FX Audio 6j1 tube preamp - a $31 wonder

In spite of ongoing hearing problems with my right going deaf, I've auditioned the FX last night on a variety of material and today worked on the Pass B-1 to put it back in to parity check my somewhat mixed impressions of the FX, and sorry to say the FX not going to make the cut here for me.
I don't want to be a buzzkill on the thread.

I sound like a broken record when I keep saying "it's all system related". My best sounding amp are the Bottlehead 2a3 SET mono blocks where a passive shines but the FX is a poor choice. But that doesn't stop me from loving what the FX does with several other of my amps.
 
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Youve not killed my buzz Pio,i look forward to turning the FX on everyday in its present configuration as a buffer into my old Trio amplifier.......smooth yet dramatic,excellent timbre to unelectrified instruments and that aspiration all good systems have.Through 15 inch Tannoy Golds its one big banquet.Its a bargain miracle IMHO.:):beatnik::)
 
In spite of ongoing hearing problems with my right going deaf, I've auditioned the FX last night on a variety of material and today worked on the Pass B-1 to put it back in to parity check my somewhat mixed impressions of the FX, and sorry to say the FX not going to make the cut here for me.
I don't want to be a buzzkill on the thread.

Hi Pio1980,

No buzzkill at all.
Was the FX tested with a linear supply ?
I went to a linear supply soon after receiving the item and have packed away the stock PSU. i didnt get much of a listen to it in stock trim.
 
PG, I have enjoyed the 2 minute upgrade, switching the supplied wall wart to a Radio Shack 3 amp regulated supply. The difference is not subtle. I heard the opening up of the sound stage, more detail in the highs, more bass that have been reported previously. I did have to back off the volume control.

Paul Desmond's smooth and dry alto sax tone came through even more on the CD "Take Ten". Jim Hall's superb guitar work backing up Desmond was more palpable with the change. Both musicians seemed to move a bit mor in front of the speakers.
I am looking forward to listening to more of my favorites.
Highly recommended.
 
PG, I have enjoyed the 2 minute upgrade, switching the supplied wall wart to a Radio Shack 3 amp regulated supply. The difference is not subtle. I heard the opening up of the sound stage, more detail in the highs, more bass that have been reported previously. I did have to back off the volume control.

Paul Desmond's smooth and dry alto sax tone came through even more on the CD "Take Ten". Jim Hall's superb guitar work backing up Desmond was more palpable with the change. Both musicians seemed to move a bit mor in front of the speakers.
I am looking forward to listening to more of my favorites.
Highly recommended.

Ed, not only do we hear alike but we listen to the same music. :thumbsup:
 
Listening to some very old and roughed up zep albums today so its difficult to pay attn to the system. Preparing for a zep cover show.
 
Hi Pio1980,

No buzzkill at all.
Was the FX tested with a linear supply ?
I went to a linear supply soon after receiving the item and have packed away the stock PSU. i didnt get much of a listen to it in stock trim.
No, the oem supply was used. I may try a regulated linear on sometime. The audible problems were with a general lack of transparency and a definite congestion of complex material when things get busy.
 
Tell us about your system.
Space limited, it's between nearfield and small room listening. Two Advent 2 Econowaveguide mod'ed on 3 ft stands , Advent bottom, JBL top with Zilch's crossover design. Speaker wire 28 ga zip. ICs are Zu, light weigh with good connectors.
I used a self-built passive control with a high grade Noble switchpoint 10k pot for years as a standard until the controls showed signs of being worn, and replaced it reluctantly with a Pass Labs DIY B-1 Buffer, which thankfully passes muster for transparency without any audible "yes-but" reservations. Power amps vary as I am an amp junkie with a habit. Presently using an Iverson Eagle 2 I overhauled several years ago that makes the cut, others that do include the Allo Volt +D and a Muse One Hundred MOSFET amp. Also representing tubes is the Marantz 8, a magnificent vintage example that unfortunately sounds lackluster in this system, which seems to prefer to be driven with solid state that can double down for a bottom end that doesn't need a sub on these remarkably musically involving and satisfying speakers. I have yet to give the magnificent Marantz a try on the 4 Ohm taps.
Digital source is a Pioneer Elite DV-45A allmode player, analogue is a few reasonably decent turntable cart combos with decent MM / LOMC preamps.

I myself am hearing impaired but still a stiff critic of mediocre sound with relatively little time left to spend time with gear that doesn't get me into the music without annoying me with obvious problems with letting it out into the room. I'm getting older at 72 and I may be going deaf sooner than I thought.
 
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Today listening to zep at bbc on cd tc745-fx01-adcom535-polkm7ii. Really nice. The recordings are problematic of course but a real nice view into 1969-1971.
 
I'm considering another go-around with a regulated linear ps and perhaps different tubes, if I can talk myself into the additional investment.
 
Voskhod 6J1P-EVs known for the rocket logo on them have been the most pleasant surprise and they have a very well rounded and decidedly "Hifi" sound. with detailed extended airy top octaves and real nice impactful bass. I of course prefer the more full bodied thicker mid range that the WE403 did but I think most my audiophile friends will probably choose the Russian as the more accomplished one.
 
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I remembered that I have had this Allo audio Boss 2.1 DAC (I originally bought it to use the as DAC + digital cross over but then i bougth a full-on active cross over) for some time and I had forgotten about it, now that it is slim pickings in my digital front end arsenal I decided to use them so i did some hours of listening with this DAC as source and I think it is garbage and sounds no better than any run of the mill Sabre DAC (sounding thin and fatiguing because high freuencies just sound wrong, thin and lit up, metallic, digital) but here goes
piano-dac-21.jpg


so far among all the 6J1 equivalents that I have tried the biggest disappointment, and confusingly so, have been the Yugoslavia 6HM5 also known as EC900 made by Ei
I say confusingly because they have a reputation for soft tubey and gooey sound and what I am hearing is the exact opposite. These were supposed to be big on euphonics and based on this reputation I was expecting these to end up being my favorites. This is the kind of sound that I actually like. I am always happy to sacrifice resolution and extension for some warm forward midrange and attack and transients for some sweet lush (even at the cost of it being somewhat muted) top end. Didnt really work out though.

s-l1600.jpg


first is that these are THE most microphonic tubes that i have ever heard. it is incredible even if a spec of dust lands on them i will hear it amplified. every vibration (this got a little better after a few hours). they sound thin and metallic. the mid range is just off, tonally they are my least favorite. maybe they need more time burning in..

on the other hand the cheap Russian Voskhod 6J1P-EVs known for the rocket logo on them have been the most pleasant surprise and they have a very well rounded and decidedly "Hifi" sound. with detailed extended airy top octaves and real nice impactful bass. I of course prefer the more full bodied thicker mid range that the WE403 did but I think most my audiophile friends will probably choose the Russian as the more accomplished one.

6ZH1P-EV-6J1P-EV-valve-tube-Matched-pairs.jpg
If that is a picture of the DAC you have, then it is a Piano, rather than a Boss.

If you do have the Piano 2.1, the best results are achieved by running it in ''dual mono' mode, with the interconnects using the two outermost RCAs. If the software you use supports it, can I suggest trying again in this mode?

People who do use the Piano improve things further using a Kali board to reduce jitter, and even further by using an Isolator between the RPi and the DAC.

Of course, after all of this you still have ESS Sabre chips, which people seem to love or hate...
 
Yes I do have the piano. My bad. Thanks. The piano has ti 5142 chips that so far sound even worse than sabre based dacs. I will try What you said in terms of the outputs but I don't feel like spendibg on thet isolator or Kali for this dac. Not worth it. I wil Burn it in for more hours and also use an lps in the coming days.
 
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