You have experienced one of the pratfalls of tube rolling.You probably read about the "Mullard sound" and was expecting this with the tubes you installed,which are I suspect,reissues.The warm,lush "Mullard sound" comes from NOS or used old(original)tubes.You also found out you don't like the EH sound.I suggest,if you want to spend the money,trying some used or NOS Mullards.If you don't want to spend that much,and you already know you like the stock tubes,go with them.If you don't watch out,you will find yourself spending tons of money on tubes(I know this from experience).Good luck.
How are Mullards supposed to sound?
System: Rogers Studio 7, Prima Luna Prologue One, Marantz SA-8003
The stock (Chinese?) tubes in my Prima Luna Prologue One finally wore out after two years. The stock tubes sounded really excellent.
I decided to "upgrade." First to Electro-Harmonix tubes, which sounded decent but not as good as the stock tubes, and now to Mullards.
I know that tubes take a little while to "burn-in" but these Mullards sound awful.
They have a hard, clangy, echoing (microphonic) quality that none of the other tubes ever had. The soundstage seems to have receded backwards by a hundred feet. Everything sounds small and far away.
Is this how Mullards sound? I thought they were supposed to sound romantic. Is this all part of the "burn-in" process?
The stock (Chinese?) tubes in my Prima Luna Prologue One finally wore out after two years. The stock tubes sounded really excellent.
I decided to "upgrade." First to Electro-Harmonix tubes, which sounded decent but not as good as the stock tubes, and now to Mullards.
I know that tubes take a little while to "burn-in" but these Mullards sound awful.
They have a hard, clangy, echoing (microphonic) quality that none of the other tubes ever had. The soundstage seems to have receded backwards by a hundred feet. Everything sounds small and far away.
Is this how Mullards sound? I thought they were supposed to sound romantic. Is this all part of the "burn-in" process?