One Component You Would Never Change One Type You Would Return To

I have a long history of regretful buys, regretful sales, and re-buys. Some of those re-buys have been successful; others not so much. Maybe 50/50. Some items I've even re-bought for a 3rd try (even 4th in a couple cases) - those don't work out. I've learned to (try) and stop myself before a 3rd buy. It means there's something I strongly like about the component, but also something I very much dislike. 

Big Tannoy DC speakers with pepperpot / alnico drivers are the cornerstone of my speaker setups. They have been for over 15 years, and are my "forever". Collected a few of them now, so can't tie it down to a specific one besides Canterbury / Kensington. Also love some of their cheaper "tulip" DC models, but for a main speaker I'll prefer the pepperpots. 

Electrostatics are the cornerstone of my headphone setup (10+ years), but after a long time running Stax SR-009, I switch to ES Lab headphones. The longer I use e-stats, the more "wrong" other types sound. The real problem is amping them - it's hard to find an e-state amp that sounds really good, then hard again to keep it running. I've had more problems here than any other component type.

I love my SOTA turntables and really didn't need those expensive side-quests to other brands, though it was fun. Successful return-to's include Rogue Hera preamp and Hagerman Trumpet phono (the old wood tower). Their sound just jives with me, even as I've had / have MUCH more expensive components from other brands. 

A vintage inexpensive tube tester cannot tell you if one tube sounds better or worse than another, assuming both tubes test in the "good" category.  And if one is going to invest in a tube tester, one ought to look for one that measures transconductance.  Hickok and a few other brands that sold testers actually made by Hickok are good to look for. Such a tester can only tell you if a tube is worn out or shorted.  I have tested many a 6SN7, for one example,  that exhibited borderline transconductance yet sounded wonderful, superior to other samples that tested better. (Transconductance goes down as tubes age, so it is a reasonable way to monitor aging if you are buying used tubes, etc.). Transconductance is also a good criterion for judging matching of sections in a dual section triode.  I have a Hickok 533B that I bought about 25 years ago. It just keeps chugging along, was very used when I got it in the first place and is one of the most basic of the Hickok line. Paid $75. Now if you want to spend big bucks, more than $1000, you can buy new testers that are really capable of evaluating tubes qualitatively by tracing curves and other fun things  For example, the old Hickoks mostly could not supply enough current and voltage to test power tubes under their actual operating conditions in an amplifier.  Since most tube characteristics (mu, transconductance, plate resistance) differ in a nonlinear fashion depending upon grid bias, plate voltage, and plate current applied, the vintage testers can give misleading results. (The best way to do that is to measure voltages in the actual amp.) The modern new testers can test power tubes ex circuit under authentic use conditions.

 

Keepers:

 

- London Pickups: Reference, Supergold w/Decapod.

- Tonearms: Zeta, Helius Designs Omega Silver, Trans-Fi Terminator (Linear Tracking Air Bearing).

- Townshend Audio Elite Rock turntable (Mk.2).

- VPI HW-19 Mk.5. Mk.5? Yes, a Mk.4 with the stock platter and bearing replaced with those from the TNT Mk.5. And the stock motor replaced with the SAMA.

- The Phoenix Engineering Roadrunner Digital Turntable Tachometer and Eagle PSU Controller.

 

- All my Music Reference electronics: RM-5 Mk.IV, RM-9 Mk.2, RM-10 Mk.2, RM-200 Mk.2.

- First Watt B4 crossover.

- McIntosh MR-78 tuner (with Modafferi update) and MI-4 Maximum Performance Indicator.

- Revox A77 Mk. 4.

- Nakamichi BX-300.

 

- Stax SR Lambda Professional ESL Earspeakers.

- Rythmik Audio/GR Research OB/Dipole Subwoofer.

- Eminent Technology LFT-8b (used in conjunction with the above subwoofer). With the LFT-8 and OB sub combo in my possession, I believe I can let my Quads and Magneplanar Tympani T-IVa’s go (eventually).

- Clear Day Audio Double Shotgun speaker cables.

- Vicoustic Multifuser DC3.

- ASC Roomtunes.

 

- Townshend Audio Seismic Pods.

 

@elliottbnewcombjr thanks! The tubes that ARC sent me seem to sound better than the ones that were in there but it might be too early to tell. The original set of Sovteks were in regular use (2-3 hours a day) for over 30 years and showed no signs of wear. The new ones are Genelex Gold Lions. I'm keeping the Sovteks in storage, I might never need them again but it's nice to know they are there. 

I for myself wouldnt anything at my 3 equipments. It sounds more than satisfying. But I did change 2 Pairs of speakers. Falcon LS 3/5a instead of Leema Xen2 Mikro-Monitors. Both sounds different, but each of ist very good. Other Hifi-Chain: Swans M1S Monitors (premium-crossover with Caps by Mundorf and Jantzen plus oil-soaked Coil for Magnetostatic tweeter instead of Neumann KH 120A (I dont sell it too). First changes since 13 years.