Schiit Mjolnir2 Tube Rolling Thread
- Thread starter neoluddite
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neoluddite
Head-Fier
In terms of the warmth of the voice, these tubes were certainly warmer than the Mullards and perhaps a tiny bit warmer than the Philips Miniwatts. In terms of left/right sound stage, they were more narrow than both and seemed closer to the Gold Lions.
Guidostrunk
Headphoneus Supremus
Steal of the century folks!
https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/s...os-unused-socket-savers.852624/#post-13566991
https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/s...os-unused-socket-savers.852624/#post-13566991
neoluddite
Head-Fier
Telefunken CCa (1960’s vintage, Large Halo Getters) Review and Comment
Well, I am glad I had the benefit of an acquaintance to urge me on to try these tubes. They are definite keepers. Until I listened with my own ears, others had steered me away from the Telefunken’s as not having the warmth I like. Yet, life is tradeoffs.
The tremendous clarity of the Telefunken CCa's reveals as much and perhaps more detail and nuance than my current favorite Amperex and Valvo CCa tubes. While the Telefunken’s lack some of the mid-range warmth I like, the transparency and clean left-right and front back sound stage make up for it. These tubes provide a refreshingly wider and deeper sound stage vs. the Reflektors that I was listening to beforehand. Further, the high end of the frequency spectrum is well handled, though bright (to me) and not too sibilant. Bright is bright and clear, not harshly bright. Looking to our sense of oral taste, think of the difference between the crisp citrusy brightness of an Habanero (before the heat blast hits) in comparison to the lingering harsh brightness of lemon juice. The Telefunken’s are very nuanced: just when you are about ready to think “ahhh too bright,” that nasty aural piercing never arrives.
Transients are beautifully handled. Huge taiko drums played by the Kodo Drummers sound crisp and real – striking stick microslap/crack is clear and fleeting (as it should be) offering a great sense of realism. The following bass powers up smoothly and fades pleasantly.
On the other hand, delicate soft pieces are handle with equal grace. Britten’s Peter Grimes – Passacaglia on Reference Recordings, Simon Rattle’s Berliner Philharmoniker presentation of Holst’s “The Planets” – Mars and Neptune, Arvo Paart’s Summa all require great delicacy and control on reproduction to not crush the ethereal music and to present critical spatial cues leaving you with that " I am there" feeling. The Telfunken’s are as great with these delicate pieces as they are the powerhouses like Ginger Baker ripping through his Toad solo on Cream’s Wheels of Fire or Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s "Roll on Down the Highway."
Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017” played live on the 12 Gardens albums is gorgeous – I wish I had a zillion watts to pump that song with…before the Bronx gets blown away.
Overall, the Telefunken CCa tubes are a pleasure. A little more neutral than my favorite Amperex and Valvo’s, YET UTTERLY GREAT to listen to..
Now, I must go back through my notes, do some more listening and try to pull together a rank ordering or mapping of the various tubes now seem to have. In the meantime, time to cook the LISST solid-stage “solid state tubes” and then perhaps the iFi tubes rewired to behave as 6922’s.
Well, I am glad I had the benefit of an acquaintance to urge me on to try these tubes. They are definite keepers. Until I listened with my own ears, others had steered me away from the Telefunken’s as not having the warmth I like. Yet, life is tradeoffs.
The tremendous clarity of the Telefunken CCa's reveals as much and perhaps more detail and nuance than my current favorite Amperex and Valvo CCa tubes. While the Telefunken’s lack some of the mid-range warmth I like, the transparency and clean left-right and front back sound stage make up for it. These tubes provide a refreshingly wider and deeper sound stage vs. the Reflektors that I was listening to beforehand. Further, the high end of the frequency spectrum is well handled, though bright (to me) and not too sibilant. Bright is bright and clear, not harshly bright. Looking to our sense of oral taste, think of the difference between the crisp citrusy brightness of an Habanero (before the heat blast hits) in comparison to the lingering harsh brightness of lemon juice. The Telefunken’s are very nuanced: just when you are about ready to think “ahhh too bright,” that nasty aural piercing never arrives.
Transients are beautifully handled. Huge taiko drums played by the Kodo Drummers sound crisp and real – striking stick microslap/crack is clear and fleeting (as it should be) offering a great sense of realism. The following bass powers up smoothly and fades pleasantly.
On the other hand, delicate soft pieces are handle with equal grace. Britten’s Peter Grimes – Passacaglia on Reference Recordings, Simon Rattle’s Berliner Philharmoniker presentation of Holst’s “The Planets” – Mars and Neptune, Arvo Paart’s Summa all require great delicacy and control on reproduction to not crush the ethereal music and to present critical spatial cues leaving you with that " I am there" feeling. The Telfunken’s are as great with these delicate pieces as they are the powerhouses like Ginger Baker ripping through his Toad solo on Cream’s Wheels of Fire or Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s "Roll on Down the Highway."
Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017” played live on the 12 Gardens albums is gorgeous – I wish I had a zillion watts to pump that song with…before the Bronx gets blown away.
Overall, the Telefunken CCa tubes are a pleasure. A little more neutral than my favorite Amperex and Valvo’s, YET UTTERLY GREAT to listen to..
Now, I must go back through my notes, do some more listening and try to pull together a rank ordering or mapping of the various tubes now seem to have. In the meantime, time to cook the LISST solid-stage “solid state tubes” and then perhaps the iFi tubes rewired to behave as 6922’s.
neoluddite
Head-Fier
Schiit LISST's (yeah, I know they are not tubes)
Hmmm the LISSTs.. what to say…..
As they are solid state, I have given them a two month, 24hrs a day cook-in, or about 1400 hours.
The punchline: They sure don't sound like decent tubes. While not as bright and harsh as a generic solid-state amp, they are missing warmth and a sense of space and surrounding spatial cues that I hear in most of my tubes. Transients do not have crisp front edges and fine detailing seems “fogged over.”
Are they a bad deal? I don't think so. The have a lot longer lifetime than tubes and – compared to a mid-range pure solid state amp - a better sound profile. So, if you have not been sucked down the tube rabbit hole, these will sound great. I think they sound better than the stock Schiit tubes. And, if temperature is an issue for you, in the Mjolnir 2, the amp runs a heck of a lot cooler compared to tubes.
Overall, don't pass the LISST by. You might prefer the brighter sound if the warmer tube sounds I like are not your thing.
Quick listening notes:
Overall sound a bit veiled in terms of transparency and clarity. Music was “blunted” as if the crisply carved instrumental and vocal positions presented by various tubes had been slightly sanded away and veiled or “fuzzed up.” Like a photo that is ever so slightly out of focus.
Not warm at all.. brighter emphasis, but not shrill and harsh.
Sound stage: R/L seems ok.. F/B feels compressed (Air and Simple Gifts sounds all clogged and cramped together)
Warmth missing from female vocals (Chumbawhumba Tubthumping); voices receded into the instrumental soundfield and lose any spatial movement cues
Britten’s Passacaglia – sense of three dimensionality and spatial cues on bowing of cello is missing. The overly sound of the strings a but fuzzy; not crisply presented
Brighter presentation of Dixie Flyer; bell a bit too bright; recording noise more noticeable
Kodo : drum slaps muted and not as dramatic; bell/cymbal bright and crisp;
Smoke on the Water : bright and compressed sound stage. Dynamics seem reduced: just LOUD
Ida Sand’s Bang Bang – opening cymbals not as warm as heard before. Front/back sound stage compressed
Amber Rubarth – Sessions for the 17th Ward. Veiled and not as crisply presented
Daylight Again Album – Southern Cross; Stephen Stills sound hazy
Hmmm the LISSTs.. what to say…..
As they are solid state, I have given them a two month, 24hrs a day cook-in, or about 1400 hours.
The punchline: They sure don't sound like decent tubes. While not as bright and harsh as a generic solid-state amp, they are missing warmth and a sense of space and surrounding spatial cues that I hear in most of my tubes. Transients do not have crisp front edges and fine detailing seems “fogged over.”
Are they a bad deal? I don't think so. The have a lot longer lifetime than tubes and – compared to a mid-range pure solid state amp - a better sound profile. So, if you have not been sucked down the tube rabbit hole, these will sound great. I think they sound better than the stock Schiit tubes. And, if temperature is an issue for you, in the Mjolnir 2, the amp runs a heck of a lot cooler compared to tubes.
Overall, don't pass the LISST by. You might prefer the brighter sound if the warmer tube sounds I like are not your thing.
Quick listening notes:
Overall sound a bit veiled in terms of transparency and clarity. Music was “blunted” as if the crisply carved instrumental and vocal positions presented by various tubes had been slightly sanded away and veiled or “fuzzed up.” Like a photo that is ever so slightly out of focus.
Not warm at all.. brighter emphasis, but not shrill and harsh.
Sound stage: R/L seems ok.. F/B feels compressed (Air and Simple Gifts sounds all clogged and cramped together)
Warmth missing from female vocals (Chumbawhumba Tubthumping); voices receded into the instrumental soundfield and lose any spatial movement cues
Britten’s Passacaglia – sense of three dimensionality and spatial cues on bowing of cello is missing. The overly sound of the strings a but fuzzy; not crisply presented
Brighter presentation of Dixie Flyer; bell a bit too bright; recording noise more noticeable
Kodo : drum slaps muted and not as dramatic; bell/cymbal bright and crisp;
Smoke on the Water : bright and compressed sound stage. Dynamics seem reduced: just LOUD
Ida Sand’s Bang Bang – opening cymbals not as warm as heard before. Front/back sound stage compressed
Amber Rubarth – Sessions for the 17th Ward. Veiled and not as crisply presented
Daylight Again Album – Southern Cross; Stephen Stills sound hazy
Last edited:
Great write-up ... totally agree about soundstage depth ... seems compressed (and muddied) to me as well. Perhaps my biggest bug-bear vs 'proper' good tubes.
neoluddite
Head-Fier
Thanks Charente - the differences are quite interesting.
Hey all,
Just got myself a Gumby and MJ2. Like them so far, but paired with my Utopia...I feel as they the combination is far too bright (I'm very sensitive to sibilance). Is there a solid sub-$100 pair of tubes that you'd recommend for a really warm sound?
Just got myself a Gumby and MJ2. Like them so far, but paired with my Utopia...I feel as they the combination is far too bright (I'm very sensitive to sibilance). Is there a solid sub-$100 pair of tubes that you'd recommend for a really warm sound?
neoluddite
Head-Fier
I believe the Amperex and Phillips tubes I have and have written about (earlier pages) might be of interest...
Thanks, man. Which would you say is warmer? Is there an online seller you'd recommend?
neoluddite
Head-Fier
see you private message folder.. I believe forum rule preclude pitching specific merchants
rnros
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Well, if you just received the GMB/MJ2, give it some time to settle in, that will help.
I have tried a LOT of tubes in the MJ2, my first choice would be the Reflector 6N3P-E.
Adapter socket required, about $10/pair.
Inexpensive, high quality tube that surpasses, or least equals, any of the Euro/USA legends.
These have been in my MJ2 for the past year and a half.
Good bit of information becoming available on this tube now, here's some basic info:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-lyr-tube-rollers.673709/page-903#post-13688879
You can read the recent discussions of this 2C51/396A/6N3P tube group on that thread.
Lots of praise.
I have tried a LOT of tubes in the MJ2, my first choice would be the Reflector 6N3P-E.
Adapter socket required, about $10/pair.
Inexpensive, high quality tube that surpasses, or least equals, any of the Euro/USA legends.
These have been in my MJ2 for the past year and a half.
Good bit of information becoming available on this tube now, here's some basic info:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-lyr-tube-rollers.673709/page-903#post-13688879
You can read the recent discussions of this 2C51/396A/6N3P tube group on that thread.
Lots of praise.
Thank you, rnros! Any tips on what I should do to expedite the "settling in" of my new stack? I do really hope the sound warms up (my Utopia is new as well), as it stands...I've been considering returning the Utopia and getting some darker sound signature headphones because some of my music is just too painfully bright for me.
neoluddite
Head-Fier
Here is a thread worth reading too..
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/692...922-6n23p-e88cc-cca-7308-e188cc-tubes.761078/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/692...922-6n23p-e88cc-cca-7308-e188cc-tubes.761078/
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