[Adam Balm]

Only good use I ever found for sorbothane was as a footer under a particularly noisy aquarium filter/pump…. Aka, good for Fisch-Schiit.

I despise that stuff. It stains just about everything you stick it on... Especially metal.

 

[RCBinTN]

We "audiophiles" all suffer from trained hearing. We hear something we like, we try to replicate it. Non-audiophiles are happy as long as they can hum along.

My hearing is very trained since it's been defective from birth. Only way I can understand someone is to hear them multiple times. Confirmed by an audiologist...

I have a friend who has a cochlear implant in one ear. It replaced a hearing aid after that no longer worked for him. He said it was like learning a new language with 1/2 of his brain, but, after a while it improved his quality of life. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cochlear-implants/about/pac-20385021
His main hobby is photography. Here's an example ... he has a Nikon Z-9 and some damn fancy lenses.

 

[AstronomerXI]

Curious if you ever heard the Kara vs your Freya? I know the OG Freya - which is certainly very good, and I heard the Kara at a meet - but not long enough to form a useful opinion. Thanks.

I haven't, and the Kara isn't on my radar. I wanted the Freya specifically for its tubey goodness, and it's nice to have the flexibility to switch modes, especially with some modern musical production that sounds more listenable (to my ears) sans tubes. Tube mode is engaged well over 90% of the time for my listening. When I can fully turn my attention to the basement system in a year or two, I may look at the Kara as a preamp option. Having 2 tube amps would be hard on the wallet for those awesome little consumables!

 

[Paladin79]

What is this "sub out" of which you speak? In my world, one acquires and accumulates (gear for audio, astronomy, photography; books, animal beds, garden plants) until the walls explode or a larger accommodation is found.

Seriously, the Gumby utterly smokes destroys every D/S DAC I've tried and is the best I've heard by far. I recall reading way back that Jason preferred the Gumby to Yggy for headphones (at the time), and mine is in my headphone stack. While I'm in no rush to get one after the vehicle purchase and with planned renos, I'm eyeing a YGGY sometime for the big basement system.

We used speakers in our first test and headphones in our second. Martin Logans then Focal Utopias. Newer Yggy did better with headphones. Oh and my tube headphone amps.

 

[AstronomerXI]

We used speakers in our first test and headphones in our second. Martin Logans then Focal Utopias. Newer Yggy did better with headphones. Oh and my tube headphone amps.

Ah, headphones. I have 4 decent pairs, but I'd also like to eventually go much higher end. I'd have to make a trek to Toronto to audition them, but even then It wouldn't be with my audio equipment unless I could arrange to take some of my stack with me. I wonder which YGGY iteration sounds best (subjective, I know) with a speaker system?

 

[Paladin79]

I despise that stuff. It stains just about everything you stick it on... Especially metal.

Oddly enough I can recall Jason suggesting Sorbothane with one of his amps. This is a bit of Schiit trivia and this was four or five years ago. Any guesses?

 

[Adam Balm]

Oddly enough I can recall Jason suggesting Sorbothane with one of his amps. This is a bit of Schiit trivia and this was four or five years ago. Any guesses?

Interesting. I don't recall that.

The sorbothane turntable mat was thee worst. Aack!

 

[Paladin79]

Ah, headphones. I have 4 decent pairs, but I'd also like to eventually go much higher end. I'd have to make a trek to Toronto to audition them, but even them It wouldn't be with my audio equipment unless I could arrange to take some of my stack with me. I wonder which YGGY iteration sounds best (subjective, I know) with a speaker system?

Ah, headphones. I have 4 decent pairs, but I'd also like to eventually go much higher end. I'd have to make a trek to Toronto to audition them, but even them It wouldn't be with my audio equipment unless I could arrange to take some of my stack with me. I wonder which YGGY iteration sounds best (subjective, I know) with a speaker system?

I have tried the Yggy + OG and it was decent with speakers. A bit better with headphones IMHO.

 

[Paladin79]

Interesting. I don't recall that.

The sorbothane turntable mat was thee worst. Aack!

You joined in 2023, and it was for an amp. I was mentioned in that chapter as I recall since I had to try the amp. It is still sold as a product to this day. Maybe 5-6 years ago it came out?

 

[mystaiced]

What is this "sub out" of which you speak? In my world, one acquires and accumulates (gear for audio, astronomy, photography; books, animal beds, garden plants) until the walls explode or a larger accommodation is found.

Seriously, the Gumby utterly smokes destroys every D/S DAC I've tried and is the best I've heard by far. I recall reading way back that Jason preferred the Gumby to Yggy for headphones (at the time), and mine is in my headphone stack. While I'm in no rush to get one after the vehicle purchase and with planned renos, I'm eyeing a YGGY sometime for the big basement system.

I recently switched out Gungnir from my headphone setup and put it with Freya in my 2 channel setup. Bifrost 2/64 is now with MJ2 and headphones. But I think a headphone upgrade is needed for me to hear a difference (or what is between the headphones ). Bifrost 2/64 sounded just as good as Gungnir with my headphones. But Gungnir offered a significant improvement with my speakers over Bifrost 2/64. But I also have been enjoying a Modi 3+/Vali2++ with headphones in my bedside setup, so I'm probably a bit weird.

 

[Paladin79]

I recently switched out Gungnir from my headphone setup and put it with Freya in my 2 channel setup. Bifrost 2/64 is now with MJ2 and headphones. But I think a headphone upgrade is needed for me to hear a difference (or what is between the headphones ). Bifrost 2/64 sounded just as good as Gungnir with my headphones. But Gungnir offered a significant improvement with my speakers over Bifrost 2/64. But I also have been enjoying a Modi 3+/Vali2++ with headphones in my bedside setup, so I'm probably a bit weird.

At the end of the day, make yourself happy. I am running an original Bifrost 2 with a Vali 3, can I do better, of course but this setup was the most handy. Now I love Focal Utopias and trust me when I say I have tried the TOTL in most major brands. I run those so I can hear subtle differences in tubes.

 

[cricket]

Oddly enough I can recall Jason suggesting Sorbothane with one of his amps. This is a bit of Schiit trivia and this was four or five years ago. Any guesses?

That was the coaster amp because the little tubes were prone to ringing. The one I assembled rings in one channel at about 7KHz. I wasn't about to buy any sorbothane, but I did consider those gel type window decorations as a substitute.

 

[RCBinTN]

Seriously, the Gumby utterly smokes destroys every D/S DAC I've tried and is the best I've heard by far. I recall reading way back that Jason preferred the Gumby to Yggy for headphones (at the time), and mine is in my headphone stack. While I'm in no rush to get one after the vehicle purchase and with planned renos, I'm eyeing a YGGY sometime for the big basement system.

I'm so happy with the Gungnir MB that I bought a 2nd one just before the BRUZ chips exited the scene to become guided missiles. I have no 2-chan gear and listen only to headphones.

 

[Adam Balm]

You joined in 2023, and it was for an amp. I was mentioned in that chapter as I recall since I had to try the amp. It is still sold as a product to this day. Maybe 5-6 years ago it came out?

The mat was discontinued around 2010 and was first introduced in, if I recall, the early 90's
I used to sell them at the shop I worked at.
I think the sheets are still available.

 

[Paladin79]

Yeah, see “not priced like a new Lexus LS”…

Had I those funds, i might check them “in home”… but, nope…

I am not reading back to see but I was thinking you originally asked us to name a tube that could run your speakers Now I cannot name a transistor that could run them either but I got what you meant. The amps I mentioned were about $70k IF you can find them. Big tube amps are pricey, even those at about 100 watts per channel can be $5k up. Then the price of replacing tubes can nearly be the cost of the amp all over again. Still I prefer and use tube power amps.