ampsandsound (aka Amps & Sound)

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Luckbad, Mar 20, 2016.

  1. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    It's NOS. It took a long time to settle down, but once it did it became my favorite tube for the encore
     
  2. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Got a source for them, linkage?
     
  3. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    I got it from Justin Weber, when I bought the encore. Browse eBay and see if you find one that matches that label
     
  4. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    Interesting first I heard of a Westinghouse 12SL7GT. There is a listing on ebay for one but you can't tell from the photos in the ad if the label is an exact match.
     
  5. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    I'm learning that the Kenzie is more responsive to tube rolling than I originally speculated. I've also come to find out that with certain planar headphones, the Kenzie can be just as stunning as it is with dynamic driver based hp's. ETHER Flow with the Kenzie and the right output tube is one of the most enjoyable amp/hp combo that I've heard.

    I would have never guessed that the Kenzie and EF could produce this level of transparency and musical enjoyment.
     
  6. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    I thought the Kenzie could only use 1626 output tubes, Is there a make of 1626 that sounds better with the EF?
     
  7. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    it mellows out the EF a bit for sure, but still retains good detail
     
  8. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    I'm using a pair of Tung Sol 1626 matched set and the Seimens ecc801 mentioned earlier.
     
  9. ampsandsound

    ampsandsound MOT - Ampsandsound

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    Seimens ecc801is used with a 12AX7 to 12SL7 adapter.
    The rest is choosing the 1226 you like best. I have 200-300 RCAs so Im not much help.
     
  10. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    I don't use ebay but would like to try the ecc801s. I have a US supplier for the tube but the adapter is hard to find. Anyone have a US source for the 12AX7 to 12SL7 adapter captkirk mentioned earlier?

    [​IMG]

    Ordering from Hong Kong is also a pain. Thanks!
     
  11. captkirk

    captkirk Khan's BFF

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    @allegro

    Sorry, can't help on a stateside or other source, though I'm sure they exist.

    FWIW the eBay stuff I've bought out of Asia has always come though without a hitch, though delivery times can be all over the board. Sometimes stuff arrives within 7-10 days, others a month plus. Worth the wait though.

    If you can find one, I'd think you'd really enjoy the adapter, as there's so much more variety available and a lot more information available on the various tubes and their sound characteristics. Your ears will enjoy it, though your wallet may not - tube costs are higher. :(

    @Ice-man

    That 5755 tube you have with the adapter was also one I enjoyed a bit. To me it added a touch of sweetness to vocals with the Senn, but lacked some of the bass definition I was getting with the Siemens. Good tube.
     
  12. Cash

    Cash Guest

    @Ice-man

    That 5755 tube you have with the adapter was also one I enjoyed a bit. To me it added a touch of sweetness to vocals with the Senn, but lacked some of the bass definition I was getting with the Siemens. Good tube.[/QUOTE]

    Is that 5755 a Western Electric 420a, or a Raytheon with red printing? I have both and they sound different. The WE has less bass and more detail, and extended treble. The Raytheon has better bass, more quantity, harder hitting. Both have sweet vocals, like the Raytheon more with my Cocobolo Atticus, the WE with my Fostex variants, don't have HD800S or HD650 any longer.
     
  13. captkirk

    captkirk Khan's BFF

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  14. Olias of Sunhillow

    Olias of Sunhillow New

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    I found an RCA grey glass JAN-12SL7GT of the sort mentioned by @kevnin earlier. It certainly did increase bass quantity, but at the expense of bass quality. With the HD800S, sound was much flabbier and less precise than either the stock tube provided by @ampsandsound or the Raytheon equivalent. Will probably track down another of this variety to see if the results are the same.

    Currently I've rolled in some circa-1944 RCA JAN CRC-1626 output tubes. They are quite similar visually to the Hytron-branded 1626s that came with the Kenzie, but based on early results they are much more energetic in the top end--bordering on sibilant with some recordings.
     
  15. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    @Olias of Sunhillow I replaced the RCA 1626s my Kenzie came with. Wanted a spare pair just in case. Bought a matched pair of RCA 1942-1943 output tubes (37.5ma and 38.5ma) no sibilance problem here. I am also using the RCA grey glass 12SL7GT and prefer it to any of the other input tubes I have ATM. Bass sounds fine to me here perhaps I just got lucky? If I make any other tube changes it will be to buy an adaptor and try the ecc801s input tube and Tung Sol 1626 if I can find them. Note my Kenzie was built with a special order transformer with a 300 ohm tap for my HD800S.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2018
  16. Ice-man

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    Listening to the Kenzie and new ETHER Flow (maybe a little secret sauce on this new pair). This combo is kicking me in the ass in the best possible way...hot damn this is good. I had no idea the Kenzie could kill it like this with planars. Just wow...:confused:
     
  17. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    @Ice-man I see you have your Kenzie up for sale. If it sounds that good with the ETHER Flow do you have something special planned for your Encore build?
     
  18. Ice-man

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    Well...yeah. I want the f'ing jacks in the front. :p I've heard the Encore before and I'm willing to pay for the upgrade if the Kenzie sells. If not, I'll have to slum with the original Kenzie. ;)
     
  19. allegro

    allegro Friend

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    You already have the upgraded capacitor you could always have Justin make you a set of input transformers in a small outboard box and have 90% of the Encore. That is what I did. But if I did it over I would have bought a fully optioned Encore to start with. It would be nice to have the jacks up front for sure.
     
  20. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    Got my Mogwai SE that I decided I had to have after I saw Grizzly's last year. I don't think I've had this much fun tube rolling with any other tube amp, that may be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it though as the Mogwai can use so many different combo's between all the stages and the addition in the SE of the 5u4g/GZ34 slot for rectification gives so many other options. It's just too easy to go browse ebay and buy all the tubes.

    I'll post some pics and more thoughts VS the Kenzie later on after I have some more time with the amp. My basic thoughts are just that it has similar sweet tonality that the Kenzie has, but with a ton of added power and wattage and is more versatile when you factor in the tube choices, input transformer choices and the fact that I'm quite confident it can run the HE-6 or any other hard to drive monster of a headphone with its sheer power.

    There's a lot more going on with the Mogwai SE than that, and I haven't ever owned or really spent time with the Kenzie encore, but the Mogwai SE and stock Kenzie although very different in many ways share a really musical and engaging tone that it seems Justin has locked in on through his line-up.
     

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