Oh Sh#7! Eddie Current Studio B

@atomicbob also spoke about the Yggdrasil LIM + Studio B synergy here: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...t-yggdrasil-lim-technical-measurements.12728/

 

I also enjoyed Gungnir A2 with Studio B, but by far my favorite is Yggdrasil GS. I mostly use ZMF Atriums and 650 kiss modded headphones, and that combination is a treat with both. Bifrost 2 is also worth a mention, but it was a bit on the dark side since the 650s already tilt a tick dark.

 

Have you tried the Studio B with the MIB? Thoughts?

 

I personally like a a more fun, warmer tilted dac with the Studio B. Mojo Mystique v2s float around for low to mid $1ks, or maybe a lampizator Amber.


But really start a bit smaller and get a preference. A schiit BF2 is a good starting point and very reasonable used. The used market is your friend.

 

This may be interesting, though I still suggest trying something less expensive first to get your feet wet.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details...-with-upgraded-power-supply-ion-powerdac-new/

You should be able to use the pre amp to control the actual volume and open up the Studio Bs volume knob, which imho gave it a little bit of a better sound.

 

The goods arrived today. Up and running super quick. Anyone wanna school me on posting pics?

 

When I first got my Studio B I had the BF it was very good then the LIM which I did not think was a good match, to dark, slow and truncated notes , boring to me. The Gungnir MB A2 was perfect, still using it. I had a transformer convertor built so I could use the Balanced outs to my single ended amp, it is worthwhile. Marv has lots of info on the site on how to do theis. Enjoy, I only sold it as I now am 99% 2 channel and have a Piety for headphone duty.

 

I ise the "Upload a File" button below where you type a message.

 

strange, it doesn’t appear for me.

 

Same story, but I am using my Studio Junior as a preamp for my 2 channel rig (still for headphones tho).

 

He's on a phone.

On a PC you can drag and drop smaller files into the post

or

Put your image into an online image site ( like imgur) , click the 'picture' icon above, then enter the direct link as the 'Image Url'.

 

It may not be an option yet due to account age or not having upgraded status from rando yet. If so, consider uploading your pictures to a third-party hosting site like Imgur or similar and then using the post-image-via-URL button in the post creation tools.

 

Thanks, i’ll do that later today. Been a while since my car forum days and when I used photobucket to host.

 

FWIW, I used a Yggdrasil LIM for the past 2 years with my Studio Jr and enjoyed the pairing the most. Other DACs I compared it to included the Gungnir Multibit A2, Holo Spring 2, Yggdrasil A1. The LIM was consistent more realistic, with more depth to each note. A/B comparisons were very obvious. However, recently I brought in a Gustard R26 for a test trial and I could not tell a major difference between the R26 and the Yggdrasil LIM. Will be going forward with the Gustard R26 for now due its dual voltage option (possibly moving between countries).

Also in terms of unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR outs for the Gungnir Multibit or Yggdrasil, I switched from a Jensen transformer box to the Schiit Lokius, which I know has been written about in another thread on SBAF. While there might be some sonic trade-offs with the Lokius, I felt like the 6-band EQ and the additional input/outputs the Lookius provided were a better bonus. I actually used the Lokius as a simple A/B comparison box with one DAC through the unbalanced inputs and another through balanced inputs (I realize it's not a perfect A/B, but hey it worked for me!).

As an aside, I've been wanting to ask this question for a while, but held off after reading prior posts on the Studio B and AF threads regarding rolling adapted tubes (consensus seemed to be don't do it).

What are the downsides of adapting a 12AU7 or 6SN7 to the 396A input tube position? I saw a Studio B owner on a different site use a 6SN7 to 396A adapter and I felt a bit skeptical. Today I got in a pair of 12A*7 to 396A adapters to test out with one of my favorite tubes (Brimar CV4033 from the 1950s), and it sounds fantastic compared to my WE396A square getters. Wary about any potential stress this adapted tube would put on the other amp components though. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

I’ve got both some Yggdrasil A1 boards from eBay and a GS firmware chip thanks to JK47 on the way. I’ll let the thread know what I think of it with the SB versus LIM soon, just for another data point. I’ve only heard SB with LIM, so will be interesting - the time I spent with Yggdrasil A2 was when I had a BHA-1, and favored LIM then.

 

Always appreciate your honesty!

If this is helpful for any future Studio B/Jr owners, my current tubes are the adapted Brimar 12AT7 BRIMAR CV4033 - Very Rare, Early 1956 - Mil Black Plate, 3-MICA Square – Pulse Tubes Store (pulsetubestore.com), EML 300B solid plates, and a Mullard GZ32/5V4G rectifier.

I actually found the GZ32 to make the most noticeable difference in terms of "wetness". I almost sold off my Studio Jr over the summer until I was testing out a box of tubes to sell with it, and stumbled upon an old Sylvania 5V4GA that surprised me with how good it sounded to me, even with the cheap bundled Psvane 300Bs that I hated.

 

Woof, tube prices these days. Still, thanks for the link, would rather buy from Pulse than fleaBay. They're also the purveyors of those good quality adapters/socket savers, using one now with the Mullard GZ34 fat base since I have an old Studio B with a recessed PSU rectifier socket that the fat base wasn't sitting in properly.

Speaking of which, I assumed you tried a Mullard GZ34 before going GZ32? Unsure I want more wetness, but good to know anyway.