Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 18:08:01 GMT
i have 4 different tubes i can use in the Ember.
as for "cleanness" 3 come out best, as the fourth one is old and covered in finger marks.
for "clearness" its a photo finish, cos they are all made of glass.
on a serious note, as far as audio goes i am struggling to hear any difference.
i think it is due to the amount of time it takes to change the tubes.
i know it dont take long but my ageing noggin forgets what it just heard.
therefore they all sound great. i cant see me getting into "tube rolling".
is it possible the differences would be more noticeable with orchestral/classic music? (not something i listen to)
either way i am extremely happy with my purchase and my valve stock should outlive me.
had a good couple of hours listening late last night, then realised at 1.30 am that it was actually friday morning and not saturday! oops.
will be a late one tonight now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 18:49:21 GMT
While it's true that tubes can have an effect Simon, it can be pretty subtle most of the time and you need good gear and ears to easily identify it. For me, I find it better to stick with one until I get a real handle on its sound so that once you change it, it should be easier to identify. I like the one I'm using at the moment so I stay with it. No way would I spend $300 dollars on a collection to shunt in and out!! I'd rather get a headphone. I guess another pruning job Frans? Yep i would have to agree with that advice. i am sticking with the tube that the Ember came fitted with. have boxed the rest away for a rainy day. i would just like to add, just in case someone reading this needs that "final push", the service from Jeremy is absolutely flawless. this amp is really a "no-brainer". BUY IT !!!!! i am glad i did  |
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Post by itsalive on Sept 28, 2013 17:08:31 GMT
Line out issues... I got a question about the functionality of the line-out and headphone socket on the Ember. The Ember is primarily intended as a headphone amp but CAN also be used as a tube-buffer (with volume control) so sort-of like a pre-amp but without extra inputs. The line-out is more of a 'bonus feature' than a primary one. Once the amp is activated the output signal splits into a separate section for line out (with voltage division resistors) and to the headphone socket and it's respective output Resistance selector. This means the RCA line out signal will always be present and is not 'affected' by anything that may be connected to the headphone socket and does not 'mute' when a headphone is connected. Some owners, however, would like to use it as a pre-amp and like to 'mute' the line-out the moment a headphone is plugged into the amp. This avoids having to adjust the amplifier chain or switching it off when using a headphone. Similar to what happens when a headphone is plugged into a mobile phone, TV or some stereo receivers. Fortunately the amplifier is fitted with a headphone socket that contains a switch that could do this. The option is not used because not every one would like the line-out to be switched off when a headphone is inserted. Because the amplifier is a DIY device and the components are there but only the wiring for it is missing the Ember line-out can be changed so it has the ability to mute the line-out when a headphone is inserted in the headphone socket. This involves cutting 5 traces on the BOTTOM layer and soldering 1 short wire and 2 longer wires. How to do this is shown in the picture below  The traces are shown from the TOP side but are located on the BOTTOM side. So when looking for these traces remember they will be 'mirrored'. Cut the 5 traces where they are marked. make sure the copper trace is open circuit by removing a small part of it. Solder wires as indicated by the orange 'wires'. After this modification the line-out signal will be muted whenever a headphone is inserted in the headphone socket. Thanks for the informations solderdude, a friend just applied these modifications to my Ember and it works like a charm ! Now the Ember is 100% convenient to use for me, no need to switch of speakers anymore  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2013 20:03:01 GMT
have any of you Ember owners experienced any problems with the vol pot?
mine is a bit flakey at the lower end.
fully CCW (7 o'clock)i can hear very faint playback, as i rotate CW nothing changes until roughly 8 o'clock.
at this point the volume leaps up considerably.
is this just the nature of the pot fitted?
makes no difference if i change output resistor jumpers!
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solderdude
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measureutternutter
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Post by solderdude on Sept 28, 2013 20:58:20 GMT
Set the gain to 'low', that's what the gain setting is there for, to get more travel on the pot and get out of the 'area' below 9'o clock.
It's indeed how smaller sized potmeters work in the lower region.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 28, 2013 21:07:41 GMT
Yes, Mine is set at low gain, Simon. Sensitive, low impedance headphones will show that more so.
I also changed the volume knob to help this. A larger control knob gives better sensitivity than the small one that it comes with. I'm even thinking of a larger one actually. The top of the volume knob I currently use is about a quarter of an inch lower than the top plate. So I may get one half an inch bigger to give another quarter either side.
The only thing is, I like the one I have because it's a gold plated knob!!
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Post by techboy on Sept 30, 2013 10:36:46 GMT
Yes. I have noticed that with the volume pot. I have no problem with that. I don't think it is a big issue. Though a friend of mine objected to it, but again, it wasn't an issue especially considering the overall performance and price.
Also, me and 3 of my friends compared Ember head to head with Beta22 with HD 650 with a very powerful DIY DAC. If anybody is interested in knowing the results, I can chime in. Otherwise you can always PM me.
Thank You
Aakshey
For those who are interested in knowing how HD 650 pairs with Ember. It pairs excellently. There is absolutely no veil like there is with other amps I tried.
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Post by itsalive on Sept 30, 2013 15:32:18 GMT
Yes, Mine is set at low gain, Simon. Sensitive, low impedance headphones will show that more so. I think i will set mine at low gain too, i noticed that i mainly listening with 12AT7/ECC81 and other medium/high mu tubes.. |
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 30, 2013 15:43:34 GMT
Low gain is plenty tbh. I even drive the Fostex T40 and T50 at low gain and they're pretty difficult. It has an enormous amount of power and now, when I use anything else, it seems so weedy!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2013 19:02:50 GMT
Low gain is plenty tbh. I even drive the Fostex T40 and T50 at low gain and they're pretty difficult. It has an enormous amount of power and now, when I use anything else, it seems so weedy!! i have to admit i forgot i had swapped jumper to high gain on the amp's arrival. have now reset to low gain. even on the high output resistor setting i am just over the 9 o'clock position, with my lcd-2. it gets me out of the troublesome area of the vol pot, just. this amp just seems to have shed loads of power. still got a couple of impedance adapters to fall back on if needed. trouble is my flac files seem to have such a variety of volume levels, just had to tweak it down again on current track. |
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Sept 30, 2013 19:10:23 GMT
The gain can be lowered further if needed.
It only needs a change of the 2 resistors next to the gain jumpers.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 30, 2013 19:49:22 GMT
Simon, if low gain is still too high, try putting the output impedance up to 100 ohms.
It will possibly slightly warm up.... take the top edge down, but it will also lower the volume for you. If you like the sound then it's fine. At 100 ohms, the edge may slightly be changed in the treble, but it is quite slight, if you detect it and if you don't, it saves any alterations having to be made.
It's perfect for the T40 and T50 but lower impedance can show the volume tracking at the bottom end. Having said that, I even use it with The Audio Technica ATH A900 which is a really easy headphoe to drive and it's still ok for me.
The larger volume knob helps to fine tune it as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2013 20:28:40 GMT
The gain can be lowered further if needed. It only needs a change of the 2 resistors next to the gain jumpers. no need for that the low gain setting has done the trick, even back on the low output imp' setting. but i think i will go for a bigger knob, as Ian suggests. i dont know why i changed the gain jumpers in the first place, as according to my notes, i left it on low gain on my trial. old age is catching up with me, i guess. Ian, could you post a link to where you bought your gold knob? have searched google , but dont want to get something too cheap and plastic! |
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 30, 2013 20:58:17 GMT
Simon, they're not cheap but extremely good. They look good on the Ember as well. You can choose from gold plated to silver plated to silver matt finish or black. I used the 25mm (or is it 28 mm) The 30mm would be ok as well. I was thinking of going up to a bigger silver one myself. www.audionote.co.uk/comp/trimmings.shtml |
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Post by itsalive on Sept 30, 2013 21:22:42 GMT
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