First Journey into Valves

[The Vinyl Adventure]

So, today finally happend, Anthony came round about 12.30 we got everything plugged in and listened to music and had a cuppa and a chat, good way to spend a tuesday afternoon to be fair!

so here is some piccys (a bit rushed)

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/_DSC0904.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/_DSC0896.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/_DSC0899.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/_DSC0903.jpg

i even gave the rack a quick dust down :)

so how does it sound?
well its certainly in a different league to anything i have had before!
i cant really remember what i have listened to iin the 6 hours of listening.. a bit of most things really!

instruments are separate from each other with space between them.. and they actually sound like they are suposed to

much better sound stage.. or at least i can happily sit of centre and hear the positions of instruments with ease - with the naim i had to be sat perfectly in the centre to get any sence of this sort of thing!

more detail by a big amount...

...everything to be fair, i cant think of anything that isnt an improvement over the last kit...

...im sure il babble on about it a bit more in the future... im a bit distracted at the mo

im very happy, thank you Anthony, congratulations, i think you might be a genius! :)

[The Vinyl Adventure]

the valves are blue hot... is that ok? i guess this is where the frase "burning in" comes from!??

[The Vinyl Adventure]

the roksan rack realy does need to go i think!

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Hamish

It is normal for many valves to glow Blue...however if you ever see one go really bright blue (the whole valve) or very bright then switch the amplifier off that valve may have developed a short or be producing to much gas. This is rare, in 20 + years I have only twice had this sort of problem.

Enjoy and have fun with your new set up.


Regards D S D L

[The Vinyl Adventure]

i shit my self earlier we had the curtain open as it was getting dark and a car light flashed across the gloss black finish on the front... my heart stopped for a second as i though something had cought fire or something!
i love that feeling when you get something new and you are realy over causiou with it, really makes you apreciate what you have!

i droped my nikon d3 with 24-70 lens and su-800 flash trigger down the stairs the other day (£4700 worth of kit) didnt even blink an eye! im so used to how hard core it is i dont even worry about it... i dont like that about my self sometimes!

[anthonyTD]

hi hamish,
good to meet you both today, and of course your lovely dog, as neil said the blue glow in the output valves is pretty normal, i suspect you only noticed that when it got dark.:eyebrows:
anyway, enjoy and dont forget to switch it off when not in use, class A valve amps are very waistfull beasts at best and as you have experienced they run quite warm, 4 to 5 hours daily use is fine. the preamp will only get better as you put some hours on it.:)
regards,anthony,TD...

[The Vinyl Adventure]

the slight harshness and sibilance we talked about was more noticable once i sat down and cranked it up a bit. its quite odd actually things like cybals are very clear but high vocals seem a bit edgy. i have to say though even if it was a permanant feature of the sound i dont think it would bother me, but if like you say it will disapear as the new valves and pre bed in then, well, i really am in for some very very good music listening!!
i am incredibly happy with this new set up, i have switched it off now but everthing i listened to this avo was somewhat of a revelation! i wish yo had been here when i put bjork on ... i nearly shit my self it was that good! there was a whole part of the song.. not just a little bit in the background.. an actual part of the song i havent heard before!
thank you again Anthony!
was good to meet you to, its always nice to put a face to a name, especiallywhen that face has put such a big smile on mine! piggy says hi! :)

[John]

Hamish The sound should keep on improving for awhile get out those old cds and lps and just enjoy

[The Vinyl Adventure]

i need to get more stuff on the hdd to be fair... i might set hannah on it while she is off work :)

[Themis]

Congrats Hamish ! Sure, some run-in is necessary, take your time.

Btw, you never had a tube amp before ?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Congrats Hamish ! Sure, some run-in is necessary, take your time.

Btw, you never had a tube amp before ?

nope,not even heard one (apart from a fatman does that count?) until steves pre with the power amp i now own ...
my thread entitled "enlightening day" about when steve came round was very much an enlightening day!!!

[Spectral Morn]

the slight harshness and sibilance we talked about was more noticable once i sat down and cranked it up a bit. its quite odd actually things like cybals are very clear but high vocals seem a bit edgy. i have to say though even if it was a permanant feature of the sound i dont think it would bother me, but if like you say it will disapear as the new valves and pre bed in then, well, i really am in for some very very good music listening!!
i am incredibly happy with this new set up, i have switched it off now but everthing i listened to this avo was somewhat of a revelation! i wish yo had been here when i put bjork on ... i nearly shit my self it was that good! there was a whole part of the song.. not just a little bit in the background.. an actual part of the song i havent heard before!
thank you again Anthony!
was good to meet you to, its always nice to put a face to a name, especiallywhen that face has put such a big smile on mine! piggy says hi! :)

Hi Hamish

Everything you mention to the negative is just the new state of the pre (not power unless valves are new). All of this will vanish as the pre is run in (maybe 100 hours or so), though after about 50 or so you will be on your way to the full magic. I say all this based on experience with other pre-amplifiers, not the AOS kit which I have never seen or heard....may be different...but I doubt it.

Regards D S D L

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Hi Hamish

Everything you mention to the negative is just the new state of the pre (not power unless valves are new). All of this will vanish as the pre is run in (maybe 100 hours or so), though after about 50 or so you will be on your way to the full magic. I say all this based on experience with other pre-amplifiers, not the AOS kit which I have never seen or heard....may be different...but I doubt it.

Regards D S D L

the output valves are new too... im not worried about the sound (its a bloody big step up now!! Anthony says it will be clean up with a bit of listening id be silly not to take his word! cheers though neil, its nice to hear that it is a comon thing!

[Ali Tait]

Yeah you've got a lot more to come yet. :)

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Hamish

Just a few photos of valve amplifiers that I own or have written about on the forum. If I post the photos here it will save you looking for them.


Eco-fan Sound Pre + Power.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/P1000858.jpg

Eco-fan Sound Triode 2000

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/EcofanSound2A3review007.jpg

Music Reference RM200 Mk1

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonSept07Hi-FiShowandHomehi-f-15.jpg

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonSept07Hi-FiShowandHomehi-f-13.jpg

Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) VK 55 mk1

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonSept07Hi-FiShowandHomehi-f-11.jpg

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonSept07Hi-FiShowandHomehi-f-9.jpg


You just can't beat it imho....enjoy.


Regards D S D L

[The Vinyl Adventure]

good stuff! good photos! i shall set to taking some snazzy glowy photos later on!

[Spectral Morn]

good stuff! good photos! i shall set to taking some snazzy glowy photos later on!

Hi Hamish

This is fun isn't it ?:)

Taking photos of glowing valves is fun and creates some very interesting pictures.


Regards D S D L

[Kris]

:stalks:

D S D L, really, you should know better. I thought this was supposed to be a porn-free forum? :champagne:

[Marco]

Hi Hamish,

Glad you're lurving it so far. Trust me, things will get even better when everything runs-in properly. There are a lot of new components in the chain, so some slight rough edges will be duly 'buffed off' with extended music playing, which I don't doubt will be coming sooner rather than later...

Just don't expect to get to bed too early for the next few days! :eyebrows:

Enjoy! :cool:

Marco.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Those Eco fan buts really are very pretty
hifi back on for an hour before office space on film 4 at 9 (very funny mike judge film, highly recomended)
anyway, there is so much detail in this music, it's barmy! Little sounds of string/fret board interactions and such... beauty! And it's not even on loud and it's all there! I honestly never thought I'd be able to afford a hifi like this!!

[Jonboy]

Looking good Hamish, welcome to our world:cool:

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Cheers jon
I like the signature! I literally haven't had the heating on this evening!

[Jonboy]

No probs Hamish, i'm running 6550 valves at the moment in my Lumley, very simular to your KT88's, try running 845's you don't need table lamps either with them:lol:

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Now that is cool! Three in one hifi/lamp/heater... pretty too I'm guessing!

[Mike]

Now that is cool! Three in one hifi/lamp/heater... pretty too I'm guessing!

Here's some... :)


http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3168/p3092806.jpg
By shian7 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/shian7), shot with u30D,S410D,u410D (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=u30D%2CS410D%2Cu410D&make=OLYMPUS+CORPORATION) at 2009-03-09

[The Vinyl Adventure]

What odd things these valves are! I feel a steep learning curve coming on!!

[The Grand Wazoo]

Looks like it's working out well for you Hamish!
Did I mention I thought you'd like the world of the glow?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

You did indeed :)
yep, it seems to be happy days so far! Just want to get into the new house so I can get it all set up properly etc!

[The Grand Wazoo]

Good on yer mate!!

[The Vinyl Adventure]

It really die sound very good chris! I have just started listening again, I must be into my 10th hour of listening now for today! Listening to zero 7 now ... I said this before, fret noise, where has all this fret noise come from.. I have just not heard it before!
The best analogy I can think of for the increase in sound quality is that before it was like it was being blown through a straw at me it's now like the straw is gone and it's efortlessly being breathed into the room!

[alfie2902]

Here's some... :)


http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3168/p3092806.jpg
By shian7 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/shian7), shot with u30D,S410D,u410D (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=u30D%2CS410D%2Cu410D&make=OLYMPUS+CORPORATION) at 2009-03-09

Mike is that a DP-6000? & is the plinth a DK-300?

Cheers, alfie

[alfie2902]

Amps are looking very nice indeed Hamish!

Glad your enjoying them!! :)

[Jonboy]

Here's some... :)


http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3168/p3092806.jpg
By shian7 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/shian7), shot with u30D,S410D,u410D (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=u30D%2CS410D%2Cu410D&make=OLYMPUS+CORPORATION) at 2009-03-09

What amp is that Mike?, i do like those meters

[Mike]

Mike is that a DP-6000? & is the plinth a DK-300?

Cheers, alfie

Hi Alfie,

Thats a DP3000 and DK-100... see here: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2245&highlight=dp-3000


What amp is that Mike?, i do like those meters

Hi Jon,

It's a Mr Liang 845SET... The meters show bias current. The one in the picture is an early Mk1, later ones did away with the LED and the meters have blue back-lights instead. :)

[alfie2902]

So Hamish any update on your amps/system you must of put a few more hours on them by now?

How's it all sounding now?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Yes, certainly softening around the hard edges if that makes sence! I'm gonna post properly again in a week or so when I'm confident it's bedded in etc!

[Ali Tait]

How's the KEL doing Alfie? :)

[alfie2902]

Hi Ali,

The KEL's doing great, It keeps impressing me more & more as I work through my music collection. :) Its alot more organic than ever the Expo's were & just fills the room far better with a much deeper back to front soundstage, without sounding as big, if that makes sense. More detail & air, with a more full tone, better dynamics but also a real delicacy.

I've not had the chance to hear it against the Stereo 20 yet, but still intend too. The owner of the St. 20 as just picked up a Leben 600 aswell, so it will be nice to compare!

It's Just stunning value for money & has opened my eyes to DIY kit, It's just a shame I have very little knowledge of electronics or the relevant skills to go on & build something myself. I do intend to pick up a couple of basic electronics books & have a good read though, so who knows whats possible down the line!

I took my LVs into Definative last week for an health check, Kevin said they were in very good condition for their age & gave them a full bill of health. My original OBX-R are not as easy to drive as the OBX-R2 & Kevin recommends 16 to 20 watts. We tried the Mk2 crossover & the improvement was pretty stunning, so upgrading the crossover & a couple of other bits & bobs to bring them up to OBX-R2 is on the cards for after christmas. It was pretty expesive kit playing into my OBX-Rs though, Kondo m77, Art audio Concerto(heavily Breathed on) also heard a pair of Kondo Gakuoh mono's (Stunning). Also had half an hour with his statement horns :stalks:. The little KEL give a taste of these amps at a very small fraction of the price. The Kondos are 70 - 90 x more than the KEL :stalks:

[Ali Tait]

Yes I'd like to listen to the Kondo stuff sometime.Glad the amp is not dissapointing you.:)

[alfie2902]

Yes I'd like to listen to the Kondo stuff sometime.Glad the amp is not dissapointing you.:)

The Kondo amps were stunning Ali, But they're from a different world to the one I live in! My first house cost less than either of those amps :stalks:

The KEL is simply the best amp I've ever owned. :) I would like to hear the other WAD/WD designs. The pre-amps & the other power amps, 300b etc. Sound per pound is awesome & I think it would take a good amount of money to push it out of my system :)

[Mike]

The KEL is simply the best amp I've ever owned. :) I would like to hear the other WAD/WD designs.

If you like the KEL84 you'll love the WD88!

The sonic 'family resemblance' is very strong, with the 88 just doing everything that the KEL does and then some! VFM for both amps is unbeatable IMVHO!

Cheers...

[Ali Tait]

Yes,the WAD stuff is unbeatable VFM.I used to have the 300b PSE monoblocks.I liked those a lot.If you want a 300b amp,I'd go for the Glasshouse kit from Hi-Fi Collective.

[alfie2902]

If you like the KEL84 you'll love the WD88!

The sonic 'family resemblance' is very strong, with the 88 just doing everything that the KEL does and then some! VFM for both amps is unbeatable IMVHO!

Cheers...

Mike,

I was very tempted to buy the WD88 you built & breathed on (I think it was yours!) the one Gromit sold a month or so ago. Sounds like I should of!

I think I'll be sticking with the KEL for a while though, but must get a listen to the WD88. I want to sort out the crossover for the LVs & then I need a plinth for my DP-6000. I'm sure I will be picking your brain about this Mike & Scoobs too, I like his slate plinth!

Cheers, alfie

[Mike]

A slate plinth is certainly on the cards for me too! :)

I was going to get it sorted this summer (or at least hoped to) but time and finances passed by so quickly! :scratch:

[alfie2902]

Yes,the WAD stuff is unbeatable VFM.I used to have the 300b PSE monoblocks.I liked those a lot.If you want a 300b amp,I'd go for the Glasshouse kit from Hi-Fi Collective.

I'm not sure if I do want 300bs Ali, they're a good match with the LVs so some say. I'm pretty new to valves & I'm not sure if they have a sound sig or not? Is it all about implementation? or do 845s sound like 845s? do 300bs have their own sound sig etc. I think I need to listen to quite a few amps to get a feel of valves!

I will have a look at the glasshouse 300b but the low watt output makes me wonder, with my findings with the KEL & the LVs liking a few more watts than they should.

Cheers, alfie

[Ali Tait]

Valves do have a signature sound,but yes,it's all about implementation I think.My favourite valve is the 45 I think.211 is very nice too.In fact,I like the transmitter valve sound in general.The main problem with 300b's and 845's is that they are hard to drive properly,probably why some 300b amps are found wanting by some.A diy 300b amp with regulated supplies is one of the best amps I've ever heard.Maybe sell the LV's and build some full-range diy boxes if you'd like to go the lower power SE route.I'm stuck because I love my statics,so need a bit of power to drive them.Hence the 30w 813 amp.It is SE though! I do hanker after a good 45 SE setup though.

[Jonboy]

I have not come across a 45 valve amp before, please tell me more, they look to be like a px25?

[Ali Tait]

See here for valve info-

http://tdsl.duncanamps.com/show.php?des=45

The 45 was a very popular triode in radios in the 30's-40's,used in PP to give about 4w.It has a lovely liquid tone,quite the nicest valve in this respect I've ever heard.Lovely,and you can listen all day long.

[Ali Tait]

Pics here-

https://www.tubeworld.com/45.htm

[NRG]

3/4 of the way down: Why valves glow blue.

http://www.vacuumtubes.net/How_Vacuum_Tubes_Work.htm

Good reference for other valve related stuff as well.

[alfie2902]

Hi Hamish,

Sorry for derailing your thread a little!

Is it update time? How are the amps doing?

Cheers, alfie

[The Vinyl Adventure]

wont be long now.. when im in the house with everything set up properly etc :)