[Paladin79]

The Crack with HD650's, HD6xx, DT880 will be a perfect match actually. I've heard the S3X drive Audeze's 3's with very very good results.

The S3X is very versatile in it's own right. In my personal situation, i have one driving my living room speakers right now. It delivers every bit of oomph i need for a good NYE party.

Since you'll reading this thread, the worst advice i could give you is to buy a Crack. As it will open up another pandora's box of tube rolling options..

So that would be my advice, with your line-up of headphones. What Crack does to those Senn's! I use HD800's with it a lot.

It's not designed for planars, so don't try them. They are much too hungry for the Crack and don't pair well with an OTL's output impedance (you'll need for negative feedback to get them going ).

The secret to Crack is it's super short signal path. No output transformers make for a lot less copper the signal needs to run trough.

The only capacitors in the signal path are the output capacitors and these contribute a lot to the sound signature.

And i'd recommend to get the speedball (CCS on the driver plate) installed. It just tops every cap coupled, resistor loaded similar OTL amp (like the darkvoice) for a "lower" price (on most occasions).

And for tube rolling. It's just as happy with 6SN7's as it is with 12AU7's. And if you think you've heard the best of 6SN7 there's 76, 6J5, 7193's etc and you'll have your mind blown by what this cute amp is capable off.

But, it has one downside, it can't roll E88CC's like the Vali 2.

O Schiit... what has just landed on my desk (with 5670 adapter to make things worse)...

I may have to check out the tubes you mentioned as the best of the 6sn7's, the 76 and 7193. 6J5's, 7A4's, and most 6sn7 variations, I have. I am in the process of building four identical OTL amps for blind testing 6sn7 equivalents and I want to be sure I do not leave any out. When all are completed a cage will over said tubes so any variation can be concealed for said tests. I am using 6080 power tubes just like the Crack only the native driver tube is a 6sn7 instead of 12AU7.

 

[bcowen]

The Crack with HD650's, HD6xx, DT880 will be a perfect match actually. I've heard the S3X drive Audeze's 3's with very very good results.

The S3X is very versatile in it's own right. In my personal situation, i have one driving my living room speakers right now. It delivers every bit of oomph i need for a good NYE party.

Since you'll reading this thread, the worst advice i could give you is to buy a Crack. As it will open up another pandora's box of tube rolling options..

So that would be my advice, with your line-up of headphones. What Crack does to those Senn's! I use HD800's with it a lot.

It's not designed for planars, so don't try them. They are much too hungry for the Crack and don't pair well with an OTL's output impedance (you'll need for negative feedback to get them going ).

The secret to Crack is it's super short signal path. No output transformers make for a lot less copper the signal needs to run trough.

The only capacitors in the signal path are the output capacitors and these contribute a lot to the sound signature.

And i'd recommend to get the speedball (CCS on the driver plate) installed. It just tops every cap coupled, resistor loaded similar OTL amp (like the darkvoice) for a "lower" price (on most occasions).

And for tube rolling. It's just as happy with 6SN7's as it is with 12AU7's. And if you think you've heard the best of 6SN7 there's 76, 6J5, 7193's etc and you'll have your mind blown by what this cute amp is capable off.

But, it has one downside, it can't roll E88CC's like the Vali 2.

O Schiit... what has just landed on my desk (with 5670 adapter to make things worse)...

I'm wondering why the 6CG7 / 6FQ7 hasn't seen much love in the Vali 2. Just as a 7N7 is a 6SN7 with a loctal base, the 6CG7 is a 6SN7 in a 9 pin bottle. It even plugs directly into the Vali with no adapter. Yup, it has the higher 6SN7 heater current which is twice that of a 6922, but running the Vali 2 with a 6SN7 (adaptered) hasn't presented any problems I've ever heard about. And 6CG7's are cheap still. The clear-top (side getter) RCA is a high performance-to-dollar ratio example.

 

[exdmd]

I have been through tube rolling nervosa with my Kenzie and got that out of my system. I don't get the appeal of spending hundreds of dollars on replacement tubes for a $149 amp when the money could be better put toward saving for a top of the line SET amp but whatever floats your boat.

 

[bcowen]

I have been through tube rolling nervosa with my Kenzie and got that out of my system. I don't get the appeal of spending hundreds of dollars on replacement tubes for a $149 amp when the money could be better put toward saving for a top of the line SET amp but whatever floats your boat.

As with all things audio, to each his own.

 

[Mr Trev]

I realize this may be grounds to kick me out of the club, but I like living on the edge. PSVane CV181T-II. Been a very, very long time since I paid money for a Chinese tube. Tests very nicely...I'll let it simmer a bit tonight and give it a listen tomorrow. If it makes me smile in the Vali, it'll graduate to the Lyr shortly thereafter.

Hmmmm. I saw something that kinda looked like that in a "movie" once…

Why not this freaky looking light bulb type thing? https://www.amazon.ca/PSVANE-Vacuum-COSSOR-Electronic-1Piece/dp/B07Y7H4DKR

I'm wondering why the 6CG7 / 6FQ7 hasn't seen much love in the Vali 2. Just as a 7N7 is a 6SN7 with a loctal base, the 6CG7 is a 6SN7 in a 9 pin bottle. It even plugs directly into the Vali with no adapter. Yup, it has the higher 6SN7 heater current which is twice that of a 6922, but running the Vali 2 with a 6SN7 (adaptered) hasn't presented any problems I've ever heard about. And 6CG7's are cheap still. The clear-top (side getter) RCA is a high performance-to-dollar ratio example.

I keep meaning to check out some more flavours of these 6cg7. That cleartop is my favourite adapterless tube so far

 

[bcowen]

Hmmmm. I saw something that kinda looked like that in a "movie" once…

Why not this freaky looking light bulb type thing? https://www.amazon.ca/PSVANE-Vacuum-COSSOR-Electronic-1Piece/dp/B07Y7H4DKR

'Cause that's super weird looking. I only like sorta weird.

The CV181 needs more time before I arrive at any final judgement on it. So far, the highs are extremely nice -- extended, detailed, airy, and totally unfatiguing at even very loud levels. Nothing to fault in the mids, kind of a mid-hall perspective and good harmonics, not tubey sounding necessarily but not solid-scrapey by any means. Bass is extended and full, but is lacking some punch and slam. Hoping that improves with some more play time, but only time will tell.

I keep meaning to check out some more flavours of these 6cg7. That cleartop is my favourite adapterless tube so far

I have some of those, some Amperex and Raytheons. I like the RCA best in the big rig's Alana preamp, but I haven't honestly given any of them a fair shot in the Vali (or the Lyr). Not enough time to listen to everything (the glass half-empty part of tube collecting).

 

[exdmd]

Tubemonger sells NOS 1960s Brimar Ediswan ECC88 for $40 that work very well in the Vali 2 keeping cost for the amp and replacement tube under $200. Significant improvement in soundstage for not much money.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

I realize this may be grounds to kick me out of the club, but I like living on the edge. PSVane CV181T-II. Been a very, very long time since I paid money for a Chinese tube. Tests very nicely...I'll let it simmer a bit tonight and give it a listen tomorrow. If it makes me smile in the Vali, it'll graduate to the Lyr shortly thereafter.

It’s... it’s beautiful ....

 

[G0rt]

It’s... it’s beautiful ....

And clearly VERY happy to see him.

 

[Keno18]

Been listening to the Brimar 6bq7a for about 5 hours. First impressions are super wide soundstage, most detail in the high end yet, less bass than I am used to but I don't think I have given it enough time, mids very good, overall gives the impression of almost no distortion. On vocal jazz (Diana Krall) when I switched back to the Gold Lion her voice receded prompting me to go back to the Brimar.
Edit: Just compared it to the JJ 6sn7, at first the JJ sounded better (more mid bass, bass). But as I was listening I felt something was missing. Narrower soundstage, less detail and ambience. Went back to the Brimar, it all came back. More immediate, live.

 

[bcowen]

And clearly VERY happy to see him.

This one is even happier to see me. Or my wife, one. Maybe let's not go there. There must be something mystical with this particular 7N7 (the original Frankie), 'cause it and the Vali are like OMG x2. There is no way anything this inexpensive has any right to sound this good -- a B-stock Vali 2 for $110, a $27 adapter, and a $5 tube. I need to do some more listening before I go on about it as impressions are based on very limited time and tracks...

 

[Ripper2860]

And I suspect more than a few beers.

 

[G0rt]

This one is even happier to see me. Or my wife, one. Maybe let's not go there. There must be something mystical with this particular 7N7 (the original Frankie), 'cause it and the Vali are like OMG x2. There is no way anything this inexpensive has any right to sound this good -- a B-stock Vali 2 for $110, a $27 adapter, and a $5 tube. I need to do some more listening before I go on about it as impressions are based on very limited time and tracks...

Oooooo shiney! Guess I should get that adapter, just in case. I know I've got a stash of old loctals around here somewhere.

My ECC40/6922 adaptors arrived yesterday, so today rocking a pair of Philips/Chartres ECC40 in Mjolnir2, and rediscovering my LCD-3f. Looking forward to trying same in Vali2.

The Philips ECC40, and the Amperex-marked one, sound to my ears slightly top tilted, compared to the various Brimars, but a good complement to the LCD. Such luscious mids, though.

 

[Ripper2860]

@bcowen collects 'Fertility Amps' like some folks collect statues. Me thinks he is trying to compensate for some type of personal shortcoming.

 

[G0rt]

@bcowen collects 'Fertility Amps' like some folks collect statues. Me thinks he is trying to compensate for some type of personal shortcoming.

ROFLMAO!

Everybody needs an amplifier, sometimes...