Show us your Head-Fi station at it's current state. No old pictures please...

[LXMc]

Comparing three amps via my CD player. Going RCA out to the JDS Atom 2 amp, optical out of the CD player to the Element III Mk2 boosted and RCA out from the Element III into the Echo Mk2. Using JJ E88CC gold pins in the tube amp. Listening via my HD600 (marble colour). Honestly I really don't hear a difference between the three. If there is it's very minimal. Now granted both JDS Labs are likely the same amp. Just one is a DAC/amp combo. But I would have expected the tube amp to sound noticeably different. But that is not the case. Maybe if I swap tubes there might be a change. I'm using a jazz CD by Charlie Haden. Am I crazy for not really hearing a difference? Many of you have pretty expensive gear and claim to hear a difference compared with the cheaper stuff. Perhaps JDS Labs has just really outdone themselves. The Echo Mk2 seems to be a fairly well regarded tube amp so if the JDS Labs can hold its own against it I guess that's a testament to JDS Labs. Also two different DACs are in the mix as well as the CD player has a Cirrus Logic DAC.

My first experience with tubes, a couple years back at this point, was with a feliks echo mk2 comparing to a JDS Element mk3 (using the Element DAC for both), and at the time I remember being really underwhelmed. I found the echo a little hazier, a little softer but I had expected a bigger difference. I ended up sticking with the element because it was much more versatile and didn't give tubes another honest try (apart from a few days with an Elise) until the Cayin HA-3A which sold me. It helped that at that point I had improved the rest of my chain, my listening skills and also my expectations.

I also remember having so much noise through my computer in the Echo at the time that I could audibly hear my mouse moving around and minimizing windows.

 

[Nayyte]

Seems like any version of the Mjolnir is rare to come up on the used market. Is the MJ2 worthwhile to purchase used if one comes up for sale?

I had one for 5 months or so and did a lot of tube rolls. I didn't enjoy any of the 6dj8 equivalents but I had great results with adapted 12a*7 equivalents. The MJ2's tube stage is pretty good for the used price BUT IMHO the weakest point on the MJ2 is the solid state portion of the amplification. No mater what tubes I rolled, there was always certain weaknesses in sound quality that shined through identically with every tube. This was the reason I moved mine along. I went to a meetup a month later and listened to the Headamp gsx mini and it was so much better sounding overall and its tonality was similar to the MJ2 (with $$ tubes); that "flow of sound/lushness" you get with tubes was replicated by the SS gsx design well.

 

[Blindranger]

I had one for 5 months or so and did a lot of tube rolls. I didn't enjoy any of the 6dj8 equivalents but I had great results with adapted 12a*7 equivalents. The MJ2's tube stage is pretty good for the used price BUT IMHO the weakest point on the MJ2 is the solid state portion of the amplification. No mater what tubes I rolled, there was always certain weaknesses in sound quality that shined through identically with every tube. This was the reason I moved mine along. I went to a meetup a month later and listened to the Headamp gsx mini and it was so much better sounding overall and its tonality was similar to the MJ2 (with $$ tubes); that "flow of sound/lushness" you get with tubes was replicated by the SS gsx design well.

The HeadAmp GSX Mini is one I keep an eye out for in the Classifieds.

 

[MacMan31]

My first experience with tubes, a couple years back at this point, was with a feliks echo mk2 comparing to a JDS Element mk3 (using the Element DAC for both), and at the time I remember being really underwhelmed. I found the echo a little hazier, a little softer but I had expected a bigger difference. I ended up sticking with the element because it was much more versatile and didn't give tubes another honest try (apart from a few days with an Elise) until the Cayin HA-3A which sold me. It helped that at that point I had improved the rest of my chain, my listening skills and also my expectations.

I also remember having so much noise through my computer in the Echo at the time that I could audibly hear my mouse moving around and minimizing windows.

Well I've been in this hobby for 10 years now with both headphones and speakers. Went through a lot of gear. I think my first "real" headphone was either Audio Technica M50X or Sennheiser HD598 and an AudioEngine D1. I think the Echo Mk2 is an overall great tube amp. I have rolled a few tubes in it over the time I've had it. Would you say the Cayin HA-3A is better than the Echo Mk2. Seems like you had the Echo Mk2 connected directly to your computer instead of having a DAC in between.

I had one for 5 months or so and did a lot of tube rolls. I didn't enjoy any of the 6dj8 equivalents but I had great results with adapted 12a*7 equivalents. The MJ2's tube stage is pretty good for the used price BUT IMHO the weakest point on the MJ2 is the solid state portion of the amplification. No mater what tubes I rolled, there was always certain weaknesses in sound quality that shined through identically with every tube. This was the reason I moved mine along. I went to a meetup a month later and listened to the Headamp gsx mini and it was so much better sounding overall and its tonality was similar to the MJ2 (with $$ tubes); that "flow of sound/lushness" you get with tubes was replicated by the SS gsx design well.

I have heard of HeadAmp. Maybe someday I can find one on the used market. Pretty pricey stuff.

 

[jonathan c]

I recently purchased NOS Amperex Holland by BEL Electronics E88CC tubes for my Schiit Mjolnir 2 which has led me to fall in love all over again with my Arya Stealths. Exceptional synergy when listening to instrumentals and jazz.

BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) tubes were made in India with equipment / tooling designed by Mullard and Philips -- that used in the Heerland (Holland) plant. BEL tubes typically are priced less than their direct Mullard and Philips 'siblings'. This disparity may (will) disappear over time.

 

[LXMc]

Well I've been in this hobby for 10 years now with both headphones and speakers. Went through a lot of gear. I think my first "real" headphone was either Audio Technica M50X or Sennheiser HD598 and an AudioEngine D1. I think the Echo Mk2 is an overall great tube amp. I have rolled a few tubes in it over the time I've had it. Would you say the Cayin HA-3A is better than the Echo Mk2. Seems like you had the Echo Mk2 connected directly to your computer instead of having a DAC in between.

I would say the the HA-3A is a better amp than the Echo Mk2 but feel free to draw your own conclusions if you ever try it. Also, was using a DAC, as I mentioned; I think it was just too close proximity to a gaming PC with crummy cables and crummy power. I'd get gpu noise through it if I tried doing anything strenuous on the PC but if it was quiet with no music playing, I could hear interference with little things like windows minimizing or scrolling web pages.

 

[theveterans]

I would say the the HA-3A is a better amp than the Echo Mk2 but feel free to draw your own conclusions if you ever try it. Also, was using a DAC, as I mentioned; I think it was just too close proximity to a gaming PC with crummy cables and crummy power. I'd get gpu noise through it if I tried doing anything strenuous on the PC but if it was quiet with no music playing, I could hear interference with little things like windows minimizing or scrolling web pages.

Diretta protocol IMHO is probably the best compromise for using a gaming PC for streaming since you can easily isolate the Diretta target using FMCs and Ethernet filtering solutions. I've been using Diretta protocol recently and am very impressed with the analog presentation, resolution, cleanliness, black background that I get from a PC playback (non-bit perfect through Windows Mixer to boot). You can peg the GPU 100% all the time and never get any noise whatsoever going through your DAC using Diretta

 

[LXMc]

Diretta protocol IMHO is probably the best compromise for using a gaming PC for streaming since you can easily isolate the Diretta target using FMCs and Ethernet filtering solutions. I've been using Diretta protocol recently and am very impressed with the analog presentation, resolution, cleanliness, black background that I get from a PC playback (non-bit perfect through Windows Mixer to boot). You can peg the GPU 100% all the time and never get any noise whatsoever going through your DAC using Diretta

Thanks, will keep it in mind. At some point I may decide to mess around with streaming and see if I find it to be a benefit, though my current system is dead quiet regardless of what my PC is doing.

 

[theveterans]

Thanks, will keep it in mind. At some point I may decide to mess around with streaming and see if I find it to be a benefit, though my current system is dead quiet regardless of what my PC is doing.

If you can game with 100% GPU usage on a USB DAC without any noise/coil whine, buzzing, etc. seeping through, then you're good and no need to explore streaming through LAN from PC just to eliminate EMI/coil whine noises

 

[betula]

Well I've been in this hobby for 10 years now with both headphones and speakers. Went through a lot of gear. I think my first "real" headphone was either Audio Technica M50X or Sennheiser HD598 and an AudioEngine D1. I think the Echo Mk2 is an overall great tube amp. I have rolled a few tubes in it over the time I've had it. Would you say the Cayin HA-3A is better than the Echo Mk2. Seems like you had the Echo Mk2 connected directly to your computer instead of having a DAC in between.


I have heard of HeadAmp. Maybe someday I can find one on the used market. Pretty pricey stuff.

GSX-Mini is a good little SS amp. These days they pop up in classifieds sometimes under $1K. Sounds clean and dynamic, good little class-A. However, for the same price I would rather go with the Mjolnir 3. Sounds fuller, a bit more natural and more exciting.

I would say the the HA-3A is a better amp than the Echo Mk2 but feel free to draw your own conclusions if you ever try it. Also, was using a DAC, as I mentioned; I think it was just too close proximity to a gaming PC with crummy cables and crummy power. I'd get gpu noise through it if I tried doing anything strenuous on the PC but if it was quiet with no music playing, I could hear interference with little things like windows minimizing or scrolling web pages.

To me the HA-3A sounds better than the Echo, Mini or MJ3. Sounds larger, airier, more natural than the two SS amps. The SS amps have tighter and more dynamic bass versus the 3A with stock tubes, but still IMO the gain in spaciousness, imaging, depth and a more lifelike tonality on the Cayin easily outweighs that. Plus, with tube rolling bass precision can be improved on the 3A too.

 

[Chastity]

If you can game with 100% GPU usage on a USB DAC without any noise/coil whine, buzzing, etc. seeping through, then you're good and no need to explore streaming through LAN from PC just to eliminate EMI/coil whine noises

I solved all my DAC noise issues by using an isolator dongle for the USB connection from PC to DAC. It cuts off the 5v PWR pin, so only data gets transmitted. My DAC is self-powered, tho the dongle supports 5v passthru from an external power source. I have a venerable PSU in my desk system which is great on power, but sadly noisy. Laptop was better, but you picked up noise when system was under load.

With dongle, no electrical noise gets passed to DAC.

 

[Vellerofonte]

I solved all my DAC noise issues by using an isolator dongle for the USB connection from PC to DAC. It cuts off the 5v PWR pin, so only data gets transmitted. My DAC is self-powered, tho the dongle supports 5v passthru from an external power source. I have a venerable PSU in my desk system which is great on power, but sadly noisy. Laptop was better, but you picked up noise when system was under load.

With dongle, no electrical noise gets passed to DAC.

I had a slight audible background noise when I turned the volume up high without playing any content from the PC only (the Mac never gave me any problems), however I completely eliminated the phenomenon by using a Toppind DB10 to which I connect via USB and which I use as a bridge to connect via its optical and coaxial outputs to my DACs.

I write this because it could be a cheap and very simple solution for someone who has the same problem.

 

[jonathan c]

What flavor of Brimar are those?

Yellow-T 6060 (a 12AT7 tube).

 

[Wes S]

 

[jonathan c]

Woo WA6 (Gen1) is 'subbing in' for Woo WA3:

[RCA 5R4GY (Canada) is getting some work ... with Brimar CV4033 pair]

EDIT: @Deyan 12A#7(t)-->6DE7(b) adapters are .