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EQUIPMENT FORUMS >> MINI TORII >> New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
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Message started by grinnell on 02/15/13 at 16:19:29

Title: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by grinnell on 02/15/13 at 16:19:29

I just got a MT used and damn. Loving this thing, so much more depth and musicality than my Primaluna. I am using this with my Ref 3a De Capo's and so far plenty of sound even though they are 92db eff.

The other thing i like about this amp is the tubes. Lots of them and cheap, easy to roll, and the glow.

This was a wild hair/hare purchase as I had put a deposit down on a Grommes PHI-26 6/1.75 wpc int amp (3-6 month wait). Couldn't wait to see what a low watt system sounded like so..........

Sold one of my older H-blad cameras so not too bad; now to sell the Primaluna which was a great entry amp.

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by Lon on 02/15/13 at 16:55:58

Welcome grinnell! Is that your last name. One of my best friends of the 'Seventies in Ohio was (the late) Billy "Rabbi" Grinnell, one of the most amazing persons I've ever know, a true friend as well.

Enjoy your amp! Welcome to the Decware world.

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by grinnell on 02/15/13 at 18:51:53

Thanks Lon,

My nick is from my alma mater in Iowa.

Been listening to Led Zep I, Zappa Apostrophe and so far it just gets better

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by Lon on 02/15/13 at 18:59:28

Thanks for the info. I realized today I've reached a certain age, beyond doubt, when I post a bit about a departed friend.

Okay, if you'll pardon my Spanish, I think you're discovering that Decware amps have cojones. :) Just keep enjoying it and over the next weeks the amp will pull you in and keep you occupied in musical pleasure. It will keep surprising you for months. Each of the amps I've owned from Decware have kept improving with time.

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by Pale Rider on 02/15/13 at 19:25:44

Lon is right; they just get better with age. Tubes and humans, maybe not quite so reliably. ;)

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by hifitubes on 03/09/13 at 07:33:56

I had to sell my MT a few years ago, and I think I'm going back to one with the Planar mod. Then I'll have a SET and SEP on hand. It's just a wonderful amp in all the regards you mention and form factor, tube regulated etc.

I still have nice tubes for it, and it REALLY shined when I rolled in the E80CC instead of 12AU7 (which is approved by Steve).

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by Fireblade on 03/09/13 at 16:14:11

Interesting comment about the E80CC, as I've considered it myself for the Mini, but after reading reviews from people with experience using them in smaller amps, it seems to convey a somewhat clinical sound.

It is supposed to be very audiophile, but too clinical, with a lot of emphasis in detail retrieving, making it a difficult listen for long stretches.

I don't believe what I read in the net literally, but chances are one may be forced to reduce trial-and-error by other people's experiences, biased or not.

In this case, though, your particular feedback seems more Mini-Torii based and I may try it, after all. Thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by busterfree on 03/09/13 at 21:35:47

I would be interested to hear opinions on the E80CC in the MT.

Title: Re: New to Low Watt or pretty low watt
Post by Fireblade on 03/10/13 at 04:15:47

Not to answer your question, but relevant nevertheless. I just finished a long tube-rolling stage on the Mini Torii, and found quite a different setup to the stock complement to be much better.

The curious thing is, I have not tried that many alternatives (will continue on stage two, with a 2nd tube stash), but the changes are already very significant.

Driver: Brimar 12AT7 (white letters label, made in England). Replaces stock RCA (USA) 5963.

Output tube: Reflektor plant, black glass, Russian 6V6. Replaces stock JJ 6V6 S

Rectifier: RFT EZ-80. Replaces stock JJ EZ-81

Output VR: Sylvania OA3 (stock)

Input VR: OC2 (stock)

Excellent detail retrieval, amidst a warmth only special driver/output tube combinations manage to provide (a marriage made in heaven). Great bass throughout the relevant frequency spectrum.

I used to have a dark, non-transparent, semi-booming sound overall, that worked fine with excellent recordings but was just ok with most selections.

Today, the described combination has beaten everything else I've tried so far, and I sincerely doubt major improvements over this are possible from tube-rolling alone (but you really never know.)

The reason why this took so long to test is the Mini really does not 'cook' the tubes as with other more powerful amps, and so, normally the burning-in takes much longer.

In addition, both the Brimar driver and the Russian 6V6 are tough cookies to bake, sounding awful during most of the long burning-in expected time horizon.

In the end, the results are more than worth it, and I can report great satisfaction from this tube set. The reason I intend to continue for a 2nd stage, is to see if more driver choices can open up new fine-tuning avenues in the Mini, mostly because I have not tried any more drivers than those two.

I found current production Tung-Sol 6V6GT a close second to the Black Glass tube, but with a tendency to go overboard on high pitch passages (brightish under high frequency demands), which excludes it from classical music, although still a good choice for jazz and rock.

The stock JJ 6V6 S seems to lack pace and power compared to the other two, and decidedly laid back and very uninteresting.

The stock RCA 5963 is definitely not working in my system, it does not matter what other tubes go with it, it is terrible. The Sylvania OA3, which works wonders now, used to overcome this driver to the point of rendering the sound heavy bass-diffused and dark. The only remedy came in the form of OD3 VR's, but these would flatten the sound,rendering it two-dimensional.

All in all, a great experience and a nice and relatively cheap way to significantly improve the sound. Of course, this result is entirely my own conclusion, under my own system conditions (see signature), and it may not work like this in different settings, preferences, etc.

My quest right now is to find a couple more good driver candidates to see if I can still improve upon this.