[32y0]

I'm currently using the Ballsie as an output stage, but I wanted to do something with a tube ouput stage.
So I saw this one; Universal Tube Output Stage and I was wondering if anyone has experience with it and if it's any good.

 

[fault151]

Hmm. that does look tempting to try. I have a spare opus dac with metranome, ballsie, receiver board and i was thinking about making it up as a dac to use at work. this would be nicer than the ballsie, but wonder how it sounds. it was eiher a case of using the ballsie, trying the zapfilter or a tube output. I recently made the buffalo 2 dac with a valve output an my god does it sound good!

 

[32y0]

Quote:

Hmm. that does look tempting to try. I have a spare opus dac with metranome, ballsie, receiver board and i was thinking about making it up as a dac to use at work. this would be nicer than the ballsie, but wonder how it sounds. it was eiher a case of using the ballsie, trying the zapfilter or a tube output. I recently made the buffalo 2 dac with a valve output an my god does it sound good!

 
Yes, it's tempting.
I also wonder how it sounds, that's why I asked.
I saw your post about the buffalo with the valve output, looked good!
 

 

[mourip]

I bought a partially completed Opus dual mono DAC with Metronome and original Ballsie last year. It was to tide me over until the Buffalo32 came out. I loved it. I eventually got the Buff32 board and replaced the Opus/Ballsie/Metro. I was pretty disappointed.
 
The Buff32 had tons of detail and ambience retrival. It also was bright/edgy and I found it to be much less musical and involving than the Opus. Eventually I sold the Buff32 board and reinstalled the OPUS. During the re-install the Ballsie board died of a cold solder joint that lifted so I bought a Ballsie II. I substituted an Audio-GD Earth HDAM for the socketed output opamp on the Ballsie. I can say now that my system sounds great to me. Very musical, plenty of detail and depth, and very involving. It makes me forget about the equipment
 
The rest of my system is a Tektron tube amp currently running globe 245's and some Kenrad Vt-231's. Phones are AKG K1000s.

 

[32y0]

I should have read your thread about your Buffalo II better, because somebody else also asked a question about the Universal Tube Output Stage.
 
Anyway, is there anybody with experience with the Universal Tube Output Stage?

 
Quote:

 
Yes, it's tempting.
I also wonder how it sounds, that's why I asked.
I saw your post about the buffalo with the valve output, looked good!
 

Quote:

Hmm. that does look tempting to try. I have a spare opus dac with metranome, ballsie, receiver board and i was thinking about making it up as a dac to use at work. this would be nicer than the ballsie, but wonder how it sounds. it was eiher a case of using the ballsie, trying the zapfilter or a tube output. I recently made the buffalo 2 dac with a valve output an my god does it sound good!

 

[Marcus_C]

You might have more luck asking that question on DIY audio, They have their own sub-forum.
 
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/diy-hifi-supply/
 
There are a lot of tube output kits on the market at a lot of different prices. I am looking for a discrete design and other than what looks like a replacement for the counterpoint from the TP guys which is in development i've not seen many.

 

[regal]

A discrete stage for the WM DAC's is hard to come by,   This is the best I've found for SE output is here: http://www.raylectronics.nl/frame_it_en.html?http://www.raylectronics.nl/audioshop_en.html with a PCB available.   Note it combines the differential outputs for CMRR.
 
For a discrete balanced output what you need is a Nelson Pass pream design,  I used to have a link to a PCB seller,  but can't find it.
 
 
Basically IMO a v-out DAC is not compatible with a tube output stage,  Better off building a tube amp with a high input impedance and input stage from the chip.  No sense in putting a 100% NFB cathode follower after a V-out DAC,  it just degrades the sound (and I am a tube guiy.)

 

[32y0]

Alright, thanks for the responses!

 

[Forte]

Russ at Twisted Pear has said a few times that he wants to have a go at designing a Tube output stage http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/twisted-pear/160782-buffalo-ii.html#post2076705
May be worth asking  there if this is still a possibility.

 

[Marcus_C]

 

 

They do have quite a few projects on at TPA at the moment so I imagine it'll be a while off yet, Counterpoint II (a.k.a legato) is looking good in my book.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/twisted-pear/160782-buffalo-ii-56.html (Post 557 and on really)
 
Thanks for that link, @Regal, that could be just the thing with balanced input and single ended out,
 
I found this on the pass-labs site, which seems to be the only discrete design on there, SE in/out.
http://www.passdiy.com/order.htm
 
Also, from browsing diyaudio, this one seems quite popular (forgetting the discrete theme for the moment) would that be suitable for an opus? (Although without user/service manual could be interesting)
http://www.kk-pcb.com/aleph-17.html
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[regal]

http://www.kk-pcb.com/xccs-bls.html   This is it,  SE doesn't mean unbalanced here.

 

[dsavitsk]

Quote:

A discrete stage for the WM DAC's is hard to come by,

I built one
 

 

[Marcus_C]

Quote:

I built one

What is that by the way? Is it a pass-labs design?

 

[dsavitsk]

Quote:

What is that by the way? Is it a pass-labs design?

 
Whatever happened to the Y in DIY?  Why is everything just buying a board from someone and soldering some parts down? It's my design.
 

 

[Nebby]

Perhaps he was just confused by how neat and professional the design looked that he thought it was a commercial part? Very nice design btw, I can't comment on the technical side as I don't know enough, but I like how you have everything on one board. Even a spot for an attenuator eh?
 
Quote:

 
Whatever happened to the Y in DIY?  Why is everything just buying a board from someone and soldering some parts down? It's my design.