[TheAbyss2022]

So I switched the stock 12au7 to brimar cv4003 and 6v6 to mullard holland tubes today but now I'm getting noise on my left driver. Which of side on the amp would the noisy tubes be on? (is the the left 2 with the VU meters facing me?) and any suggestions on how I would go cleaning the tube pins? Also I turned the amp on and off twice now and am sort of debating whether to keep turning it on and off again to test for tube noise.

Switch the 12AU7 tubes and see if the noise changes to the right driver. If so, its a noisy tube unfortunately.

 

[grant0317]

Switch the 12AU7 tubes and see if the noise changes to the right driver. If so, its a noisy tube unfortunately.

I swapped the 12au7 back to stock and the noise is gone. Should I be fine getting replacements (it was brimar cv4003 from langrex) or would I have to get different brand alltogether?

 

[AnyDave]

I swapped the 12au7 back to stock and the noise is gone. Should I be fine getting replacements (it was brimar cv4003 from langrex) or would I have to get different brand alltogether?

Any tube brand can have a defective tube. If you think you'll like the sound of the Brimar CV4003 (they are indeed nice tubes), you should be able to get a replacement from Langrex. FWIW, I have a set of 13D5 Brimar tubes (also 12au7) from Langrex and they work just fine in my Cayin HA-6A.

 

[djentbat]

Anybody here can recommend some tubes that can give that warm thick otl sound?

 

[LXMc]

In spite of the fact I literally just said I'm very happy with my Bendix 6V6GTYs for a good while I've ordered a matched set of Brimar 6V6GT Black Beauty's. The hope is for something warmer & bassier to pair with my new Apos Rays - which sound excellent but are definitely brighter than my Tungsram e80cc's (really like the Tungsrams with the Bendix).

 

[djentbat]

In spite of the fact I literally just said I'm very happy with my Bendix 6V6GTYs for a good while I've ordered a matched set of Brimar 6V6GT Black Beauty's. The hope is for something warmer & bassier to pair with my new Apos Rays - which sound excellent but are definitely brighter than my Tungsram e80cc's (really like the Tungsrams with the Bendix).

How do you like the caldera on tubes?

 

[LXMc]

How do you like the caldera on tubes?

I think the Caldera is excellent on the ha-3a, though it's probably part of why I'm leaning towards warmer, bassier tubes, because I love the Caldera with electronic music. I haven't listened to TOTL SS amps (Bliss, etc) that many people prefer with planars but with the right tubes I get just as much impact and weight with the Cayin as with my V226 but with improved spatial qualities on top.

 

[djentbat]

I think the Caldera is excellent on the ha-3a, though it's probably part of why I'm leaning towards warmer, bassier tubes, because I love the Caldera with electronic music. I haven't listened to TOTL SS amps (Bliss, etc) that many people prefer with planars but with the right tubes I get just as much impact and weight with the Cayin as with my V226 but with improved spatial qualities on top.

We have the same amps lol similar tastes then. I actually bought both of them because I felt they were the perfect pairing with the Atriums. I took my atriums to can jam and tried all the amps with it haha.

The bliss was truly next level, it made the bass on the atrium sound planar like.

That said I enjoy the Cayin HA-3A because it sounds more SS than tube like it the clarity of the sound. But for some headphones I need find a warmer pairing

 

[LXMc]

We have the same amps lol similar tastes then. I actually bought both of them because I felt they were the perfect pairing with the Atriums. I took my atriums to can jam and tried all the amps with it haha.

The bliss was truly next level, it made the bass on the atrium sound planar like.

That said I enjoy the Cayin HA-3A because it sounds more SS than tube like it the clarity of the sound. But for some headphones I need find a warmer pairing

Would love to try (or have) a Bliss some day though I'd be worried then it'd just make me want to upgrade my ha-3a after. I still think the V226 is great though, and even though I generally prefer to listen on the Cayin, I certainly don't feel like I'm really losing out that much if I'm 'just' using the V226.

 

[djentbat]

Would love to try (or have) a Bliss some day though I'd be worried then it'd just make me want to upgrade my ha-3a after. I still think the V226 is great though, and even though I generally prefer to listen on the Cayin, I certainly don't feel like I'm really losing out that much if I'm 'just' using the V226.

I think the V226 is pretty awesome honestly. The only upgrade path I see is holo audio stack… I just don’t know if I can ever justify dropping 8k on that though lol

 

[betula]

How do you like the caldera on tubes?

I think the Caldera is excellent on the ha-3a, though it's probably part of why I'm leaning towards warmer, bassier tubes, because I love the Caldera with electronic music. I haven't listened to TOTL SS amps (Bliss, etc) that many people prefer with planars but with the right tubes I get just as much impact and weight with the Cayin as with my V226 but with improved spatial qualities on top.

I agree with LXMc, the Caldera sounds great on the 3A, but you have to select the tubes carefully if you want that bass to be satisfying with electronic music.
I tried the Caldera on the Bliss/May KTE combo and yes, that is simply better. I would trade my Cayin in for that combo, but for 8-9 grand that is out of reach. That said, the 3A with the right tube set punches above its price range. I also tried the Caldera on the GSX-Mini, HPA4 and Ferrum stack and I have to say, I actually preferred them on the 3A (with NOS tubes that are able to produce bass body and impact). Sure, those SS amps are faster, snappier and bass is a little harder hitting, but you can get quite close with the correct tubes plus you are awarded with a bigger 3D bubble, excellent instrument placement and a more natural tone and timbre. The top Holo stack was the only SS I heard so far, that didn't leave me unsatisfied with a colder and more digital SS sound. That is probably down to the excellent May R2R DAC.
There might be other SS amps I would enjoy, for example the cult and hype of the discontinued V281 is growing day by day. For now, I have ordered a Mjolnir 3, as some people whose opinion matters to me are thoroughly impressed by it, some even sold their Bliss after their Mjolnir 3 purchase. I am not sure yet, if I will keep both amps in the long run, so we shall see.
On OTL tube amps the Caldera is simply too warm, thick and boomy, but with OTC tube amps, where some care was put into selecting those NOS tubes, the most expensive ZMF can sound fabulous with satisfying bass even for EDM. It won't be quite like a top shelf SS bass, but you gain other benefits like a large 3D space and natural tone/timbre that most SS amps under 3K can't produce.
IMO in the end the choice comes down to taste, expectations and most preferred music genres.

 

[HarryHood]

I need some help with noise. For the first month or so, my HA-3A was perfect.....very low noise floor and barely any perceptible noise, if any at all.

Then something changed and it now I get significant noise/distortion....kind of a sharp, piercing screech of varying intensity. Also, the noise floor seems significantly higher as well.

Here's the thing: nothing in my chain changed (PC->Topping Dx3 Pro+->HA-3A->ZMF cans). And I tried removing the PC/DAC completely and the noise is still there with just headphones plugged into the HA-3A. Other variables tested: different headphones/cables using standard and balanced, PC monitor turned off/unplugged, iFI GND Defender added/removed, iDefender+ USB added/removed, different power strips/wall plugin tried.

No luck.

So I'm thinking it's some ground loop that I haven't' been able to get rid of yet. Tapping on the cage around the tubes gets rid of it temporarily, but it always comes back pretty quickly.

Thoughts? Power issue or possibly tube gone bad? Unfortunately I don't have any other tubes on hand to test.

Thanks!

 

[djentbat]

I agree with LXMc, the Caldera sounds great on the 3A, but you have to select the tubes carefully if you want that bass to be satisfying with electronic music.
I tried the Caldera on the Bliss/May KTE combo and yes, that is simply better. I would trade my Cayin in for that combo, but for 8-9 grand that is out of reach. That said, the 3A with the right tube set punches above its price range. I also tried the Caldera on the GSX-Mini, HPA4 and Ferrum stack and I have to say, I actually preferred them on the 3A (with NOS tubes that are able to produce bass body and impact). Sure, those SS amps are faster, snappier and bass is a little harder hitting, but you can get quite close with the correct tubes plus you are awarded with a bigger 3D bubble, excellent instrument placement and a more natural tone and timbre. The top Holo stack was the only SS I heard so far, that didn't leave me unsatisfied with a colder and more digital SS sound. That is probably down to the excellent May R2R DAC.
There might be other SS amps I would enjoy, for example the cult and hype of the discontinued V281 is growing day by day. For now, I have ordered a Mjolnir 3, as some people whose opinion matters to me are thoroughly impressed by it, some even sold their Bliss after their Mjolnir 3 purchase. I am not sure yet, if I will keep both amps in the long run, so we shall see.
On OTL tube amps the Caldera is simply too warm, thick and boomy, but with OTC tube amps, where some care was put into selecting those NOS tubes, the most expensive ZMF can sound fabulous with satisfying bass even for EDM. It won't be quite like a top shelf SS bass, but you gain other benefits like a large 3D space and natural tone/timbre that most SS amps under 3K can't produce.
IMO in the end the choice comes down to taste, expectations and most preferred music genres.

MJ3 and Caldera is a match made in heaven. It’s extremely snappy and visceral you wont be disappointed.

Do you have any tube recs for HA-3A for a warmer sound?

 

[djentbat]

I need some help with noise. For the first month or so, my HA-3A was perfect.....very low noise floor and barely any perceptible noise, if any at all.

Then something changed and it now I get significant noise/distortion....kind of a sharp, piercing screech of varying intensity. Also, the noise floor seems significantly higher as well.

Here's the thing: nothing in my chain changed (PC->Topping Dx3 Pro+->HA-3A->ZMF cans). And I tried removing the PC/DAC completely and the noise is still there with just headphones plugged into the HA-3A. Other variables tested: different headphones/cables using standard and balanced, PC monitor turned off/unplugged, iFI GND Defender added/removed, iDefender+ USB added/removed, different power strips/wall plugin tried.

No luck.

So I'm thinking it's some ground loop that I haven't' been able to get rid of yet. Tapping on the cage around the tubes gets rid of it temporarily, but it always comes back pretty quickly.

Thoughts? Power issue or possibly tube gone bad? Unfortunately I don't have any other tubes on hand to test.

Thanks!

Could be the tubes, swap to your stock ones as imagine they still have some juice and see if that’s still present.

Another option to reduce noise if you plugged into your pc is to move to using a streamer. This reduces the noise from the usage of the USB port of a pc. I have a Wiim pro and it’s suited my needs perfectly.

 

[LXMc]

I need some help with noise. For the first month or so, my HA-3A was perfect.....very low noise floor and barely any perceptible noise, if any at all.

Then something changed and it now I get significant noise/distortion....kind of a sharp, piercing screech of varying intensity. Also, the noise floor seems significantly higher as well.

Here's the thing: nothing in my chain changed (PC->Topping Dx3 Pro+->HA-3A->ZMF cans). And I tried removing the PC/DAC completely and the noise is still there with just headphones plugged into the HA-3A. Other variables tested: different headphones/cables using standard and balanced, PC monitor turned off/unplugged, iFI GND Defender added/removed, iDefender+ USB added/removed, different power strips/wall plugin tried.

No luck.

So I'm thinking it's some ground loop that I haven't' been able to get rid of yet. Tapping on the cage around the tubes gets rid of it temporarily, but it always comes back pretty quickly.

Thoughts? Power issue or possibly tube gone bad? Unfortunately I don't have any other tubes on hand to test.

Thanks!

It seems likely one of your tubes has gone bad - though tapping the cage usually caused major reverb and microphonics in my case. Is it primarily making noise on one side? If that's the case, swap the power tubes, see if it changes sides, if it doesn't then swap the driver tubes and see. I ended up picking up additional tubes when trying to troubleshoot my issue and it was a power tube that had gone kaput.