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BUT SERIOUSLY . . . |
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I have not heard whether the small low voltage Psvane tube have the same reliability issues as the Psvane power tubes. I have read many comments about the Psvane power tubes not delivering longevity, with many early failures. I will not purchase Chinese tubes no matter how fancy the logo or box they arrive in, but I recognize not everyone shares the same few. I spent some time this afternoon to Photoshop the Psvane 12AX7 just for Charles. Considering he has yet to discover a vacuum tube the encompasses precisely what he seeks, I thought a 12AX7 with a built in tone control would be right up his alley. Guess not. :D |
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The trick will be finding/making time to sit and listen, as opposed to playing background music while I cook or do other things. |
The Psvanes inched past 25 hours this weekend; I haven't had real opportunity to play the system since Sunday PM. Though I said I'd give them 30 hours, I doubt another 4 hours will make a difference in the sound. Perhaps this weekend I'll get a chance to switch the JJs back in for comparison. It's good to have go-to material you're very familiar with.
I still find it interesting that choice of tube let me hear differences with interconnects and vice versa. |
Last night I was listening to the system, and again ran into the need to turn down the volume some to listen comfortably. Materials were the new Santana CD and one of my reference DVDs. Overall, I have 27:19 on the Psvanes. I replaced the Psvanes with the JJs that were in there previously. I'll plan to reconnect the preamp today and listen for a few hours during the week as time permits.
I begin to understand both the fun and frustration of tube rolling, as I've found different results with the various tubes I've tried. The Mullards and Amperexes were both very clean-sounding to my ears, the lack of low-end punch being my complaint on them. The Amperexes seemed more midrange-forward, which I wasn't used to but had no complaint about. And they and the Mullards didn't have me turning the volume down; the Gold Lions and Psvanes did. And as chronicled earlier, with the Mullards in the 2300 I heard differences between my Kimber Hero and Transparent Plus interconnects, the Plus smoothing out the sound with CDs and DVDs. We go forward and see what happens. |
This past Sunday I was again listening to NPR, specifically "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" with the 2300's volume set to 42; that is where it often is for most "serious" listening. At times, when announcer Bill Curtis spoke I had a sense that perhaps there was too much low end. His voice seemed weightier than it needed to be. That sense didn't last but it was there. And again, watching the Extended Edition of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (better than the theatrical version, by the way) in a spot or two the same sense came up.
As I've said, the JJs have a full, weighty bottom which is slightly forward. Could this be, depending upon the material, too much of a good thing? And as for the bright '60s stuff that I found difficult with the Psvanes and Gold Lions, I don't remember giving the Mullards or Amperexes a chance with that. Not that they'd do better, but I don't recall playing that music with those tubes. So the Telefunken Black Diamond tubes become an option, as they are supposedly more refined than the JJs I'm using. And since they're made in partnership with JJ, the sound should be similar. I may decide to give them a shot. |
I just ordered a pair of the Telefunken Black Diamond tubes, taking advantage of Tube Depot's 10% off sale. It's my intent that this will be the last tube I order, in terms of additional brands. I think I have more than enough (Mullards, Amperexes, Gold Lions, JJs) to work with if I decide to keep my 2300.
I know that these Telefunkens are made in partnership with JJ, so I would expect them to sound somewhat similar to JJs, perhaps even the ones I have now, which are the hi-performance gold pin version. We'll see, though. Listening will tell the tale. They are burned in before leaving the factory, so it shouldn't take long for me to have a sense of what they are. |
I'm definitely interested in what you think of those Black Diamond tubes. I haven't heard them and I'm curious how they compare with JJ's.
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I would not expect new Telefunkens to sound like the originals. The only thing the same is the name. They are not made in the same factory by the same people on the same tooling. It's a different tube.
Find a good set of originals to try. I know if you look at the usual places to get tubes, they can be outrageously priced. There must be surplus electronics stores and some kind of audio clubs or societys in Brooklyn. Start looking around and asking folks. Find some like minded people in your area. I have audio friends, we swap stuff back and forth all the time. If I want to try a particular tube, one of my friends will most likely have something I can try out. Probably this week, we haven't set a date yet, I'm driving 20 or 25 miles to see a member of another forum. I have a set of Super Tweeters that he would like to try on a set of Bozak Concert Grands that he runs on Mac tube monoblocks similar to my Mac monoblocks. I have MC40's and I think he has MC60's. I get to meet a member that I have chatted with online for the past few years and I get to hear a set of legendary speakers. Sounds like it will be a fun evening. I was going to PM you about an AK meetup in North Jersey Sept 17th, near public transportation for you city folks but I guess I have to be a subscriber? Or am I missing where to PM you? BillWojo |
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