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Supratek Tubes and Tube Swappin' for Everybody

I will have a Supratek Chenin in my set up in a day or so. Since so many folks are rolling tubes around here I was hoping to garner a comprehensive list of everybodies favorite tube compliments. Be it NOS or NIB or WLATB (Whatever's layin around the basement)
Being that the "Deal of the Century" thread is a little more like a novel I figured this would be a good place to post questions and answers related to one subject of Supratek amps and pres.
On to the subject of me. I don't have immediate plans to swap tubes as I've figured that Mr. Maloney would supply us with something listenable for the break in period. But, since so many have reported such dramatic improvments I want to ask this question:
What is your favorite compliment for quietest gain and dynamics in the phono stage?
I will be using the Chenin exclusively for vinyl ( I don't have a CD player) and listen to loads of early rock and roll and Jazz bands, smaller jazz bands mostly, quartets and quintets. Some classical, the usual Beethoven and Mozart, but usually just a lot of loud garage rock.
Ok, now lets see what happens.
mc5baby
wc65mustang
524 posts
 
>>Mick's comments have a lot of merit.<<
Do you think? I'm sure he'll be glad to hear you approve. I would suspect the designer has a better idea than any of us as to what works and what doesn't.
raytheprinter's avatar
raytheprinter
1,234 posts
 
Ecclectique,thanks for the info!I think im getting over my somewhat irrational fear that the worlds supply of good NOS tubes is going to dry up before i can aquire a lifetime supply for my Chardonney,,,,
ecclectique
509 posts
 
WcMustang. Yes sir. We are more than certain Mick knows what works and what doesn't. However.... A new production 5ar4 is electrically the equivalent of: you quessed it... An old nos gz34/5ar4 and the sovtek 5881 is the electrical equivalent of a nos 5881/6L6 as well as many other substitutions in the regulator position. That's why they call it tube rolling sir. Pick your poison sir.
wc65mustang
524 posts
 
>>Pick your poison sir.<<
I will go with the owner and designer of the equipment not an amateur audiophile with mid-fi knowledge and components "Sir".
fiddler
581 posts
 
Geez, Wc65mustang, why dump on Ecclectique?

He has been very helpful to many of us here with tube rolling. And I personally have corresponded with Mick several times about tube rolling and his only advice to me, aside from offering appropriate substitutions, was to beware of unscrupulous tube dealers selling counterfeit NOS tubes. Didn't need the warning, but I appreciated it none-the-less.

And I find it interesting that you are bustin' on Ecclectique about tube rolling when I came across this thread initiated by you:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1081292815&openusid&zzWc65mustang&4&5#Wc65mustang

It seems in the case of the "Aesthetix Rhea" YOU are asking "amateur audiophiles with mid-fi knowledge and components" for their advice, but with the Supratek you are hammering Ecclectique for trying to help the rest of us. Don't you think the "owner and designer" of Aesthetix also knows what's best for the Rhea? Why is it anymore inappropriate to change the stock tubes that the designer chose in a Supratek than the stock tubes the designer chose in the Aesthetix?

As long as Ecclectique's advice is correct regarding the electrical characteristics of tube substitutions, where's the beef, especially in light of *your* thread which I linked above.
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