iTunes through Vacuum Tube Amp

[ChrisA]

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The biggest problem with "audiophilia" is the toll it takes on your time and attention. Are you listening to music as much as you are auditioning gear?
...

You are right about that. That best why to say it is to define

Audiophile: A person who listens to stereo equipment, as opposed to music.


As for cost you can get into it get cheap. There is a strong Do It Yourself movement where people build gear. You can find an old 1950's console radio or old tube TV set and rebuild it into a very high end hifi amp. I get far more enjoyment building something like this out of salvaged parts that from simply buying a ready made product.

I'll admit to listening to gear too. In fact double so because I'm into both HiFi and musical instrument amps. Last night I tried to learn to play Eric Clapton's "sunshine of your love" from the Cream album DisrailyGears (SP?) Clapton plays a few notes on the (low) 6th string that sound good on the CD but are just muddy "thuds" when I try. So now, I can't help but think about how the next guitar amp built should go. Or maybe I should just upgrade a speaker and output transformer?....

 

[krlbch]

An Inexpensive Way to Sooth Your ALAC

What happened when I took a pair of cheap Behringer MIC100s and swapped out the 12AX7 tubes for high-current 12AU7 valves? Good things.

I can now listen to lossless audio files (as opposed to audiophiles...which have a strident, whiny sound about them) all day at work without ear fatigue setting in. Prior to the tubes, I could only withstand about two hours' worth.

What you'll need:

2 X Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC100s
1 X Behringer UCA202 USB-DAC (auto-recognized by Mac, PC, Linux)
2 X Electro-Harmonix 12AU7/ECC82 tubes
4 X 1/4" male phono to female RCA adaptors
1 X standard dual male RCA to female 1/8" stereo headphone cable
1 x standard dual male RCA interconnects
1 x good pair stereo headphones
Small Phillips screwdriver
10 minutes (if you know what you're doing), 20 minutes if you don't

Use the screwdriver to remove the four screws (2 on each side) holding each preamp together. Remove the two screws in each one holding the tube retainer in place. With a clean handkerchief, remove and save the 12AX7. Using the same handkerchief, press in the 12AU7. Reverse the case-opening procedure.

The UCA202 plugs into your computer, the UCA202 goes into the input of both MIC100s. The headphone cable goes into both outputs.

Set the GAIN control to ZERO, adjust the OUTPUT control to meet your needs. Leave all the square black MIC-100 buttons alone.

What do you get? A personal, you-are-there, high-buck audio experience for a song. The 12AU7 takes away the over-brightness of the 12AX7 and provides more punch to the bass while remaining smooth, and linear.

Rock on!