Ref 3 - Tube Question

[Bavarian05]

I was looking at replacement tubes for the Ref 3 power supply and wasn't sure if you need/should go for 6550 "Winged" C or the regular cheaper Russian 6550C.

Does it make any difference?

My understanding is that the Winged C is better when using it as a power tube in amps, but have no info when using it in the power supply...

[willyjack]

I am interested in this answer too

Bavarian I would ask Chris Johnson at The Parts Connexion. Chris has always supplied me with my tubes & they have always been spot on. If he doesn't know, no one would

[jpspock]

A 6550c winged c is better than the 6550we which is a little coloured in medium. A winged c is more natural. Then for the top level, try a 6550 tung sol nos of thr years 50 or 60's.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by jpspock

A 6550c winged c is better than the 6550we which is a little coloured in medium. A winged c is more natural. Then for the top level, try a 6550 tung sol nos of thr years 50 or 60's.

Does this apply to the power supply tubes or just in general for output tube use?

[jpspock]

I can answer only as used in ref5 and ref5se, so it will be the same on a ref3. Caracteristics of a tube is the same on an amp as on the preamp.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by jpspock

I can answer only as used in ref5 and ref5se, so it will be the same on a ref3. Caracteristics of a tube is the same on an amp as on the preamp.

I bought a couple of new 6550 "Winged Cs" as everything I read says they are the best sounding. Supposedly the factory has closed and they will no longer be made.
Truthfully I really don't know why a tube used as a regulator in the power supply would be audible, however I will take others opinions and hope I made the right call.
If someone can shed some light on the reason why a certain tube sounds better when used in a power supply, I would really appreciate it.

[djcxxx]

Minority opinion---I buy my tubes from ARC. Not cheap, but they test the tubes and if a tube goes bad in 90 days they replace the tube and any damage to your ARC component if the bad tube is the culprit.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by djcxxx

Minority opinion---I buy my tubes from ARC. Not cheap, but they test the tubes and if a tube goes bad in 90 days they replace the tube and any damage to your ARC component if the bad tube is the culprit.

I don't disagree with this general idea. However, there are other factors to consider. To the best of my knowledge, ARC used to supply the Ref gear with the "Winged C" and currently supply with the "WE" version. One has to assume this is due to supply being cut off or rising costs of the "Winged C". I bought my last set of KT-120s from ARC directly at cost of over $800, however going forward I can buy properly run in, tested and matched octets from reputable dealers for literally half that cost. It is hard to justify, at least from where I stand. It is not a matter of being cheap. I want ARC to be profitable and remain an elite american manufacturer and would gladly pay a premium for tubes from them, but at literally double the cost, it is tough for me to feel good about it. With the low signal tubes it is easier to swallow, but the power tubes get rather costly very quickly.