[AstronomerXI]

I will see what I can find at halftime.
The good ones can get pricey, I have none I want to relinquish at this time myself.

I appreciate any advice and recommendations from yourself and the more experienced tubularly-inclined and knowledgeable folks here. I'm new to tubes and really only started into headphones and Schiit in January of this year with the purchase of the Asgard 3. Now I have 6 Schiit products with 2 more on the way. In for a penny, in for a pound as the saying goes. Similarly, I got interested in astronomy ~25 years ago and became president of my local club within a couple of years. 16 years later I became president and board chair of a national (Canadian) astronomy organization. I shudder to think what my Schiit piles and tube mound will look like in 1 or 2 years!

 

[Paladin79]

Watching , it's going to be a long day..

yup, lol I moved the game to my ipad as I search for tubes.

 

[OldRoadToad]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125573805292?hash=item1d3cc834ec:g:Y-kAAOSwO29jUxL3&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoGYTUu75XGBqOCJyywn1hRE088ItzFom1gZTV8zuK09QKblt5Rd/Ug3+3YKwRQ8V0JDi0vuOdbE/vWS3S8r2U9Y/oLPvIfrq+BxHphIgCoo+oDNf2nKu5PcamlITfzFtn7BWArq7lc/Br+w19mEf2rLbTfqJl6fSMZsLCUwn8o5PKAu8tAUSM8LT50mjexQJQ0lZjgyQDkr+qFKpngfFUu4=|tkp:Bk9SR5i1z6eXYQ

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304714356050?hash=item46f2641552:g:VuIAAOSwe69jfzSU&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4HAlweOLRuQIF4YA7x/4p3Wy8iDUuW1G0RTflqR3g+L2Yy8NEx882RaBIPdj6Ckz67IlRRZ3F6MMwiODP9WQmL9r07pczdZmuBA1d/ryHitQLHYdfSJgT4ap8oovemljBlIWWdQkb+vwhw6/05FC2TXtlpHVGq64vrvfZQE0qQmwo2TUX6H7Q+VeBAPQnvufu44GAfDrijdx7NYN2GE5XabdWWp2isWcr/k32qyDyOsEiB/YOEeNWS6WvFVtxKCMi86AJnAqucHfiTaXxCtb5bYpvpKJYfLdi4dG+bEP+0kO|tkp:BFBMmLXPp5dh

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225244353691?hash=item34719c149b:g:zS4AAOSwsh5jUMpg&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4IOLLzxz+cUAu1SrEhuzgtOa7gBbzOESeSB2VsCQC5trAnWFYsiprnQNgNR17ccJwKe+IfYeelDtINBN9q1XwBHb51HvNdYFTUum7pcfjR5f6fktyLbwRsR5fd2kjJch0NDIuLjZQqFdjLYPsz6Si7HyEBHuQoXsNppxsjioB0RK8RwilsxpSzY7W5bBZm4RhZ0oAMIN/VqJWvRCN3S7MJQPzPnFvkm8oAba8eTDT9Bee7lwmM/qMVcQaYbT1TnSUSXZz9BAOOvkbLHxexLHB1JtR8w74Zc6Po0cMo/Bvwd7|tkp:BFBMmLXPp5dh

These are examples of some for the gain side, (right side)

I might use these in the cathode follower side.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265915884557?hash=item3de9d2640d:g:Ew4AAOSw3ktgvfWn&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4KnMs8Kfz2eGn5BGDHCl/Pmt3XPQQeLt1XHntPMhNRQH8cm50J3jV6IZVadMYJmvfG3JaI74QIUygnJQ1iWnRemXClTjVV1tqCKeuqq4U3FQJcE9rlm1u8qn/WhcyoEZEx1/Bx+cEuzXbpG3YfHtrAUXeRzuqcqQ5ng0gWK2rD6nHf+GkGGPou9H1F36EpcbddtAMruH1rk1IReU9IXu9LRgaYko+rLqo0Etel2kYbOJrMvJuL6QETBIuluRISK/OXZWTxTLuJS7UFSrwD4FfU/JDP/jF3cX0eJkf6Dp7qUP|tkp:Bk9SR5q1z6eXYQ

These could be very good at a low price, 1974 and 1975 are the sought after years but 1973 could be decent.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285022550800?hash=item425caafb10:g:ykYAAOSwIyditFtA&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4Av8puR9bBVNftnn46uTFezwKYKM820FBxChgM68uKm4wB5yI/NDfo3u2QR1+Aw0ePpnfNhIDYiq9h3SYA2I/Y80D+dNogkBucPDfQj27KB0IyJMO0IdEOhQ1V+5IO2JeFKnXvggk9vul0nDg0y3fzGzA9QebUCHykcmIGk8Lfs91E/Iwy2p4emCVXbjveh3X71TnFY+sHo5SgyvMb2zemBRN14fyaaGljTG1rgH3DjckaIUOhRJKQp/gFiXIn16bqfVb26FPMAVJ/PqC29iNCh7SBeJv7swHwnY2qrVYWxc|tkp:BFBMgt6WqJdh

an example of 1975 pricing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175378135332?hash=item28d559f924:g:x74AAOSwf9li8jOC&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoGTsTI1mTQ34LAFtDldeYVICzno9KK3ks9QY2BLZxg1oG45nCEKze0A9si3lrBEoAI+AfDC4VgQ+rtjBLIw/1sM4BbxpxTsjb3z5Rz3IdtdofmvYJhiPyxy0UGu579RA4gsh7huMJxkWBf9d05pkTUYOktuad4+p3IfF5KaBhfreDjcw4DEa2P/vgR5zX+M4AV0tjcifjX4wXP9COlOYymg=|tkp:Bk9SR4TelqiXYQ

Best Supporting NoK But no, I do not hate tubes. Except the kind that go in tires...

ORT

 

[AstronomerXI]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125573805292?hash=item1d3cc834ec:g:Y-kAAOSwO29jUxL3&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoGYTUu75XGBqOCJyywn1hRE088ItzFom1gZTV8zuK09QKblt5Rd/Ug3+3YKwRQ8V0JDi0vuOdbE/vWS3S8r2U9Y/oLPvIfrq+BxHphIgCoo+oDNf2nKu5PcamlITfzFtn7BWArq7lc/Br+w19mEf2rLbTfqJl6fSMZsLCUwn8o5PKAu8tAUSM8LT50mjexQJQ0lZjgyQDkr+qFKpngfFUu4=|tkp:Bk9SR5i1z6eXYQ

https://www.ebay.com/itm/304714356050?hash=item46f2641552:g:VuIAAOSwe69jfzSU&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4HAlweOLRuQIF4YA7x/4p3Wy8iDUuW1G0RTflqR3g+L2Yy8NEx882RaBIPdj6Ckz67IlRRZ3F6MMwiODP9WQmL9r07pczdZmuBA1d/ryHitQLHYdfSJgT4ap8oovemljBlIWWdQkb+vwhw6/05FC2TXtlpHVGq64vrvfZQE0qQmwo2TUX6H7Q+VeBAPQnvufu44GAfDrijdx7NYN2GE5XabdWWp2isWcr/k32qyDyOsEiB/YOEeNWS6WvFVtxKCMi86AJnAqucHfiTaXxCtb5bYpvpKJYfLdi4dG+bEP+0kO|tkp:BFBMmLXPp5dh

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225244353691?hash=item34719c149b:g:zS4AAOSwsh5jUMpg&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4IOLLzxz+cUAu1SrEhuzgtOa7gBbzOESeSB2VsCQC5trAnWFYsiprnQNgNR17ccJwKe+IfYeelDtINBN9q1XwBHb51HvNdYFTUum7pcfjR5f6fktyLbwRsR5fd2kjJch0NDIuLjZQqFdjLYPsz6Si7HyEBHuQoXsNppxsjioB0RK8RwilsxpSzY7W5bBZm4RhZ0oAMIN/VqJWvRCN3S7MJQPzPnFvkm8oAba8eTDT9Bee7lwmM/qMVcQaYbT1TnSUSXZz9BAOOvkbLHxexLHB1JtR8w74Zc6Po0cMo/Bvwd7|tkp:BFBMmLXPp5dh

These are examples of some for the gain side, (right side)

I might use these in the cathode follower side.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265915884557?hash=item3de9d2640d:g:Ew4AAOSw3ktgvfWn&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4KnMs8Kfz2eGn5BGDHCl/Pmt3XPQQeLt1XHntPMhNRQH8cm50J3jV6IZVadMYJmvfG3JaI74QIUygnJQ1iWnRemXClTjVV1tqCKeuqq4U3FQJcE9rlm1u8qn/WhcyoEZEx1/Bx+cEuzXbpG3YfHtrAUXeRzuqcqQ5ng0gWK2rD6nHf+GkGGPou9H1F36EpcbddtAMruH1rk1IReU9IXu9LRgaYko+rLqo0Etel2kYbOJrMvJuL6QETBIuluRISK/OXZWTxTLuJS7UFSrwD4FfU/JDP/jF3cX0eJkf6Dp7qUP|tkp:Bk9SR5q1z6eXYQ

These could be very good at a low price, 1974 and 1975 are the sought after years but 1973 could be decent.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285022550800?hash=item425caafb10:g:ykYAAOSwIyditFtA&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4Av8puR9bBVNftnn46uTFezwKYKM820FBxChgM68uKm4wB5yI/NDfo3u2QR1+Aw0ePpnfNhIDYiq9h3SYA2I/Y80D+dNogkBucPDfQj27KB0IyJMO0IdEOhQ1V+5IO2JeFKnXvggk9vul0nDg0y3fzGzA9QebUCHykcmIGk8Lfs91E/Iwy2p4emCVXbjveh3X71TnFY+sHo5SgyvMb2zemBRN14fyaaGljTG1rgH3DjckaIUOhRJKQp/gFiXIn16bqfVb26FPMAVJ/PqC29iNCh7SBeJv7swHwnY2qrVYWxc|tkp:BFBMgt6WqJdh

an example of 1975 pricing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175378135332?hash=item28d559f924:g:x74AAOSwf9li8jOC&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoGTsTI1mTQ34LAFtDldeYVICzno9KK3ks9QY2BLZxg1oG45nCEKze0A9si3lrBEoAI+AfDC4VgQ+rtjBLIw/1sM4BbxpxTsjb3z5Rz3IdtdofmvYJhiPyxy0UGu579RA4gsh7huMJxkWBf9d05pkTUYOktuad4+p3IfF5KaBhfreDjcw4DEa2P/vgR5zX+M4AV0tjcifjX4wXP9COlOYymg=|tkp:Bk9SR4TelqiXYQ

What I normally do is decide on a brand and type and they watch for great deals. I spent as much as six months watching for specific Melz 1578's and they finally showed up.

watch for 1974 and 1975 Reflektors and they will eventually turn up.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/114854759812?hash=item1abde08d84:g:eRoAAOSwiEVgyzXy&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoGTbellHp+LzBlK5BG4C8/418TECQmELdsYdpEyMwv/H9CfHIAnZbPq30chySvvP5JspSItQvbRYkSFbSMQFcAL9TEC/pMEAl3coulu6idNRD39kJK4QIt8MDlZZcSLnoS7KgvI8FMRevfkrMEMiBqktajTnVLv1iwH67qXC9r4xJAAIpMXYr7VOLF2+zMIa56BJaCvCaduRRiDWasTdvBg=|tkp:Bk9SR4TelqiXYQ

Thank you very much for taking the time to research and compile this! It's sincerely appreciated. I'll be poring over these for the remainder of the afternoon.

I might have to pass on the 1975's. Yikes!

 

[artur9]

Then again, I also have trouble discerning differences between 320kbps well-encoded files and lossless, so it may well be the latter. I can easily tell the differences between amps, though...well enough to never buy another amp whose marketing revolves around its measurements.

One thing to check is that the files provenance is trustworthy. Maybe start with AIX recordings and mp3-ify them yourself..

What kind of amps can you easily tell the difference between? Headphone? Speaker? Solid-state vs tube?

For me, with DACs, some I can listen to for hours and others, not so much.

 

[Paladin79]

Thank you very much for taking the time to research and compile this! It's sincerely appreciated. I'll be poring over these for the remainder of the afternoon.

I might have to pass on the 1975's. Yikes!

I would not buy them at that price, it was just a demonstration of what they can bring. There is a reason for that price.

Always shop around for vintage tubes and see if the seller lists any measurements. There is a lot to learn when you start working with any type of tube, @bcowen may have some recommendations on reasonably priced tubes and his opinion can certainly be trusted. Your ears, your money. Maybe start with less expensive versions of the tubes I mentioned and see if you want to follow a specific brand. Then be patient. I already gave away many of my less expensive versions, the remainder is more of an investment.

 

[dhcarquinez]

...

Helps when the school I went to has no football team.

Such as my alma mater. Our school mascot is the Banana Slugs. Go Slugs!

 

[rfernand]

Alright.. excellent Black Friday sale, time to try two Aegirs with the Heresy IVs… Has anybody used their Ragnarok 2 as a preamp?

 

[AstronomerXI]

I would not buy them at that price, it was just a demonstration of what they can bring. There is a reason for that price.

Always shop around for vintage tubes and see if the seller lists any measurements. There is a lot to learn when you start working with any type of tube, @bcowen may have some recommendations on reasonably priced tubes and his opinion can certainly be trusted. Your ears, your money. Maybe start with less expensive versions of the tubes I mentioned and see if you want to follow a specific brand. Then be patient. I already gave away many of my less expensive versions, the remainder is more of an investment.

Much appreciated! I wasn't looking to buy from you - that was from another post from someone else in the thread. I'm shopping for advice for the moment, and your advice is valuable to me. I'll likely start sometime in the new year with a couple of less-expensive sets from different brands and see what I prefer. I'm generally a restless person, and this sort of exploration in shopping and sound is right up my alley.

 

[Paladin79]

Much appreciated! I wasn't looking to buy from you - that was from another post from someone else in the thread. I'm shopping for advice for the moment, and your advice is valuable to me. I'll likely start sometime in the new year with a couple of less-expensive sets from different brands and see what I prefer. I'm generally a restless person, and this sort of exploration in shopping and sound is right up my alley.

I was responding to both parties, sorry. I spent a lot of time working my way up to specific tubes. Even when you get into a certain brand and type tubes can vary between years.

 

[ImagesbyMurray]

I'm not sure how stating a serrated knife is always sharp gets translated into anybody that hasn't learned how to sharpen a knife is an idiot. Seems a rather idiotic twisting of logic, but whatever.

Completely out of my league; my wife keeps the knives and scissors in a locked drawer

 

[tigon_ridge]

One thing to check is that the files provenance is trustworthy. Maybe start with AIX recordings and mp3-ify them yourself..

What kind of amps can you easily tell the difference between? Headphone? Speaker? Solid-state vs tube?

For me, with DACs, some I can listen to for hours and others, not so much.

The FLAC files were converted from WAV files ripped from original CDs, and then encoded via AAC to 320kps files. Heck, even at 256kbps I was struggling. 128kbps can still be tough, but definitely a lot easier to tell the subtle differences. My high school CS teacher back in 2002 said he could easily tell the difference between mp3 and lossless, but back then, virtually all mp3s were poorly encoded, and the vast majority of them were low bitrates.

I've owned Asgard 2, and OG Mjolnir. The difference was minimal, but noticeable; both were pretty analytical. Now, I have a THX 789, and it is noticeably different from the former two. My Class D loudspeaker amp is very, very noticeably different sounding than the former three, and far superior sounding, may I add. Class D has had a low reputation due to their earlier implementations, but apparently they've improved by leaps and bounds. My Crown XLS 1502 makes my Sundara sound so musical, which is the complete opposite of what the THX 789 does. It's pretty much night and day. One is analytical, and flat/thin, and one is full-bodied, large-sounding, engaging, and obviously has enough power to melt the Sundara's diaphragms with ease. My first tube will be a hybrid, the Vali 2+, and it should be coming in a few days, so I'll know then whether it will be a big difference from my prior SS headphone amps.

I bought the Vali 2+ for a few reasons:
1. I want to dip my pinky toe into this tube world I've heard so much about.
2. I have a strong hunch that it will sound very similar to how my XLS 1502 sounds, based on many people's descriptions of what "tubey" entails. How they describe it is basically how I hear my 1502. When the Piety came around, I couldn't help but wonder if how people were describing its sound matches exactly how I've been hearing my 1502. I'm going to find out soon!
3. Even though the 1502 makes my EQ'd Sundara sing, the noise floor bugs me. It makes listening to anything low volume a battle with the hiss. At moderate and louder volumes, the hiss isn't audible, however.
4. I'm curious to know how replacing my passive preamp with the tube section of the Vali 2+ will change my system's sound. Again, will find out soon.

 

[j0val]

Dropped by the Schiitr recently.

 

[JohnnyOps]

Nice Schiit. What's that on top of your Urd, @j0val ?

 

[AstronomerXI]

Nice Schiit. What's that on top of your Urd, @j0val ?

That's an Apple Mac Mini.