CDP-Tube Suggestions

I agree with Rcj1231 who said "Sylvania 5751, triple mica black plate or Sylvania Gold Brand 3 mica grey plates. They made a big difference in my Jolida, nice and warm!" I've used both in my Jolida integrated amp and in my California Audio Labs Alpha DAC. I give the nod, ever so slightly, to the black plates version--vocals, brass and vibes pop at you and melt around your ears. I'm using Sylvania black plates right now, in DAC and preamp, and Miles Davis is sounding pretty good in the background. The GE 5751 black plates are excellent as well (much, much better than the grey plate GE JAN 5751s) and I like them somewhere in between the 2 Sylvania 5751 versions. You might want to try Raytheon 5751 black plates, although there's seemingly multiple variants; the best are very tight. I can't get behind RCA 5752s--they don't sing. Mullard 12ax7s are too fuzzy sounding for my tastes as are Telefunkens (more fuzzy than the Mullards I've tried). Bugle Boy 12ax7s are pretty good though if you want to stick with 12ax7s instead of 5751s. Have fun!

Zinfan2, thanks so much for your comments. The Sylvania's have been on my list for a while now. They are hard to come by, and when you do, they are costly. I intend to keep looking though.

I thought my first order of business (since I am somewhat new to tubes) would be to audition the "cheaper" newer production tubes. I havent ordered the Sovtek's yet. I think I will today. After I audition them I will post my thoughts, for what they're worth.

OK the Sovteks are in. I am trying the LPS first. I like it pretty well. Tonally balanced, nice deep bass, good leading edge on percussion.

I am curious the sound of the Sovtek LPS is very similar to the EH. The construction looks very close as well. Might these be the same tube with different branding?

I recommend going for the Sylvania Gold label triple mica blackplates. I cannot beat this tube, and still have a pair of GE triple mica blackplates as my back-up tubes. The Sylvanias are pricey, hard to find, and even harder to beat. My JD-100 came w/Sovteks, and I used them for only about 5 hours. Good luck on your tube rolling.

Also, I recommend upgrading the PC to a Chris VenHaus cryoed Flavor 1 PC. I feel you cannot touch it for the price. It made a huge difference overall, and esp. in the bottom end.

Happy listening.

Has anybody compared GE Non-5-Star triple micas to 5-Star triple micas? I have a pair of Non-5-Star and didn't know if all GE triple micas are the same before I popped for a pair but with the 5-Stars. I've found my Non-5-Stars to not be as warm as the stock ones, but definitely more detailed up top.

Thanks.