Did anyone try any preamp to pair with ELEKIT TU-8800? What's outcome? Worth the efforts or money? How about tube buffer (another rabbit hole or snake oil? LOL)?
My setup:
Digital source: Raspberry Pi 4B (running Volumio + Qobuz HiRes streaming & FLAC/DSD local files on a USB hard drive) + iancanada FIFO reclocker & HDMI I2S output
DAC: Denafrips PONTUS II using HDMI I2S input
Amp: Elekit TU 8800 SET tube amp with KT-88, transformer/resistor/pod upgrade, (still debating about the capacitor upgrade)
Speakers: DIY version of Decware ZF15L with Lii Audio F-15 drivers (https://www.decwareproducts.com/zms), plus a solid-state sub-woofer plate amp to drive a Lii Audio W-15 woofer driver to compensate for bass frequencies below 60Hz
Room size: Width 12 ft, Length 20 ft, Height 7ft
Room treatment: some DIY diffuser and absorber panels on 4 walls, floor is concrete with carpet, drop ceiling
Listening position: 4~5 ft from backwall
Speaker position: 4 ft from front wall, 1 ft from side walls
Listening Impression: with good recordings, I can hear wall of music coming towards me with instrument separations and some depth behind the speakers. The soundstage does not extend beyond the left or right of the speakers (except for 1 or 2 live concert songs). The vocal is at eye level (driver level), kind of low for me. Just wondering if there is any room for improvement and how.
Thanks for sharing your experience or thoughts in advance.
My setup:
Digital source: Raspberry Pi 4B (running Volumio + Qobuz HiRes streaming & FLAC/DSD local files on a USB hard drive) + iancanada FIFO reclocker & HDMI I2S output
DAC: Denafrips PONTUS II using HDMI I2S input
Amp: Elekit TU 8800 SET tube amp with KT-88, transformer/resistor/pod upgrade, (still debating about the capacitor upgrade)
Speakers: DIY version of Decware ZF15L with Lii Audio F-15 drivers (https://www.decwareproducts.com/zms), plus a solid-state sub-woofer plate amp to drive a Lii Audio W-15 woofer driver to compensate for bass frequencies below 60Hz
Room size: Width 12 ft, Length 20 ft, Height 7ft
Room treatment: some DIY diffuser and absorber panels on 4 walls, floor is concrete with carpet, drop ceiling
Listening position: 4~5 ft from backwall
Speaker position: 4 ft from front wall, 1 ft from side walls
Listening Impression: with good recordings, I can hear wall of music coming towards me with instrument separations and some depth behind the speakers. The soundstage does not extend beyond the left or right of the speakers (except for 1 or 2 live concert songs). The vocal is at eye level (driver level), kind of low for me. Just wondering if there is any room for improvement and how.
Thanks for sharing your experience or thoughts in advance.
TU-8550 is a full phono + Line stage
Phono (12AX7 X2 + 2 AU7 X 1 ) + Line stage (12AX7 X 2 + 12AU& X 1)
Phono (12AX7 X2 + 2 AU7 X 1 ) + Line stage (12AX7 X 2 + 12AU& X 1)
I do not know why you are linking the Preamp to snake oil...
I sugget you to upfrade your stck output transfroer to Lundahl + 2X 0.1 and 2X 0.01 coupling caps to VCAP CuTFWE do not offer Snake oil... WE only offer real listening experience..
Thanks vkung for your reply. Sorry for the confusion. When I mentioned snake oil with a question mark?, I was talking about "tube buffer" instead... My intention was asking: is tube buffer a rabbit hole or something makes you feel good l.
I don't think preamp is snake oil, otherwise I won't be asking for suggestions here. Again, sorry for the confusion.
I don't think preamp is snake oil, otherwise I won't be asking for suggestions here. Again, sorry for the confusion.
I have very similar speakers, and I got the soundstage to expand vertically by tilting the baffle up a little. Did you try that? Worked great for me.
Also, I don't know how wide your room is, or how much flexibility you have in speaker placement, but you might try bringing the speakers closer together to get them farther away from the walls. I found that having the speaker close to the wall like that seemed to make the sound a little muddier, presumably because the sound coming from direct, plus bouncing off the walls, plus the dipole off the back all mixed together a little too closely.
Also, I don't know how wide your room is, or how much flexibility you have in speaker placement, but you might try bringing the speakers closer together to get them farther away from the walls. I found that having the speaker close to the wall like that seemed to make the sound a little muddier, presumably because the sound coming from direct, plus bouncing off the walls, plus the dipole off the back all mixed together a little too closely.