Head-Direct EF1 Headphone Amplifier

Frederik S · 09-10-2008, 05:53 PM

To read this review go to: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/EF1/

Please Digg the review to help us promote it.

tkpenalty · 09-16-2008, 08:19 AM

Wow! Vacuum tubes!

paybackdaman · 09-16-2008, 08:59 AM

You're definitely not gonna find this in my shopping cart anytime soon. Hopefully, though, we will keep getting innovations on sound equipment, because it seems that everyone is pushing sound into the background as the visual market grows.

Frederik S · 09-16-2008, 06:17 PM

The sale of high end audio equipment has never been higher. The surge in demand for quality AV equipment in general has caused a lot of new products to surface, both when it comes to quality TVs and audio equipment. Even a great movie is worthless if you are using $5 wallmart speakers. Headphone amps is a niche market because its use is limited to those who are willing to sacrifice some practicality and sound stage in order to gain a better sound quality. A great sounding headphone rig will most likely be way less expensive then a high end speaker based setup that is why many people on a budget with sound quality as their primary focus go the headphone route, that and the fact it does not take up as much space nor drives the neighbors insane

russianboy · 09-17-2008, 04:14 AM

I'm glad to see that tubes are becoming more and more commonplace in audio applications. High-end audio applications, at least. I love me tubes.

Random Murderer · 09-20-2008, 01:04 AM

psssh, for less than half of the price of this, you can get a xiang sheng 708b, which is a full tube setup(no solid state). i guarantee it'll sound better, and the tubes can be easily changed from the crappy chinese ones it comes with. my 708b has a 6x4 rectifier, a GE JAN 5670w for gain, and a 6DJ8 for each channel.
and what's this about tubes "wearing down?" i agree that there is a burn-in period, sure, but wearing down? sounds like poppycock to me, especially since i'm using a tube from 1947 and it sounds excellent.

thoughtdisorder · 09-20-2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Random Murderer

psssh, for less than half of the price of this, you can get a xiang sheng 708b, which is a full tube setup(no solid state). i guarantee it'll sound better, and the tubes can be easily changed from the crappy chinese ones it comes with. my 708b has a 6x4 rectifier, a GE JAN 5670w for gain, and a 6DJ8 for each channel.
and what's this about tubes "wearing down?" i agree that there is a burn-in period, sure, but wearing down? sounds like poppycock to me, especially since i'm using a tube from 1947 and it sounds excellent.

I have to agree. When you ordered that 1947 tube I was like wtf? But when it was changed out I did actually hear a difference. Made a believer outta me......

Frederik S · 09-20-2008, 08:42 PM

There is absolutely nothing wrong with old NOS tubes. And Random has the tube been in use since 1947 or was it manufactured in 1947? Most tubes sold now are "new old stock" which means that the tube has never been in use.

The only thing I was commenting on in the review is that tubes have a limited lifespan when in use, and usually after a period of time they begin to sound odd and produce artifacts.

cdawall · 09-20-2008, 08:55 PM

they carry the remakes here

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....er=vacuum+tube

not the ones made in the 60s but rebuilds of them

thoughtdisorder · 09-20-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdawall

they carry the remakes here

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....er=vacuum+tube

not the ones made in the 60s but rebuilds of them

Excellent! Thanks CDA!

Random Murderer · 09-21-2008, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frederik S

There is absolutely nothing wrong with old NOS tubes. And Random has the tube been in use since 1947 or was it manufactured in 1947? Most tubes sold now are "new old stock" which means that the tube has never been in use.

The only thing I was commenting on in the review is that tubes have a limited lifespan when in use, and usually after a period of time they begin to sound odd and produce artifacts.

it's a used/vintage tube, not NOS.

Frederik S · 09-21-2008, 11:15 AM

Haha nice!

Random Murderer · 09-21-2008, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frederik S

Haha nice!

seriously though, what's this about tubes wearing down?

russianboy · 09-21-2008, 11:15 PM

Tubes don't last forever.

In a guitar amp a 6L6 lasts about 1-2 years with normal use and gigging volumes. Preamp 12AX7s last about 5 years.

Random Murderer · 09-21-2008, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russianboy

Tubes don't last forever.

In a guitar amp a 6L6 lasts about 1-2 years with normal use and gigging volumes. Preamp 12AX7s last about 5 years.

i figured as much, but my 6x4 is from '47 and it's used... still sounds incredible and it gets about 5 hours of use a day...

thoughtdisorder · 09-22-2008, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russianboy

Tubes don't last forever.

In a guitar amp a 6L6 lasts about 1-2 years with normal use and gigging volumes. Preamp 12AX7s last about 5 years.

Dude, have you got anything you can upload of your playing that we can hear? That would be so cool!

russianboy · 09-23-2008, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoughtdisorder

Dude, have you got anything you can upload of your playing that we can hear? That would be so cool!

I wouldn't mind. Horrid mic though.

erocker · 09-23-2008, 07:20 PM

Frederick, you have the best reviews around! Your writing is second to none and are very in-depth and comprehensive.

I love vaccum tubes too!

Frederik S · 09-24-2008, 03:35 PM

Thanks erocker

Glad you like the reviews!

09-10-2008, 05:53 PM	#1
Frederik S Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 411 (0.31/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 47 Times in 37 Posts System Specs	Head-Direct EF1 Headphone Amplifier To read this review go to: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Head-Direct/EF1/ Please Digg the review to help us promote it. Last edited by Frederik S; 09-15-2008 at 09:29 PM.

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09-16-2008, 08:19 AM	#2
tkpenalty Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Australia, Sydney Posts: 4,909 (4.26/day) Thanks: 383 Thanked 343 Times in 260 Posts System Specs	Wow! Vacuum tubes! __________________ AMD Radeon X1950~HD4000 Support Clubhouse “Mac: "Woah, what are you doing?" Mac says as he levitates in the air. PC: "Playing Half-Life 2, this is my gravity gun." Mac: "Well I can sort of do that." PC: "Technically Mac, you have to become me first."” -From_Nowhere

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09-16-2008, 08:59 AM	#3
paybackdaman Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Clermont, FL Posts: 397 (0.67/day) Thanks: 62 Thanked 46 Times in 40 Posts System Specs	You're definitely not gonna find this in my shopping cart anytime soon. Hopefully, though, we will keep getting innovations on sound equipment, because it seems that everyone is pushing sound into the background as the visual market grows. __________________ "I get what I get all despite you, I get what I get just to spite you." -The Raconteurs

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09-16-2008, 06:17 PM	#4
Frederik S Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 411 (0.31/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 47 Times in 37 Posts System Specs	The sale of high end audio equipment has never been higher. The surge in demand for quality AV equipment in general has caused a lot of new products to surface, both when it comes to quality TVs and audio equipment. Even a great movie is worthless if you are using $5 wallmart speakers. Headphone amps is a niche market because its use is limited to those who are willing to sacrifice some practicality and sound stage in order to gain a better sound quality. A great sounding headphone rig will most likely be way less expensive then a high end speaker based setup that is why many people on a budget with sound quality as their primary focus go the headphone route, that and the fact it does not take up as much space nor drives the neighbors insane

09-17-2008, 04:14 AM	#5
russianboy Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cockland Posts: 596 (0.41/day) Thanks: 93 Thanked 95 Times in 82 Posts System Specs	I'm glad to see that tubes are becoming more and more commonplace in audio applications. High-end audio applications, at least. I love me tubes. __________________ Arnold Layne, don't do it again.

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09-20-2008, 01:04 AM	#6
Random Murderer Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Florida, where it's hot as hell. Posts: 3,296 (3.04/day) Thanks: 393 Thanked 367 Times in 289 Posts System Specs	psssh, for less than half of the price of this, you can get a xiang sheng 708b, which is a full tube setup(no solid state). i guarantee it'll sound better, and the tubes can be easily changed from the crappy chinese ones it comes with. my 708b has a 6x4 rectifier, a GE JAN 5670w for gain, and a 6DJ8 for each channel. and what's this about tubes "wearing down?" i agree that there is a burn-in period, sure, but wearing down? sounds like poppycock to me, especially since i'm using a tube from 1947 and it sounds excellent. __________________ [img disabled]http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/whatcolor_isred.jpg[/img] You don't need to be much from nothing, you don't need to turn away. Rig 1 & 2: See system specs. Rig 3: ASRock 775Dual-VSTA, Pentium D 820 @ 3.4GHz, 2GB G.Skill 2GBNQ, ATi x1950PRO 256MB, Apevia Chameleon 550W PSU, Modded P1 case. Learn how to mod your HD3870! Click here! "I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm. I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe."

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09-20-2008, 08:42 PM	#8
Frederik S Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 411 (0.31/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 47 Times in 37 Posts System Specs	There is absolutely nothing wrong with old NOS tubes. And Random has the tube been in use since 1947 or was it manufactured in 1947? Most tubes sold now are "new old stock" which means that the tube has never been in use. The only thing I was commenting on in the review is that tubes have a limited lifespan when in use, and usually after a period of time they begin to sound odd and produce artifacts.

09-20-2008, 08:55 PM	#9
cdawall where the hell are my stars Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: some AF base Posts: 10,952 (8.99/day) Thanks: 281 Thanked 1,239 Times in 1,116 Posts System Specs	they carry the remakes here http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....er=vacuum+tube not the ones made in the 60s but rebuilds of them __________________ Visit cdawallatopia! and help it grow

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09-21-2008, 11:15 AM	#12
Frederik S Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 411 (0.31/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 47 Times in 37 Posts System Specs	Haha nice!

09-21-2008, 11:15 PM	#14
russianboy Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cockland Posts: 596 (0.41/day) Thanks: 93 Thanked 95 Times in 82 Posts System Specs	Tubes don't last forever. In a guitar amp a 6L6 lasts about 1-2 years with normal use and gigging volumes. Preamp 12AX7s last about 5 years. __________________ Arnold Layne, don't do it again.

09-23-2008, 07:20 PM	#18
erocker Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 15,918 (13.03/day) Thanks: 1,107 Thanked 3,351 Times in 2,675 Posts	Frederick, you have the best reviews around! Your writing is second to none and are very in-depth and comprehensive. I love vaccum tubes too!

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09-24-2008, 03:35 PM	#19
Frederik S Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Søllerød, Denmark Posts: 411 (0.31/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 47 Times in 37 Posts System Specs	Thanks erocker Glad you like the reviews!

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