The Decware TABOO MK 111 Thread

[thegrobe]

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[thegrobe]

The seams are indicative of Philips tooling. The acid-etched code tells the factory.

I thought I had read something that meant Amperex. I stand corrected. Amperex, Phillips, whatever they are the pair I have are nice and smooth. I would like a bit more treble energy from them however. Minor nitpicking.

I find a lot of the tube rolling comes down to mood and music choice. Certain days/certain recordings I feel like smooth and warm is preferable, other times I like it lean, fast and detailed. Still I leave the tubes in for at least 5-7 days before changing anything to really get a feel for what they do.
I'm really enjoying tube rolling, it's so much fun and a total geek-fest.

That's so weird about the DSD issue. I've been thinking about that...once a signal is converted to analog....how can it not simply be amplified properly? So weird. So....Taboo!

My CSP3 shipped today! I can't wait to get that in the mix. Should be good stuff.

 

[Oskari]

Amperex, Phillips

 
Amperex was a US subsidiary of the conglomerate that was (and is) Philips. To know which factory (or associated company) made the tube, one must check the code present on most Philips group tubes.

 

[koiloco]

I thought I had read something that meant Amperex. I stand corrected. Amperex, Phillips, whatever they are the pair I have are nice and smooth. I would like a bit more treble energy from them however. Minor nitpicking.

I find a lot of the tube rolling comes down to mood and music choice. Certain days/certain recordings I feel like smooth and warm is preferable, other times I like it lean, fast and detailed. Still I leave the tubes in for at least 5-7 days before changing anything to really get a feel for what they do.
I'm really enjoying tube rolling, it's so much fun and a total geek-fest.

That's so weird about the DSD issue. I've been thinking about that...once a signal is converted to analog....how can it not simply be amplified properly? So weird. So....Taboo!

My CSP3 shipped today! I can't wait to get that in the mix. Should be good stuff.

I am just as puzzled.  Unless D/A conversion output for DSDs is totally different than D/A conversion for Wav, Flac, mp3...?  but then why Steve doesn't have the problem?  Weird to the extreme!  Anyway, taboo has been UPSed over-night to Steve.  He'll receive it tmr to figure out what's going on.  If he can't, I would have to start looking into other amp options.

 

[Argo Duck]

^ I don't suppose it could be some weird kind of pick-up problem? Are the two units plugged into different power outlets? Tried changing this? Have you tried changing their physical placement? Tried different ic cables - maybe a shielding problem?

It is odd, but amplifying is what amplifiers do. Maybe work back from there

 

[mwindham08]

   
Amperex was a US subsidiary of the conglomerate that was (and is) Philips. To know which factory (or associated company) made the tube, one must check the code present on most Philips group tubes.

 

These philips tubes don't have ridges on top.
Makes me lean towards Amperex.
 
These would match my 6922 tube so much....want

 

[koiloco]

^ I don't suppose it could be some weird kind of pick-up problem? Are the two units plugged into different power outlets? Tried changing this? Have you tried changing their physical placement? Tried different ic cables - maybe a shielding problem?

It is odd, but amplifying is what amplifiers do. Maybe work back from there

This is actually a very good recommendation.  Both at work and at home, the 2 units(DAC and amp) were technically plugged into the same wall outlet(not physically direct).  Of course, at home, they were plugged into an AV grade power conditioner strip/surge protector.  I didn't try to plug the 2 units into different outlets but knowing how wiring is done in US homes, 2 different outlets in the same room still = same source/wire from the breaker.  Unless I run one from the kitchen and one from the room. 

  Unfortunately, the taboo has been shipped back so I can't test this theory out.  Still, it doesn't explain why Wav, Flac, mp3  play flawlessly and only DSDs won't.
I tried 3 different IC cables, all shielded at different length, too.  The 2 units were placed apart at different distances anywhere from 2', 3', 6'.  I did try this. 

 

[OPR8R]

I've started rolling tubes on my CSP3.  First the rectifier, because my 6DJ8's won't be here until Monday.  Once again, the 5R4GYS impresses.  It's just so smooth and refined up and down the spectrum.  I was in the camp that felt it is weak on bass, but I'm not so sure.  There's lot of extension there but it's very controlled.  I feel the stock tube is just boomy in comparison, not really more bass per se.
 
The CSP3 has started to blossom and that makes me smile.  Everything has more energy and depth.  I'm in midrange heaven with these LCD-3's over here.  I've heard some Taboo owners like the theirs without the preamp, but I can't imagine why.  And my old phonostage doesn't compare to the ZP3, not that anyone here is that interested in vinyl gear.

 

[mwindham08]

  I've started rolling tubes on my CSP3.  First the rectifier, because my 6DJ8's won't be here until Monday.  Once again, the 5R4GYS impresses.  It's just so smooth and refined up and down the spectrum.  I was in the camp that felt it is weak on bass, but I'm not so sure.  There's lot of extension there but it's very controlled.  I feel the stock tube is just boomy in comparison, not really more bass per se.
 
The CSP3 has started to blossom and that makes me smile.  Everything has more energy and depth.  I'm in midrange heaven with these LCD-3's over here.  I've heard some Taboo owners like the theirs without the preamp, but I can't imagine why.  And my old phonostage doesn't compare to the ZP3, not that anyone here is that interested in vinyl gear.

 
Do you know what upgrades are avaliable for the CSP3? I was going to wait till the website updated but the way the list is moving I may get the CSP3 before I get to look the options over.
 
I felt the same way about the 5R4GYS bass and quit using it for a while in favor of a Mazda 5Y3GT. I've since fell back in love with the 5R4 all over again.
That's with the Taboo of course. 

 

[OPR8R]

   
Do you know what upgrades are avaliable for the CSP3? I was going to wait till the website updated but the way the list is moving I may get the CSP3 before I get to look the options over.
 
I felt the same way about the 5R4GYS bass and quit using it for a while in favor of a Mazda 5Y3GT. I've since fell back in love with the 5R4 all over again.
That's with the Taboo of course. 

At the time I put my order in the CSP3 hadn't been announced.  I don't know that there are any new options.  I opted for the cap upgrade and a couple other of the standard CSP2 upgrades.  I'd call before ordering otherwise you might end up doing what I did: after my preamp was done I called and asked Steve for a cap upgrade.  If you wait for the site update, the price will likely be higher.

 

[mwindham08]

I thought the CSP3 came with the Beeswax caps...

 
My poor wallet...
 
 
Edit: I see now in his email where it's an option. My wife is going to murder me

 

[OPR8R]

  I thought the CSP3 came with the Beeswax caps...

 
My poor wallet...
 
 
Edit: I see now in his email where it's an option. My wife is going to murder me

 
LOL...  MPW ("my poor wallet"), the cry of the head-fi'er.
 
I wouldn't use this line of rhetoric on her, but at least your hobby don't involve potential jail time.

 

[Oskari]

 
These philips tubes don't have ridges on top.
Makes me lean towards Amperex.

 
Philips ECG tubes have an entirely different pedigree. Late in the tube game, Philips bought the ECG product lines of Sylvania (including tubes). You could consider Philips ECGs the last tubes of the Sylvania breed.
 
Amperex made a limited number of types in their Hicksville, Long Island factory but many tubes sold by them came from various European factories of the Philips group. There were no Amperex factories in the Netherlands, they were Philips factories; the UK factories were Mullard factories; and so on.

 

[mwindham08]

So what about Amperex 6DJ8 Bugle Boys? I know alot of them say made in Holland on them. Are they really a Philips tube?
 
Thanks for the info btw, you definitely know alot more about these things than I do.

 

[Oskari]

  So what about Amperex 6DJ8 Bugle Boys? I know alot of them say made in Holland on them. Are they really a Philips tube?

 
Absolutely. (With the possible caveat that there might have been an occasional lot of, say, Mullards with an inaccurate "Made in Holland" label in the mix. You can't always trust what's printed on the tube.)