Welp, spoke too soon? My Yamaha seems to be lost in the post and meanwhile I received some RCA clear tops that I had already ordered from a seller on eBay. Just popped them in- DEAD silent. No microphonics. Super separation. Clear, velvety and delicious sound. Wow.
Constant noisy tubes maybe go solid state?
I have a Quicksilver Line Stage Preamp (12AT7) mated to an Odyssey Khartago Stereo. Overall I like it. Way too much gain but I digress. Weeks after receiving it I rolled in a few different tubes, kinda fun to color the sound signature. I liked rhe RXA black plates I got and those stuck around for more than a year. They started going microphonic and making noises so I ordered another pair (noisy) then another different vendor (blasts of white noise) and another set that arrived today (one is noisy as holy hell and one seems fine).
So where does one order preamp quality tunes that are quiet? Is there something I’m not requesting when ordering? Maybe dump
snd go solid state? I’m trying to be humorous because I’m pissed. Ha.
So where does one order preamp quality tunes that are quiet? Is there something I’m not requesting when ordering? Maybe dump
snd go solid state? I’m trying to be humorous because I’m pissed. Ha.
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So for the first time in months I had several hours to spin this weekend. Relaxing is so rare. Anyway, I was in evaluation mode for a lot of the time and it seems to me that with either the RCA’s or the expensive Mullards the sound is very solid state sounding. I guess. I have a little Class A preamp I got on eBay and I will hook that up and compare them. I guess I feel like its better to have solid state that sounds solid state vs tubes that sound solid state. That said, I was listening to see what I would want to change overall and really, for all my bitching, my system sounds better than it should I think. So question: I slightly prefer these https://upscaleaudio.com/collections/preamp-tubes/products/mullard-6201-vintage-british-new-old-stoc...over the RCA’s from Brent Jessee. A little more relaxed but still forward, but I absolutely love the bass I get from a pair of Amperex 7062, its like bottomless. So is there a tube with the overall sound of the 6201 but with the low end of the 7062? I essentially want a touch more overall body and "tonal saturation"and some of that bass magic from the Amperex (or maybe the mullard highs for the 7062 which is a touch rolled off). |
Brent Jessee currently has some Amperex 6211 tubes (Holland/10K hrs), intended/noise tested for IBM, that won’t break the bank. Might be worth your time, to discuss those with him, since you liked the Amperex sound. Info on that premium, industrial iteration of the 12AT7 and what’s in stock, in Teles and Amperex (as well as some less expensive, Mullard, RCA, GE and Sylvania 6211s), here: http://www.audiotubes.com/12at7.htm |
@rodman99999 I got the Aperex from him originally and they were really good. Still quiet though getting microphonic now. I like their sound but wish they had the Mullard’s top end. For whatever reason the Amperex seem to have like an extra 1/2 octave of lower bass than any of the tubes I have heard (which isn’t many). I will look into the 6211 |
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