Hello my man,
I got my DV! And god it looks good. There is slight rust on the smaller pre-amp? tube, but that doesn't really bother me. It has so much power, barely goes past 9 o'clock on the dial to power my HD650s. I picked up a SMSL Sanskrit DAC to pair with the DV so I'm not using the Jotenheim DAC which causes me to run a pre-out from the Jotenheim to the DV and have to control knobs, I did not like this idea so I paired the DV with its own DAC.
Sound comparison - DV vs the Jotenheim Solid State with HD650s:
The DV brings the highs down just enough to where it no longer bothers my ears. The ear fatigue for me with the HD650s is real, if I listen to just the HD650s for hours, by the time I'm done my ears are tired because of those highs. The vocals and instruments are pushed out slightly (increased sound stage) so it sounds like you are sitting at the front of the concert rather than standing up on stage. The bass is still precise and clear if lowered a couple decibels, which I was expecting. The DV will probably by my main amplification for my HD650s. I know the Tube makes the sound a bit inaccurate, but I enjoy it a lot compared to the Jotenheim with the HD650s.
Sound comparison - DV vs the Jotenheim Solid State with Fostex T50Rp mkIII:
I don't enjoy the DV with the T50s. I know they have a low-impedance and the DV isn't great with running that, which could make sense since the sound is just not great. The highs and vocals on the T50 are already brought down and pushed back, so the added sound stage from the DV decreases the vocals even more. The bass, since it's reduced from the DV, makes the bass sound kind of bloated and just eh when using the T50s. The low end is gone and the bass just isn't as precise. I think the T50s will always be paired with the Jotenheim.
I am really enjoying this amp though, besides it looking sexy as hell and has a beautiful living glow when its powered up, the sound is just phenomenal. I have no issues, once the tubes are up to temperature and no sound on, at comfortable listening levels there is no humming or buzzing. I am working on the burn in process so it is my main amp for the time being. What is a good burn in time for the DV? Like 50 hours? Also, what is the expected life time of a tube? It is okay if you don't know, I am just curious.
I am also awaiting my new Fostex - Massdrop TH-X00 Purplehearts, I am REALLY excited to get those bad boys. I literally couldn't resist buying them once I saw the purple heart cups. Then I will have a full set, Open (HD650s), Semi-open (Fostex T50s), and closed (Fostex TH-X00s).