Totally Tubular: The Tube Thread

[JohnnyCashFan]

$60 with tubes? Run the other way. If you are looking for a good budget piece, check out the Schiit Mani 2. No personal experience but it looks really good.

the cheapest tibe phono pre I would use new would be the Hagerman Cronet3, not a looker though

Cornet3 - MM Vacuum Tube Phono Preamp

Originally available as a Kickstarter project, the Cornet3 delivers high performance on a budget.

hagerman-audio-labs.myshopify.com

used would be a Parks Audio Budgie

Parks Audio Budgie MM Tube Phono Preamplifier; NOS Tubes | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Parks Audio Budgie MM Tube Phono Preamplifier; NOS Tubes at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[djdavedk]

I don't need a pre-amp; I was curious about running an audio signal through some tubes on the way to the speakers or headphones.

 

[HiFi Guy]

I don't need a pre-amp; I was curious about running an audio signal through some tubes on the way to the speakers or headphones.

No guarantee that piece even has tubes in the circuit. It may just light up the tubes to look “cool”. If the price is too good to be true…..,

 

[dansomeone]

I don't need a pre-amp; I was curious about running an audio signal through some tubes on the way to the speakers or headphones.

This unit is interesting, might be what you're looking for.

Jolida Foz SSX -- Sound Stage Expander Have fun experimenting with the sound! Review By Ron Nagle

Jolida Foz SSX -- Sound Stage Expander Have fun experimenting with the sound! Review By Ron Nagle of Enjoy the Music.com

enjoythemusic.com

Black Ice Audio | Underwood HiFi

www.underwoodhifi.com

 

[djdavedk]

This unit is interesting, might be what you're looking for.

Jolida Foz SSX -- Sound Stage Expander Have fun experimenting with the sound! Review By Ron Nagle

Jolida Foz SSX -- Sound Stage Expander Have fun experimenting with the sound! Review By Ron Nagle of Enjoy the Music.com

enjoythemusic.com

Black Ice Audio | Underwood HiFi

www.underwoodhifi.com

Pretty neat, but I don't have $2K to play around with.

 

[djdavedk]

Perhaps a tube amp is not in my budget, and that's OK.

 

[dansomeone]

Pretty neat, but I don't have $2K to play around with.

Sorry, Underwood's website is basic, I was referring to the FOZ SS-X Soundstage Expander & Tube buffer from the review, it's $499, you have to scroll down almost to the bottom.

 

[AnthonyI]

 

[AnthonyI]

Just wanted to cross post this into this thread since the PrimaLuna is the last piece left on my part out. Not because I'm the seller, but it is being offered at a very attractive price for N&G members in the market or thinking about going into tubes, no pressure, I just prefer offering the savings to N&G folks over "outsiders"

https://www.needlesandgrooves.com/threads/fs-primaluna.1991/

 

[MongoLike]

Just dropped these into my amp today. I've owned dozens of NP and NOS 12AX7's but these are absolutely the best I have ever heard. These are "Spring mica" versions made by Philips in Herleen (Holland)...They're absolutely excellent from the beginning; their Spring mica ensuring a slight pressure on the upper side of the cathodes being the main reason for their very low noise and microphonic level. Companies like Hammond took extra steps to ensure low noise and microphonics in all tubes. And Hammond preamps are notoriously easy on tubes."

 

[HiFi Guy]

Did anyone happen to see that PrimaLuna is finally introducing a phono stage? Priced under $4k (yet to be announced). Low output Grado lovers can stop getting the itch. Looks like it won’t do medium gain and 47k loading simultaneously. Boat missed.

 

[Joe Mac]

Did anyone happen to see that PrimaLuna is finally introducing a phono stage? Priced under $4k (yet to be announced). Low output Grado lovers can stop getting the itch. Looks like it won’t do medium gain and 47k loading simultaneously. Boat missed.

View attachment 137074

Oooooh. I’m interested….

 

[displayname]

Did anyone happen to see that PrimaLuna is finally introducing a phono stage? Priced under $4k (yet to be announced). Low output Grado lovers can stop getting the itch. Looks like it won’t do medium gain and 47k loading simultaneously. Boat missed.

View attachment 137074

For some reason I just keep thinking about the hilarious power draw that would happen with a top of the line all Prima Luna system.
Phono, dac, preamp, and monos. It’s just so much power, lol.

But I guess if you spend about $14K on tube products, you don’t stress about the power bill.
Also, after adding it up, $14K sounds incredibly reasonable for that many tube products.

 

[Joe Mac]

Did anyone happen to see that PrimaLuna is finally introducing a phono stage? Priced under $4k (yet to be announced). Low output Grado lovers can stop getting the itch. Looks like it won’t do medium gain and 47k loading simultaneously. Boat missed.

View attachment 137074

Also I read the stereophile piece. It said 4x12AX7. I see the 2 EL34 on the outside and I’m guessing the two inside them are the rectifiers (I guess they’ll use 2 x 5AR4/GZ34 like they do to rectify the DAC and preamps). Does that mean the 4 black things at the front are the 12AX7’s? I’ve never seen a tube that looks like that…

 

[HiFi Guy]

Also I read the stereophile piece. It said 4x12AX7. I see the 2 EL34 on the outside and I’m guessing the two inside them are the rectifiers (I guess they’ll use 2 x 5AR4/GZ34 like they do to rectify the DAC and preamps). Does that mean the 4 black things at the front are the 12AX7’s? I’ve never seen a tube that looks like that…

I thinking there are shields over the 12AX7s to reduce interference.

 

[Joe Mac]

I thinking there are shields over the 12AX7s to reduce interference.

Ah that makes sense. I was half wondering it if was because I’d heard a rumour that they were struggling to get tubes from shuangang and had been getting them from psvane instead. I know psvane tubes seem to have a silver layer over the glass and was wondering if it was similar but specified as black for the ones they could be making for PL but then equally it does seem to cover the whole tubes whereas those seem to just have a band of it.

 

[kvetcha]

Ah that makes sense. I was half wondering it if was because I’d heard a rumour that they were struggling to get tubes from shuangang and had been getting them from psvane instead. I know psvane tubes seem to have a silver layer over the glass and was wondering if it was similar but specified as black for the ones they could be making for PL but then equally it does seem to cover the whole tubes whereas those seem to just have a band of it.

PSVane tubes are $$!

 

[Joe Mac]

PSVane tubes are $$!

Yes lots of them. They do seem to have a more budget line too, well according to their website, but very few places seem to stock them. Maybe that’s what they supply as OEM?

 

[Splunders]

Hey all - I may be putting my still very new (arrived this January), hardly used (30 hours total?) Decware se84ufo2 amp up for sale. It was purchased for a 2nd system I had in mind, to go along with some Omega bookshelf speakers. I've realized I'm 100% happy with my current 2nd system as is, and have cancelled my Omega speaker order.

The Decware waiting list is currently 1,690 entries long. It took me 11 months to get my amp, and the waiting list was under 1,000 when I ordered.

My amp is an upgraded version with the Level 2 modifications. My full receipt is below.

The downside to buying from me is that the lifetime warranty does not transfer. The upside is that there would be zero waiting time. I can only speculate, but it must be easily over a 1 year wait time.

I would like to sell for $1600 shipped. DM me if at all interested.

 

[bdm105]

Dumb question but I'm going to ask it anyway. If I want to use headphones with the PrimaLuna do I just change the output switch from LS to HP?