[DoctaCosmos]

I'm definitely considering it but it's a shootout between this and the chord mojo right now. Metin the mojo I'll be able to make my rig portable and on Jude's Singapore can jam video he post today he said its his new reference portable and that it measures ridiculously good. Obviously I'm here because of the tube aspect so it's going to be hard to choose

 

[Luckbad]

I'm definitely considering it but it's a shootout between this and the chord mojo right now. Metin the mojo I'll be able to make my rig portable and on Jude's Singapore can jam video he post today he said its his new reference portable and that it measures ridiculously good. Obviously I'm here because of the tube aspect so it's going to be hard to choose

 
Very different approaches. If your primary concern is portable, the Mojo could be a good option. I can't imagine it would hold up against a good desktop R-2R rig for desktop use, though.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

I'm definitely considering it but it's a shootout between this and the chord mojo right now. Metin the mojo I'll be able to make my rig portable and on Jude's Singapore can jam video he post today he said its his new reference portable and that it measures ridiculously good. Obviously I'm here because of the tube aspect so it's going to be hard to choose

So you want something for speaker use and portable? If portability is a big part then the MHDT Dacs while small in footprint, isn't very portable friendly with it's acrylic panel.  With that said the Chord Mojo Hugo (edit: never heard the Mojo) was a nice setup when I had it for a few weeks, I'd still take the MHDT Dacs over it however since the Mojo was still DS. Portability for me is not that big, I have a Fiio X1 for that..

 

[DoctaCosmos]

i just thought the mojo would be great because I would be able to go portable with my headphone and the dac is suppose to be beast. Then if I wanted to I could also use it just as a dac running to a better headphone amp. Still not sure what would be a good amp to match the Atlantis. I'd like to keep the chain zero feedback if possible but they don't come too cheap and I don't know of many

 

[Luckbad]

i just thought the mojo would be great because I would be able to go portable with my headphone and the dac is suppose to be beast. Then if I wanted to I could also use it just as a dac running to a better headphone amp. Still not sure what would be a good amp to match the Atlantis. I'd like to keep the chain zero feedback if possible but they don't come too cheap and I don't know of many

 
By the way, if you're looking for a non-feedback amp that is incredible bang for the buck, look at the Garage1217 amps.
 
I will have two non-feedback tube stacks soon, replacing my Master-11 that I have at home right now (selling it for extra money and because it only gets ~2 hours of listening a night max).
 
System 1: MHDT Labs Atlantis -> Garage1217 Project Sunrise III
System 2: MHDT Labs Atlantis -> Garage1217 Project Ember II
 
That's two Atlantis...es? Atlanti? Two of them, not one with two amps I swap between. One for work, one for home. I plan to keep the Sunrise III at work and Ember II at home (in part because the Sunrise III is Class A and gets super hot, and I have a toddler).
 
You can build yourself a near-TOTL non-feedback tube setup for ~$1000. The combo is good enough that I imagine I'll miss my Audio-GD Master-11 sometimes, but I expect I'll be happy with the combos.
 
Tons of versatility with the tubes, no grain, no harshness, just an absolute delight.
 
I have an aluminum CNC'd chassis on the way for the Sunrise III. Also, I don't actually leave them stacked even though it looks good like that. I don't know if the heat will be a problem, but why risk it?
 

 

[ericr]

Listened to the Mojo at the mini meet a couple of weeks ago.  The soundstage and bass were good, while the treble is rolled off somewhat (the owner agreed).

Edit: no DS hash or etch on the treble either though which is nice. It's just a little soft on top - lacking the extension & sparkle of my (non-portable) MHDT Paradisea 3 and Project Ember combo.

 

[Luckbad]

It's interesting that so many of us Garage1217 fans are also MHDT Labs fans.
 
Something about tubes and bang for the buck? Being able to see components? Tons of flexibility in a relatively small package? Supporting the little guys?
 
Maybe it's just the sound. Romantic but honest, powerful and clear, euphonic yet detailed, organic while lush.

 

[Luckbad]

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

 

The CNC alu looks great on the amp. Looks better stacked now. BTW, shouldn't be an issue on heat/vent since the Sunrise 3 has rubber footing and that section of the DAC doesn't really get hot.

 

[Luckbad]

 
The CNC alu looks great on the amp. Looks better stacked now. BTW, shouldn't be an issue on heat/vent since the Sunrise 3 has rubber footing and that section of the DAC doesn't really get hot.

 
Yup! I've left it on there for a few hours now and the CNC chassis actually helps dissipate the heat. It's barely warm under it now.

 

[Luckbad]

In addition to @Soundsgoodtome trying out the AEG tubes and some checking out the 6SN7 via the Garage1217 adapter, I'm checking with Jeremy to see if he can make a 6N2P -> 5670 adapter.
 
The 6N2P-EV is the most rugged military version of the family, and it is pretty similar in spec to 5670 / 2C51 / 396A tubes.
 
They're also very inexpensive, and Lampizator recommends them highly: 
 
Quote from Lampizator:

[size=20.007px]6N2P[/size] Discovery of this tube was a shock for me. Nothing prepared me for such leap in quality. When designing my best hot-rodded superdac SATCH TUBED, I was researching alternative tubes and I found in the very end the one which thrashed them all - 6N2P. 

It looks like typical small noval, but the SOUND !!!!! What a revelation. Everyone whom I subjected to test drive of 6N2P in their own gear commented that this can't be true. Such is the quality leap.

This tube is somewhat similar to ECC83 but beats it in quality hands down. 

The very high amplification factor of 6N2P (100) predistines it to working with small input signals, such as from I OUT DACS. and in circuits with very high load impedance - like another tube grid. 

Yes, the tube 6N2p is IDEALLY suited to work especially with the Wold's best DAC chips - TDA1540, TDA1541A,  TDA1541A/S1, TDA1541A/S2, AD1862, AD1865, PCM58, PCM63, PCM1702, PCM1704 and PCM1794. 

This tube is absolutely not recommended to make lampizators for the U out DACs like the best of this kind CS4397, CS4398, AD1855, TDA1549, and Wolfson WM8740 and WM8741
For these DAC types - use LAMPIZATOR with 6N6P tube (6H6Pi).

THE BEST SCHEMATICS OF THE 6N2P Lampizator and TDA DAC

DATASHEET OF 6N2P

 

[Luckbad]

I've acquired way too many Western Electric tubes (including two wins because someone retracted their bids on eBay!). Already hooked @HighNFidelity up with a great matched pair for his Pagoda Balanced (awaiting your impressions!).
 
I have two Western Electric JW 2C51 / 396A that don't have measurements. If anyone wants them (think I paid $20 a piece plus shipping), let me know. Otherwise, I think I can have them tested by a local guy if/when I buy another tube from him.
 

 

[Luckbad]

Also, more information from correspondence with Jiun.
 
"Would the Atlantis benefit from a linear power supply?"
 

Hi Ryan,  
I don't think so, since the power supply inside Atlantis are already good linear power supply.
 
Jiun

 
"Would the Atlantis support 6N2P-EV tubes with the proper adapter?"
 

Hi Ryan,  
6N2P-EV is about the same as 6AX7.
This tube is good for high voltage and don't know how it sounded in low voltage's situation.
It will work on an unnormal condition like 6SN7.
 
If you know the best sounding of a tube is when this tube is near dying.  May be this is our proverb says "Sunset is beautiful but near dusk".  So, You can try but I doubt that the sound will be correct.

Best yours,
Jiun
Mhdt Labs

 
At first I thought he meant that tubes sound best when they are very old and about to give up, but I believe he means they generally work best when being pushed hard and that the MHDT dacs don't push much voltage into tubes.
 
That doesn't discourage me from trying them if I can get an adapter made by Jeremy @Garage1217 since Lampizator indicated that they're great for dacs.

 

[Luckbad]

Mirroring most of a PM I sent someone for any interested:

I haven't heard the Stockholm yet. I picked up an Atlantis and I think it's pretty incredible, especially since you can get it for ~$10% less than the eBay price + shipping if you email MHDT directly instead of buying through eBay.

The MHDT in general is a warm, liquid sound. It has a decent flourish of sparkle, air, and very good soundstage. Tubes alter it a bit in different directions. I really like the Western Electric 396a / 2c51 tubes so far.

Frankly, I usually want a warm, romantic sound. My current chain is exactly that. MHDT Atlantis -> Garage1217 Project Sunrise III. I have a second Atlantis on the way and an Ember II coming as well. The Sunrise is warmer/softer than the Ember while the Ember is more detailed, dynamic, and neutral.

I've fallen in love with tubes, and the fact that you can get this chain for ~$1000 is awesome. I've spend many thousands in the past year or so trying to find the right headphones, amp, and DAC. I finally realized that I don't necessarily need TOTL gear like Master-11 and Yggy for home since I listen for much less time there than work, and all the super TOTL stuff is gigantic and can't be used at work.

The short(ish) version of the comparison:

1. They are equally smooth given the same amplifier and the right tubes.
2. The soundstage seems to be slightly deeper on the Atlantis to me than the Master-11, while the M11 is perhaps a touch wider.
3. The Atlantis punches a little harder in the bass with the Western Electric tube than M11. It is said to punch a bit less but add detail, air, and sparkle with a Bendix tube.
4. (continuing with the Western Electric because it's the only one I've used much)
5. The Master-11 is a bit better with detail retrieval and resolution. It's also more dynamic.
6. Both have the beautifully organic R-2R sound.
7. Amazing timbre and instrument reproduction on both.

It's hard to know exactly what you want. Frankly, one DAC/Amp setup is going to corrupt your ears to another. I found that out the hard way by trying to much the same that you are. The Master-11 was an ideal blend of warmth and detail. A smooth sound that allows you to hear into the music without violating your ears with brightness. When you get used to the brighter/more detailed setup the other one will sound gooey and syrupy in comparison. When you listen to the warmer setup the other will sound etched and bright in comparison.

You probably won't love both for long.

I really don't like the Yggdrasil personally. The Gungnir Multibit is slightly warmer with nearly as much detail as the Yggy and is the only dac from Schiit I'd ever consider purchasing at this point. I've heard the Yggy a good bit and owned a Bimby and Modi before.

The Yggy in my mind is like an overdeveloped photo with saturation, sharpness, and emboss applied to allow you to see more of a photo than was originally visible (but it was there). The Gumby is similar but turns off the extra sharpness. The Master-11 is a bit different of an animal. It takes a photo and adds a touch of saturation, warms the colors up a bit to make them cozy, and increases the resolution of the photo taken without sharpening at all.

The Atlantis is like a beautiful painting of the same picture. All of the same details are there, but any edge or sharpness is removed. Blemishes are largely painted out instead of left imperfect. But everything important is still there. It leaves me more likely to crack a little smile despite not being certain that the guy who I sneezed was three rows deep, second from the left (instead it sounds like some guy who sneezed to my left and forward a bit).  

 

[Luckbad]

Second post updated with a FAQ. Let me know what else should go there or if you spot any errors.
 
Also, I contacted Jeremy at Garage1217 and it sounds like getting an adapter made for the 6N2P wouldn't be cheap because he'd need to buy a new PCB to make it. I picked up two adapters from eBay to try out the tube type. If it sounds amazing, maybe we can group buy and bring the cost of a Jeremy adapter way down.
 
And more glamour shots: