Douk HiFi 6N3 Vacuum Tube Preamp Review

[F1308]

Do we really need to test any more tube amps? Not being critical but it seems to be an endless rerun of a bad movie.
And perhaps not the best use of Amir's time.

Wait for Topping releasing one and you will see...

 

[solderdude]

One can easily reduce the S/N ratio by 15 to 20dB and at the same time increase the tube distortion by just using a 20dB line attenuator on the output.

 

[muslhead]

No, he is always a sucker for more work/food. But is demanding overtime pay so I pulled in his back up....

watch out, with covid the unions are hard at work. Just wait to see his attitude once he joins. Higher pay, more paid time off and safer working conditions are in your future

 

[sarumbear]

Its 12V out.
The high voltage is generated inside the amp.

Do you mean there’s a switching power supply that outputs AC which is then converted to DC for the tube cathodes?

 

[LTig]

Before I forget, this thing has tons of gain. I think I measured about 22 dB. With that comes large rise with distortion:

View attachment 170021

29Vrms max output may be dangerous for the receiving device!

 

[Saponetto]

I don't understand the aim of this device...
Aside of the 29V RMS it produces, it is probably dedicated to directly push some tube final stages without run through any drive stage.
For sure it is useless for any SS amp line chain.

 

[Dogen]

I voted Not Terrible only for the fact that they deliver what some tube fans want - lots of second harmonic and that kind of fuzzy sound. Objectively it measures horribly, but at least it does what I says on the label, unlike cheap tube gear with tubes not even in the signal path.

 

[solderdude]

Do you mean there’s a switching power supply that outputs AC which is then converted to DC for the tube cathodes?

The external power supply is 12V DC (the pins you can touch).
This is mentioned on the product page.

Inside the amp there is (most likely) an oscillator with transformer which generates the needed AC which is then rectified by the tube.

 

[sarumbear]

The external power supply is 12V DC (the pins you can touch).
Inside the amp there is an oscillator with transformer which generates the needed AC which is then rectified by the tube.

You could have just said yes

 

[solderdude]

Indeed.

 

[sam_adams]

There is little in the way of 'nostalgia' in tube designs—other than the 'euphonic' sounds that aficionados of tubes yearn for. There is no warm tube 'smell'. The oder of hot glass, hot bakelite sockets, hot bakelite covered resistors, hot wax impregnated capacitors, and the bouquet of hot rubber insulation. Those are all missing in these designs and are the one thing that I remember from all the old tube-based electronic devices of yore.

 

[pseudoid]

Back in the late 90's, Musical Fidelity launched a cheeky cylindrical range of goodies using valve and/or solid state - the original 'X' series. T

Geeky??? IMHO >> They were ahead of their time.

I used to lust after the MusicalFidelity "X-series" audio offerings of that era. Unfortunately, my professional career had gotten in the way.

 

[Spkrdctr]

For fans of "tube sound" this is only $110 USD rather than $5000 junk.

I like that. Buy cheap junk instead of expensive junk. That is a good way to save money while buying junk!

 

[Tks]

I know we keep saying tube folks want this. Tube folks want 11 bits of resolution and garbo crosstalk?

Idk, seems a bit insulting in a low key brutal way as opposed to the usual way people get roasted with wit.

 

[F1308]

There is little in the way of 'nostalgia' in tube designs—other than the 'euphonic' sounds that aficionados of tubes yearn for. There is no warm tube 'smell'. The oder of hot glass, hot bakelite sockets, hot bakelite covered resistors, hot wax impregnated capacitors, and the bouquet of hot rubber insulation. Those are all missing in these designs and are the one thing that I remember from all the old tube-based electronic devices of yore.

Hey,...what a good idea !!!!
I will ask Genelec to release at the earliest the Genelec One Scent.
Violins? We want that Stradivarius impregnated air...
Thunder ? Ozone is here.
Taikos ? Ohhhh....that wood from the deep forest...!
Brass ? On its way...

 

[617]

Question to tube experts ; is it intrinsically difficult to design a tube amp with the distortion, but without the noise and power supply hum and so on?

 

[Spkrdctr]

Question to tube experts ; is it intrinsically difficult to design a tube amp with the distortion, but without the noise and power supply hum and so on?

To be honest you have to pay A LOT more for a high quality tube piece of equipment that will not have as many negative issues. Then you have to trust that the manufacturer puts the "magic" into the tubes before shipping them. Tubes with the magic sound great and airy, full of microdetails and chocolaty mids and oh my gosh fast bass notes. Tubes without the magic are lifeless and flat, have no tempo and no soundstage. They even have a dead digital sound with a heavy veil over them.

I hope this helps.

For a real answer hold on, one of our tube experts will probably let you know. Good Luck!

 

[tmtomh]

That incredibly sh***y crosstalk performance must produce some first-rate vinyl/analogue/"organic"/three-martini-sounding audiophile goodness!

 

[Mojo Warrior]

Geeky??? IMHO >> They were ahead of their time.
View attachment 170179 View attachment 170180
I used to lust after the MusicalFidelity "X-series" audio offerings of that era. Unfortunately, my professional career had gotten in the way.

I had the MusicalFidelity X-Can back when they were hyped in the press. I tried really hard to like it. In the end I gave it away because I considered it unethical to ask someone to give me money for a piece of junk. I have highly resolving systems and it just ruined the sound. Yeah, sonic magic is like a magic trick. It produced unpleasant sonic illusions. That's why they never caught on.

 

[Rebelhifi]

I wonder how the expensive tube preamps perform. I had Audio Research LS-26 (I really liked), Conrad Johnson ET-3SE, and currently have the newer low noise Schiit Freya+ (Passive, gain, and tubes — first Freya was very noisy with tubes). All have been excellent with tubes with low noise. The AR was very low noise and had great resolution. I had good SS to compare with - Adcom GTP-750 (Nelson Pass design), McCormack RLD-1, Parasound.