Fx Tube 01
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Fx Tube 01
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A tube buffer is a small device that takes the signal from your DAC and adjusts the signal as to match your connected device. This signal matching works with the resistance of your audio cables and what your receiver/amplifier expects as a signal. By doing this, your receiver/amplifier receivers the perfect signal voltage from the buffer. In this post, I’m going to be reviewing my FX Audio Tube-01.
Before I added a tube buffer to my desktop HiFi setup , I had my sound card hooked directly into my 1981 JCPenny stereo receiver. It sounded very good although it sounded like something was missing. Comparing the sound on my PC to the sound on a very good sounding radio station however revealed this missing warmth. Music just sounded better on FM to my ears. I would go for the next 3 years like this until one day, I found something on Amazon
One day, I was thinking to myself, “I could really use a pre amplifier”. Back then, I used a headphone amplifier as a pre amplifier when I needed one. Upon looking around online, I had come across the idea of tube pre amplifiers. Basically, you could add tube like sound to your solid state gear while also being able to boast the signal. I came across a review on the FX Audio Tube-01. Although it was made in China, the reviewer stated that the Tube-01 was well-built. At the price of just $31.99, he stated that the Tube-01 enhanced his system. I was ready to order this tube buffer. This would be my first experience with any tube gear.
As usual, I can’t bear waiting for something to arrive at my doorstep. Even with Amazon Prime, it still took forever. When the Tube-01 finally arrived, I already had my JCPenny stereo receiver warmed up. Upon unboxing, There was the Tube-01 with it’s stock 6J1 tubes. I installed the tubes and hooked up the pre amplifier. The path was like this: My SoundBlaster Live! sound card outputted the freshly converted analog signal that went to the Tube-01. The Tube-01 then was outputting the signal to my 1981 JCPenny stereo receiver which drove my Electrohome SC 490s . For those who haven’t yet read about them, They’re from around the time tube gear was everywhere. As such, I knew that these speakers would like what they were about to produce.
The first song I choose was “Grove In The Heart” by Deee-Lite. I knew that this song had a lot of mid and lower bass with a warm mid range that the Electrohomes already loved. Well right away, I noticed just how less harsh the sound was. Being so used to digital music sources, I never know that you could take a digital source and make it sound so good. The Tube-01 surprised me. There was still more to come however. Tubes do burn in after all. I let the system play most of the day before critically listening again.
For this listen, I played “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. Now, we’re really talking a 60s-like sound. I was immediately shocked when the Electrohomes woke up from their 60s grave when the warm lower mid range they already had become tamed. I’ve never heard such detailed mid bass. The sound stage was even wider. The mid range sounded lush and warm while remaining very clear. The treble even seamed warmer. Remember me stating how the treble sounded different with the Electrohomes in their review? Well, the treble got tamed with the Tube-01. I was shocked at how a $31 device improved my system.
Although the sound was improved, the results weren’t nearly as impressive. I was listening to my Pioneer CS-G203s . This is when the idea of tube rolling hit me. I remember when reading reviews on Amazon, people were rolling the stock tubes with new old stock ones. My Pioneer SA-1270 was a very warm sounding 1980s integrated amplifier. I felt like a set of colder tubes would make a better match. I ordered the Voskhod 6J1P-EVs . This was yet another long wait. As I was waiting, I kept being surprised with the Tube-01 and my desktop set up.
By rolling tubes, we’re changing the way the Tube-01 sounds. Upon installing the Voskhod 6J1P-EVs, I noticed something that the Electrohomes didn’t like. The mid bass had calmed down significantly. Other than that, the Tube-01 sounded significantly smoother. I let the new tubes burn in and decided to try them with the Pioneer SA-1270. This was a surprise. The first song I played was “Sweet Home Alabama”. The Pioneer CS-G203s didn’t even sound like speakers. They sound like a performance. I fell in love with the sound and cranked them up loud. I had to DJ my sister’s graduation party later that day. The Tube-01 was coming along. The sound stage was extremely wide. The clarity was unparallel to anything I’ve ever heard out of these speakers. Needless to say, there were quite a few people at the party that were shocked. Most have never heard an audiophile set up before. Let alone, one with that lush warm tube sound.
Nothing is more interesting and appreciated than having to hear about the true and real experience with the tube buffer from.someone that has really had some experience with it. I’ve heard people talk of what they think about this item and it wasn’t really sufficient.
I’m a music of good noise and really would want to get some of that tube sound, I can refer really be satisfied maybe the audio to be will help a lot bring good sound to my outdated speakers. Great thing they are pretty cheap Lee than what I thought as well.
Hi, this is the first time I have heard of this thing before. Do you find that it increases the sound quality of your music and what percent of a difference would you say that it makes?
I just have the sound from my laptop, which is limited by the sound card and standard laptop speakers.
What would you advise is the best way to improve your sound from your computer for the cheapest price,. with the least bit of work involved?
I am surprised at the price as well. 31 dollars seems pretty good.
Well, the best way I could recommend is to visit your local thrift store and look for a decent receiver and speakers. You may or may not get lucky. This is all part of an addicting hobby. Once you have a set up to work with, I recommend a good USB DAC to start. Find a source of lossless music. I have Tidal and recommend it strongly. If you really want to experiment cheaply, check out my review of the Sony MDR V6 headphones. They’re the simplest way to experience high fidelity sound. Even with your laptop’s on board sound card, you’ll probably be surprised.
What a great article, I really never knew about the audio tube, but having gone through your article I just realized it’s something I really need in my system back in my home, I like the way you present your article well detailed with simple language, I believe everyone can understand easily, also thanks for sharing the affiliate link this makes it easy when it comes to the purchase process, I am sure to subscribe to your newsfeed to learn more about this and other related articles.
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Nathaniel FitzGerald is a longtime audiophile and independent musician living in South Bend, IN.
He has been collecting records and vintage stereo equipment for over ten years. He also runs a blog called A Year of Vinyl, where he reviews every record in his (sizable) collection one disc at a time.
Gear Diary is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More .
And like most audiophiles, a good vacuum tube HiFi system makes me drool.
But unfortunately, nobody told my pocketbook. Tube receivers sell for several hundred dollars on eBay . Even DIY kits are generally over $300.
For a piece of equipment that my ears and budget could agree on, I decided to purchase this HiFi buffer.
It usually retails for $34.99, but I found one on eBay for $27. I figured that if it was a piece of crap, I could at least keep the glowing tubes for aesthetic purposes alone.
It came in the mail yesterday, and I’ve actually been really impressed.
It’s important to note that this is not a preamp. It is merely a buffer.
While a phono preamp boosts your turntable’s signal to a line level, a buffer merely runs the signal through a tube circuit.
The volume knob does allow you to boost the volume a little. But if you’re looking for a phono preamp, this isn’t what you’re looking for.
However, if you just want to increase your stereo’s performance and get the most out of your turntable, look no further.
For a Chinese-made, no-name piece of audio equipment, this tube buffer is surprisingly sturdy. The chassis is a die-cast with a beautiful black finish.
The fittings for the tubes are nice and tight. A lot of cheap tube units are either so tight that you run the risk of breaking the tubes or so loose that they don’t stay in place. These fittings are perfect—comparable to the fittings in my Vox AC-15 guitar amp.
The RCA jacks are well soldered. There’s no give when you push the cable in, which sometimes happens with cheap units.
Then we have the main event: the tubes.
They are illuminated by subtle red lights from the bottom. I think the purpose is to give the illusion that the tubes are glowing brightly. Which is strange, because these tubes do glow, but the effect is not as exaggerated as the lights try to make it. The effect is a little cheesy, but it doesn’t overdo it.
The vacuum tubes, lit by the internal lights.
So it looks nice. But how does it actually sound?
For under $30, I wasn’t expecting a huge boost to my performance. If anything, I thought that it might try to trick me into thinking my stereo sounded better just by making it louder .
I was amazed at how much this little tube buffer increased sound isolation. The individual pieces of the drum set were more definite than ever. Guitars were crunchy. Atmospheres were rich and lush.
Vocal harmonies that were previously crowded and jumbled in my stereo field were now wide and clear.
My stereo receiver’s low end has always been thick and warm, but it occasionally slides into muddy territory. With this tube buffer, bass frequencies are crisp and responsive.
The buffer even tamed some of the troublesome frequencies that bog down the sonics in the midrange.
I’ve tried a few records in a number of sonic palettes. From the stripped acoustic folk of Bob Dylan to the sonic maximalist sludge metal of Baroness , every album I played through this tube buffer sounded warm and clear.
Before getting this buffer, I thought that my system sounded great. Now, I can’t believe how much muddiness I’ve been living with.
As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”
While this buffer generally surpasses its price, there just one thing that betrays its affordability.
There seem to be some shielding issues in the wiring. There’s a faint buzz that’s audible at high volume levels. I experimented a bit and discovered that the buzzing gets louder when I put my hand near the tubes.
But luckily, you can play the records at a healthy volume without hearing the buzz at all. And even if I turn the system up so much that it’s clearly audible, the buzz doesn’t interrupt the listening experience at all.
The attractive exterior and solid construction alone are worth the price I paid for this unit. But the extra boost in performance is worth so much more. I would have been satisfied even if I had spent $100 on this.
The FX-Audio retails for $34.99, and it is available on Amazon [affiliate link].
What I Like : Clean, warm tone; Crisp highs and responsive lows; Massive improvement to my receiver’s EQ circuit
What Needs Improvement : Adds a faint signal buzz due to shielding issues
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WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
the safety precautions around high voltages.
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FX Audio Tube 01 Mods
Thread starter
suzziman
Start date
2020-05-14 2:01 pm
Dear Members, after reading a lot about cheap NJ Fx Audio Tube 01 hence got one and upgrading the Caps and Tubes.
The result is 50% better sound stage than stock unit so its definitely a good pre and can be used as buffer too.
Upgraded film caps to Rifa with 2% tolerance, went with Rubycon or Nichicon 330uf caps and didnt touch the 470uf on Psu as they seemed okay.
Definitely change to a better 12v power supply than stock, GE5654 tubes and wow the bass and tube effect is worth enjoying.
2011-10-28 4:43 pm
Somewhere in Germanistan
Although MKT's might not be the best capacitors for audio use, I'd keep my hands off of Rifa's due to bad experience I've gathered during the last decades. They're prone to emulate firecrackers.
Better go for MKP's if there's enough space in your PCB.
Best regards!
I have just bought the same Model 01 with the Jan 5664 tubes. It's still in the burn-in phase, so hard to say what it will sound like, but even now it sounds pretty decent for the money.
The problem I have is that it has way too much gain. With my Cambridge Dacmagic 100 directly coupled to the input and the Model 01 feeding into my Harman Kardon PA2200 , I get really high volume after the third click of the volumepot, the first two clicks doing absolutely nothing.
Has anyone had a look at which resistors set the gain in this pre-amp?
Best regards.
2011-10-28 4:43 pm
Somewhere in Germanistan
Please show the schematics to us and most probably we may tell.
Best regards!
Please show the schematics to us and most probably we may tell.
Best regards!
2004-02-23 11:05 pm
Gainesville, FL
I've been scouring the Internet but schematics are virtually unobtanium. I can't locate them anywhere so I wondered if someone over here has had more luck.
There seem to be a few variations of this design, which is sold under a wide variety of brand names with slightly different features. These units are not buffers, they have gain, and most modern sources put out enough signal that a simple attenuator is all that's really necessary.
There is a mega-thread about these preamps over on the AK forum. Some posts on there include schematics.
There are at least two different power supply designs but, ultimately, the various brands seem to use the same operating points for the tubes. Those operating points are far from optimal.
I was in the process of breadboarding a very basic preamp and was trying a variety of tubes so I tried these tubes using the stock operating points. I used a traditional PS, however, so I was able to experiment. I found that they sounded much better when operated at higher voltages with different operating points. I posted about all this in the AK thread.
FX Audio 6j1 tube preamp - a $31 wonder | Page 66 | Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
Although MKT's might not be the best capacitors for audio use, I'd keep my hands off of Rifa's due to bad experience I've gathered during the last decades. They're prone to emulate firecrackers.
Better go for MKP's if there's enough space in your PCB.
Best regards!
I have just bought the same Model 01 with the Jan 5664 tubes. It's still in the burn-in phase, so hard to say what it will sound like, but even now it sounds pretty decent for the money.
The problem I have is that it has way too much gain. With my Cambridge Dacmagic 100 directly coupled to the input and the Model 01 feeding into my Harman Kardon PA2200 , I get really high volume after the third click of the volumepot, the first two clicks doing absolutely nothing.
Has anyone had a look at which resistors set the gain in this pre-amp?
Best regards.
2007-03-17 5:18 pm
Istanbul
hiendparadise.com
Hi.I searched a lot but could not find an information.What is input and output impedance of this buffer?
Tube (valve) Audio Buffers – FarMedia
An interesting article I came across:
FX Audio “TUBE-01”
In the TUBE-01 , the tube buffers are run at a low 25 Volt B+. This is an unusually low operational voltage (the tubes are spec’d at 120 Volts). As electronics tend to behave very differently on low voltages, this may explain why tube swaps are claimed to have such a large effect on the sound in these units.
The input goes directly to the volume control, which presents a 50K input load to the input. This is high enough to not be an issue.
No input cap, so DC on the input may cause scratchiness from the volume control.
From there, the circuit adds 12 dB of gain with no load, and about 10 dB with the usual 10K-20k load the following amp would present. This tells us the output stage is a less desirable high impedance design (probably off the tubes anode) and it will be affected by the the next device quite a bit. Signal level, low frequency response, and THD are likely to be worse.
First quick test results
Like the other unit, this one has a rather high amount of distortion (about 0.4% THD). It rolls off the high end a bit and the low ends a lot, even into an unrealistically easy 100K load. This is very similar to the other unit.
Rather than do a full suite of measurements that merely illustrate how poorly this one measures, I immediately replaced the tubes and upgraded the smallish 1.0 uF output coupling cap to 4.7 uF parts.
Here’s what these two simple changes did. [author note: better photo!]
FX Audio Tube-01 with new tubes and larger output coupling caps.
This is a big improvement. THD about halved and the low frequency rolloff is less than 1 dB at 20Hz. These mods are quite worthwhile.
Author notes to self, remember to touch on:
Output topology and impedance loading – 100K vs 20K vs 10K?
Measurements -10 and -20dBV – (in process)
Does THD decrease over time. (ie long warmup?)
Check spectrum of THD (mostly “musical” 2nd?).
Tube swapping results – (NOS 5654W is better than the supplied tubes, done)
Rolled off bass response – output coupling capacitor too small? – (yes, 4.7uF looks about right for the TUBE-01).
Hi,
Fully agree with the guy from FarMedia. I am running the tubes at 12 V AC /just a trafo in front and directly to the heaters/. Took out the big resistor and the cap. Should be better if you have 6.3 V separately to both tubes - just a recon, will try.
Please share your experience.
Regards
Hi, I'm doing some tests with a 2x 6j1p buffer called Tube-01.
I changed the in-out caps with quality panasonic MKPs, 3.3uF / 400v.
I replaced all the electrolytic caps on the power supply with panasonic 25V.
I replaced all the electrolytic caps on the anode with 50v nichicon and panasonic.
I have built an adjustable linear power supply that goes up to 22v.
I did some tests and by increasing the input voltage I can get up to + - 40 / 45v which is equivalent to an anode of 80 / 90v instead of the original 60v.
I was wondering if you know a working point that can work with 80 / 90v.
I presume I will have to replace the Rs on the anode and cathode and maybe some more.
For heaters I always keep exactly 6.3v (12.6v
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