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Inspire by Dennis Had Enjoying Vacuum Tube Audio

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  #391  
Old 07-13-2014, 11:48 AM
pstrisik pstrisik is offline
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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.

Last edited by pstrisik; 07-13-2014 at 11:54 AM.
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  #392  
Old 07-13-2014, 04:17 PM
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Aercool Aercool is offline
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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.
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  #393  
Old 07-13-2014, 05:59 PM
pstrisik pstrisik is offline
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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"!

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!
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  #394  
Old 07-17-2014, 07:57 AM
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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.
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  #395  
Old 07-17-2014, 10:59 AM
pstrisik pstrisik is offline
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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.
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  #396  
Old 07-18-2014, 05:48 PM
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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.
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  #397  
Old 07-18-2014, 05:51 PM
pstrisik pstrisik is offline
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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 ).
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  #398  
Old 07-18-2014, 11:53 PM
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Wooot! A pair of the big daddy Quadras just went up on eBay. Very cool looking.
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  #399  
Old 07-19-2014, 12:41 AM
pstrisik pstrisik is offline
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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.
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  #400  
Old 07-19-2014, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by pstrisik View Post
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 . 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
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