[The Piper]

I got pair of matched Sylvania 12bh7a grey oval plate top o getter. Bought from vivatubes. Nice surprise when I opened my mail box. Need to get something to mark them. They sound different then the TAD 12hb7a. Bass is really good and high end is quieter and sparkly. Last night I had TAD with Solitaire and it was really good but the bass was strange TAD was perfect on 1266. So the Dragon is really all about rolling tubes for different headphones which is great. The TAD was more forward with the treble and Sylvania is not.

That all is likely to change with continued break in of the Dragon and the tubes. Especially anything to do with the bass region.

 

[Bonddam]

That all is likely to change with continued break in of the Dragon and the tubes. Especially anything to do with the bass region.

That would be nice as I do like TAD.

 

[Bonddam]

JJ e88cc is good inexpensive tube. More forward sound.

 

[Bonddam]

Some of the Dragon tubes more on the way

 

[Bonddam]

I'm listening to Soviet tubes from EV model 6N23P. Sound really good cost is $90. There's writing but can't read Russian.

 

[Bonddam]

So was not going to do level 3 and now changed my mind. I’m going to hold off on the Cipher at this point. Need to see if I’m going to sell WA33 Elite at some point and May DAC and then introduce the Cipher. So after my Dragon comes back as lvl 3 I can decide how to move on.

 

[OceanRanger]

So was not going to do level 3 and now changed my mind. I’m going to hold off on the Cipher at this point. Need to see if I’m going to sell WA33 Elite at some point and May DAC and then introduce the Cipher. So after my Dragon comes back as lvl 3 I can decide how to move on.

I don’t think that you’ll have any regrets on the LIII. Just be sure to get 700+ hours on it. I was amazed at how much it changed.

 

[The Piper]

I don’t think that you’ll have any regrets on the LIII. Just be sure to get 700+ hours on it. I was amazed at how much it changed.

I cannot stress how important it is to achieve at least 700 hours of break in for any product that we use the very fine Rike caps in. Any of our products that have not reached 700 hours at least should not be critically judged for Sonics until they reach this critical threshold. As good as you may believe the component sounds it has not reached anywhere near it’s peak performance capabilities until it achieves this point.

 

[Bonddam]

I cannot stress how important it is to achieve at least 700 hours of break in for any product that we use the very fine Rike caps in. Any of our products that have not reached 700 hours at least should not be critically judged for Sonics until they reach this critical threshold. As good as you may believe the component sounds it has not reached anywhere near it’s peak performance capabilities until it achieves this point.

I'm comparing to the WA33 Elite not the sonics of a fully burned in Dragon at this point. Dragon is more lively but can be shouty on a particular frequency not burned in. Detail is easier to hear with even the slightest sounds coming forward. You get more air on top. One thing is other sounds put into bass track come forward more clean where the WA33 does not. I also heard noises that should have been edited out of the track.

 

[The Piper]

I'm comparing to the WA33 Elite not the sonics of a fully burned in Dragon at this point. Dragon is more lively but can be shouty on a particular frequency not burned in. Detail is easier to hear with even the slightest sounds coming forward. You get more air on top. One thing is other sounds put into bass track come forward more clean where the WA33 does not. I also heard noises that should have been edited out of the track.

That all sounds very consistent with what I would expect from a comparison of those two amps at this point of break in.

 

[OceanRanger]

At least temporarily I've shortened the tube guards on my amp. It makes it easier to roll and I like being able to see more of the tubes. I've been binging on Dire Straights this morning. It is sunny and 70 in SoCal, I'm looking out at the Channel Islands and enjoying audio nirvana. Life is good....

 

[Bonddam]

I messed up I bought Phillip's and Bel. Same damn tube but one is made in India.

 

[ashok123]

Can we use iem with dragon tube amp? Or the impedance may not match and result in hum?

Also, anyone compared dragon level 1 against level 2 and what is the sound improvements? Is it worth the price difference? Thanks.

 

[OceanRanger]

With the 12bh7 tubes, on the lowest gain setting (0db), there is an audible hum in my CIEMs (JH Audio Lola). To be fair, they are 16ohms and have 105db of sensitivity. I don't have any hum with my Arya's, which come in at 35 ohms and 90db.

I have listened to both the Level I and the Level III. When I heard the Level I it was pretty early in its break-in cycle so I don't think that it can be compared to my Level III which has 800+ hours on it.

I always struggle with the "is it worth the price difference" question. I struggle with this mostly because I feel perceived sound characteristics and the marginal value of one's dollars are both so subjective....

 

[The Piper]

With the 12bh7 tubes, on the lowest gain setting (0db), there is an audible hum in my CIEMs (JH Audio Lola). To be fair, they are 16ohms and have 105db of sensitivity. I don't have any hum with my Arya's, which come in at 35 ohms and 90db.

I have listened to both the Level I and the Level III. When I heard the Level I it was pretty early in its break-in cycle so I don't think that it can be compared to my Level III which has 800+ hours on it.

I always struggle with the "is it worth the price difference" question. I struggle with this mostly because I feel perceived sound characteristics and the marginal value of one's dollars are both so subjective....

Is the hum at all volumes and does the noise vary with different tubes used?