2. amps-preamps
  3. 161387-96791

Constant noisy tubes maybe go solid state?

I have a Quicksilver Line Stage Preamp (12AT7) mated to an Odyssey Khartago Stereo. Overall I like it. Way too much gain but I digress. Weeks after receiving it I rolled in a few different tubes, kinda fun to color the sound signature. I liked rhe RXA black plates I got and those stuck around for more than a year. They started going microphonic and making noises so I ordered another pair (noisy) then another different vendor (blasts of white noise) and another set that arrived today (one is noisy as holy hell and one seems fine).

So where does one order preamp quality tunes that are quiet? Is there something I’m not requesting when ordering? Maybe dump
snd go solid state? I’m trying to be humorous because I’m pissed. Ha.
gochurchgo
gochurchgo OP
934 posts
 
@rodman99999  you are correct. The speakers I ended up with were not what I was originally aiming for. So yes the high  gain amp and high sensitivity speakers are a mismatch. Add in high gain preamp and here we are. 
But that said I’m very happy with the sound. I’ve had people over who came to hear “a car wreck of a system” and were impressed by it. 
It shouldn’t sound as good as it does for what it is but yet it does. 
Originally, 4 years ago when I started I was looking at Odyssey Liquids, used Pulsars and Cantons. I heard Heresy IV’s on an all Pass slabs system and that was it. 
gochurchgo OP
934 posts
 
@noromance  I swear I read they may not be interchangeable due to plate voltages and heaters and what not.

I’ll definitely roll in some AU7’s and SY7’s then. See where I end up.

@yogiboy  I saw a post of you saying how good the WS phono is and I remember thinking “why 47db for mm?” I guess if I can drop down the gain via tubes I should reconsider it.
rodman99999
6,206 posts
 
Yep; nice gear.     Just mismatched.    If I were trying to adjust the system, from the preamp end; I’d start with the 12AU7, which will reduce gain by around 60% (compared to 12AT7), in that stage.      No need to spend a lot, just to get an idea of how things are affected, at first.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,927 posts
 
@gochurchgo
" I think my system sounds better than it has any right to considering it’s all mid-fi stuff. "
 You should try the SYS in-between  the phono preamp and the preamp.
Why do you consider your gear Mid-Fi?
gochurchgo OP
934 posts
 
@rodman99999  I will try that after thanksgiving. We have many turkeys to buy this year.

@yogiboy  well it’s not anything to make people gasp. But it makes me happy when I actually get to spin a few sides. No piece over $1700 other than the speakers which I did get 1/3 off. So still a good deal. Looking forward to upgrading my phono stage (Lounge LCR MKIII) to takes things up a notch. 
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