LOL, that is sooo true.
Yes, Analixus and Purrin: stop this !
Because of you two, I already listened to (and bought ) an HD800 and now this hype about the Super 7 that would be just great with both my HD800 and LCD-3 (when its been "unveiled" ) just borders to mental cruelty.
Do you really want my credit card to melt and my wife to divorce from me? 

Hahaha. Seriously.

Honestly, I used to be skeptical of amping. While I knew that it wasn't as simple as only getting sufficient volume, I always assumed that differences were generally overblown and exaggerated. That is, until I went to a meet and got to plug the HD800 into a bunch of different amps -- definitely an eye-opening experience.

Listening to my own music on the BA was a revelation. It wasn't quite the oft-used phrase, "I heard things in my music I never heard before" -- but more like "I heard my music in a way I never heard before." There weren't hidden hi-hats, or voices, (or farts), but just an overall "rightness" and totality. Small things like spatial information being presented correctly, more realistic tonality, voices having a markedly more "human" quality, absence of any digital-ness etc. all combine together to sort of let the equipment melt away. Good thing it was early in the morning, because I just closed my eyes and hogged up purrin's station for about half an hour.

Kinda sucks for me because the Super 7 was more than I ideally wanted to spend, and I don't have room in my apartment for an equipment rack to fit it (plus separate DAC). I went to the meet hoping to find a desktop setup that could fit on my computer desk, and maybe spend under 2K total. The Schiit balanced stuff @ 1.5K for DAC + amp seemed to fit the bill (and I'm anxiously waiting to read impressions on that). But now I get the nagging feeling that I should just get an S7, and be done with it all.

I would recommend current production russian Tung Sol x6 on the outputs.


For drivers to start:


Chrome top Sylvania 6sn7GTA/GTB
7N7 triangle plate (you need an adapter)

Okay thanks. I'll start with those.

Right now switching off between the Tung Sol and a National Union one that Santacore sent me. The National Union is more lush, euphonic, smooth and rounded. It takes the edge off the treble which is nice, but the bass is a bit too soft and polite. The Tung Sols sound more open with sharper edges, less "bloom" and drums snap harder.

I can see how easy it is to drive myself crazy tinkering with this thing. 

Yep! It came yesterday, but the tubes didn't arrive until today. Serial #2.

Been sporting a perma-grin while running through my music collection.