40th Anniversary
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- Oct 17, 2022
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(RME ADI-2 DAC FS & Benchmark AHB2 owner. Low distortion stereo, correct? Check! Good clean path. Check! Auto digital volume control with no degradation over a wide dynamic range. Check!
I've been trying different things that are Heresy (not the speaker, an adjective or noun I guess) like using 2 RMEs (one a Pro Unit) to drive two fully balanced amplifiers and four (4) speakers. I was looking to create a wider soundstage. It worked to an extend and I was really enjoying the stereo landscape. Pure Heresy. I like trying new things.
I've also been playing with some Passive Volume controls (Schiit Kara & Khozmo Passive), preamps so to speak. Results are not bad, but the changes are not earth shattering.
Tonight I'm coming back out of the "tube" closet to share something not measured by the seat of my pants, my ears, my brain - something I can say is not measured here at ASR (correct me if I am wrong): sound staging, and to a lesser degree 'imaging'.
I received a Hattor Tube Buffer (6SN7) to insert between my AHB2 and the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. I used to own a Rogue Cronus a long time ago and I fully remember that amp threw a wide soundstage and I did not know it at the time. After I moved away from tubes, I was always looking to get closer to that presentation while preserving a low noise environment and generate less heat. I think I have succeeded.
The Hattor Tube Buffer is run fully balanced and is very quiet: I detect no hiss through my speakers. Check!
At first I was not sure what to make of it but I knew there was a change to the sound. I let the Hattor warm up and play for an evening.
The next day I sat down in my audiophile spot to have a listen. What happens next ruined part of my day: I was captivated by the width of the soundstage; strings, mandolins, guitars, trumpets, horns....all became more vivid front and center, or to the right or left...essentially what was there and somewhat hidden in the background came to life - I spent the next 4 hours listening to music, chores be dam.
I heard drum hits in this one song by Gotye (someone that I used to know) way out of the left of the stage well past the placement of the speaker (what?).
Voices, like some instruments, came forward front and center at times. The whole experience almost felt live; I'm exaggerating here, but it was a clear change and the sound emanating from my Triangle Comète 40th just kept leaping out song after song. Jeff Beck's 'Space for the Papa' was surreal (that felt live).
I did not know what to expect and the buffer did not feel tube wooly warm or thick or anything, the speed was there, but an enhanced sound. Quite nice.
Tomorrow I will move the Tube Buffer to my downstairs system to see if the same experience unfolds on different speakers.
The way I justified this purchase was that I wanted to introduce a tube line stage in my system without having a full fledge preamp or tube power amp.
I think this has been a good move on my part.
It is very interesting to see how the AHB2 responds to the extra flavour by this tube buffer: I am impressed wit this amplifier.
I am thinking that the volume control of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is plenty good; a friend of mine and I are testing preamps in line with the RME and running the DAC full out to see if we can notice any improvements. The verdict, at my end, is still out if this is worth doing.
In time I will insert my Khozmo Passive volume control to see what the impact will be to this overall chain.
But for now the Hattor tube Buffer has been the most fun I have injected in my stereo system in a long while.
Ok, I'll back and hide in the Tube Closet now.
I've been trying different things that are Heresy (not the speaker, an adjective or noun I guess) like using 2 RMEs (one a Pro Unit) to drive two fully balanced amplifiers and four (4) speakers. I was looking to create a wider soundstage. It worked to an extend and I was really enjoying the stereo landscape. Pure Heresy. I like trying new things.
I've also been playing with some Passive Volume controls (Schiit Kara & Khozmo Passive), preamps so to speak. Results are not bad, but the changes are not earth shattering.
Tonight I'm coming back out of the "tube" closet to share something not measured by the seat of my pants, my ears, my brain - something I can say is not measured here at ASR (correct me if I am wrong): sound staging, and to a lesser degree 'imaging'.
I received a Hattor Tube Buffer (6SN7) to insert between my AHB2 and the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. I used to own a Rogue Cronus a long time ago and I fully remember that amp threw a wide soundstage and I did not know it at the time. After I moved away from tubes, I was always looking to get closer to that presentation while preserving a low noise environment and generate less heat. I think I have succeeded.
The Hattor Tube Buffer is run fully balanced and is very quiet: I detect no hiss through my speakers. Check!
At first I was not sure what to make of it but I knew there was a change to the sound. I let the Hattor warm up and play for an evening.
The next day I sat down in my audiophile spot to have a listen. What happens next ruined part of my day: I was captivated by the width of the soundstage; strings, mandolins, guitars, trumpets, horns....all became more vivid front and center, or to the right or left...essentially what was there and somewhat hidden in the background came to life - I spent the next 4 hours listening to music, chores be dam.
I heard drum hits in this one song by Gotye (someone that I used to know) way out of the left of the stage well past the placement of the speaker (what?).
Voices, like some instruments, came forward front and center at times. The whole experience almost felt live; I'm exaggerating here, but it was a clear change and the sound emanating from my Triangle Comète 40th just kept leaping out song after song. Jeff Beck's 'Space for the Papa' was surreal (that felt live).
I did not know what to expect and the buffer did not feel tube wooly warm or thick or anything, the speed was there, but an enhanced sound. Quite nice.
Tomorrow I will move the Tube Buffer to my downstairs system to see if the same experience unfolds on different speakers.
The way I justified this purchase was that I wanted to introduce a tube line stage in my system without having a full fledge preamp or tube power amp.
I think this has been a good move on my part.
It is very interesting to see how the AHB2 responds to the extra flavour by this tube buffer: I am impressed wit this amplifier.
I am thinking that the volume control of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is plenty good; a friend of mine and I are testing preamps in line with the RME and running the DAC full out to see if we can notice any improvements. The verdict, at my end, is still out if this is worth doing.
In time I will insert my Khozmo Passive volume control to see what the impact will be to this overall chain.
But for now the Hattor tube Buffer has been the most fun I have injected in my stereo system in a long while.
Ok, I'll back and hide in the Tube Closet now.
