Line Magnetic 508ia and the Elusive 805 Tube
@slaw3 After doing a lot of reading on the excellent and very informative discussion on the Steve Hoffman website regarding tube rolling in the LM 508, I tried the EML XLS 300B tubes, which are excellent and definitely a step up from the stock tube. I replaced the 6SN7 tubes with some 1940s vintage Sylvanias from Brent Jesse, which were also terrific. I have tried a two or three 6SL7 tubes, settling for now on a Mullard ECC35--it is a bit on the pricey side, but sounds great. I think the finesse of this tube is a nice complement to the robust dynamics of the EML 300Bs. So far, I have stuck with the stock 805 tubes. I may roll in some others at some point, though what I would really like to try would be some Elrog 300Bs. These are REALLY pricey, so it may be a while before I can experiment with these. I am not sure I can say which change would result in the biggest difference, but I would certainly suggest trying some different 300Bs. Before you do anything, spend some time reading the Steve Hoffman thread. There are several 508 owners there who have done a lot more tube rolling than I have in their amps. You might benefit from their experiences, as I did. The 508 is a good amp even with the stock tubes, but you can definitely take it higher by finding a combination of tubes that suits your particular tastes. Happy listening! |
Hello Waltersalas Im from Argentina and I bought my 508 from china directly from an authorized dealer because there's no Line Magnetic dealer here and the price difference was huge. China-hifi-audio.com https://www.china-hifi-audio.com › ... Its a very profesional dealer and you can trust him. I bought a lot of items from him with out problem. One of the things I bought were the Psvane 805A-TII tubes and they were a noticeable upgrade from the stock tubes: especially with more detail and stronger and fuller bass. Those Psvane are not too expensive (about USD 150 plus shippment). The only thing is that on my second pair, one I bought as a back up, I got one broken. I only had to send it back for a replacement and it cost me about USD 30 for the return shippment. I hope it helps. Kind regards Pedro PS: I have not tried Mullards, but for 6SN7 and 6SL7 tubes in the 508, I like Tungsol the best, by far. I have tried Sylvania, RCA, GE, Ken Rad, Westinghouse, National and Shuguang Treasure and WE Replica. |
