I am reading about the unbalancer offered by Glassware Audio these days.
My purpose is to use with the opus DAC from TPA.
http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/digital/opus.aspx
What I am looking for is the tube warmth in my system and use the balanced output from opus board with unbalanced system .
I have heard a few complaining of hum issues.
Can I hear from people who are using an unbalancer or used to have one ?
http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/unbalacer.html
My purpose is to use with the opus DAC from TPA.
http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/digital/opus.aspx
What I am looking for is the tube warmth in my system and use the balanced output from opus board with unbalanced system .
I have heard a few complaining of hum issues.
Can I hear from people who are using an unbalancer or used to have one ?
http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/unbalacer.html
Yes , Andrew. But I like to see if adding the unbalancer will bring in some tube warmth or analog quality .
BigE said:
If you want genuine 'tube sound' then the best way to get this is to buy a cheap Chinese 'tube buffer' off Ebay. Choose one with a very low supply rail voltage (say, 12V) and lots of blue LEDs lighting up the valves. You will get lots of 2nd, both harmonics and IM. Your non-technical friends will be impressed too.kinku said:
I like that sarcasm but I am not looking for a change in my sexual orientation......
I don't think tube sound is all about 2nd harmonic. How do you explain then Push-pull amplifiers, where the 2nd harmonics cancel out?
IMO, tube sound is found in the absence of high order harmonics. If your DAC is polluting the sound with such harmonics. The high order harmonics are already there and the tube won't get rid of them. You'd be better off changing the DAC than by attempting to mask them with even more distortion.
It has been suggested that our ear is very sensitive to the high order harmonics, so you 'd be fighting a losing cause.
IMO, tube sound is found in the absence of high order harmonics. If your DAC is polluting the sound with such harmonics. The high order harmonics are already there and the tube won't get rid of them. You'd be better off changing the DAC than by attempting to mask them with even more distortion.
It has been suggested that our ear is very sensitive to the high order harmonics, so you 'd be fighting a losing cause.
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...comments sometimes appear harsh at times and it derails threads which you nicely avoided. Just saying.
If you are interested in making something yourself - this is DIY afterall - and you don't need voltage gain before your power amplifier then perhaps a Cathode Follower buffer might be your cup of tea. I don't have a specific circuit to suggest, but the 6DJ8 (or 6N23P) offers the option to operate at less dangerous voltages than many other tubes without giving up a lot.
Another option is a Common Cathode pre-amp with relatively low gain, and the one that comes to mind is based on the popular 6V6 tube. Although it is an output power tube it can be used as a preamp if you want to. There's a good thread on that around here somewhere. Edit: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/102352-6v6-line-preamp.html
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I suspect that almost any DAC is more linear than almost any tube amp, higher harmonics included. I may be wrong.BigE said:
There are two types of 'tube sound':
1. good sound which happens to use tubes as the active devices
2. sound which misuses tubes to get preferred (mainly low order) distortion
When someone specifically asks for 'tube sound' I often assume they mean the latter.
Is it possible to use unbalancer in unity gain. I was reading the pdf file from glassware .the first stage of unbalancer further reduce the noise and with correct resistors it can be used as a IV stage too. Unbalancer further improve noise parameters. Am I wrong?
DF6 I am looking for the best like anyone else and please don't assume I am not looking for anything that will make it worse.
Unfortunately I missed the bus for tubes and trying to catch up. Hope you will help.
DF6 I am looking for the best like anyone else and please don't assume I am not looking for anything that will make it worse.
Unfortunately I missed the bus for tubes and trying to catch up. Hope you will help.
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I have an Opus DAC and I built a BCF out of curiosity. I was using a twisted pear balse to do the I/V conversion. The opus with the balse was dead quite and has very good sound quality, the BCF had a hellacious hum that I just couldn't get rid of. And I tried lots of solutions. So now the BCF is in the recycle pile. It's too bad since I had also built two Aikido peramps earlier and have been very happy with them, clean, clear, dead quite.
Paul
Paul
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