Got mine today. Sound is very good! Even with the stock tubes it is quite enjoyable to listen to. I have since swapped out the tubes for a full Gold Lion setup, and the sound is even better, I haven't been able to stop listening to music on it since the swap.
In the future I plan to extend the bottom of the case a bit and add an internal ODAC, so that the RCAs really can be outputs.... Need to crack it open and see what's inside first though. Will see if I am able to stop listening to it for long enough to do so..
PreludioYeah I got a tracking number the day before it showed up. I live really close to their warehouses.
Worth noting, if you want to tube roll I would go with a 12AU7 preamp tube, I tried both a 12AX7 (direct replacement, JJ non gold) and a 12AU7 (gold lion), and I found the 12AU7 seemed a lot more open, could be down to the specific tube, but it definitely doesn't need the extra gain, and 12AU7 is generally regarded as better for audio than 12AX7.
Jensen567I've been looking at rolling new tubes but that Gold Lion Tube is $45 on Amazon! Would replacing power tubes change as much? Or does the preamp tube have a larger impact on sound?
ILoveStuffYeah the gold lions are definitely not cheap. I got lucky, I joined the Bravo Audio V2 tube amp drop, which included a free gold lion, and they messed up and sent me 2, so my preamp tube was free (thanks MD!).
I got my power tubes off of eBay from seller "yenaudiostore" they also have the preamp tubes, $25 each for the 6v6 power tubes or $35 for the 12au7 preamp tube.
As to which had a bigger effect, definitely the preamp tube (I think going from 12ax7 to 12au7 had as much a part in that as going to gold lion). The power tubes definitely did make a difference also, but not as much as the preamp tube.
In the future I plan to extend the bottom of the case a bit and add an internal ODAC, so that the RCAs really can be outputs.... Need to crack it open and see what's inside first though. Will see if I am able to stop listening to it for long enough to do so..