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Old 01-19-2014, 05:58 PM
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prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdandy View Post
Don.......Good response to Charles' post. Very good advice. If you don't hear it with your own ears, you don't have a clue how it sounds and no explanation will change that.
True, my ears are the final arbiter. No disagreement there. And while I'm essentially satisfied by the JJ tubes I have in now, considering giving the phono stage another try has led me to look at other tubes. I do have the NOS Amperex tubes, as mentioned, so that would be a logical starting place. The TD comparison chart gives the GL B759s higher marks than the JJs in ways that appeal to me.

I admit I am disinclined to make repeated tube rolls. My schedule and system setup disfavor that, plus my audiophile gene isn't big enough to pursue them (the little bugger is more occupied with power cords at the moment). The current thought is to put the Amperexes into the line stage and give them, say, a month; I may well succumb and get some GLs (the 759 ones!) or Mullards to have on hand. Between the JJs, Amperexes, Mullards, and GLs, I would be set. It's also true that the same brand doesn't have to go into both line and MM slots; I have only 2 pair of the Amperexes and will want to preserve them, not use both pair up at once.

My schedule precludes a lot of long listening sessions, so a month is the minimum any tubes should get for a fair hearing. I will be listening primarily to how low frequencies are handled.
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