I just received the Sophia 274B in the mail today. I have it at home playing for a few hours and will listen to it tonight. Dennis commented that it largely sounds like the Shugang/Tube Store one he included with my amp, so I'm not sure it'll blow me away. It is amazing looking though, both in its profile and in the unique glow it provides. Definitely an "art" tube. I'll let you know how it sounds. I've got the Popes in currently, so it will be with those initially.

Let me know your experience going back to the KT150s. I keep thinking I'm going to prefer one or the other, but I really like them both for different reasons. One is like a cold beer on a hot day, the other like a hot toddy on a cold day. :smoking:

As far as selling stuff, you have to be a subscriber on AA to list in the marketplace. I'm not sure how much traffic they get if you can only market to other subscribers (compared to more open boards that is).

Later.....

First night with the Sophia 274B running with the Popes........ really, really good! I'm going to give it a few nights to make sure it's not all placebo. Though, I went in not expecting a lot of improvement. I had that feeling about the Popes when I first listened to them and was blown away. They have continued to seduce me, so I'm hopeful about the Sophia.

I'm interested now to try the other, Shugang, 274B in the LP-2. Endless combos! But tonight was one of those, "This is what it's all about" nights!

The holy grail to many is the metal base Mullard GZ34.

Photography question......... Anyone have expertise enough to know how extreme I need to get with a digital camera to get good low light photos - like of glowing tube equipment? (Beercan?).

I'm point and shoot. My research has led me to the Nikon P7800, but it may be overkill. It has aperture of F2.0-F4.0 with max 200mm zoom. I'd probably shoot these at 50-70mm or so. I really like its flexibility and features, but it is big for general travel use and about $550. Would a smaller, less expensive, smaller camera with max aperture somewhere around 3.0 be adequate for low light shots like this?

Thanks for indulging a bit of off topic.

Peter,

All u need is a camera that can do manual aperture setting. This way u mount the camera on a steady platform then let the big aperture longer exposure do the job. No flash.

Then the tube glow will come up nice & toasty

Regards,
Joe Ling

PS : BTW did u just mentioned that the LP2 is better than a SLP-05 ?

Hmm. I guess I'll try manual aperture on my existing 7 year old Kodak and see how it does. I do have a tripod. Thanks for the tip.

I'm not prepared to say that the LP-2 is better than the SLP-05. Only that I keep going back and forth trying to make sure I don't make a mistake if I sell the SLP. I'm consistently finding the LP-2 edging out the SLP-05 in sound, at least to my ears - slightly more of that intangible musicality and sense of presence. I have a NOS Mullard 5AR4 and various combos of NOS Sylvania Chrome Domes and NOS RCA grey glass in the SLP. I will probably try the stock EH tubes again as well. I thought I would miss the remote volume control going with the LP-2, but I'm using the remote controlled signal level in my DAC which works fine for overall sound level.

I don't think I would be able to tell much difference between them if I didn't have the switch. I have zero lag time with the switch. It would take a minute or more if I had to swap cables. It's that close. Still, even at a draw, it is quite surprising. I have to attribute it to the circuit simplicity. The LP-2 even uses $2 tubes (three 6FM7) plus a rectifier - I've got a NOS RCA 5Y3.

Well. My extremely unscientific findings are that the vintage 6V6GT's sound better than the KT-150's. I bought a pair of Sylvania 6V6GT's on eBay (cheap, like $40 incl. shipping from Canada) and they just sound so much smoother to my ears/system than the KT-150's. I feel like the 6V6's sand off the round edges and it sounds more musical than the new Russian tubes.

I thought these were kinda cool because they don't have the usual gray/black inner layer on the glass. Just the chrome-dome getter. I like 'em. They'll be a great back up set if I don't *LOVE* my vintage TungSol 6550's that are en route! Hard to fault what the 6V6's do in the Inspire amps, for sure. Such a pleasure to listen to.

http://home.comcast.net/~cryptcl/Sylv6V6GT2.jpg

We are tube gluttons!! http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/character2/15.gif

The 6V6's are smoother/warmer. I can't recall what else you've run for 6V6 - have you tried the popes - my favorite of that tube so far? The 6550 didn't do it for me but, no vintage Tung-Sol to try - had Tung-Sol reissue and Winged C's.

Another variety to try might be the 6L6 - oh nooooo! More tubes!

BTW, I read somewhere that the solid grey in the Popes and some other 6V6's was for RF shielding - don't know if that's been mentioned here.

Yes, without a doubt warmer and smoother. That suits my ears better.

Yes, I've tried and still own: Popes, pair of JAN/RCA 6V6GT VT-107, pair of RCA 6V6GT from Brent Jesse, pair of Sylvania/JAN 6V6G's. The Popes started me down the 6V6 path but sadly don't see much playing time.

Yeah, I think the TungSol vintage 6550's are similar to the reissues in name only. I have high expectations, but we'll see. I might end up back with the 6V6GT's!

I've probably recommended this before, but if anyone is looking for a geniune Delta blues experience, pick up a copy of Lucinda Williams '98 release "Car Wheels...". Great musicians and peak songwriting from Lucinda. One of the few CDs I push play and just let it finish.

Mark, Are those Sylvanias 'G' or 'GT' (or GTA, GTY)? The G spec I think was from the 30's and had a different shape.