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It turned out that I end up with 4V tubes for MF channel and am running my YO186. The 2A3 tubers I kind of have left on peripheral of my interests. It is not the 2A3 tubes are “bad”.  I did not go deep with 2A3 and did not try their expensive single plate versions. Wherever I tried was fine, still the 45 tubes were more exiting in my view, perhaps because they are single-plated by nature…

I very much do not write a “universal” observation about those DHT tubes. In fact my own experience shell be irrelevant for other as I am looking at MF that work in relatively narrow bandwidth and in context  of compliments from neighboring channels. As I said before with my current understanding of what I need and knowledge what to listen I probobly would make ANY tube in my MF application to sound virtually identical, as I have a lot of tools to manage it’s sound.

Anyhow, with YO186 running and with 45 and RE604 as equitable backup I do not have temptation to look for anything else. However, a lack of my interest has nothing to do with other have their options. About one of that option I would like to mention - a very little (if any know) in the West Russian 2S4S/2C4C tube.

Russians produces their equivalent to 2A3 – the 4S4S tube, or you might see 4S4S, which is the same. The 4S4S was a clear 2A3 plagiarism. There are some rumors that 2A3 was given to Russians by RCA’s chief David Sarnoff. RCA in those years did a lot of symphony sharing with Russians, primary because David’s Russian descendantcy. Russians made 4S4S with 6.3V filenames, which make it more similar to 6A3. There were tone of them made in Russian and they are very popular among Russkies. I would not put a lot on stake for this tube, how the very early production of 4S4S from 40s is reportedly much-much more interesting to what 4S4S turned out to be in 50s and 60s, and I presume that 4S4S from 40s might compete with best Western 2A3.

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/PDF/6S4S.pdf

There is an interesting kink in all of it.  The 4S4S is well known to Western DIYers as some sort of “poor man 2A3/6A3”, no one of the Western DIYers do not used the 4S4S from 40s – they juts can’t get them.  There was however one overlook tube in this saga - 2S4S. The 2S4S is 2.5V version of 4S4S and it was the more accurate reproduction of 2A3. The 2S4S was made earlier, in smaller numbers and used technologies where “saving” was less an option. So, the low voltage 2S4S from 40s or 50s might be VERY interesting tube for somebody to investigate is you are in the 2a3 word.

Looking what my YO186 does comparing to it’s western equivalents I do not feel that YO186 is a “little browser” of any 4V western counterparts and I would boldly take SOME attributes of the YO186 sound against the “celebrated” attributes of RE604,  KL71403, AD1, PX4 and other “famous” 4V tubes. It is not to mention that I in most cased the “fame” of those tubes does not derive from the actual sonic results but from a desire of many audio morons to create a cult – I have a LOT of evidences for it.  So, following the pattern of thought that the OLD Russian production (only the old one) might be very good I feel that it is very possible that 2S4S will turn out to be a VERY interesting alternative to 2A3. Some Russian who managed to find the 2S4S and compare them to 2A3 feel that 2S4S hold it’s own but I invest very little to what they say. Anyhow, it is all yours…

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