Yes and no. :D Recommending tubes is a bit perilous for the reasons you mention and coupling caps, IC's etc. will influence what sounds *best* to you. I do agree that it takes a good amount of listening to really evaluate a tube.

Let's see if I can be more clear. The new GL KT66 is usually, when compared to the new TS big bottle 6L6G, regarded as a more extended tube. That is what I surmised after reading many posts on other forums etc. One set of ears may prefer one over the other. Or one may be preferred for certain types of music. There are certainly no absolutes because there are just too many variables. I just like to have a GENERAL idea of what to expect sonically.

[QUOTE=SteveSem;733341]Yes, it did turn out to be the tube, and it was in the pre-amp. The pre-amp came to me with JJ tubes. The only spare rectifier that I had was a Sophia 274B, which I was planning to try in the Inspire. But when this happened, I tired it the pre-amp and it worked fine, though my sense was that it placed a lot of emphasis on imperfections in the source. For example, records that weren't perfect and an FM jazz station that has a moderately weak signal. It sounded much better on perfect records than the JJ had. I have no digital sources for this system yet.

I am looking for other rectifier alternatives and have an older used Mullard 5a4 on order. I'd like to try a 5Y3 as well. Do you recommend the Sovtek as an alternative to the Mullard?[/QUOTE]

No. I have not tried the Sovtek but it is regarded as quite reliable and affordable. Amperex/Mullard are still regarded as the *best* and they seem to last forever. You did good by getting a Mullard.

Do try a 5Y3 and perhaps a 5V4G rectifier. The 5V4G is a low voltage drop 5Y3. *I* prefer it over a GZ34 with some tubes.

I took another look at the Wesinghouse 5AR4 I have and it was made in Holland by Amperex/Mullard. http://i57.tinypic.com/16c6xb8.jpg
A relabeled tube like this will sell for less than one branded Amperex or Mullard. My amp has a UX-4 rectifier socket so I need an adapter for 5 pin rectifiers.

The best tube?
 

Below is a post from another forum from 2009 and it applies to almost any tube.

Allow me to give you the benefit of an extremely costly lesson I learned about tubes & the 12AU7 specifically? A few years back ---{ almost 7 now }--- I purchased a Mastersound Reference 845 Integrated SET amp. I loved this amp and was so impressed by it's performance, that I became obsessed with doing anything & everything possible to tweak every last bit of performance out of it. Obviously tube rolling was the easiest thing to start with.

So I everywhere I could find, i.e., SETriodes group, Audio Asylum, Audio Roundtable, Audioholics and World Tube Audio forums for some suggestions on what others considered to be "the best" 12AU7. Well as might be expected the "Use Amprerex, Mullard, Telefunken" chant started everywhere. Back then I was new to tube rolling so I believed what I was told. Thus I bought Amperex, Mullards & Telefunkens. However I was not quite satisfied with what I heard.

So I also bought Brimar, La Radiotechnique, Maroni, Mazda, Phillips, RFT, Seimans, Valvo, and just about every European 12AU7 I could find. I also tried the US tubes GE, JAN, RCA, Raytheon, Sylvania and Tung-Sol etc. But that wasn't all. I was so obsessed with finding "the best" 12AU7-type tube I tried every different tube types within the 12AU7 family I could find. This included the CV4003, CV491, 12AU7, 12AU7A, 12AU7WA, 5814, 5814A, 5963, 6067, 6189, 7730, ECC82, E82CC, ECC802S & M8136. I hope you're getting my drift here.

After spending more $$$$ than I care to remember and after much trial and a lot of errors, I found the two 12AU7 "types" I liked best. Did you notice the I LIKED BEST part? You see IMHO the number one "best" 12AU7 variant is the Mazda "silver-plate" 12AU7WA / E82CC / 6189 by a far margin and the number two 12AU7 variant is the RFT Foil-getter 12AU7 / ECC82. In the Mazda I found "the King" of 12AU7's bar none! In the RFT I found all the salinet traits of a Teley with much better midrange bloom and detail...the RFT smokes the Teleys IMHO!

But the most valuable lesson I learned however was this, EVERYTHING MATTERS, and there is no BEST 12AU7! The Mazda "silver-plate" 6189 sounds best-bar none in my Mastersound, using my speakers, my CD Player, my wires etc. No other 12AU7 comes even close (except the RFT "foil-getter" ) However that same tube in your amp, with your CD Player, and speakers etc might not have "the magic" at all. Our systems are a gestalt of all the different components involved. Unfortuantely the only way to find what "the best" 12AU7 for you will be through trial and error.

See if you can borrow some 12AU7's, don't be afraid to try other 12AU7-types ( I like the 6189 ) and finally let YOUR ears decide what YOU like. Had I listened to all the well-meant advice, I'd be using either an Amperex, Mullard or Telefunken and my amp wouldn't sound half as good as it does with the Mazda 6189 "silver-plate"

Thanks my 2 cents worth of advice, hope it helps!





You can go nuts and broke rolling tubes...especially in these amps. Tubes can only do so much to improve sonics. I have found that when a piano sounds 'right' I am done.

Interconnects speaker wire and coupling capacitors make a difference too.

Yes, mine arrived today. I had forgotten that it is an RCA labeled English built Mullard.

Good score. :thumbsup: I bought a NOS Brimar 5Z4GY/CV1863 KB/FE STC from a reputable British tube dealer on the auction site about $50 delivered. It's a 5 pin low voltage drop rectifier that is plug & play in your amp.

*I* like it.

Put my RCA Mullard in last night with the Gold Lion KT-88's and 6SN7 -- both of which Dennis had supplied with the amp. Previous I had only listened with the new Tung-Sol 6L6 tubes and the 5U4 with a 6BX7GT. All I can say is that I now understand what you guys are saying about sounding "different." There were things I liked -- a huge 3D effect -- and a very meaty full sound. But something was lost too in the airiness and clarity of the 6L6. Maybe the KT-88's need some time to settle. But I think that the original owner used the amp only with them. So, they should be broken in. It will take some time to decide if I prefer one over the other. And I still have the Gold Lion KT-77's and a set of Pope 6V6's to try.

The rectifier and input tube have a large impact on the sonics. The GZ34 has a low voltage drop so the sound is tighter....as you noticed.

You have some excellent power tubes and with some experimenting with rectifiers and input tubes you'll find what works best for you.

BTW, does your amp use 6BX7's for input/drivers? Can it also use 6SN7/6SL7's?

Yes, those are the three driver tubes that came with my amp. I used the 6BX7 with the new Tong-sol 6L6's and changed to the 6SN7 when I went to the KT-88s.

Yes, it is a matter of synergy. Not one of us has the same system or.. ears. You have to experiment but don't go nuts and broke doing it.

Find two or three power tubes you like, the right driver/input tube and rectifier combination and enjoy the :music:.

It is a personal journey. :thumbsup:

These are fine amps!

Peter,

Have you tried the 6N1P (6H1N-EB) Russian Rocket as a variant to the 6N23P? When I got my LP-2, previously owned, I decided to replace all the tubes. My LP-2 is an older model with 6922 type driver tubes. Anyway, I bit into the more $$$ is better at the time and got a pair of Bugle Boys and swapped them in and never looked back. A couple weeks ago I had a bit of noise coming in one channel and while trouble shooting the problem I put the 6H1Ns (Dennis supplied these originally with the LP-2) back in and WOW! I do not recall the source of the noise now but either way I have not even thought about rolling the Amperex back in. I did go for broke and rolled a 6H1N in place of the Bugle Boy in my amp but what ever the improvement was to the sound before was not enhanced further at this later stage of sound processing. As I research these Volkhod tubes I see that some of the vintage 6N23P tubes from the height of the Cold War have additional value in $$. What are your thoughts on the sound? At this point I am not looking for minor improvements but more to collect a few backups of my favorites before all NOS get to WE prices. Have you tried both the 6H1N and 6N23P for comparison?

By the way, Thank you as well Florida Boy for the 6AR6 and 6K6 suggestions. Very happy trying inexpensive tubes that sound great.

Scott