Project Ember II Discussion Thread

I'll include this in my list of choices! I don't think it's available in Oz, I'll need to order it in.

Is this the one? Novosibirsk 6N6p / 6H6pi
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/Russian-Tubes/Russian-6N6p-6H6pi

 

Yep. I ordered mine straight from Jeremy at Gararage1217. The one I has looks a little different than the stock photo at the tubestore.

 

I forgot that you can order tubes from Jeremy, might just package it with the amp when I buy. Thanks matey, you're a champ!

 

hi whats the difference between ember 2 and 2.1 thats shipping anyone know? nothing listed on the site

 

I think it's the 4 way input jumper that adds a little more flexibility to the input.

 

Yeah, Luckbad had half of it:

1) Delayed start of heater power which reduces the inrush current of tubes. No audible difference here...just helps for some tubes that have a huge inrush current at startup.

2) Before you could either bypass the input capacitor or not. Some people believe that bypassing gives a purer sound, but comes with the tradeoff of a scratching noise when adjusting the volume. There are now 4 possible configurations. Depending on the tube used it may or may not make a difference. With some tubes the volpot is a little scratchy and this could potentially help with that. And it could, theoretically, give improvement to the overall noise-level of the amp.

Personally, I've always bypassed the input capacitor just in case it makes a difference. There is some scratchiness in the volpot with some tubes, but it's only noticeable without music playing. With music playing it's a non-issue.

 

Have any of you Ember users ever compared the amp to the Schiit Jotenheim?

 

It's ballsier with more bass/mid bass has better stage depth but overall is kind of mushy sounding. It wows at first but in longer listening sessions it seems to create artificial dynamics which cover up little details. Not bad for the money but would be better at $200.

 

Jot it is. So strange that my audio journey leads me back to it after returning it the first time.

 

May I suggest running it in low gain if you find it a little etchy in the treble. I've been using it single ended and low gain and it's as smooth as butter, yet retains all of the detail of the original recording.

 

My issue with it the first time was that it wasn't a good batch for my Beyer DT1990's, it accentuated the peaky treble and was uncomfortable to listen to. However, I'm pairing the Jot with the Eikon which has much more relaxed treble presentation. Also, I'm going to add a tube buffer to the Jot which hopefully will help to smooth it out a tad.

Does running the Jot balanced low gain have a similar effect or only single ended? My issue with single ended is the loss of power and the Eikon needs a fair amount of juice.

 

Single ended input balanced out always. Should be same output power just less gain.

 

I have an Ember II, and a Sunrise II. I have also spent considerable time with the Polaris, Sunrise III and Solstice among others. The Ember II is my favorite. All of the Garage 1217 are very good amps IMO. The tube amps are much more dependent on the tube than the Valhalla 2 which I also own. Used in the Ember the Amperex 6DJ8 tubes I have used make the amp sound more tube like and they can be microphonic. Not my favorite, but if you like a euphonic sound they might be for you. The Ken-Rad VT-231 (NOS 1944) really makes classical music shine. My current favorite is a Russian 6H23N-EB Reflector. Settings make a difference as well. I find the sound of the Ember II more enjoyable than the Valhalla 2, but I am splitting hairs. I would love to tell everyone what "the best" tube is for the Ember, but it really is a matter of the headphones you are using and your personal preferences. The 6n6p is a good choice for a middle ground between tube and SS sound. Marv and others don't find the Ember to be their cup of tea. Everyone has preferences. Others here really find it to their liking. The flexibility of the Ember is what I like the most. Different tubes and settings allow you to match the amps output to the headphones you are using and the type of music you are listening to. I mostly use the Ember with the HD800, with minor mods and the HD650. The 800's treble issues are helped with the right tube. I am not the best person to recommend a specfic tube for the HD800 as the treble peaks don't seem to bother me most of the time. The HD650 scale so well, they are great with the Ember. In short, the Ember might float your boat or not. Don't be put off by the open design or the Chi-fi resemblance . And yes it is susceptible to RF noise. Just place it away from RF sources and it will be very quite. As always YMMV.

 

The thing that bothers me about the Ember is it's ridiculously powerful, and has too much gain, so it doesn't do well with sensitive headphones. Even HE-6 barely gets passed the pot imbalance for quieter listening. It doesn't stage quite as well as the Valhalla 2, and doesn't have the technicalities of a good SS amp like the Jot. It's not a bad amp at all, you just have to pair it with the right headphones. Having said that, I would take the Vali 2 over Ember as it's one of Schiits best amps IMO.

 

That may be true of the Ember MkI but the MkII I'm listening too right now is just getting fruity when the volume hits around the 12 o'clock position. That's driving the very efficient Superlux HD662EVO (modded).

Input jumpers set to "W/AM"
Capacitors NOT by-passed
Output gain set to "High"

Using an Amperex Bugle Boy

Listening to Quantic

Sounds beautiful to me.

 

Yeah, V2 seems like they fixed the gain issue.

 

Yep. Ember V2 is pretty awesome. I sold mine and bought the Jot for home and Vali 2 for work.

I still miss the Ember from time to time, most notably with my HE-500. I think it actually does staging better than Schiit amps and is probably what I miss the most. It was also VERY configurable, almost to the point that I felt I owned 3 amps in 1.

But, the Vali 2 is a competent replacement and scratches the tube itch for now. The Jot is another beast entirely. Sharp, snappy, fast...if that's what you're craving, then the Ember is not for you. I never fully warmed up to the HD650 on the Ember or Vali and considered myself an HD600 guy. The Valhalla 2 and Jot both changed my mind on that one.

 

Solrighal! There you are. Glad to hear you are still enjoying the Ember II, which I agree fixed some issues with version I and made it flexible.

 

Kinda want to sell/trade my jot for one of these or a lyr 2. jot is a little too bright for me and has a pretty small soundstage, would this be a good move, skyline?

 

I think so, depending on the headphone and your preferences. If you get the Ember, though, give it time and play with settings and various tubes to fine tune the sound before making any judgments.

I don't have enough experience with the Lyr 2 to really compare to the Ember. I'm sure many would point you in that direction and I'm sure it's a great amp. I wouldn't mind picking one up myself to play around with. I only went Ember due to price and the fact that you only have to roll 1 tube as opposed to 2.

*EDIT*

If you're looking primarily for the HD650 I might point you to the Valhalla 2. It'll take a bit of edge off from the Jot without making the 650 sound dull.

My preferences for the Ember is with planars mostly, though there are exceptions to this. The HD600, for instance, is a great match with the Ember.