Progress report.........

Had been running KT150 power tubes in my Inspire amp for 10wpc. Also at 10wpc I've tried Winged C EL34, Ei KT90/KT99 and Tung-Sol 6550. Nothing special experienced with the KT90 and 6550. The EL34 had exceptional bass. Went back to KT150's and felt this was still the most natural over all. But.......

Then I tried the Pope 6V6's for 5wpc with NOS RCA 5Y3 rectifier and, http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/happy/42.gif , everything has changed. I hope I don't eat my words later, but this sound was amazing. I'm still getting confident about the lower power. I feel vulnerability about the possibility of distortion or breakup, but I think it is psychological since I've never run with less than 10wpc before these. They compete very well with the EL34's in bass, but out do them everywhere else. The proverbial hearing things I haven't heard before in familiar recordings while managing to come off smoother and less fatiguing than anything I've had yet. The Omegas shine all the more when fed a signal like this! I think this is now the tube to beat (for me).

Regarding the 274B that I have..... it is made by Shugang for TubeDepot. I'd love to try the Sophia, but it looks like over $100 for the one tube, so it will probably wait, particularly with my newfound enthusiasm for the 6V6 which calls for a different rectifier.

This is very consistent with my experience. I was skeptical that 5 wpc would give me that visceral impact that they ended up doing for my ears. My 6V6GT's seem louder than the KT-150's with a vintage Mullard 5AR4. Never saw that coming.

keep in mind that Dennis also endorses the higher voltage 5U4 rectifiers too with the Popes.

I didn't realize that about the 5U4 with Popes. I don't have one though. Have you tried it?

Dennis sent a Shuguang 5U4 with my amp. I've been using it with the Popes. Great combo.

I have to try it then!

I googled around and read some posts and some cautions about using the 274B in place of a 5U4. Since I already have a 274B, I just shot Dennis an email asking if that would be ok to try for a listen.

Ok I ordered some Pope 6v6. I hope I get the positive reaction you guys are :)

I received a reply from Dennis that the 274B is good to go with the Popes. So I will give that a try tonight!

Dennis also indicated that I could try the 5AR4 with the Popes. Power range with the popes, depending on rectifier, stays within 5-7 wpc. He also said I could try the 274B in place of the 5Y3 in the LP-2.

So I tried various combos. I ended up back with 5Y3 in both LP-2 and KT150 amp. The 5Y3's that I have are vintage RCA's, which might have something to do with it. The 274B is made by Shugang for TheTubeStore.com, other 274B or 5U4 brands may do better. The 5AR4 (NOS RCA) was a bit too aggressive with the Popes. Differences with other combos were more subtle.

Dennis did a pair of monoblocs! Listed on eBay.

I just hope I have as much fun in retirement as Dennis does!

I just hope I can retire!! This audio hobby doesn't help with progress towards that goal! :homer:

We work hard to put ourselves in a position to retire, but I can attest to the fact that retirement may not be as great as you anticipate. After a few months of it I found myself bored with too much time on my hands, looking for things to keep me busy. I ended up getting some part time work just to have something to do with my time and to be able to interact more with others. So as they say, be careful what you wish for and appreciate what you have. The grass is not always greener on the other side!

It also depends on how you see retirement. For me, it is that work becomes optional. That will also enable a move out of alaska without worrying about a job at the destination. I will probably work in some capacity as long as I am able, likely less hours. The key is not feeling the pressure to make money. I also want to get a geezer blues band together (singing and blues harp)! :roots:

So true - if I'm not able to golf in retirement, it's just not worth it and I'll be bored and blow through any savings I've got in a heartbeat. Agree with Peter - the notion of employment being "optional" is what is appealing. Just enough to fund a new pair of 1930's vintage 6V6G's every so often to pop into my KT-150 Fire Bottle. (I do have a pair of those on the way, can't wait to check them out. Seller said they were of the first run of 6V6G tubes out of Sylvania, probably 1936 or 1937 production - crazy!)

finally got my 6v6 to try, hope my impressions mirror others on this forum :)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6...255B1%255D.jpg

Nice Array! I've switched back to KT150's and NOS RCA 5AR4 and again feel good about that combo. There may not be a "best" for me. Different combos have different virtues.

I've only tried the Popes and will be curious about your take on the differences.

Dennis sent a photo of his new monoblocs.

"I call them MB12 for 12 watt mono blocs. They are universal with 6V6's at 5+ watts with 5Y3 rectifiers and 12 watts with KT88/KT150 and 5U4 rectifier and 14 watts with the 5AR4 rectifier."

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse4211084.jpg

Trying out the KT77's today
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1...255B1%255D.jpg

Well, I've got the Popes back in and they sound better than ever! Strange that going back and forth I have initial preference for the newly changed tubes both ways. I won't knock it. It seems to help decrease the need to look for that "perfect" combination. More than one combo is the "best".

On Dennis' recommendation, I'm trying Gold Lion 6V6's, they're not too expensive, and Gold Lion KT88's. He was talking Sovtek KT88's, but so many people review the Gold Lions positively, and I had good experience with the Gold Lions when in search of 6922's, so I'm going for those.

The KT88 is a totally new tube to me. The GL 6V6's will be a nice comparison with the Popes.

Woo hoo! http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/jumping/10.gif

When you can buy a matched pair of NOS RCA 6V6GT's for less than $100, I'm not that tempted to buy the new Russian/Chinese versions for ~$75/pair. The extra for the 'cool factor' of the NOS is worth it to me.

Good point. The Gold Lions were $62/pr btw. I found NOS RCA 6SN7's (in my SLP-05) to be quite dark. They work well in the mix with Sylvanias, but I've been cautious about NOS RCA's in general as a result (except for rectifiers). This may not be warranted with the 6V6's though. Are you running a pair? What is the sound like to you?

Edit: Aercool... I see a couple of posts back that you have these on the way. So I'll look forward to your impressions when you get them. I put an inquiry in to Brent Jessee who has advised me well in the past. Where are you buying from?

I've got a few pair of NOS tubes. One set of 40's VT-107A RCA 6V6GT's, another set of regular RCA 6V6GT gray glass, a pair of Sylvania 6V6G's. The 6V6G's were the only disappointment - just a little congested in louder music. In acoustic/solo stuff they were fine. Put on the remix of LedZep's III, and there was some bloat. I guess I'm searching for the "golden era" of the 6V6G/6V6GT, where the sound was best because it was the cornerstone vacuum tube and best manufacturing practices were in place and every one was a gem. Right now, if I had to guess, I'd say it was early/mid 40's. Can you draw a correlation to the US tubes being made when the country was pulling itself out of the depression and workers were motivated by the world war? Dunno, but it's fun to think about.

Hey, that's a whole level deeper man! You could do a dissertation on histories influence on tube quality and its effect on the audio world!

Bottom line though, I'm not sure what you're saying about the RCA 6V6GT gray glass. The Sylvania's disappointed, how were the two RCA's? Had you had any others to compare with before this trio?

My Popes are certainly doing very well. We'll see how the Gold Lions compare. And now I'm curious about throwing RCAs in the mix.

The RCA's in my opinion are the gold standard in 6V6GT's. Better than the Popes in my limited listening. I agree that the RCA's probably aren't the best choice for 6SN7's, better options there like the Tung-Sols. Besides, preamp tubes are different beasts that power tubes, but yes, please contact Brent for a pair of vintage RCA's. I've got a pair of his matched RCA's in my amp now, and they're glorious.

But somewhere en route are the very earliest of the early 6V6G's with the ST shaped coke bottle glass from a reputable tube seller. Estimated 1936/1937 vintage. Will it test my history influence theory? The people that HAD jobs then were dang happy to have them, and worked like dogs to make the best stuff they could so they could KEEP their job? National pride from the war hadn't yet taken hold, but self pride was there! (okay, yes, I've had an adult beverage. my enthusiasm is hitting the flood stage.)

I shall give them a try! I'd love to try Bendix also, but that's getting a bit pricey. Just put in the order with Brent. So I will have Pope, Gold Lion, RCA to compare. I still think the Pope 6V6 have the edge over the KT150's, though I like the 150's as well. So 6V6 seems like the way to go for me right now and this will give a good sampling between highly rated NOS and current production tubes. I also have GL KT88's coming to try a different type of tube. Have to be careful though. Don't want to spend more on tubes than I did for the amp that uses them! :p

Interesting speculation, though you risk finding a reason for every period of time producing the best quality! :scratch2: :cheers:

1941 VT-107A RCA 6V6GT are in my amp now and I have to say they have me sold on the 6V6 sound. Smooth and sweet, plenty of drive and very articulate and detailed. Gotta say fleabay came through on this one for $44 pair! I also got some RCA 6SN7 x 3, sound very nice as well but I have a feeling that rolling my full music 6SL7 will take it to a higher level. I am currently running them with a Rogers Labeled Holland made 5Y3(Mazda). Gotta say between that and setup and the Penta (TS preferred series) KT88, I've got two winning combo's with very different feels.
Have not been impressed with the GL 6V6, especially when compared to the 40's VT-107A RCA 6V6GT

Good to hear about the RCAs and KT88. A different application but, in my SLP-05, RCA 6SN7's were dark. The Sylvania Chrome Domes were the best I tried (just a few). I ended up with four Sylvanias and two RCAs in that preamp. So, 6SN7's may still be worth considering if you want to try something other than the RCA's.

I had my pair of the Popes on flEabay for the last week with no takers, and now I'm glad no one bid. I popped them back in with a vintage 5U4G rectifier (RCA) and they sound fantastic. I think I was just accumulating too many power tubes and felt like I needed to shed a pair, but glad no one else wanted them! I think I'll leave this combo in for a while.

Last night I was listening to the 2011 release from War On Drugs, "Slave Ambient". Some pretty cool ambient textures on that release. Nice room filling sound.

Anybody else recommend any particularly well-recorded music?

Used Inspire equipment currently on both eBay and AudiogoN! The one on AG would be a tempting one - EL34 based. There is a LP-2 preamp on eBay in white. Dennis doesn't usually list these and makes them for existing customers.

Speaking of Dennis, he wrote me about his new monoblocs....

I am very tempted by these (photo below). I really like the 6V6 in my Inspire KT150. I would love to hear these beasts with eight Popes running in them! But, then again, I don't really need the power now that I have 93db+ sensitive speakers and there is something about the simple circuits paired with crossoverless, single driver speakers that is very sweet. If I wanted to go back to my AR 2ax' (~87db), these would be the ticket. But I'm liking my single driver Omegas too much!

Regarding 6V6 - I've gone a bit crazy finding the brand to stick with. Now have Pope, Gold Lion, NOS RCA, NOS Bendix. I'm going to rotate through a couple of more times, but the Pope is still the one to beat for me. Bendix probably second, then the RCAs. I'll try to post more specifics after more rolling. It's hard though, as it takes time to swap tubes and there should be at least 20 minutes or so of warm up with each tube swap. Audio memory is very fallible.

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http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/a...psdd4e52cb.jpg

Sheesh. I wish we were in the same area code. I'd love to check out your Omegas. And I'd love for you to check out my Zu Omens!

Either way, I'd love to swap some tubes to roll for less of a PayPal hit. I am confident that the Bendix 5992's didn't work for me. Sold 'em, took a staggering hit, but don't care - I didn't see them in the rotation. I was getting a lot of 'sharpies' with music I know well - that glare that just makes you just want to turn your head. I was putting the RCA 6V6GT/VT-107's through their paces tonight with a Black Crowes music fest. Mostly their Shake Your Moneymaker/Southern Harmony releases. There's some great guitar sounds on those, and the Inspires did well with a whopping 6 wpc from the RCA / Tele E88CC / RCA 5Y3G setup. Also using an LP-2 preamp with the 6FM7's and another vintage RCA 5Y3G rectifier.

I'm torn between the RCA VT-107's and the Popes. Seems like the RCA's just have a little warmer and a little deeper bass presentation. But like you said - audio memory is SO fallible. A fraction of a dB one way or another and it's all up in smoke as far as a "scientific" comparison. I really *want* to like my really old 30's vintage 6V6G's I've got, but they don't seem to like complex music like I was listening to tonight. Acoustic / solo - yeah, just right. But Chris Robinson's close mic style probably would've gotten a little congested sounding. At least that's my recollection (flawed...).

Yeah, these Fire Bottle Inspire amps are fun. They've really brought me back to 2 channel in a big way. Sure. Looking at a bunch of glowing tubes doesn't hurt matters - but it still has to sound right. They do that in spades.

Now on to some Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris for a nightcap.

Cheerio! Mark

Sounds like we have some similar experience, Mark. I need to rotate back the RCA 6V6's and again to the KT150's. Slow process but, then again, no hurry!

The same area code wouldn't be enough! Alaska is all 907, so we could be 1000 miles apart, and no connecting roads, with the same area code! Nonetheless, I'd love to be able to share listening with our respective speakers. I've been curious about Zu speakers.

Have you gone back to the KT150's at all for comparison? I haven't in a couple of weeks, but every time I have I've not been disappointed. So far, I think I'm characterizing the KT150 as a newer, cleaner sound and the 6v6 as the more traditional "warm" tube sound.

I have not gone back to the KT150's since I got my first pair of 6V6's. I should give them a spin though. Expensive tubes need to be used... They are cool looking in the amp for sure.

They are cool looking. I've always thought like Buck Rogers spaceships from the 50's. My wife tolerated them but, when I ran them along with the big 274B, she complained and called it that "alien thing"! :lala:

The 150's aren't cheap, but we didn't pay for them outright. I told Dennis that I'm glad it's a new tube or I'd have three or four varieties of KT150's! :crazy:

I've finally found a pair of truly "new" old stock early 70's vintage Tung-Sol 6550's that should be on the way soon. They are new in the box, newly unearthed from a collector. I've always loved the squatty big shouldered look of the TS 6550's, and it gives me an opportunity to put the nice Mullard 5AR4 back into the mix!

I'll try to do an admittedly flawed listening comparison between the KT-150's and the TS 6550's when I have a chance. I'll also post a pic with them installed in the Inspire.

Hi Mark,

Nice score! I have both TS 6550 reissue and Winged C 6550's. Haven't favored them over 6v6, KT150 or EL34 though. I'll be curious what you think of the "Holy Grail" 6550's.

Meanwhile, I'm liking the KT150's again. This is with the Shugang 274B, which I actually prefer to my NOS Mullard/Brimar 5AR4. Enough that I just sprang for a Sophia mesh plate 274B. It's getting to be time to list some of these output tubes that I probably won't go back to, at least some of the 6v6's.

Those Sophia mesh 274B's are really cool. You'll have to let me know what you think of it with the KT-150's. It might work well with the TungSol 6550's too.

Did you ask Dennis about this warning from Sophia? Might be fine, but before I put a $160 tube on-line, I'd ask.

Note(*): 274B is direct heating tube. The indirect heating 5AR4 may turn on slower, however, people who buy 274B is for its superior sonic performance. To fully utilize its benefits, it may require first stage capacitor (capacitor input) to be less than 10MFD, or would shorten the 274B life span (very much like smoking is bad for your health). It would not be a problem with common choke input. Please consult to your amplifier maker or refer to a tube manual.

No, but I will. There is at least one other person running that tube in his amp from this thread though (too lazy to refer back :sigh: ).

Wooot! A pair of the big daddy Quadras just went up on eBay. Very cool looking.

Hi Mark.......

They sold already! Dennis says he is working up a pair of the Quattros monoblocs in red. Will pull at my heart!!

He also reassures me that the Sophia will be fine to run in the KT150.

That would be mine :smoking::D. Saw the red colour scheme Dennis did for your amp & I asked for the same. The other pair is for my friend in matching colour to his SLP-05. 2 pairs of QMB25 in 240V coming our way soon.

Regards,
Joe Ling