Lab12 Melto 2 - tube rolling

“I am looking for tubes that provide musicality, natural tone and great dynamics.”

Hard to imagine what can be improved…
@audphile1 

NOS Mullards should get you there. I’ve tried the usual top-tier NOS options, and I kept coming back to the Mullards, they just clicked for me. That said, you might land on a different favorite.

The upside is that with another $1K in tubes, you can really fine-tune the sound of the Melto2 and anything that doesn’t work out can easily be resold.

Are NOS tubes worth the extra cost? In a system like yours, especially with the recent analog upgrades, I’d say absolutely. 

I may sound like a broken record to some who have read this before, but 6922’s used in the output stage are probably being used as cathode followers. Cathode followers per se have no gain. They do not add gain in other words. The sole function is to convert voltage into current to drive the downstream component. Therefore cathode followers have very little effect on sonics. I would not say they have no effect, but it’s minimal. So I would not overly fuss about output stage 6922.

That thought had occurred to me too, Lewm, because you've mentioned it before, but I am not familiar with the melto-2.  It might be worth sending an e-mail to the company directly before spending a bunch of money.  email: contact@lab 12.gr

@lewm and @billstevenson 

​​​​​@lalitk reached out to lab12 and posted their answer in his response on this thread

I’ll repost it again

 

“Please be informed that Melto2 is equipped with a pair of E88CC / 6922 tubes as well as a pair of 6N2P NOS (New Old Stock) tubes. For the 6922/E88CC tubes that are placed in the output stage you could use any brand you prefer according to your sound taste. However, make sure it is a strictly matched pair of tubes. 

Regarding 6N2P NOS tubes we are not sure if there is anything better out there. These tubes are special selected in our factory for melto2 design, from specific date lots and after critical listening tests.”

To add, I have borrowed NOS Siemens from my friend and a pair of NOS Russian 6H23P EB tubes I can test in place of the Electro Harmonics. 
I will report back after hearing these tubes. 
 

My thought process is because I bought this phono amp used I don’t know how many hours are on the tubes thar are currently installed. Seller said low hours. In several years even at 1hr per day average that would be 300+ hours per year. I will assume the tubes have between 2000 and 3000 hours. Not a lot of people buy this level of phono stage to have it sit around. 
The sound is absolutely spectacular. I am running it at 58db gain and 240ohm load which in my system is a good match. I will fit this unit with a fresh set of tubes just as a piece of mind. Which tubes…will see.