What would be a good portable Dac/Amp to use with my HD6xx and Sony Xperia 1 V cell phone?
I am new to this hobby. I purchased a HD6XX and plan to use it with my Sony Xperia 1 V cell phone, that has a 3.5mm jack. I was wondering if I needed a portable dac/amp or just a portable amp and if so what would one recommend? Any assistance one could provide, would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Haz
Mar 7, 2024
Please explain to someone assuming nothing is known....
What are each of the tubes? Are there size designations I need to know? Or model numbers include the size? How does one go about shopping for different tubes to tube roll? Do you get both sizes at the same time? Do you just replace the big one? Hahah...see I don't even know what it's called. (the big one, the small one)
In order: "What are each of the tubes?" There are two tubes. The larger one in the back is the power tube, whereas the one in the front is the actual amplifier.
" Are there size designations I need to know? Or model numbers include the size? " There are model numbers actually printed on the unit itself, immediately beneath each tube socket. The power tube is "6AS7", and the amplifier tube is the "6SN7". As far as I can tell, as long as you get a tube that is a 6AS7, it's gonna fit in the 6SN7 socket, period.
" How does one go about shopping for different tubes to tube roll? " Research and ebay. The default tubes aren't bad by any means (at least for me), so at least start with them. (Note: my tubes were a bit corroded upon receipt so even though they worked and sounded great, they would have failed sooner rather than later.) Also, the keyword you're looking for is "new old stock", or "NOS". This means that the tubes are "new" in the sense that they've never been used, but have been "in stock" (on a shelf) for a while. Like 40 years a while. To replace my tubes, I did a fair amount of research. I got myself an RCA Military 6080 for the power tube, and an Electro-Harmonix Gold for the amp. My research suggested the EH was a very good choice, whereas the RCA military tube....I probably could have gotten something better, but oh well. It sounds nice, but bass isn't QUITE as punchy as I'd like. But it still sounds fantastic.
" Do you get both sizes at the same time? " You mean both tubes at the same time? Yes, they both come in the box. You mean "do I have to replace both at the same time"? No, you don't.
" Do you just replace the big one? " See above.
Some final notes: - This thing runs HOT. It shouldn't be an issue, but just don't grab the tubes when they're hot. I have a small USB fan (a quiet one) that is blowing on the side of this and things are MUCH cooler. - Sometimes when you get tubes, particularly the preamp tube, you might hear some hum/buzz. This does NOT mean you have a bad unit, or even a bad tube! When tubes haven't been used for a while, air leaks in VERY slowly. After a few days of use, or a solid day of burnin, the hum should dissipate/disappear. (Basically you're burning off the air. It's complicated and I'm not good at chemistry.) - This thing is awesome, and make sure you have a good audio source! Your 30c DAC in your phone is NOT a good audio source. If you're buying a tube amp I assume you already know this, but it's worth mentioning.
My only DAC is the Creative e5 I actually got here. My iPhone X is my source which I thought has a decent DAC. I’ll have to look into that next. I think output from iPhone requires a compatible DAC.
I actually have both amps--and they SOUND completely different. The DV is a much more powerful amp, plus it uses FAR better tubes. That being said, I like both amps BECAUSE they sound different. They both work well with different headphones which is another reason I use both.
BTW, I'm sure you've experimented with a variety of tubes with the MKII (it's such a great tube for tube rolling). If you want to take the amp to another level (assuming you haven't already), try the following tube set up: 1. For the driver tubes, get c3g tubes (you will need a c3g to 6ak5 adapter). While the c3g's are expensive (about $75 for a pair and about another $30 for the adapters), they are outrageous tubes. It's like getting a much higher end amp....the sound difference is stunning. 2. For the power tubes, get a pair of inexpensive 6sn7 tubes (I have a pair of Sylvania 6sn7gt tubes, early 50's vintage, that work really well that only cost me $30 for the pair). You will need 6sn7 to 6n6p converters.
The pictures below are of that set up.