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Importance of input tubes to sound quality?

I've been running  good pair of Mullards in the input section of my LSA Statement integrated for almost two years now and was contemplating rolling them for a really good pair of 6922's. The Mullards replaced the stock tubes and made a slight difference in the openness of the stage, though that may have been confirmation bias.

Before I drop several hundred dollars on a pair of tubes, do different levels of input tubes really make a difference in sound? Can they do so on a physical level (as in, is it physically possible for them to do so)?

Ditto for the stock 12AX7's in my Jolida phono stage.

 
128x128simao
simao's avatar
simao OP
1,839 posts
 
The LSA can only take 6922's. Upscale Audio has a bunch of them at various price points and quality (that's where I got the Mullards from). I just remember someone at some point saying that the input tubes (like on a pre- or in a tube-cd player or whatnot) had little to do with the sound.

However, I'm not sure how much stock I put in that.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,973 posts
 
FWIW I think I was wrong about tubes in this amp. So far I've only found reference to the 6922's and atmosphere is right with this amp. Now if I could just remember the amp I was thinking about. Italian perhaps?

No- the two tube types are simply not interchangeable. They have different pinouts as well as different specs.
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,226 posts
 
Brent jesse recording gives you athe least 90 days warranty and several weeks 
To see if they are to your liking.  You can speak with him he has lots of bargains 
at decent prices on True New Old Stock  Vacuum Tubes.
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