and even try running it with a battery pack.

I have both the Hel and a Modi Multibit and Vali 2 setup. I also have a Fulla 2 (not the 3) too. Using the Hel alone with my MacBook Pro for endless hours of voice and videoconferencing calls per day with a $17 electret boom mic on my very nice Grado style headphones, it's a very nice, simple solution that I can easily recommend to remote workers.

Where it gets really interesting is trying to integrate the two setups. First, I tried using the preamp out from the Hel to the Vali 2, but that did not work at all. Not sure yet why. However, since the boom mic has separate mic and speaker connectors, I set the Hel as USB Microphone in to the Mac and set the Vali 2 as USB Speaker in to the Mac and it works great! Same great mic input (my teammates love the new clear audio from me), and much better headset audio.

I'm still trying to figure out why the preamp setup does not work right, so I will report back when I get that sorted out. With respect to the Fulla comment above, if I cannot use the preamp out from the Hel, it would be $90 less to get a Fulla 3 to serve as the mic in.

 

[apollogreed]

At some point the disadvantage of adding another piece of equipment isn't only its cost, but if you aren't sensible (as many of us are not) the cost of another power cord, interconnect, and maybe vibration control, can easily add another thousand - or three - in addition to the cost of the added piece of equipment.

Honestly this is my biggest concern in adding a new component right now lmao. My chain is already one big mess, Hoping to just simplify and be happy with Jot R.

 

[Gazny]

Since my mini rack is not as nice looking as yours, I figured I would make up for it with bling:

Well @Darthpool will like it anyway, he likes purple.
That is a 1963 Melz 1578 in the Lyr 3, for those of you who know tubes. Bass and mids are to die for.

Wow, even the usb cables are matching the power cables. Any place I can learn to do this?

 

[johnjen]

I'll add that the Lucas electrical system on my Trident T160 was never a problem, although the engine's inability to retain oil was.

The English developed and thoroughly refined the ability of their motor vehicles to 'mark their territory'.
Unfortunately the ability to train their vehicles to do so upon command wasn't a high priority.

Nor was it possible to break them of this habit.

And when Honda showed them how to do this, they were shocked that this was a even possible, let alone a desirable 'feature'.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

JJ

 

[Paladin79]

Wow, even the usb cables are matching the power cables. Any place I can learn to do this?

I can help you find the cotton based mesh and there is a DIY thread here that could help you get started. The micro USB connectors are not a good place to start learning lol, do a few RCA interconnects and go from there.

There is nothing magical about the cables, they are well made to carry the desired signals as they are supposed to do, unless you believe purple cables affect SQ.

 

[johnjen]

Might be a noobish question, but why are you and @dieslemat using a preamp ( Freya + ) when Jotunheim R has a volume pot on it already. Is there that much of a SQ increase when bypassing the volume in the Jot R and using another preamp to attenuate the signal? I can see why @Torq bypasses the volume pot as his DAC has a volume control but I'm a bit confused because I always thought the less stuff in your chain the better.

My 2¢ on the use of a pre-amp.
Besides the volume control, balance control, switching inputs, etc, a pre-amp is designed to deliver the audio signal to a variety of loads and not just a single load as most dacs, phono pre-amps, tuners (what are those?), tape decks etc. are designed for.

Yes you can bypass a pre-amp especially if you have only 1 input to deal with, but even in this case there can be impedance mis-matches between the source and the load it sees.
An example is a tube source with an relatively high output impedance driving a relatively low input impedance SS device (amp, etc.).

But really the single most compelling use of a pre-amp is to 'tailor' the SQ of the entire system to suit your desires.
This is especially true for tube pre-amps, where the added coloration can often bring the entire system to levels of performance, that would not be achievable any other way.
IOW the pre-amp can not just change the overall SQ, but can optimize it and in ways that can be most impressive, and desirable.
And based upon the design and tube choices etc, it can help to further dial in the SQ of the entire system to deliver your music to you that simply wouldn't be possible any other way.

JJ

 

[Rensek]

My 2¢ on the use of a pre-amp.
Besides the volume control, balance control, switching inputs, etc, a pre-amp is designed to deliver the audio signal to a variety of loads and not just a single load as most dacs, phono pre-amps, tuners (what are those?), tape decks etc. are designed for.

Yes you can bypass a pre-amp especially if you have only 1 input to deal with, but even in this case there can be impedance mis-matches between the source and the load it sees.
An example is a tube source with an relatively high output impedance driving a relatively low input impedance SS device (amp, etc.).

But really the single most compelling use of a pre-amp is to 'tailor' the SQ of the entire system to suit your desires.
This is especially true for tube pre-amps where the added coloration can often bring the entire system to levels of performance that would not be achievable any other way.
IOW the pre-amp can not just change the overall SQ but can optimize it and in ways that can be most impressive, and desirable.
And based upon the design and tube choices etc, it can help to further dial in the SQ of the entire system to deliver your music to you that simply wouldn't be possible any other way.

JJ

I have moved my 2 ch system around a little bit the past two months. First to a different wall in my living room, now down to the family/man cave area in the basement, where I can set the room & system up as I wish. With each of the last two moves, the value and importance of a tube pre amp have become increasingly more apparent. With each of the last two moves my SQ has improved. Those moves have allowed me to really discern the value of the original Saga. Early on the tube preamp seemed to just accentuate the bass level, and maybe add some fullness to the mid range. Now the preamp and foton tubes seem to really alter the separation, placement, and depth of vocals, especially the backing singers. On you're so vain, the tube seems to bring Mick Jagger out from behind the curtain and places him on the same stage as Carly Simon. Similar effects are noted on Van Morrisons classic Days like This. Three main voices are always heard, and in parts, a fourth. Listening to Fancy by Reba McIntyre you can differentiate distinct voices and placement of Reba and three female backing vocalists. Bass fullness has remained.

Pretty cool stuff indeed

Amazon HD, Google CCA, Modi Multibit, Saga, Loki, Vidar, Zu Omen Dirty Weekends.

 

[TylersEclectic]

Wow, even the usb cables are matching the power cables. Any place I can learn to do this?

Patience and time...are key components of learning how to do it...which I seem to never have either lol...*sigh*

 

[TylersEclectic]

purple cables affect SQ.

Yes...yes they do... it's like taking in all the sensory pieces...Purple just makes it better, kind of like the look of a nice bourbon in a glass the visual adds to the "flavor"

 

[tafens]

Since my mini rack is not as nice looking as yours, I figured I would make up for it with bling:

Well @Darthpool will like it anyway, he likes purple.
That is a 1963 Melz 1578 in the Lyr 3, for those of you who know tubes. Bass and mids are to die for.

Nice setup

Is there a difference between 1960’s and 70’s MELZ 1578? I have a 70’s vintage and it sounds a bit anemic to my ears..

Edit: bad spelling corrected...