[DeweyCH]

Thanks! I also have a Darkvoice OTL amp on the way. So I van choose between the 3XP and tubes.

Be ready to do some mods and to order some upgrade tubes. DV is pretty much worth its price point but some tinkering can really improve the sound. Oh, and the stock tubes are absolute garbage.

 

[jurumal]

Out of the stock offerings, my preference begins with Auteur at first, then BE2 second, then Universe third. Auteur pads channel this engaging and addictive character that make the other pads sound a little too tame.

 

[Hamlap]

Be ready to do some mods and to order some upgrade tubes. DV is pretty much worth its price point but some tinkering can really improve the sound. Oh, and the stock tubes are absolute garbage.

What mods and/or tubes do you recommend?

 

[DeweyCH]

What mods and/or tubes do you recommend?

Tubes depend on your listening preferences and budget - I'm running a pair of GEC CV4079 tubes via an adapter to the power socket and a CBS/Hytron brown-base 5692 in the pre socket. That's actually a pretty reasonably-priced power tube setup and I had @Deyan make the adapter - great quality at a great price, albeit with the wait of shipping from Bulgaria (worth, though). The 5692 is relatively pricey, but not horribly so. It's a great-sounding tube, but it's hard to argue with a NOS RCA 6SN7 for price/quality. They're typically in the $15-$25 range. I also like putting an adapter in the pre socket to run two 6J5 tubes instead of the 6SN7 - my favorites, I think, are the Visseaux 6J5MG that look like tall-boys of Coors.

Mod-wise, well... the first thing you're going to find about the Darkvoice is it has a problem with hum. It varies unit by unit, but the vast majority have at least some problem with audible hum generated from the 6SN7 socket. Often, the hum goes away on a particular 6SN7 tube after it's burned in for 24-48 hours - I've had success taking out the power tube (while the unit is off) and turning it on with just the pre tube installed so it can just sit and burn in without generating a ton of heat. Fixes for it, most well-known is the "Fitz" mod, where you install two caps on the cathode pins of the socket. The Darkvoice tube-rolling thread over in the amp forum has a ton on that (including my awful-then-ok-then-reasonably-good modding journey).

Unless you're planning on using it as a preamp at some point, cutting the pre out RCA line makes a quick, easy and positive impact on sound clarity.

I also suggest replacing the volume pot. I've got a 10k stepped attenuator from eBay in mine, but it's probably too low resistance. 20k is probably the better choice. Lots of people use Alps Blue RK27 pot - the stock pot is 100k, I went down to 50k because the volume got too loud too fast and then to 10k because that's just what I had on hand. I'll probably replace it with the 20k sometime in the next few days.

Other worthwhile mods are creating a virtual center tap and elevating the heaters. Also detailed in the DV tube rolling thread. Oh, and replacing the heater wires with twisted wires.

FWIW, I also replaced the power switch, both tube sockets, and all the resistors around the 6SN7 socket. I couldn't tell you how they all impacted the sound (switch and sockets probably not at all, that was more of a tube rolling quality of life thing) because I was completely new to soldering when I started and it took me forever and a day. I think having done it now - and having built a Crack - I could probably knock it out in a couple of hours.

The #1 priority is gonna be a mod to reduce/remove the hum. The virtual center tap + elevated heaters is enough for a lot of tubes, but I had to put the Fitz mod in. Lots of folks don't like that one because it adds a couple of caps to the audio signal, but I can't hear any real audible difference other than the lack of hum. You can also apparently replace the resistors on the cathode pins with LEDs, but I haven't tried that so can't speak to it from experience.

 

[Audioraider]

I got on Tyler’s Meze Empyrean headphone tour. Just finished and I wanted to give you all a heads up for the coming Empyrean VS Vérité death match! Spoiler alert: it’s looking very good for the ZMF

 

[Barnstormer13]

I listened to the Empyrean about 1.5 years ago. It sounded euphonic but not very natural.

 

[Rowethren]

I got on Tyler’s Meze Empyrean headphone tour. Just finished and I wanted to give you all a heads up for the coming Empyrean VS Vérité death match! Spoiler alert: it’s looking very good for the ZMF

I owned both for about a year and now just have the VC, no regrets!

 

[lalawilson168]

I have a BH crack, which from what I have read should be good pairing with the VC, but I actually dont like it anywhere as much as HD6xx with the BHC. I just ordered a Feliks Elise, and hopefully will gel with the VCs. What SS amps are fellow VC owners using?

 

[whirlwind]

I have a BH crack, which from what I have read should be good pairing with the VC, but I actually dont like it anywhere as much as HD6xx with the BHC. I just ordered a Feliks Elise, and hopefully will gel with the VCs. What SS amps are fellow VC owners using?

I use my GS-X mk2 with my VC at times....sounds great, especially when paired with the warm sound of NOS dac.
Not as euphoric as tubes, but very detailed.

 

[vonBaron]

For me VC have this strange glare on midrange, my Fostex TH-900 don't have that.

 

[erics75]

I have a BH crack, which from what I have read should be good pairing with the VC, but I actually dont like it anywhere as much as HD6xx with the BHC. I just ordered a Feliks Elise, and hopefully will gel with the VCs. What SS amps are fellow VC owners using?

Phonitor E for SS duties here. Good pairing overall though I do prefer the warmth of tubes for the VC.

 

[erics75]

For me VC have this strange glare on midrange, my Fostex TH-900 don't have that.

Is your VC new? Burn in on the VC is a big thing (coming from someone who always dismissed burn in). My VC under 100 hours definitely had a harshness/glare in the upper mids that drove me nuts. After 200ish hours it mellowed out considerably. I do think there's still a hint of it still there, likely due to the beryllium coated driver, but it's not nearly as prominent as it was in the early hours of the headphone's life. Tubes also help mellow it out.

Edit - I found the auteur pads to be harsher sounding than the universe pads, just my opinion.

 

[daphantom99]

@erics75 Universe Hybrid?

 

[erics75]

@erics75 Universe Hybrid?

are you asking for a comparison of the universe hybrid pads vs the stock pads? or asking which pads i'm using? I have the full leather universe and eikon pads, and the hybrid auteur pads. i mainly use the universe leather pads, with the remaining time equally split between the other two pads. The hybrid auteur pads imo sit sonically between the all leather universe and auteaur pads. they're a touch warmer than the auteur pads, but not as warm as the universe pads. the don't stage as large as the auteur pads, but larger than the universe pads. the biggest difference i notice with them vs the full leather pads is in attack. they're a bit smoother/softer in their initial bite. where the leather pads might come across a bit hard/aggressive, the hybrids smooth notes out just a touch. nothing dramatic, but it is noticeable. they're easier listening pads for me. i personally prefer the more engaging/exciting full leather pads, especially the universe pads. the VC with those pads and warm tubes is so rich and euphonic sounding! hope some of that rambling helps.

 

[daphantom99]

are you asking for a comparison of the universe hybrid pads vs the stock pads? or asking which pads i'm using? I have the full leather universe and eikon pads, and the hybrid auteur pads. i mainly use the universe leather pads, with the remaining time equally split between the other two pads. The hybrid auteur pads imo sit sonically between the all leather universe and auteaur pads. they're a touch warmer than the auteur pads, but not as warm as the universe pads. the don't stage as large as the auteur pads, but larger than the universe pads. the biggest difference i notice with them vs the full leather pads is in attack. they're a bit smoother/softer in their initial bite. where the leather pads might come across a bit hard/aggressive, the hybrids smooth notes out just a touch. nothing dramatic, but it is noticeable. they're easier listening pads for me. i personally prefer the more engaging/exciting full leather pads, especially the universe pads. the VC with those pads and warm tubes is so rich and euphonic sounding! hope some of that rambling helps.

Thank you Eric that helps me out a bunch! Have to admit.. I'm very happy with my VC and if I can get more out of them with just a pad swap. Sweet!