More listening with the Mullards via CD, tuner and DVD over the weekend. They have about 11:40 on them now.
As I listened I noted some diffrences between the Mullards and the JJs I started with. First, the Mullards aren't quite as warm as the JJs. This was evident when playing Santana's Sacred Fire: Live in Mexico DVD. The guitar was more piercing than with the JJs, though just short of bright-sounding; it was smoother with the JJs. The Mullards' higher gain again helped out, and it felt and sounded a little more like a live concert than a DVD. I've seen Santana live, and Carlos' guitar can be piercing, even a bit strident depending upon the auditorium.
The bottom ends are about the same, with perhaps a slight edge to the Mullards, but again, they're higher gain tubes so that may be a factor. I'd have to put the JJs back in to double check that.
On CD, Fanfare for the Common Man (Atlanta Symphony/Lane) was appropriately powerful, as was Night on Bald Mountain/Pictures at an Exhibition (Cleveland Orchestra/Szell). Brass had a bit more bite to it, which made the music seem more lively.
Still haven't played any LPs yet. I have the Tedeschi/Trucks Band's latest waiting, Made up Mind. I need to be able to give LPs full attention, and that can be tough to do the way my schedule and responsibilities work.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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