Donald North Audio — Owners Thread

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Huxleigh, Aug 12, 2016.

  1. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Yeah I realize tubes improve with break in but in my experience they usually aren't this bad at first. Maybe these are just more extreme, either way I'll be sure to give them 100 hours or so before deciding.
     
  2. Clear Water

    Clear Water Friend

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    @loadexfa wondering if the KR rectifier settled down for you. I have been using the same setup since around January, and I didn't care for it at first. I found the sound to be grainy and strident--strings had an etched quality and a very thin timbre. To my ears, it's improved considerably since then and was wondering what your final verdict was.
     
  3. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I'm still burning in. It's been really slow due to sleep issues giving me listening fatigue. It is growing on me though. :)
     
  4. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    Was going to post about my findings with a few different rectifiers and power tubes, but brain is jello RN and way too tired, can't get things out cohesively right now. Will edit post later so this isn't just a stupid noise post.

    Short version though is the modern KR and ELROG rectifier made a much bigger difference than I expected with this amp. Power tubes helped in some ways but of the 2 I liked, both ACME and Linlai definitely added color and bloom and "other stuff". Did try the Slovakian JJ tubes in the past and although I liked them in the EC AF, I didn't like them as much here. That and I think current JJ production now is Chinese. The vintage stuff 2A3 is still good and much cleaner sounding but at this point, it's so much more convenient to just be able to get Linlai and ACME that are actually readily available with none of the problems associated with dealing with vintage tubes.

    edit: upon second thought, tubes are expensive. Maybe I'll write all of this up offline and people can PM me for this. IDK yet. Also note super motivated to write about tubes for 1-2 hours right now.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2022
  5. dirtyunderwear

    dirtyunderwear New

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    Looking forward to your findings as I've been eyeing the Elrog, but it is quite pricey. Can I trouble you to measure the height of the Elrog without pins? My shelf has limited clearance sadly.
     
  6. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Just got my Stellaris Special, stock tubes. A few hours on, but it already shows what it can do in the bass and percussion departments for my jazz preferences. Listening to William Parker's bass in "2 Blues for Cecil" (very well done by TUM Records), the notes sound a bit thicker, more material than with my other/previous amps, but without being smeared, and very dynamic. The fine-grained texture, roughness, of all the instruments and their handling is very present. Listening on Verité closed so I can't expect a big stage. But the proximity of the instruments is something, and the bass notes are punchy to the point of surprise. I can already see that this is going to grab much of my listening time, even before I start the tube pilgrimage (two rectifiers waiting in the closet).
     
  7. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Maybe placebo, these tubes are way early in their "development," but replacing the stock rectifier with a NOS RCA 5U4G/VT-244 seems to move the needle to a bit tighter, faster while solidifying the bass further. This is the amp to truly listen to William Parker's bass. I spy a Parker-fest in my future (currently listening to "Sparks" with Parker, Eri Yamamoto, and Chad Fowler). Free jazz can sound dry, but not on this setup.
    Update: the RCA 5U4G is a bit microphonic, so I went back to the stock rectifier. This could be a burn-in issue, but I'll need more time to explore it. For the moment, I keep enjoying the superb dance of jazz bass and cymbals, now in "The Other Side" by the Tord Gustavsen Trio. One thing I'm noticing with this recording is that somehow the HQPlayer > Holo May > Stellaris > Verité (blackwood open this time) chain is taming a bit the over-the-top reverb in ECM's house style.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2022
  8. perogie

    perogie Facebook Friend

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    16cm
     
  9. dirtyunderwear

    dirtyunderwear New

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    Thanks! That's one big boy of a rectifier...
     
  10. perogie

    perogie Facebook Friend

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    It also doesnt glow so much but shine, fairly brightly, which may or may not be an issue.
     
  11. Erroneous

    Erroneous Friend

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  12. perogie

    perogie Facebook Friend

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    I know, if I didn’t have my amp just off to the side, out of my line of sight, Im not sure how tolerant of it I would be.
     
  13. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Trying the EL mesh rectifier I just got. First impression is bigger macro dynamics, more space than stock rectifier. Maybe a bit less precise in the attacks and micro stuff, but this is a new tube that I'd assume needs some time to get to it's longer-term behavior.
     
  14. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    The EMLrectifier is a big mother ain't it? Works for my Stratus/ Acme power tubes/ special input tube { no longer available}
     
  15. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    It's big-ish, for sure, but not extreme.
     
  16. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    OK, the KR rectifier is now my current favorite. In comparison the EML mesh is too boosted in the bass and not as clear. Looks like I also need to try the ELROG. <sigh>
     
  17. Clear Water

    Clear Water Friend

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    It's weird how it grew on me, too. I'm hoping @Erroneous will give some comparisons with the elrog since it was his endorsement that pushed me to put in an order for the KR. I don't think I'd want anything more aggressive but I'm a sucker for a spacious, holographic presentation.
     
  18. perogie

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    If I were to nitpick I do find the Elrog to be a little bloomy down low and runs on the darker side. A little fuzzy on the clarity and transients as well. This is really nitpicking against a really good NOS rectifier though so that puts its in good company.

    I havent ventured to look at the KR. The EML I had was OK but I sold it months ago: Wonky treble and bass was all over the place for my tastes. Assumes that both the EML and Elrog I have heard are good samples too.
     
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  19. Erroneous

    Erroneous Friend

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    It's actually been awhile since I heard both. I'm DNA-less until my Stellaris comes later this year (sold Stratus and am using ZDS exclusively for now). From my fuzzy memory I thought KR was a large step above the EML, but I also liked Elrog better than KR. @penguins Got a far longer audition than I did and much more recently, so I'm sure he'd have more to add to the conversation. IIRC he thought KR was sometimes better and Elrog was sometimes better, whereas I just blanket preferred the Elrog while recognizing that they're both stellar rectifiers. The best I've heard in DNA, even compared to various vintage ones. I still have a couple of KR rectifiers but the plan is to use Elrog when that time comes. I'll probably end up selling the KRs, even though they're great.
     
  20. Donald North

    Donald North Friend

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    Are you guys referring to the standard KR or RK Anniversary edition 5U4G?
     

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