Aestheix Calypso owners,tube advise needed

I'll second Pdreher's tube selection, I used the same combo with enjoyable results. The 12AX7's are the impute tubes and have the biggest effect on the sound, the 6922 are like spices they accent the main flavor.
Kevin Deal at upscale Audio usually has the CV-4004's (gold grade) in stock, I would check with Brent Jessie first for the Amperex PQ 6922's. Don't be lured by sellers with cheaper priced tubes there's always a reason for the price, usually poorly balanced sections or tubes that are rated stronger than they are. Always buy NOS and not slightly used!!!!!!!!!!

I have Telefunken 12AX7s in mine and have played with a variety of new production and old stock 6DJ8/6922s, currently using Mullard 6922s. Enjoy your Calypso. It's a wonderful linestage. Dave

Hi Gandme,

Changing the 12AX7 tube will have a dramatic affect on the sound compared to changing the 6922 tube. As the 12AX7 is in the gain stage of the preamp. All of the recommendations above are excellent. You just need to know what kind of sound you are looking for. You also can change the gain of the preamp by -12db. The Calypso has a 29db gain for the balanced output, that is why you need an exceptionally quiet 12AX7 tube. By lowering the gain to a more realistic 17db a lot of other tubes can be used in this preamp, and the preamp still has plenty of gain for most amplifiers. I have used 1950's Mullard long plates, 1960's Mullard & Telefunken 1960's smooth plates in the 12AX7 positions along with 1950's 5751 GE tubes. They all sound slightly different, with the Mullards & GE having a richer sound in the midrange and the Telefunken being neutral. You will just have to get some different tubes and give them a try as all set ups are different.

Unless you need the high gain, I would suggest you lower the gain in the preamp first as it will reduce the tube hiss thru the speakers substantially. Thats not to say you cannot get a low noise tube to work with the high gain, as I have done so with the Telefunken & Mullard tubes, but it does take an exceptionally low noise tube to do so. All of the dealers above can supply matched tubes, but the tubes you will need with the high gain needs to be matched and low noise, which they can supply but it takes a little work.

Gandme,

A common theme in all of the threads on the Calypso has to do with the Calypso getting a bad wrap of being hard on tubes, because with the wrong tube the linestage can sound noisy (tube hiss thru the speakers). This has to do with the Calypso having such a high gain compaired to most other preamplifiers. Typically you will see the gain of a preamplifier to be between 12 to 18 db, compaired to 29 for the Calypso. I have had the Calypso over 3 years and have found it not to be hard on the tubes, in fact the tube have lasted a long time. You just need the low noise tubes in the 12AX7 position or lower the gain or both.

Enjoy

2nd what Samhar said about buying NOS, and the mentions about low noise tubes. Kevin at Upscale is very stringent in his testing procedures, and his noise grading is spot-on. You are assured of getting exactly what is stated/promised from him, in addition to excellent guidance in finding the tubes to sate your aural palate.