Just wanted to say I got out of the headphone 'way of listening' for quite a while. Speakers and amps are fun! Magnepan! Kef! Etc! Etc! After close to a year of just studio monitors and loudspeakers, I put on my Verite Opens (Desert Ironwood if you are from the desert and intersted in...

I have a custom cable from Paladin to go with my ZMF Verite and I will say...I like it even more than the $400 cable I purchased from ZMF. It sounds...cleaner? more transparent? It's hard to articulate the differences, but they are there when I A/B in my studio.

Congrats. I own the VO in Ironwood and it's amazing. Please DO heed the advice though about break-in. It's real on those drivers.

Mine didn't last too long and it was new production. Maybe 50 hours or so in a BHC??? I think they sound OK, but they aren't super high quality.

Amen to this. My BHC loves almost every tube I throw at it.

Is it one of those ts tubes with a red base? Those are sort of meh quality-wise. I've had a couple go out on me, too.

Hey guys, yes, I was planning to come to the meet. I'm gonna have to back out, though. I just moved into a new home and have committed to the spouse that this weekend will be unpacking and relieving her from kid duty.

Very true on halogen! Not so true on big thick vacuum tubes that can ride aboard an ICBM.

I was kidding about joking about being serious and trying to joke about the serious topic of oil on tubes. That certainly clears it up! Now...where are those gloves I changed my car's oil with...I have some hot tubes to swap on my amp...

In all seriousness, I was joking...I don't think touching the tubes makes a difference, even with oily hands, right? Everything I've ever read on the subject says that the issue is akin to 'snakeoil.' Sorry for the pun. Here's one example from Upscale Audio addressing the topic in their FAQ...

Don't you know that touching vacuum tubes with your hands imparts oil on the tubes which greatly impacts the sound quality and makes amplifiers explode!!!! Or at least that's what I was told on YouTube. :floatsmile:

If I could have a SS amp that sounds like a tube amp, I'd be happy :)

Well, the least you can do is inform as us to what 2.1 system you put together... And don't fret...I'm sure there will be more headphones in the future for all of us.

Every time I see a Felix Audio amp, I want to buy a Felix Audio amp. Very attractive setup. I'm sure this would play well with my Verite... What headphones are you driving with this amplifier?

Have you tried the Universe hybrids? I tried Verite, Universe (hybrid and lambskin), and BE2 hybrid. So far, the Universe hybrid is my preference, though the BE2 seems the most neutral. But I am not Amir, so neutral be damned (he says as he places the 1/4 jack into a tube amplifier).

I love the Loki for my HD800. I keep a preset on it. It turns on for the HD800 and off for my Eikon or Utopia. The HD800 with a bit of bass boost is a really, really underrated headphone. The bass on that goes extremely deep if you push it a bit. If I were to EQ the Eikon, I'd want it to be...

I use the solid Auteur pads and have found that they have good bass, FWIW.

Replying to this old post if only to show some other green 5998 text from earlier in the thread.

That tube looks minty fresh. Including the minty text and super-clean pins.

RTX 3090?

Hold up! Does the untreated copper change color to that beautiful blueish patina???? If so, sign me up! That would be awesome.

Whoa dude. You got good taste. The HD800S, the Ampsandsound amp...nice stuff. Make sure to report back after burn-in on what you think about the Kinzie amp. I'm really interested in getting one of those for my VO!! Seems like it would be a big step up from my Bottlehead Crack :)

I was thinking it could be a 7236 with a slightly different finished look to the tube. I've never owned a 7236, so I'll look forward to trying it out in the Incubus.

I hadn't bought a tube in several months outside of buying a big lot of 'poorly' testing 5998 tubes (3 of 6 are fine). And this caught my eye. This '421a' tube. Any thoughts on this impulse purchase as I await its arrival??? I'm a Chatham 6as7g and TS 5998 guy and don't have too much...

I live in Huntsville and would be interested in joining. I'm vaccinated, too. Do we need to post what equipment we would bring? I have a Verite Open, Eikon, HD800, and Focal Utopia I could bring to the meet-up.