Tube Buffer VS Tube DAC VS ? (let the fight begin)

halkaloogie

The Jerk
I've been reading a lot about Tube buffers and want to know if they are worth it or a bogus idea and I'd be better off with a better DAC than the wolfson dac in my player.

I'm happy with the player I have 80% of the time, but at times on certain recordings that are not mixed/recorded all that well the ear fatigue is almost immediate. I want something to take the edge off and warm up the bad CD's and either enhance the overall sound or everything, or give me the ability to turn it off and remove it from the chain.
 
I noticed a pleasant difference between my Schitt Fulla and Aune T1 which has a tube buffer. Not better just warmer. But I like the way tubes sound compared to SS. I have also noticed that bad recordings just get more badder :cool: the further up the DAC food chain you go.
 
A tube buffer will help to take the edge off from my experience, you may need to try several different tubes to find the right balance and some tubes sound just plain awful. If you use a pre-amp with a tape loop you can throw a tube buffer in it which will give you the ability to conveniently switch it in and out.
 
My personal experience with a couple of tube buffers says save the money you'll be spending on a gimmick and put it towards a better preamp. A buffer may or may not take the edge of the occasional digititis. It it does it's at the expense of the music in other areas; mushy bass, rolled off highs. I had the same result with a tubed dac. To me the music sounds better through the ss output of the tube dac.
 
Yup, the buffer will rob you off some details for sure, and on both ends of the spectrum. Still can be pleasant to listen to though and reduce fatigue, one really needs to try it to make their own decision.
 
I also have the Aune T-1 and have liked it for he most part, inexpensive 3 years ago and have always wondered if the 6922 tube warmed things up. It's a Headphone amp as well and wondered if the tube was just for the headphone circuit? Would like to eventually try a Shitt Multibit......
 
I also have the Aune T-1 and have liked it for he most part, inexpensive 3 years ago and have always wondered if the 6922 tube warmed things up. It's a Headphone amp as well and wondered if the tube was just for the headphone circuit?.

As long as you're using the built-in DAC the tube is in the path, both the headphone and line outputs. It is bypassed when RCA inputs are in use.
 
I also have the Aune T-1 and have liked it for he most part, inexpensive 3 years ago and have always wondered if the 6922 tube warmed things up. It's a Headphone amp as well and wondered if the tube was just for the headphone circuit? Would like to eventually try a Shitt Multibit......

Just picked mine up, I spend a lot of time in a recording studio and doing some live sound. Makes the exaggerated digital highs sound more natural to me.
 
Thanks guys, I use the Aune as a DAC only with RCA cables. So, I'm just burning a 6922 up for nothing then? Al
 
My Maverick TubeMagic D1+ doubles as a DAC and buffer. It has analog in, so I can route most anything through it. Adds a lot of flexibility when rolling tubes in the main amps - those are running a tube set that would be too dark for my tastes without the buffer stage. That's running a brighter tube to make it just right.

PS ... that 6922 may be giving you the same (or better) flexibility having it in the audio chain. A little tweak here, a little tweak there ... all adds up in the end.
 
Thanks guys, I use the Aune as a DAC only with RCA cables. So, I'm just burning a 6922 up for nothing then? Al

Maybe someone could clarify, but if you aren't using the USB input it sounds like you may not even be using it as a DAC at all; just an amplifier (or preamp).
 
Thanks guys, I use the Aune as a DAC only with RCA cables. So, I'm just burning a 6922 up for nothing then? Al

If the toggle switch on the top panel is set to USB you're using the tube. If it is set to LINE the tube is bypassed and its line-level RCA inputs are connected directly to the SS headphone amp.
 
I owned the Musical Fidelity X10 tube buffer many years ago. I thought it was a gimmick. You would be better off tracking down the true problem in your system and correcting that.
 
As long as you're using the built-in DAC the tube is in the path, both the headphone and line outputs. It is bypassed when RCA inputs are in use.

Good to know. Haven’t cracked the book or haven’t gotten that far with it, using at my desk at work with laptop. It’s moslty for traveling for work with headphones.:beerchug:
 
I have also noticed that bad recordings just get more badder :cool: the further up the DAC food chain you go.
My Maverick TubeMagic D1+ doubles as a DAC and buffer. It has analog in, so I can route most anything through it. Adds a lot of flexibility when rolling tubes in the main amps - those are running a tube set that would be too dark for my tastes without the buffer stage. That's running a brighter tube to make it just right.

PS ... that 6922 may be giving you the same (or better) flexibility having it in the audio chain. A little tweak here, a little tweak there ... all adds up in the end.


I've seen those Mavericks in a few threads mentioned. They aren't too expensive, how do you like it? and are you running it as preamp or just a DAC?
 
Maybe someone could clarify, but if you aren't using the USB input it sounds like you may not even be using it as a DAC at all; just an amplifier (or preamp).

I will investigate and actually open the manual tomorrow at work. Hope it’s worth opening, that would be rare nowadays.
 
I've seen those Mavericks in a few threads mentioned. They aren't too expensive, how do you like it? and are you running it as preamp or just a DAC?

I am not any help with the Maverick, almost bought one last week for same reason as you but decided to go a different route when I got a deal on my Aune. My main objective was for headphones traveling and something to use at home when not.

Edit: been a couple weeks actually.
 
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