Tube questions....again

[blackraven]

Very nice gear there Hyfi! I have never heard VAC gear but it looks great and I have always admired VAC gear from a far. I'm sure it sounds awesome.

Speaking of tubes, I just ordered some 6CG7 Raytheon and Tung Sol Black Plate tubes from the 1950's. They are used but test about 95% new. The Black plates are supposed to have a warmer sound then the grey plates. I don't know if that is true but it has been my experience so far with the RCA's.

[Hyfi]

Very nice gear there Hyfi! I have never heard VAC gear but it looks great and I have always admired VAC gear from a far. I'm sure it sounds awesome.
.

This is the pre I have. It's from the 90s. CLA-1 MKII
Dual Mono with Outboard Power Supply(20lbs)
VAC cla 1 mk ii: Image

[blackraven]

[QUOTE=Hyfi;372024]This is the pre I have. It's from the 90s. CLA-1 MKII
Dual Mono with Outboard Power Supply(20lbs)
VAC cla 1 mk ii: Image
[/QUOTE

Very nice. I like the gold look, very unique! I wish my AVA gear looked that nice. Frank VA is finally getting with the times and trying to spruce up the look of his more expensive gear.

[Hyfi]

The new Tubes are in.

What I received were a set of NOS JAN-Phillips identical to this but with a date of 9/87.


The 12ax7s came wrapped in bubble bags and do not have clear markings. in a yellowy-green writing, one side of the tube has the 12AX7 and on opposite side it just says China and there is a small number running vertical at 90 degrees to the other writing. They look to be a long plate construction.

After only a half hour warmup, I could tell I was on the right track. Things opened up a bit on both the bottom end and specially at the top end. After about 4 hours they were really sounding good. My Danes have never put out the current sound before. So much more detail and sparkle in the mids and highs. Maybe a tad bright at first listen but also a more live sound. Bass was deeper, tighter, and just plain more of it.

I listened to a couple well recorded disks, one HDCD, and a few older or not so great recordings and all sounded better by a long shot. I was hearing percussion, cymbal sounds, chimes and bells in tracks I previously never noticed.

I also flipped the Pre to it's Passive setting which cuts out the AU7s and just goes thru the AX7s. These new China tubes blow away the Sovtek AX7LPS and WXT+ tubes I have always used. It was like a whole new pre amp in Passive and not lacking a thing but some gain from the AU7s.

More to come as they break in and I get used to them.

[TheHills44060]

The new Tubes are in.

Ooooo I like :-) Sounds like you made a good choice.

It's always fun when a new pair of tubes gets it just right and a big disappointment when they don't work out.

So true. I try not get too pissed off when I choose a stinker of a tube (i do though) but you don't know until you've tried em first hand, it's all a part of the process.