Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site
In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: About EAR 834P Modifications
Post Subject: Your Own Tube LorePosted by Paul S on: 12/14/2008
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Adrian, I wonder how you wound up with the never-mentioned FET 10? FWIW, it was one of the better all around phono stages I've heard, and - not that it matters - I prefer it to the EAR 834 I heard. Is this another case where it's full of old caps? I would not be at all surprised if futzing with those caps might yield as many benefits as playing with tubes, etc. in another phono stage.
I thought the point of selecting tubes is to use those that most closely meet your own requirements, since it's a given that they do not all perform alike. The best I have been able to do is to get a basic idea of which tubes to avoid or which might be candidates to try for any given, system-dependent application. Then, I pay my money, and I simply take my chance.
Meanwhile, the more "clear" my own phono stage has become, the more obvious the differences between tubes has become; and not just by make and model, but also sample-to-sample differences. And, just to further confuse the matter, I wound up going back to a "more clear" tube in the K & K after I broke in the "double twister" IC, which had the effect of dropping the system balance a little. I also wrote about my own most recent "interesting" experience with tubes (in the ML2 thread), when a new pair of input tubes gave me "the best sound to date" -- apart from a disappointing cut in harmonics, compared to the otherwise-lesser tubes. Basically, it's proven to be yet another hi-fi pisser that tubes - even "good" tubes - are just another annoying variable. And if we're talking [potentially] "good" 12AX7s, then we're talking yet another expensive variable/pisser.
Best regards,
Paul SRerurn to Romy the Cat's Site