And just to slightly divert this topic back to the Loxjie P20…
I realised that I am only really using the P20 at work and the Atom turned into a volume controller for the ceiling speakers I have in the office (which I can only turn on when my colleague is not around!), so I decided to take the Atom home.
Now the SU-8 is feeding balanced into the P20 for headphone use and the unbalanced output of the SU-8 goes into a BSS BLU-160 which in turn feeds a QSC CX302 and some JBL Control ceiling speakers and subs. This can get pretty loud if I forget to turn down the SU-8 before switching on the QSC as it is set to full for the P20, I have startled myself already a few times
Now I need to find a set of closed backs that like a balanced feed, something that the Custom Studios don’t like for some reason. I am thinking the MSR7b will be the next set to be given a run with the P20.
I ordered my P20 5 weeks ago, expecting it will arrive w/in next week or so. Ordered a pair of driver tubes for them, will put it all together when the amp shows up. I’m pretty curious how good this will sound…
1 Review is mostly done but there is a backlog before it will get to be posted. Quoting 1 comment:
" Ok, I thought this might be a joke or a toy. Not laughing now. Local meet had people really taking notice. Dante fed Lavry DA11 into P20 w GE 5670 and iFi SMPS into my NoiseNuke dropped many jaws…
Please note the SNR of > 120 dB!!!
And crosstalk > 90 dB!!!
I had to run those measurements many times to convince myself of what I was observing."
I purchased the Loxjie P20 back in January to match my also-new Massdrop/Senn HD6XX. I’m using a raspberry pi 3 B+ serving up Volumio for my digital transport, with the Allo BOSS 1.2 DAC HAT. I do not have a balanced DAC, just the Allo RCA’s into the P20.
This thread was one of the reasons I decided to give the P20 a try. I haven’t been disappointed. I work from home and listen to this setup M-F 7-4, and can’t get enough of it.
I did replace the stock 6NP tubes with some matched GE JAN 5670W’s. I’ve also replaced the stock power supply with a Jameco 5 amp switch supply. The stock supply seems weak. When starting the P20, there would be an initial startup with lights on, then the lights briefly turned off, and then back on. This occurred with every startup. Now that I have a higher current supply, it just start up and stays on with the first click of the knob. Weird.
I’m looking forward to some third party measurements of the amplifier. For whatever it’s worth, I really really like the way it sounds. It’s a whole other experience, as compared to my circa 90’s hi-fi loudspeaker setup (also based on a pi/volumio source setup). For the $90 I paid for the amp, I feel like I got my full money’s worth. I’m also new to headphone hi-fi, so I don’t have a lot of reference otherwise.
I’ve heard the amp is supposed to really shine in full Balanced IN to Balanced OUT, but I don’t have a balanced DAC to pair it with. Maybe someday in the near future. But to my ears, I’m really enjoying my music with this setup!
Hey thanks. The Allo was sitting in a box for a bit after I replaced it with a Topping D30 for my loudspeaker rig. It sounds excellent with the P20 in my opinion. I was happy to get it running again with this setup.
No, that’s not ethernet. I connect via 5ghz wireless to get access to my SSD NAS drive on the router. Those wires are for power. One is for power to the pi. The other is power fed separately to the Boss, with ifi ipower 5v.
Thanks for sharing. Excellent results! I noticed the P20 was sold out yesterday on Amazon, but it appears there are some units currently available now.
I’m reading this thread the second time around and it’s certainly longer with much more discussion now!
Can any member chime in (with a general consensus) as to if the best SQ from which tube has been determined?
Also, IS there a general consensus as to the best match as well as the best value match. And where does this little guy top out when it comes to spent on better tubes?
I'm about to grab one in Canada but before pulling the trigger, I'm wondering if I'm about to enter tube hell or if this amp is limited by it’s nature as to how much $ on tubes will improve it’s SQ.
I’m new to owning tubed gear but have heard (years ago) decent tube amps like Dark Voice 337(balanced) LD (balanced) and ASL (SE) tube amps.
I like the “euphonic blooming” nature of the sound of tubes (for lack of a better descriptor) from what I remember. And am wondering if I’m going to get that from this amp for $150-$200 all in?
Thanks for any quick summary that might be offered.
The above linked post from SBAF referenced this somewhat. The OP suggested that GE 5670W tubes were a good price:performance for this amp. I also happened to use these tubes as well with it, and am satisfied with them over the included 6NP tubes, but paid more than what they referenced in the SBAF review. I believe I paid approximately $30 shipped for a matched pair.
“Solid State” tubes - actually tube replacements have been around a long time. I was fine with them in an old tube radio when it was hard to find an actual tube.
If you are interested in a tube sound, using a “solid state” tube replacement will defeat the purpose. They are transistors, and some other components to let them appear to the circuit as the original tube would. However they have all the benefits and drawbacks of any solid state component. So, they will not drift. But they will clip like hell if overdriven.
There’s an approach to guitar amplifiers that uses solid-state manipulation to “believably” and “effectively” emulate tubes:
These products (Boss Katana) have a decent reputation in the rock/guitar world, and the culture is extremely “real tube” focused. This has been attempted for decades and wasn’t so great in the past. I’m not sure how well it might be able to manage clipping and preserve details with music reproduction.
I have a couple of bass pedals that can give me a very convincing tube tone when mixed with other instruments, without the hassle of running a very expensive tube amp (at least if I wanted to equal my solid state set up). They are definitely not exact replacements but you would struggle to notice in a band/song.
