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Is there a strategy in preamp tube placement?

My SLP-98 has a gain stage and a buffer stage, both with 6SN7 tubes. Do seasoned tube rollers look for different sound characteristics to occupy each position? ex. A tube with good tone and texture in the gain position and a tube with good dimensionality in the buffer stage, or do they use the same tube at both positions? Or is this process truly random?

coachpoconnor
dinov's avatar
dinov
862 posts
 

+1 @mulveling  couldn’t have said it better myself. Great info!

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
5,377 posts
 

@mulveling 

Bravo!
I’m going to save your post for future reference.

All the best.

JD

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
5,377 posts
 

@coachpoconnor

Great preamp! It’s on my list to replace an old ARC SP-9mkll.

Question, did you get the phono section  built in? If so, how does it sound?

All the best.

JD

decooney
2,358 posts
 

@pindac "The reports being made on these Tubes are generally good and have got my attention".

For sure. After trying various matched pairs and matched quads of vintage over a decade, along with several loaners from friends, now mothballing them away in storage and going through some of the new boutique tubes coming available the past 1-5 years has been worth it. Following these same engineers from factory to factory design teams is interesting. Linlai are next for me to try.  Some of the better quality and better sounding tubes coming out is a nice option to have. I’m still in the 1-2+ year longevity evaluation phase on my last three quad sets. Time will tell.

 

jwillox
204 posts
 

The best tube placement I have ever seen is in their sockets. 

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