Music Hall DAC 25.2 tube upgrade?

bklynNupe · July 2009

Im curious if anyone has replaced the stock tube in this unit or sent out for any of the modifications available? Is it worth it? Thanks

george daniel · July 2009

Had a conversation well a well respected polkie last night about this very subject,,different player though,,here are his thoughts,, upgrade the stock power cord,,tubes, and (optional) the output coupling capacitors,, that should get you the biggest bang for your buck--what type of tubes does your player use?

bklynNupe · July 2009

george daniel wrote: »

Had a conversation well a well respected polkie last night about this very subject,,different player though,,here are his thoughts,, upgrade the stock power cord,,tubes, and (optional) the output coupling capacitors,, that should get you the biggest bang for your buck--what type of tubes does your player use?

Hi George, here are the specs, thanks.

electro-harmonix 6922 tube single-ended (rca) output
solid-state differential balanced output
ti PCM 1796 24bit/192kHz DAC
ti SRC 4192 asynchronous sample rate converter
high precision active crystal oscillator master clock
user selectable 96kHz or 192kHz upsampling
asynchronous reclocking and anti jitter control system
8 x oversampling digital filter
4 digital inputs: coax (s/pdif), optical, XLR (AES/EBU), or USB
2 gold plated outputs; single ended (RCA), balanced (XLR)
headphone output with adjustable analog volume control
large high current oversize r-core power transformer
thick brushed aluminum fascia and solid chassis
110v/220v voltage selectable transformer
detachable power cord

thd+n: <0.04% tube out (1KHz)
<0.0015% balanced out (1KHz)
output level: 2.0V
frequency response: 2Hz~20KHz +/-0.2dB
snr: >110dB
power dissipation: <30W
dynamic range: > 120dB (24 bit)
> 96dB (16bit)
crosstalk: <-110dB
operating temperature: 0 ~ 40
headphone output level: 4V max
headphone output resistance: 0.3 ohm
power supply: AC115V/60Hz - 230V/50Hz

bklynNupe · July 2009

I've been reading about the tube upgrades, but I really don't know too much about what tube would be the best and what vendors I should consider?

george daniel · July 2009

Just my .02 worth,,buy NOS,,, Brent Jesse,,Jim McShane,, or any reputable dealer,, you'll pay more for REAL NOS,,but your ears will tell you why you spent the money.Tube rolling can be fun,, first,what kinda sound are you looking for,,up front,laid back,,revealing,, you need to answer those questions first. Start with an entry level PC,, Signal Cable,PS Audio, are good places to start,, look here in the FM,,buy a used power cable,,if you don't like it,you can always sell it here,,ask other owners for advice based upon their experience,, members on this forum have alot of experience that will steer you clear of "pitfalls",if you listen to them.Good luck,,and most of all have fun,,BTW,, you're heading down the right path---SOURCE-- have fun.

bklynNupe · July 2009

Good advice George.
I've been curious about the benefits of swapping out power cords, I guess I've been trying to prioritizing everything in my sound chain according to benefit and cost. In addition I have to process all of the info in my noggin.

So far as the tube preference, I’m really not sure.
A while back I purchased a Bellari VP129 Tube Phono Peamp from Audiogon. The seller included 4 extra tubes. I didn’t notice much of a difference between them. Except 1 RCA 6201. I really liked this one because it sounded warmer and smoother than the rest.
For what it is worth, I hope this is an Apples to Apples comparison.

bklynNupe · July 2009

So any suggestions on tube replacements? I don't have a clue so far as what to consider. Thanks.

miner · July 2009

I think this months Stereophile has done a review on the DAC.

jabrax · July 2009

Nupe - several sites have mentioned the JJ6922 as the upgrade tube of choice for this dac. Here is an example from Audiogon thread.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1240017810&read&keyw&zzmusic+hall+25+2

Yes, I am still waiting to snag one of these..... They just are not coming up for resale used... I consider that a good sign

debussyj · July 2009

I was considering picking up this DAC myself. I have an Audible Illusions Modulus 3B Preamp and it uses the same tubes (6922's). I've got all kinds in my personal stash. My favorites being Amperex Gold Pin, Siemens, Tungsram, Sovteks, Mullards. I just swap out the tubes depending on my mood and the sound I'm looking for. My favorites are the Amperex and Siemens. The Mullards sound very sweet, but my preamp runs hot and kills tubes easily and they just don't stand up very well. DJ

bklynNupe · July 2009

So I just ordered the NOS Mullard E88cc/01 to replace the Electro-harmonix 6922 stock tube in my Music Hall DAC 25.2.
I purchased from Brent Jessee at George's recommendation, I actually spoke to Brent via e-mail and over the phone.
According to Brent, this tube is from the '60's and will make a huge improvement in my sound, so much that you will not need to do other modification to my DAC. According to Brent, these are 10,000 hour rated so will outlast up to 4 pairs of Russian tubes!

Anyone own this particular tube? Any thoughts?
Thanks

bklynNupe · July 2009

jabrax wrote: »

Nupe - several sites have mentioned the JJ6922 as the upgrade tube of choice for this dac. Here is an example from Audiogon thread.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1240017810&read&keyw&zzmusic+hall+25+2

Yes, I am still waiting to snag one of these..... They just are not coming up for resale used... I consider that a good sign

Hey Jabrax, I did come across this on Audiogon discussion in an earlier search. From the postings, I got the sense that the modification was recommended with this particular tube. I asked Brent Jessees opinion about the modification, he felt the Mullard tube would be enough. Certainly, a highly rated tube is cheaper than a modification. So I figured Id give the Mullard a try. I may still try the modification, depending on my findings. As is, I like my Music Hall, but you know how it goes, .. always looking for a notch better.:D Thanks.

F1nut · July 2009

more cable nonsense

Hey tagger, you're a chicken **** coward and a complete moron. This thread is about tubes.

F1nut · July 2009

bklynNupe wrote: »

I've been reading about the tube upgrades, but I really don't know too much about what tube would be the best and what vendors I should consider?

Here's another highly recommended tube dealer.

https://www.tubeworld.com/index_high.htm

madmax · July 2009

I came here looking for more cable nonsense but all I see is jibberish about tubes... Damn. The amperex bugle boy 6922 tube did awsome things to my preamp. I'm thinking about trying one of those in the music hall, if I can find one of the tubes.
madmax

debussyj · July 2009

Tubeworld is great. I've bought several tubes from Brendan. He's a good guy and very helpful. DJ

Music Hall DAC 25.2 tube upgrade?

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