I hate to say it, but now I think maybe I like my amp in ultralinear mode versus triode

@decooney , I really liked the sound of my V12 with the Ruby branded EL34s it came with, and I am assuming that those were the same as the Chinese tubes you just referred to.  I don't think that I will be rolling any tube types other than the EL34s.  In an emergency I guess I might try rebiasing to two tubes perside, and trying those old NOS Tung Sol 6550s I got from Andy way back when.  Maybe.

I also remember a couple of conversations we had about biasing that amp.  I di try backing it way down, and I didn't think I liked it at the time.  But maybe that was a preconceived notion I had that low bias couln't be good.  At the moment I have both sides set at just under 270.  As long as I am experimenting with different things, I'll back it off tonight.  I was thinking about 240 mA aside and going from there.  Also, when I last experimented with backing the bias off, I was listening in triode, and triode was another of my preconceived notions that I turned out being open to rethinking.

Thanks for taking the time to replay, you always offer a lot of insight when answering my V12 questions.

@mulveling

@gs5556

@atmasphere

Enjoyed reading all your comments to explain this technical area. Very difficult to understand things without a diagram and that’s what’s needed here.

I think the term ultra linear is marketing in nature and I dare say most people have no clue what they’re buying when they do. I remember loudness controls on a receiver I had a while back and was curious at times and clearly pushed more power through the circuits. It’s all about compromise which can be understood without getting terribly technical and my decision was to do biamping of a solid state and tube amplifier. At least the harmonics are more favorably affected and I do really like isolation of tubes in the upper area and let solid state handle the heavy duty stuff below. It seems to be working pretty well so far.

But again it would be kind of nice to see a diagram of all this to better understand the differences between modes of operation which on this amplifier tend to be switchable so easily which always raises skepticism in my tiny mind. But ultra linear does drift more toward solid state and isn’t that what we’re really saying overall after all

@immatthewj Also, when I last experimented with backing the bias off, I was listening in triode, and triode was another of my preconceived notions that I turned out being open to rethinking.

Thanks for taking the time to replay, you always offer a lot of insight when answering my V12 questions.

Does your V12 still have the original Audio1 coupling caps installed in it?

Worth flipping it over when you remove the tubes, pull the cover and check. Installing really good caps in that amp brings it to another level of enjoyment.

Does your V12 still have the original Audio1 coupling caps installed in it?

@decooney , no, it came with Jensen caps, and so far that is the only true failure (one of those original caps), and I won't go into the details, but I think that may have been my fault.

Anyway, I think you and I may have discussed this as well; I replaced all four caps and went with the Mundorfs. (I'd have to look at the receipt, but I am pretty sure they were the most expensive Mundorfs that PCX was selling at the time, so "air oil supreme" or something like that, but I'll check the receipt tommorrow and get back to you.  I think I remember you telling me that the caps I picked were okay, but would not have been your first choice.))

@emergingsoul

I think the term ultra linear is marketing in nature and I dare say most people have no clue what they’re buying when they do.

But ultra linear does drift more toward solid state and isn’t that what we’re really saying overall after all

I am not sure whether you are just troll posting, but assuming that you are not, do you also feel that, for instance, single ended triode is also "marketing in nature"?

the differences between modes of operation which on this amplifier tend to be switchable so easily which always raises skepticism

Are you also skeptical about the sonic differences between different vacuum tubes because it is quite easy to swap them out? Adjustable feedback? For that matter, do you believe that possibly the whole concept of vacuum tube gear is also a marketing ploy, and underneath it all lies solid state circuitry?

Just curious.