APPJ mini2013 6J1+6P1 Tube Amplifier Discussions | Drop

Nov 2, 2016

Got mine today. Initial impressions are positive overall. Low noise and sufficiently loud to fill a 12x12 room through my 90Db Klipsch bookshelf speakers. Came with some Chinese tubes, sound isn't bad out of the box, hopefully it will even be better with better tubes but I think I'll run it stock for some time. Bass is lacking a but it was somewhat expected. Left most socket isn't level and the tube is falling back, less than ideal but no effect on functionality, so guess have to live with that. Matched my expectations, hope it won't die in a cloud of black smoke.

Nov 2, 2016

Vote

Nov 10, 2016

g_v_lWell, couldn't resist the temptation to try some other tubes given they are so cheap, rolled in NOS GE JAN 5654W instead of 6J1, it brought noticeable improvement in clarity and sound is more lively now, the 6J1s sounded a bit dry, grainy and not exciting. Noticing some hum now, not sure if this is due to the new tubes or I just didn't notice it originally, something to investigate. Took some effort to push the new tubes into sockets, the Chinese tubes have thinner pins, suggest using a large paper clip to loosen up the contacts within the sockets first by pushing it in each hole one by one. Also got a pair of RCA 6AQ5A for the output stage and have socket adapters on the way from China. The thing runs hot, longevity is a concern, if it dies hopefully it does so quietly, not a big fan of desktop fireworks.

Nov 10, 2016

Nov 13, 2016

g_v_lGot these, they came with nostalgia.

Nov 13, 2016

Nov 13, 2016

g_v_lYum!

Nov 13, 2016

Nov 13, 2016

g_v_lI don't see the adapter?

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 13, 2016

aopisaThese are Russian NOS 6П1П (6P1P) tubes, they are direct replacements, and in fact look very similar inside to the 6P1s but sound better. Adapters are required for 6AQ5, this is next on my list, but GE JAN 5654W/6П1П combo already sounds super sweet with Klipsch RB15s.

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 13, 2016

g_v_lAh, got it. Just ordered some GE JAN5654W tubes. I see the Russian 6P1P's are pretty cheap too so those are next. Interested to see how the 6AQ5's are for you.
Thank you.

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 13, 2016

aopisaHaven't received the adapters yet, hopefully it is going to work, but the improvements, if any, will likely be marginal. 6P1Ps improved the highs a bit, 6P1s would sound like ringing glass every now and then. Keep in mind my Klipsch RB-15s are pretty sensitive at 93dB and use horn-loaded design, so your results can be different, I also have a decent outboard DAC which helps to reveal small details.

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 13, 2016

g_v_lUgh, turns out the first impression was wrong or the sound changed after initial burn in, now not liking vocals on 6P1P and noticing some metallic coloring. Bummer. Found some info they may improve after 50 hours burn in, we shall see.

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 13, 2016

g_v_lGood to know about the 6P1P tubes. Do you still think the GE JAN5654W are an improvement?

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 13, 2016

aopisaYes, this was the biggest improvement so far, or seems to be anyway. I didn't try to put the 6J1s back to do more testing to avoid stressing the sockets, but unlike the 6P1Ps the first impression stayed with me that GE tubes sound pretty sweet. 6P1Ps sound more 3D but the harshness is there. I'm going to leave them running for a day or two, hopefully they improve. I came across reports people liking them. This may have to do with my speakers too, as the horns tend to exacerbate otherwise minor issues.

Nov 13, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

g_v_lI am currently using the same exact combo of tubes. I find myself enjoying it a lot despite how budget the GE JAN 5654Ws and 6p1p-EVs are. My amp gets warm, but I wouldn't call it wicked hot and I leave it on for days at a time.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

Alejandro508What do you think of 6P1Ps? I have put 10 hrs on them, it seems they improved a bit but generally they are much brighter than the stock 6P1s and tend to distort at higher frequencies. Female vocals aren't smooth and lack depth, male seem to be better. Mine are not 'EV' which I think is for military grade, but otherwise should be the same tube. I can't say I enjoy them, but they do make certain content sounds very interesting and 3D, for example jazz type music with saxophone or trombone, piano, acoustic guitars, or even rock music with electric guitars. Electronic music not too good generally, but darker sounding content similar to Depeche Mode actually sounds pretty good. They also seem to be able to reveal some interesting details in the mid-range. Overall I think they might be a good match for neutral or dark sounding speakers, mine are bright and bright on bright doesn't work very well for close field listening.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

Alejandro508Mine is not wicked hot but it is on the hotter side of warm for a piece of electronic equipment, the concern is the internal power supply as the temp inside are likely even higher and semiconductors tend to fail from heat over time.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

g_v_lIt should be fine, it's a simple Class A amplifier circuit. They all get hot no matter what. They dissipate about 90 percent of the power as heat so that is expected.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

g_v_lThat is interesting to note. I am pairing mine with Pioneer sp bs22lrs and the sound is generally on the warm side for me with the amp. It might be the speakers you're pairing it with. I should add though that I mostly listen to jazz, psychedelic&progressive rock, and some Motown on them.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

Alejandro508Understood. The concern is the PSU being very close to the source of heat in a small enclosure. Time will tell.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 15, 2016

Alejandro508I wonder if my tubes are from a bad batch or something or not biased correctly. It is not that the sound is cold, it's just overly bright. However jazz and other acoustic material sound mind-blowing, these tubes seem to be able to render the most subtle details.

Nov 15, 2016

Vote

Nov 17, 2016

g_v_lA quick update folks.
I'm going to call my 6P1P results inconclusive, the first pair of tubes became extremely bright after a couple of hours of burn-in and I think became even worse after 30 hours or so. I had another set with the same manufacturing month, and likely the same batch, I tried them next, they were significantly less bright than the 1st pair and did not get worse after 5 hours of use. They were still on the brighter side but I suppose you could call it borderline acceptable. With such different results with tubes from the same batch I suspect it is entirely possible that good sounding 6P1Ps exist, perhaps the ones with the EV designation are better. I might get another pair later just for the heck of it but I think I'm done with them for the time being.
I got my adapters today and tried them with RCA 6AQ5A tubes with good results. They sound warmer than 6P1s and much more smoother overall and especially in the highs. They are not dull and can throw a sparkle which is a plus in my book. Bass seems to be improved as well but can't really tell how much with my speakers as they tend to be a bit shy in the low end. The only downside the amp looks uglier with the adapters, there are some nicer ones with soldering points hidden but they cost more. I used these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/191672605432?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Another note, 6V6 tubes should also work being the older (and bigger) brothers of 6AQ5s and there can be more tube rolling options with them, same seller sells 6P1 to 6V6 adapters so you may want to get them too while you're at it.

Nov 17, 2016

Nov 17, 2016

g_v_lAnother note, the amp runs much cooler with 6AQ5s, likely because the tubes are much further away from the case due to adapters. It may also have to do with the 6AQ5s drawing less heater current.
For all modders out there, my recommendation is to entirely skip 6P1Ps, get new driver tubes such as GE JAN5654W, new 6AQ5 tubes the RCA/Sylania ones are well regarded or maybe others but look for the military spec ones (marked 6005), and the 6P1 to 6AQ5 adapters from the link above. For additional $30-$40 you get a much sweeter sounding amp.

Nov 17, 2016

Nov 23, 2016

g_v_lI just received my set of NOS GE JAN5654W (dated 4/88) tubes and the difference is immediately noticeable. Much fuller, warmer sound and a nicer bass response. They really are an improvement. I bought them off of eBay, 5 for 10.99. Can't beat it.

Nov 23, 2016

Nov 23, 2016

g_v_lGet the 6AQ5s with adapters too, you won't regret. The 6P1s aren't bad but don't have much of that tubey sound.

Nov 23, 2016

Dec 13, 2016

g_v_lJust to close the 6P1P question I picked some NOS 6P1P-EVs, they sounds much better than the plain 6P1P I had originally, so if the 6P1P is the tube you must buy then better get the EVs. I still prefer the RCA 6AQ5s, they sound fuller and warmer, this is how they look with the adapters. Notice the little box on the right, it is a non-oversampling TDA1543-based DAC I recently picked from that auction site, the DAC chip it uses is not exactly the last word in the DAC technology but it pairs nicely with this amp for that musical analog sound.

Dec 13, 2016

Vote

thebestwatson

Dec 15, 2016

g_v_lI have the same tube combo now

Dec 15, 2016

Vote

Dec 19, 2016

g_v_lI forgot to add that I'm using 6p1p-ev, not the regular 6p1ps. They are supposed to be a bit more robust. Did you ever get around to trying out 6V6s? Or other 6AQ5 variants? I'm itching to roll and have been contemplating on getting adapters, but am indecisive as to which variant to start with.

Dec 19, 2016

Vote

Dec 19, 2016

g_v_lOops so I missed this comment. Yeah I have the EV version so that is probably why there was such a difference(I haven't tried the non EV ones).

Dec 19, 2016

Vote

Dec 19, 2016

Alejandro5086V6s would need different adapters which I don't have. I'm happy with both the EVs and RCA 6AQ5s, they have slightly different sound signatures so I can switch back and forth after I get bored with each set:)

Dec 19, 2016

Dec 19, 2016

g_v_lI haven't gone beyond adding the NOS GE JAN5654W tubes, but I am enjoying the sound. Although, they seem to be a bit noisier than the stock tubes with a low level hissing, crackling. After the holidays I will try the EV's before moving onto tube/adapter combos. All in all, I am very happy with this purchase.
I am running this straight off of a Hackintosh with OS X. I do use an app called Boom2 which boosts the signal and offers a fairly detailed EQ for shaping the sound to my preference.

Dec 19, 2016

Vote

Dec 19, 2016

aopisaI haven't noticed any issues with the GEs, they were always smooth as butter. There can be slight variations in sound even for same tube between different batches and release years I learned.

Dec 19, 2016

Vote

Minbeo

Mar 16, 2017

g_v_lThanks for your advice i purchased a pair of RCA 6AQ5A + adapters for 20$ :D , in my system they are a improvement over 6P1Ps for my taste, sound fuller+warmer, much less harshness, stage is more upfront, maybe a little narrower but more depth.

Mar 16, 2017

Mar 16, 2017

g_v_lSo same strange thing happened again, I've been running RCA 6AQ5s all this time and was pretty happy but started noticing them sounding a tad bright as well especially with newer more resolving DACs to the point of some material sounding too harsh. Swapped them for 6P1P-EVs and the brightness is gone, and they were definitely brighter than the 6AQ5s when I was experimenting initially. Go figure, perhaps 6AQ5s are wearing out as I bought them used. I also noticed they became slightly microphonic as I could hear the vibrations of my desk in the speakers. Will run 6P1Ps for now. Maybe it is time to shop for another set of 6AQ5s.

Mar 16, 2017

Vote

Minbeo

Mar 18, 2017

g_v_lMicrophonic tube might be the cause, btw i heard that GE JAN5654W in some setup can be quite bright too. I haven't used them personally but i replaced the pair of WE403B(which microphobic & have piercing treble) with a pair of Voskhod 6Ж1n-EB(6J1p-EV on Ebay) with good result, much more balanced with good soundstage, great match with warm & upfront sound of RCA 6AQ5A. They are dirt cheap (3$/each) & military grade, i bought 4 of them and none have problem, you should give them a try :) .

Mar 18, 2017

Vote

Mar 21, 2017

g_v_lNOS GE JAN 6005Ws in da house, still burning them in and forming my opinion. Initial impressions are positive, they push mid-range forward making vocals and similar spectrum more vivid, the treble feels just about right on my speakers not too bright not too dim, overall very smooth and airy with good resolution and details, no grain. A bit shy on bass but it may improve with burn-in.

Mar 21, 2017

Vote

Apr 2, 2017

g_v_lA quick update. I'm enjoying the GE JAN 6005Ws big time, very very nice. Not much warmth compared to the RCAs but so clean and they let so much details through. Very good treble extension, seems the low-end improved with burn in, even if not it is sufficient and tight.

Apr 2, 2017

Vote