Musicfile
Thanks... I'm a little ahead of you in that regard. I'm using an Elrod Sig 3 to supply a PS audio Duet which has two VooDoo Gold Dragon IIs supplying each amp. A pair of DIY stands and have 3 types of tubes to roll in the driver/first stage spots... RCA 5687 - GE 7044 - Tungsol 5687s too. I plan on ordering another fresher set of the SED C EL34s soon.
I also have to redress my above post as to which imp tap on the Dodds is best for my Sonata IIIs, and it ain't the 8 ohm tap. I thought I had tried both when writing the previous post, but thought well about it and could not remember when or if I had.... so I changed it over yesterday and WOW!
The change was no subtle one either! Quite surprising in fact! I've no idea as to who, what or how come this config does waht it does and it seems counterintuitive. The Sonata IIIs are really easy to drive given the various amps I've tried on them. All using the 8 ohm or 6 ohm taps on tube amps, or regular output from a lightweight solid state amp.
Don't have an O-scope, and now, am not too worried as to why the change was so dramatic, just digging it far more now. Tremendous difference for the better. Indeed.
I'm going to attribute it to the Dodd amp working best off the lower imp output tap and leave it at that. Another Dodd owner said as much to me after hearing of the move, saying he got the same results on his speakers and their imp was reportedly well above the 4 ohm imp area too.
so "my bad" as to the above erronious or misleading entry.
What was once experienced as a wide open very extended yet still musical sound using the 8 ohm output tap on the Dodds has morphed into a solidly palpable, textured, and remarkably natural sound with very good presence and layering. Oh, and the bottom end all the way up to the top end is far smoother with the lower regions being far more inline with a proper rendering. great bass, in other words. in fact I had to retune the sub, and lower it's volume.
Wow! I'm definitely impressed now with the synergy/combination of the gear in total. Though some more attention to speaker and sub placement is in order, as well as some attention to the use of different footers, and I'm thinking well about Bright Star, FIMM, BDR, Walker, AND Boston, in no particular order.