HELP! I bought equipment drunk, don’t know anything.

I think at this point we should all get drunk and give the OP some advice about cables.

Just curious as to the circumstances. There is a massive amount of nos 12au7 variants out there. If you are inclined to try more, I suggest Amperex, the older the better. These will be the ecc82 type. If you like their sound, they also make the 7316, which is considered by many to be best sounding 12au7 variant of them all.
Caveat, NOT inexpensive. 

Hi thecarpathian - they chose me. An acquaintance had an old new pair so I grabbed them to compare with the JJs that came with the kit. First time I’ve rolled. Sound is marvellous. Why do you ask?

Ronnie,
What made you choose the GE 5814's?
Have you rolled any others?

Just pipping in from the sidelines because this this thread is getting long in the tooth and needs to be closed out...

I took some earlier poster’s advice on board and bought some Red Breast Irish whiskey and woke up to a Rega turntable receipt and postage notification. True story unless the missus is asking. Scout’s honour. Whatever it takes - I’m new to this.

The A2s, Audiolab 6000a in poweramp mode and Elekit preamp with some nos jan g.e 5814s has been a dream purchase for a person on a budget. Coming from a powered studio monitor background, I’m floored by the detail and depth of this set up. Music has never sounded better to me. Silver medal cos could add a sub for the gold.

No troll. All truth. Appreciate all the responses and advice. All the best, Ronnie

Lost track of this thread. Has anyone got the Coyote Ugly component yet?

I think I've told this before but years ago, I had a night like that, woke up the next morning to discover that I had bought an airplane.  

Red Breast Irish should do fine……

Obviously a troll.
People are responding to this idiocy?

or maybe just a laid off salesperson for synergistic fuses?  🤣🤣🤣

gotta admit some of the responses made me laugh

Obviously a troll. 
People are responding to this idiocy? 

Salesman must be a winner.  Look at it this way, Some people buy the Same equipment sober at least you have a excuse.

Audio shops are closed now keep some drink for Monday

Bottle of Irish whiskey. Need cables

It’s Friday night 8 pm eastern time and 5 pacific, and everywhere in between. What are we all purchasing tonight…?

sns, "don't you boys know any nice songs"? Always cracked me up!

Talk about spending like a drunken sailor,did you get a tattoo?

Thank goodness, no. I wasn't part of that and wouldn't inflict that on anyone. It was just something my neighbor told me.

All the best,
Nonoise

Ronniewills, not to be flippant, as I believe you're being honest, and you could have done much worse in the purchase department!  And I get it, I've had the drinking issues as well. But have you considered open mike night at comedy club, I love the one where you mentioned GLUEING the Elekit together, love it! I'm not being facetious, but I suspect you're a natural at making people laugh. Not too many could get on here and admit to the silly things they've done, drunk or not.


I've never purchased audio equipment when on mind altering substances, but I've had many a listening session when under the influence. Neighbors pounding on walls yelling 'turn it down,' thought I was listening to Frank Zapa's Joe's Garage.

I mean rally? I got engaged and had two kids after drinking. 

Its posts like this that keep me from deleting my logon and password from my vault.  Best OP in a long time.

A few years ago I purchased two Bass Guitars (seperatly) on the big auction site. One a 58' Fender the other a Fodera. One of which I was influenced by wine the other not. I don't recall which. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with both. At the time I had the attitude I don't give an "F"!! They were expensive!

Talk about spending like a drunken sailor,did you get a tattoo?

After a bachelor party, my old neighbor woke up in a bus station in San Diego butt naked with just a trenchcoat to cover him and enough money for bus fare. Seems his friends thought it’d be funny to have him bus himself all the way back to L.A. to get married the next day. Not funny.

All the best,
Nonoise

What have I started!?!

   Ah the progression of the disease. If you wake up one morning in a strange place with two miss matched speakers , go to an impatient program . 

Note to self - Stop drinking. Do you know I never drink? I’ve not had a drink since 1974 when I was in the Navy. Well, not for everyone. But if you’re buying gear drunk you have a problem. 

You need a designated buyer.

You are not alone...lol...UGH...

Time for someone to invent a breathalyzer that ties into your computer banking account.

Time to go to AA!!

Aren’t we ALL guilty of that to some extent esp when we were (are) locked down?!?

How long did you purchase?

Perhaps it is not too late to cancel the order and contact your credit card company to stop payments?

your Not an Idiot! you were just being Honest and wanting an Honest Answer.., Please Commend yourself for Doing as Such! ! Personally do Things.. Purchases.. and I'm Sure We All Have even Straight as an Arrow.. and the next day we scratch our head.. I Have..

What's up with all the random capitalization? You typing on some sort of "special" keyboard?

Can i plug an amp line out into the preamp line in, then run the preamp out back into the poweramp in? Or will that create a blackhole?

You certainly should not run an amplified out from your speaker taps on the amp back into a line level input on a pre.  I used to do that and called it "wiring amps in series" but it's a seriously dumb thing to do and it doesn't increase power or do anything else other than impress your college roomates that you can splice a speaker wire back into an RCA jack.

If you are talking about a line out - say a tape loop or preamp out, you can do it. Depending on the topography of the gear, daisy chaining all this together could dilute the signal and degrade quality.  And bluetooth is generally not considered quality.

One thing I like about Roon for digital is that you can use their zone functions to duplicate a signal through multiple DACs and still have them synched, which allows more tinkering.  

Have fun!  I second the idea of not drinking heavily while soldering, but there are of course other intoxicants that might enhance your experience.  

Long time lurker.

Best thread ever.

18 years of sobriety today.

Have learned that I don't need to be drunk to [insert wildly impulsive audio purchase here]. At least I wake up and remember now lol.

Thank you jfuquay for the sage advice! A $4000 accidental amp purchase would be my dream as i’d also be single again and have plenty more time to enjoy the accident!

Not assembling anything just yet. Just plotting and building it in my head at this stage. Bit more reading on potential tweaks to caps etc. There is so much info out there I should’ve known before l launched. But then there always is and the journey has to kick off somewhere. To happy endings.

Have dad duty calling but will film the build and post a vid on youtube with all the kit I bought but haven’t met yet when it comes.

I believe AA could be your friend. 

Please do not sit down to assemble the Elekit with a bottle of your favorite wine at your side. Maybe a glass or two will be OK, but after that I predict the odds of installing a capacitor bassackwards with rise 15 percent with every additional glass. But I sympathize with your predicament. I had a small stroke in 2019 and found my impulse control lacking afterward. I distinctly remember clicking the “Buy” button for a PS Audio Directstream DAC for “just” $4,000 — roughly the combined cost of my amp and speakers — and then wondering what the hell I’d been thinking. I sounded so nice I kept it, so I hope you have the same happy ending.

You are at the right place for uninformed expensive purchases. When the first batch of gear proves less than stellar get drunk again and maybe the second time will work. Or the tenth or fortieth. May I recommend you also drink the right labels and properly expensive libations? It will help you choose expensive gear you can then write about asking if anyone else owns them too. Really you are asking if it sounds as bad to others as yours does to you but some day good fortune will strike and an inebriated purchase will sound right by accident.

<<No ball rash, not gambling, haven’t told the missus, didn’t crap in the bed, still breathing>>

LOL!

Thanks ronniewills launching this thread.

All the best 

JD

Just opened the Elekit box. Interesting. A few more bits of parts than I imagined, to be honest. Kidding sit down. They say only 4.5hrs to build. I reckon 5

Thank you WTF325! Haha. Not quite the M3 but, yes - something to fear and look forward to at the same. Would recommend.

Learn the hard way and have a story to tell on a forum one day.

No ball rash, not gambling, haven’t told the missus, didn’t crap in  the bed, still breathing.

Serious question though -

My 6000a can be used as an intergrated amp, a preamp or a power amp with a separate preamp. Amp also has Bluetooth.

I have an old valve preamp that i want to run the Bluetooth signal through.

Can i plug an amp line out into the preamp line in, then run the preamp out back into the poweramp in? Or will that create a blackhole?

Incredible, as in not credible.

Could be worse, you didn’t get married…

I’ve been where you are and once made an offer on a brand new 2008 BMW M3 on eBay only to wake up and see they accepted my offer.  I went ahead with the transaction and thoroughly enjoyed that purchase in the end.  Fast forward 13 years and now sober for 6.5 years.  Life isn’t as “exciting and chaotic” and still enjoying fun toys but no longer wake up with that instant fear of “what did I do last night and immediate urge to clean up my mess!”   Good luck and enjoy your new HiFi. 

Well you own the gear now so put it together and see how it sounds. If it doesn’t sound good, get drunk some night and sell it. 

No Miller, the question is how drunk do you have to get to buy $200 coloured fuses.  'I liked the pretty colours'? 

...at least you didn't wake up next to someone you don't know and wouldn't ordinarily care to.....;)

Another lesson learned backwards.....

It’s all good.

You could have woken up with an awkward rash…

Every time you turn the pre on, you’ll remember how you don’t remember buying it. Hopefully, you can remember building it :)

your Not an Idiot!  you were just being Honest and wanting an Honest Answer..,  Please Commend yourself for Doing as Such!  ! Personally do Things.. Purchases..  and I'm Sure We All Have even Straight as an Arrow.. and the next day we scratch our head..  I Have..