Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[Aercool]

My vintage Tung-Sol 6550 experiment has been delayed. The pair that I got in weren't to my liking. One of them looked brand new but the other looked like it had a lot of hours on it with receding getters that looked thin compared to the other. I returned them and will wait for a more time-in-use (er, hopefully true NOS) and output matched pair. So for now I'm back to a pair of Zenith 6V6G's I got on eBay. Maybe have the replacement pair of the 6550's by the end of the month.

[pstrisik]

Originally Posted by Aercool

My vintage Tung-Sol 6550 experiment has been delayed. The pair that I got in weren't to my liking. One of them looked brand new but the other looked like it had a lot of hours on it with receding getters that looked thin compared to the other. I returned them and will wait for a more time-in-use (er, hopefully true NOS) and output matched pair. So for now I'm back to a pair of Zenith 6V6G's I got on eBay. Maybe have the replacement pair of the 6550's by the end of the month.

That's a bummer! Are you buying these from a reputable source or more of an ebay kind of thing?

My progress continues. I sold the SLP-05. I'd like to trade up the Omega speaker line with the proceeds. I better do it quickly or I could find myself buying some NOS 350B's - not really -- I hope!

I ordered a second Sophia 274B since the results from the first were so positive. I now have that rectifier in both the KT150 and LP-2. Quite striking in sound and looks. My only complaint is that they don't seem to pay attention to lining up the insides with the bases, so the two tubes don't look precisely aligned. I think I'll mention that to them, though I don't expect an exchange. I'll try to get a photo up here tonight.

I also ordered a pair of Valve Art (chinese current production) 350B's while exploring the 6L6's online. They are Western Electric 350B replicas. They weren't very expensive ($45/pr), so I thought I would give them a shot. Only last night so far. Initial impression is positive. Very clear and transparent top to bottom. May have a slight high end grain, but we'll see after they get at least 10 hours on them. Makes me want to try a NOS 6L6.

I finally put away the KT150's (for now anyway). I revisited the =C= EL34's and found them better than I recalled. But they feel slightly fuzzy. I don't know if it is worth trying another EL34. My "best" tubes are still the Pope 6V6's.

And..... I've thought about trying a 6922 input tube. I have some left over from a CJ17LS that is long gone. I just read somewhere that the 6N1P/6H1P has more of the warmth and the 6922 has more of the dynamics, so we'll see.

The thing that I am very happy about is that I seem to have passed a threshold above which everything sounds good enough for me to get lost in the music and not be so obsessive about analyzing the sound. Any obsessiveness seems to come thinking about it all when I'm not listening. It's like I'm circling in a tighter and tighter circle with fine tuning instead of drastic changes.

Later.........

[pstrisik]

Here's a photo of my LP-2 and KT-150. Sophia 274B rectifiers in both. The power tubes are the Valve Art 350B's.

Would you live with the different alignment of the 274B's or ask for an exchange of one?

[andytts]

That amp looks so sexy.

[pstrisik]

Originally Posted by andytts

That amp looks so sexy.

Thanks, but you should see me!!

Here's a pic that I actually like a bit better. The other one highlights the alignment of the 274B's. This one shows off their glow.

[Aercool]

[QUOTE=pstrisik;628768]Here's a photo of my LP-2 and KT-150. Sophia 274B rectifiers in both. The power tubes are the Valve Art 350B's.

Would you live with the different alignment of the 274B's or ask for an exchange of one?

I wouldn't sweat the alignment. They look nice from a few different angles with this setup. It just might not be your listening position!

[pstrisik]

[quote=Aercool;629018]

Originally Posted by pstrisik

Here's a photo of my LP-2 and KT-150. Sophia 274B rectifiers in both. The power tubes are the Valve Art 350B's.

Would you live with the different alignment of the 274B's or ask for an exchange of one?

I wouldn't sweat the alignment. They look nice from a few different angles with this setup. It just might not be your listening position!

Yeah, you're probably right.

[Aercool]

Originally Posted by pstrisik

That's a bummer! Are you buying these from a reputable source or more of an ebay kind of thing?

Yes, reputable but I'd rather not say who it is at this point. Don't want to disparage. These vintage 6550's are getting harder to pair up with perfect aesthetics, similar specs, etc.

Originally Posted by pstrisik

And..... I've thought about trying a 6922 input tube.

With all of the tube-rolling that I've been doing lately, the one tube that hasn't gone anywhere is my Telefunken E88CC that I got from Kevin at Upscale. I wouldn't hesitate at all in using a 6922 type tube. I like them best in this spot.

Originally Posted by pstrisik

The thing that I am very happy about is that I seem to have passed a threshold above which everything sounds good enough for me to get lost in the music and not be so obsessive about analyzing the sound. Any obsessiveness seems to come thinking about it all when I'm not listening. It's like I'm circling in a tighter and tighter circle with fine tuning instead of drastic changes.

Later.........

That's where we all want to be! Myself (and I suspect you may fall victim from this from time to time...) I can't help thinking - wow, I wonder what this would sound like with the Popes/TungSols/6V6G's/etc and a different rectifier...? But that's what makes the Fire Bottle amps so much fun! It's the Swiss Army knife of amplifiers.

[pstrisik]

Originally Posted by Aercool

Yes, reputable but I'd rather not say who it is at this point. Don't want to disparage. These vintage 6550's are getting harder to pair up with perfect aesthetics, similar specs, etc.

Understood.

With all of the tube-rolling that I've been doing lately, the one tube that hasn't gone anywhere is my Telefunken E88CC that I got from Kevin at Upscale. I wouldn't hesitate at all in using a 6922 type tube. I like them best in this spot.

Stay tuned. I also have a Matsushita/National PCC88/7DJ8 I can try as well, but I found them a bit hard sounding in my Conrad Johnson. Did you consult with Kevin to decide on the Telefunken given all the choices he has for the 6922 variants?

That's where we all want to be! Myself (and I suspect you may fall victim from this from time to time...) I can't help thinking - wow, I wonder what this would sound like with the Popes/TungSols/6V6G's/etc and a different rectifier...? But that's what makes the Fire Bottle amps so much fun! It's the Swiss Army knife of amplifiers.

It is what makes it fun. I look at other single ended amps and they seem so limited now! Even when I get into tube experimentation, I have my best configuration to fall back to if things aren't sounding right. I'm a happy clam right now!

I found an interesting article about our hobby that just came out in the latest issue of Stereophile:
Know Thyself: Audio Existentialism | Stereophile.com. (Mods - I reread the FAQ and don't see any prohibition against articles - please don't scold me again for not reading the FAQ!)

.

[Simonatsea]

Still enjoying my favourite two setups in my 6V6

RCA 6SN7, RCA vt-107-a, Holland made Mazda 5y3

And

Full music 6SL7, Penta kt88, gold lion gz34

One is smooth and just "right" the other is hifi and spectacular. Waiting to see what DH comes up with next regarding pre amps!