FX Audio 6j1 tube preamp - a $31 wonder

think there is a misunderstanding here. I am onboard with the great little FX audio tube01.

No misunderstanding on my part, I have this thread, and the TPA-3116 vs the Tripath threads bookmarked. Fascinating threads, and I'm glad to see all the opinions on these different components. Hopefully this summer will be a better one for me, and I can try some of these. My solitary contribution to these threads, seems to have missed the mark on one member's funny bone. We all see the world differently, and hear it differently, so I'll just take my seat once again in the peanut gallery.
 
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Got the Voskhods yesterday. No idea if they sound better yet, but I love the CCCP and rocket logo markings on them, very retro!

How important is it to clean the tarnish off the contacts of these NOS tubes?

I gave them a quick rub with some 00 wire wool, but it was very fiddly due to their small size so it wasn't very efficient and mostly just the outward facing bits...

This link is related to care of older tubes and if yours are NOS ( new old stock ) they are older.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/yall-gotta-keep-those-pins-clean.760242/
 
I have the FX tube 03 preamp/buffer and was running it as a preamplifier for a NAD power amp I have. It does a decent job as a preamp, but I think it really shines as a buffer.

I hooked it into a tape input on my Onkyo TX-4500. I stream audio from YouTube music or Amazon Prime to an older tablet I had laying around. I am using the headphone jack on the tablet into the FX. I also have a Chromecast Audio in another tape input to stream apps that I can cast.

The issue with streaming I have run into is that not all apps allow casting to a CCA without a paid subscription, YouTube and YouTube music are examples. Unless you have separate dac setup you need to come out of the headphone jack of tablets or phones when using the free version of those apps.

Why is this an issue? YouTube has everything you can possibly imagine and allows you to listen to whole albums in the proper order, which is a big deal to me. So when I can't find something I want to hear on Amazon Prime, I use YouTube out of the headphone jack which is not ideal.

The FX is perfect for me when using Youtube. It boosts the headphone output to a good level for my vintage receiver's inputs, it gives the streamed music a very analog sound, and I get some use out of an otherwise useless old tablet. Win, win, win. :music:
 
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I found this thread early this morning. After wading through 20 pages of posts, I was convinced and placed an order.

I am looking forward to comparing this little preamp with my Aikido 12vdc, my ASL Line One which is a one tube 12AU7 pre and some others I have lying around. I will use it with the Doak passive pre also recommended by Poultrygeist.

Ed
 
I got one a few months ago and liked it very much. However, i get the loud "thump" when I turn it on. I have it along with the rest of my system going through a Furman power conditioner. The Furman is great because it normally eliminates that issue but not with the FX Audio tube 01. Any suggestions?
 
I got one a few months ago and liked it very much. However, i get the loud "thump" when I turn it on. I have it along with the rest of my system going through a Furman power conditioner. The Furman is great because it normally eliminates that issue but not with the FX Audio tube 01. Any suggestions?
Covered previously, turn on preamp *before* power amp turnon, turn off preamp *after* power amp turnoff.
 
I've been spellbound by the tiny FX for several weeks now. If you follow the TPA3116 thread you know I'm not the only one who has fallen for this pint sized beauty. There's so much buzz in the other thread after pairing it with the class d Volt+D I thought it deserved a thread of it's own. The Chinese tubes are ok but surpassed by a variety of vintage 5654, 6AK5, EF95 and WE 403B substitutes. The volume control is a delight with nice detent and the feel of an expensive pot. It comes with a DC 12v1a wall wart and I'll address that later. Wonderfully detailed and accurate in it's presentation it would be right at home with high end gear.

Feixiang-FX-AUDIO-TUBE-01-DC12V-1A-Bile-Preamp-tube-preamp-Buffer-6J1-HIFI-Audio-Preamplifier.jpg_640x640.jpg
I've been spellbound by the tiny FX for several weeks now. If you follow the TPA3116 thread you know I'm not the only one who has fallen for this pint sized beauty. There's so much buzz in the other thread after pairing it with the class d Volt+D I thought it deserved a thread of it's own. The Chinese tubes are ok but surpassed by a variety of vintage 5654, 6AK5, EF95 and WE 403B substitutes. The volume control is a delight with nice detent and the feel of an expensive pot. It comes with a DC 12v1a wall wart and I'll address that later. Wonderfully detailed and accurate in it's presentation it would be right at home with high end gear.

Feixiang-FX-AUDIO-TUBE-01-DC12V-1A-Bile-Preamp-tube-preamp-Buffer-6J1-HIFI-Audio-Preamplifier.jpg_640x640.jpg
The best tubes you can buy for this unit are Ericsson 5591 / 403B / offered on Ebay at $31 per pair, a better power supply would be one based on the Studer900 because it has no fan, lowest price $47 on Ebay.
 
I've given in to peer pressure. :D
email says "order confirmed".
Now my linear supply has renewed purpose!

il_340x270.1548550439_3ixg.jpg


Just wondering - what amplifier gain setting are you guys using with FX Audio pre ?


I'm a tube noob. Poultry, is there a reputable online retailer for these tubes ?

[Edit]... do these circuits need heaps of hours on them before it all comes good ?

The FX Tube 1 came two days ago. I finally had a chance to unpack it this morning. Nice packaging! I hooked it up in my main system and listened for about an hour. Sounds good so far.

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Hayden in Last Dance, recorded in Keith's home studio, put me right in front of these two masters. The adjective that comes to mind is "natural." I heard smooth highs and deep bass. There was tube warmth with lots of detail.

I listened to some classical guitar. I heard the body of the guitar as well as the fingers on the strings. .

I will report back when I have a chance to listen some more. So far, so good.

It is amazing how much preamp is packed into this tiny package. Use of SMT really makes a big difference. One wonders how many thousands of these units are produced to enable them to offer such a product at $32.
 
One wonders how many thousands of these units are produced to enable them to offer such a product at $32.

I wouldnt be surprised if there is still a good margin, even at that price.
Makes me properly wonder, how much meat is really left on the bone in the hifi industry. :confused:
 
I wouldnt be surprised if there is still a good margin, even at that price.
Makes me properly wonder, how much meat is really left on the bone in the hifi industry. :confused:
Active preamps are really about versatility, this one is not versatile, but about as simple and direct as a gain stage can be. Amazing how much closer you get to the music without the clutter of complexity.
 
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I ordered the "frequently bought together" package with the GE 5654W tubes Saturday and it came in yesterday. Cooked it over night and just sat down to give it a listen. My first thought is that I have wasted a lot of money over the years as this pre is pretty darn good. The qualifier is that even if this thing was bad I have wasted a lot of money over the years.

It is a great way to add a little warmth and tube sizzle to an old solid state amp or any source you are using. A very inexpensive way to experiment with tubes for the feint of heart. My Bottlehead Foreplay is not quite as warm and the bass is tighter. The Antique Sound Lab pre is warmer still than the FX with "flabbier" bass.

Might be the best value ever for a new piece of gear at $56 with the NOS tubes and only $31 for the pre alone. It is a serious piece of hi-fi as a buffer or a pre within its limitations.. At the price you just can't go wrong.
 
In keeping with the price of the FX Audio Preamp / Buffer, I just ordered a $19.99 regulated power supply, on sale from $29.99 from Parts-Express.com and the DC plug for another $1.30.
 
I ordered the "frequently bought together" package with the GE 5654W tubes Saturday and it came in yesterday. Cooked it over night and just sat down to give it a listen. My first thought is that I have wasted a lot of money over the years as this pre is pretty darn good. The qualifier is that even if this thing was bad I have wasted a lot of money over the years.

It is a great way to add a little warmth and tube sizzle to an old solid state amp or any source you are using. A very inexpensive way to experiment with tubes for the feint of heart. My Bottlehead Foreplay is not quite as warm and the bass is tighter. The Antique Sound Lab pre is warmer still than the FX with "flabbier" bass.

Might be the best value ever for a new piece of gear at $56 with the NOS tubes and only $31 for the pre alone. It is a serious piece of hi-fi as a buffer or a pre within its limitations.. At the price you just can't go wrong.


So true about wasting a lot of money over the years. Also true that that is water under the bridge.

I have not compared them directly but I think that my Antique Audio Supply Line One preamp is warmer as well. I bought this on closeout about 12 years ago for. $200 and I thought I had found a real bargain. I will do more listening to both.

Ed
 
Hi everyone!
I have found these two power supplies at the same price. Which do you recommend to improve the performance of my Fx tube 01?
Thanks in advance!!
 

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