Optimize, I doubt if I'll change anything radically; the reason being that a person can spend their entire experimenting with things as opposed to listening to music.
Thanks for your post.
Tube versus SS
Since I just installed some rather expensive NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes in my Phono-preamp, that yielded outstanding results, I decided to compare CD to Phono.
From the best of "Jacintha", CD, I selected "Danny Boy". Her voice emerged deep center stage from a jet black noise free back ground. It sounded more like what I expected from the analog.
That was followed by special LP's of Dinah Washington that had recently arrived. Those LP's were everything I expected with the NOS 6922 Telefunken Tubes in the Phono, but the surprise was the fact that I couldn't tell the two apart; both were outstanding.
What may surprise you, is the fact that I attribute these outstanding results from the COVID 19 "lock-down" which has given us the quietest "grid" ever in history. That means those of us with lesser means have the same AC power as the richest who can afford expensive AC power "clean uppers".
BTW, I have made extensive comparisons to recordings made before and after, the lock-down that confirm just how much of a difference it's made. I must admit that I had doubts about expensive power conditioners, but this confirms that fantastic results come from taming the wild AC.
It's my belief that we can not achieve better results than we have from the current "quiet grid", which means power conditioner or no power conditioner, we are all presently getting the same results.
Could it be that the dominant factor when comparing tube and SS when they both are of comparable quality is "The quality of the AC"?
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Orpheus, if you’re in the digital domain, most likely the 6922s in your source equipment are only serving as a buffer stage, to reduce output impedance or in hopes of the designer to generate a more tube-like sound (I mean this in a good way). Buffer stage does not add any gain and therefore has very little sonic signature. To whoever asked: 6FQ7 is electrically identical to 12AU7. With one important exception. Before you make such a swap, you need to know what filament voltage is provided by your circuit. 12AU7 can be configured to operate off either six or 12 V filament voltage. 6FQ7 requires 6 V, only. If your particular circuit provides 12 V to the filaments, then you need to use a 12FQ7. Such tubes exist, and they are usually cheaper than 6FQ7, because demand is lower. Once you get the filament voltage right, you can drop in either of those tubes in place of a 12AU7. The other tubes You listed cannot be used without rewiring your tube sockets. I have replaced 12AU7s with 6FQ7s several times, and the result is always an improvement. 6CG7 is another great option but a little easy re-wiring is required IIRC. |
Does it matter where the power get cleaned as long as it get's cleaned? @mikelavigne https://www.equitech.com/products/wall/wall.html is very cool "cleaning" the power in the room but would't an AudioQuest Niagara 3000/5000/7000, Son of Q or any high end cleaner do the same thing? Power here (semi rural) is poor. Put in a whole hose surge protector and room where beloved stereo is from wall out has all the usual treatments. |
Guys, you know those tin cans hanging from the telephone poles? Those are transformers that turn the several thousand kV (depends where you are. Ours is 8 kV) into the 220 V for your house. There may be 10 houses or so hooked to the same transformer. The Transformer isolates you from the high voltage lines. The only "trash" you get is from the other houses on your transformer. On my street the transformers are lawn warts, two houses to each wart except me. I have my very own wart because the power company thought my work shop would dim the other houses lights. Power cleaning devises do absolutely nothing for me. I had Telefunken 6922's The SLN tubes from RAM Labs absolutely swamped them and you know I am not prone to superlatives. For low level devices like phono amps battery power supplies are king. The quietest phono amp made the Channel D Seta L20 runs on a huge battery supply. Frankly, when you are talking about the best equipment I really do not think tubes or SS makes a whole lot of difference. Tubes certainly look a whole lot cooler and there is nothing like sitting by a big tube amp in the winter. Raul you rascal. I didn't know you lived in Mexico! I've got jalapeno's in my garden this year. Come up to New England and I'll show you how a Jew makes Mexican food. Turn up the heat:) |
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