Tube versus SS

Jond, this has nothing to do with tubes versus SS, that should have been tubes versus digital, but in regard to the essence of my post, it's primarily about the "grid" and the overall improvements I'm enjoying in everything. It's also about new 6922 Telefunken tubes in my phono pre.

I've been on a solo flight into audio bliss for so long that I just remembered that in order to communicate this to others, I will have to slow down and compose my thoughts.

To begin with, I down-load everything to external hard-drive and then settle back in my listening chair for a long time and focus on nothing but the music. While listening to some music I had just down-loaded, I noticed that it sounded appreciably better than what was already on hard-drive, that's when I began to try and find reasons for this sudden improvement.

While in both cases 6922 Telefunken tubes were used in the phono-pre, these were different tubes. (that could explain some improvement in vinyl, but not in a CD that was already on the hard-drive)

In the case of most people, if they turned their rigs on, and there was an improvement in the audio, although they did nothing to cause this improvement, they would attribute it to ear wax before, and continue on. But I know for certain the relationship between a "quiet grid" and better audio. There is one other factor that could make my improvements more pronounced, and that's my use of the computer; since they have the weakest power supplies, an improvement in the grid would show up more.

It's for certain people with power conditioners wouldn't notice any difference, because there would be none; how can you improve on perfection?

The bottom line is the fact that this grid thing is nothing new, it's just that not everyone has observed it.

Fuzztone, I only use 12AU7 or 6922 or 6dj8; could one of those be replaced by a 6FQ7?

Here's a battery powered preamp;


    http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1213/red_wine_audio_isabella_renaissance_edition.htm

@orpheus10 
I am not so often here.
But I am baffled how much some fellow audiophiles is trying to shoot you down by indirectly saying that what you hear and experience is something else.🙄

Nobody can be happy and share your good experience with you, in this wonderful hobby.🤔

So many experts that know so much more than you do appearently. They know your area and what factories there are. Or they go only on their own experience when they do not have that heavy industries in their own area. 
Maybe they draw experience from lower resolution systems. Or systems that has a setup that are not as much Influenced by AC variation as yours.🎶

It is interesting that narrow audiophiles (with that I mean audiophiles that has ~ less than 20 years of experience and including with different extensive prolonged listening sessions over years at different areas/locations and gears) are the ones that are the best known it all experts. 🥰

It is great that you find that big of a difference. Is you considering any power "cleaner/regeneration" or go to DC somehow in the future?

@ orpheus10, I really glad that your enjoying your musical improvement from your NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes, audio enjoyment is what we’re all about. However, you seem to be drawing conclusions between apples and oranges.

You are comparing 2 different audio chains:
CD>Transport>DAC vs LP>Cartridge>PhonoPre
If you change a component (like a better or worse cartridge, or a different DAC), your sound will change. Just because it sounds similar to you, the logic doesn’t lead to the conclusion that it’s due to analog vs digital.

You are comparing 2 different recordings of 2 different artists mixed and recorded by different people on different equipment. Although your systems sound similar, how do you know that the recordings are of the same quality? As an example, couldn’t a subpar recording on a better system sound the same as an average system? Or a great recording on a subpar system?

Your in your statement ".... "quiet grid", which means power conditioner or no power conditioner, we are all presently getting the same results", lacks logic. Maybe it just semantics, but because we have to share the power grid, there is no "quiet grid", only periods of more of lesser noise. This logical conclusion doesn’t make sense: because of low noise power grid instance which you reasoned through your audio system’s performance, power conditioners have no benefit? All the online reviews and owners I’ve read over the years say otherwise.

When you do comparisons to draw conclusions best practices dictate that you change as few items and possible (usually only 1 item) while keeping the rest the same (constant) - A/B testing. For instance, if you only changed the old tube to a new tube and kept everything else the same, we would all follow the logic that the sonic changes was due to the tube change in your system and likely we can get the similar results if we did the same. But when you add more items (variables), things get exponentially more complicated and conclusions quickly loose their validity- too many alternate possibilities.

I apologize if I seem a bit critical, that was not my intent. Correcting inaccuracies is generally in the best interest of  forum members - get them the truth so they can draw accurate conclusions especially for their own situations. However, this should be done with respect - life is challenging enough without getting additional grief. I believe that audio forum members should learn, teach, encourage, and support each other to achieve audio bliss.

We all have different financial means - some more than others. Also, high-end audio components can be "really" expensive by most counts. These are facts that we cannot change - therefore, it serves no purpose to dwell on this - it’s a fruitless endeavor that can only cause us pain, resentment, hate with zero benefit- terribly unhealthy for us (maybe like reading my run on sentences).
Fortunately, we ALL can enjoy sonic bliss, the kind that puts a smile on your face, send shivers up your spine, deeply touch your soul...like maybe your NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes?