I should have followed my own advice and kept my mouth shut until accumulating 50+ hours on the DAC. I have been running the DAC for 12 hours every day for the last 3-4 days, and the sound has transformed dramatically. I’ve always known that audio equipment requires extensive burn in but never expected such profound changes across the board.
The details are there, they’re just not as pronounced or etched as my previous DAC, but after getting used to the sound I actually prefer it now. My system has never sounded so smooth yet holographic. The soundstage depth and width, instrument separation and tonal richness is definitely a step above the cambridge audio DAC. Every thing sounds more natural and organic. But the biggest improvement so far has been in the bass department. Before I was getting a bit of bass bloom. That problem has been solved. As per Vlad, the DAC will continue to improve for another 50-70 hours before reaching its final destination.
Since I still have the Cambridge Audio 851D on hand, I put it back in the chain to see if the gains were real or just conformance bias on my part. While the details were sharper, I immediately noticed the lack of body and tonal richness. I’m beginning to understand the allure of R2R, definitely very addictive. |
Nice update!
Please keep adding details... |
Hey Arafiq
LOL, Yep.
When I first got mine it sounded ragged and closed in.
I thought I had made a mistake selling my ADI-2 DAC.
After around 60 hours it began to really open up.
At about 100 hours it absolutely blossomed.
I wrote to Vlad to thank him for providing such a musical piece at an affordable price, and mentioned my experience with burn in.
He said that the Toubadour will continue to improve up until @ 500 hours.
I have found that to be true so far.
Glad you're enjoying the music.
Cheers, P.B. |
How long does the tube on the Tubadour last? Never had tubes so this we be new to me. Nevermind. Expected tube life for 5977 subminiature tubes is >5000 hrs.
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Is there are benefit to using the XLR outputs vs the RCA on the Tubadour . It seems to me you have to choose one of the 2 when the unit is being built. That is it does not come with both outputs. I will be connecting the Tubadour to a Benchmark HPA4 preamp. I would prefer RCA since my other 2 XLR inputs are already spoken for, however, I could make some adjustments if the XLR is much better. |
@yyzsantabarbara I think the best thing to do is to reach out to Vlad directly and see what he says. Although, you probably won't hear from him for several days ... guess that's just the way he rolls. Another option is to ask teejay who is very well informed when it comes to such matter. But I must say that RCA is no slouch either.
@pastorbob -- Today I was playing some music via the Tubadour DAC while working. I can say it without a doubt that this is the best I've heard thus far. There is something just so magical and engaging, hard to describe in words. I'm going to keep pushing the envelope and get a better USB cable, followed by a power cord in the next month or so. I think eventually I'm going to ask Vlad to upgrade it to the SE version. Thanks once again for such a fantastic recommendation. |
Hi @Arafiq,
Spot on advice regarding contacting Vlad about the build.
That''s the beauty of dealing directly with the manufacturer (in this case Vlad...LOL)
I run Cardas Golden Presence RCA interconnects & am very pleased with them.
I've not had any experience with XLR connections.
My understanding is that XLR are beneficial when longer cable runs are in play.
Maybe you or someone can educate me about the benefits of XLR to sound quality.
As for the Tubadour; I agree with your comments completely.
In concert with tithe the LTA Micro Zotl amp the sound stage & imaging are indeed 3D with the right music.
What USB are you using?
I have the original Curious Cable from Australia.
It has made quite a difference in my system., so much so that I actually consider it a component.
I have gone through a few power cords, but not as many as interconnects.
I have found Audio Envy to be very good.
Right now I am using Signal Cable Magic power cords throughout & am happy with those.
Both of the above are VERY reasonably priced.
Kind regards,
P.B.
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@yyzsantabarbara IIRC, teejay (Terry London) has raved about the balanced version of MHDT Pagoda as compared to the regular version, so clearly there's a benefit. If the rest of the chain also supports balanced, I'm pretty sure it will offer some benefits. I hope he can shed some light on this topic. |
@pastorbob -- How much of an impact did a better USB cable make in your system? I'm currently using the AudioQuest Forest USB cable, which I bought for around $65. I don't necessarily have any complaints but just want to see if I can take it up by another notch. The owner of SmallGreenComputers is recommending the In-Akustik Reference cable since it has good synergy with the opticalRendu which I own. I'll take a look at Curios Cable as well. My budge for USB cable is $350 max -- new or used. Just wondering what kind of improvements, if any, have folks experienced when moving to a mid-priced (< $500) USB cable. |
I had my AM Tubadour upgraded to the SE, be ready for a painful break-in with those big caps. It’s certainly worth it. the dac retains its sonic signature, just a better version. I lost my left channel 5977 minis after about a year and a half. I replaced them with 6N1P-EV NOS <OTK-1> and grabbed a pair of backup minis from Vlad, which I haven’t rolled back in. The Russian tubes are really good too!
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Arafiq Audiogon member Grannyring manufacturer’s a absolutely fabulous USB cable for under you budget , I use two of his Smoked BBQ cables for my Innuos front end I’ve stopped trying other cables .
If you can use a USB cable between your dac and server “without” the 5v leg , find out before buying any USB cable this will further improve performance.
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Hey Arafiq,
Even after 20 something years in this audio hobby and knowing that with analogue systems cables can make a big, big difference I never gave USB cables a thought (seems I'll never learn).
As a newbie in computer / digital sound I just didn't consider the USB link & used whatever generic cable came with the component.
After all, it's just a data stream.
In my "audiophilia nervosa" at one point I decided to upgrade the USB.
I too got an Audioquest Forest considering this was a decent quality replacement & I could rest assured my connection was adequate.
With the Forest I heard no difference in sound.
About 2 years later I had a few bucks and decide to try the the Audioquest Carbon knowing I could return it to Amazon if I didn't like it.
Wow! It opened everything up, to my amazement.
Apparently USB cables could make a difference in how your system sounded & I used that cable for around 2 years.
Then I began to read about the Curious cable.
I decided to give it a try, it also had a return policy.
Well it sounded much better than the Carbon, much more like music.
Not only did detail improve, but all of those qualities we have shared about the Audio Mirror held true.
It is expensive, but, as I said, I do consider it a component.
It made THAT MUCH difference to the SQ of my system.
If you can't spent the 500 or so for the original Curious, I understand.
I would love to try the new Curious Evolved, but have to wait.
The only piece of gear I would, consider selling to help the cost at this point is my Sennheiser HD700 phones.
And those wouldn't bring enough to offset my enjoyment of them.
Yes the Audioquest Carbon opened my eyes (ears) to the effect a USB cable could have.
In fact I have kept it.
I would offer to send it to you to try, but Amazon will do the same, more quickly, with painless return.
In addition; I have found that Audioquest has a "house sound" compared to the very best cables.
Their stuff sounds very detailed at first, but it can become really bright and etched too.
There are probably USB cables other than the Curious that will preserve the essence of the music, perhaps at less expense.
I'm sure others will have suggestions.
Here's the bottom line for me:
DON'T SELL YOUR SYSTEM SHORT BY IGNORING THE EFFECT OF THE USB CABLE ON S.Q.
Again, sorry for the ramble. Hope it contains some useful info.
Cheers,
P.B.
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Just to add, I have no idea how the Curious would affect the sound with the Opt Rendu streamer. |
@pastorbob and @in_shore Thank you for the recommendations. I was trying to search for the Smoked BBQ cable but all I'm finding is expired listings.
I checked out the Curious Cable website, and looks like they sell the regular version for $350 (0.8m). Given that pastorbob has paired it with the same DAC as mine, I at least have a relatable point of reference. They also have a newer, more expensive version called Evolved for $550. A bit outside my budget but wondering if any one has compared it with the regular version and thinks its worth the extra dough. I guess I should be posting in the cables forum. |
@jmolsberg -- it's good to know that you're happy with the upgraded version. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of improvements did you notice? Were they subtle or quite noticeable? Once I upgrade the USB cable, power cord, RCA cables, in that order, I will start thinking about sending it to Vlad for an upgrade.
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^ it becomes more liquid / musical with a lower noise floor.
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Arafiq the double smoked BBQ USB cable , I’m tell’n ya its a good one , look up member Grannyring and contact him for details.
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@in_shore I'm sure it's a great product, and I most definitely want to support a regular agon member if I can. But I can't seem to find any reviews on this product. More importantly I don't know what kind of synergy is there with my AMT dac. If you can point me to some reviews I would really appreciate it, |
Arafiq I think how my purchase came about wasn’t from any reviews I read or even someone’s else’s recommendation ,
Sure comments and reviews are most definitely helpful however what got me to try his USB cables were other respected Audiogon members using Grannyrings other cables that got my interest.Myself and others using his Double Smoked BBQ 🍖 USB are content with them . I use two , one from my Innuos Zenith 3 to a Innuos Phoenix to my dac , they are a huge bang for the buck wires ,.
Don / Grannyring may have a return policy , ask him he’s a pleasant guy to deal with ....
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