I just ordered Gold Lyon preamp tubes for my Quicksilver Mid-Mono. Looking for a little more extension. Previously I replaced the stock tubes in my Rogue Sphinx V3 with Gold Lyons and it really made a nice improvement. Those aren't cheap tubes anymore but the difference was substantial.
NOS Tube Recommendation for Quicksilver Phono Pre Amp
I recently upgraded from the onboard phono stage in my Technics 1500SL to an all tube Quicksilver Phono Pre Amp. I’m about half way through the 30 hour recommended break-in period and so far, there is a lot to like about this piece of gear: Much thicker/more pronounced bottom end (I’ve had to readjust the gain on my subs quite a bit) and much wider/more defined sound stage. However, because I’m also running an all tube integrated amp (Raven Audio Osprey), there is now a very noticeable "warm" coloration to the music that wasn’t there before. I don’t want to give up on my new phono stage, but it’s like I’m listening to music with a wool blanket over my speakers. I’m thinking rolling the tubes to something a little cleaner/brighter could give me the best of all worlds. There are 3 tubes in the circuit topology: 2 12AX7s (one input, one gain) and 1 12AT7 (cathode follower). I’m currently considering a matched pair of Raytheon JRP black plate 12AX7s and either an RCA or Telefunken for the cathode follower (all NOS). Any and all suggestions/inputs are very much appreciated! P.S. my speakers are Raven Audio Corvus Reference Monitors and my current cart is the always amazing Nagaoka MP-500.
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Thanks @russ69 , I will look into the Gold Lyons. Quick follow-up: were those Gold Lyons you put into your Rogue NOS or new run? Also, if you've found a good place to buy some, can you please pass it along?
@dekay, waiting to see how it sounds after the break-in period has definitely occurred to me. I'm struggling with 200+ hours those - that's ~8 months worth of record listening for me!! Can you share any personal experience/rational for waiting that long? |
Is the cartridge loading the same for both the new and old phono stage/section? That warm and "wet blanket" sound can be the product of incorrect loading. If you have options, try a different setting for loading. The right value for loading is somewhat dependent on the phono stage, so the optimal value may differ for the two stages so try all options available to you. Yes, tube choice can make a difference. You mentioned the options you are considering, but, you did not mention what tube brands/types you started with that you don't like. This information will help others in offering suggestions on which way to go. If you are looking for a clear, somewhat lean sound with a lot of "jump." I would suggest Telefunken, but some of those choices can be quite pricey. |
Not certain why, but phono input cables, tone arm wires and phono preamps take a lot of use to stabilize (sound as they will long term). New small signal tubes in well used gear can take 10-50+ hours (maybe where QS’s 30 hours comes from). There are gizmos (for low signal strength special EQ pathways) available that help simplify the process, but I’ve never tried them (Hagerman comes to mind). I just wait and listen to music as far as TT’s go. Here’s a link to the $50 Hagerman gizmo that you run a line source (CD/Tuner/???) through - instead of playing LP’s.
DeKay
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