I went from dual SVS SB10's to a single SB16 and the sound of single sub over my duals is so much improved that it has more real depth and trying to find positions of duals just drove me ..I am running the Raven Audio Corvus speakers very pleased with them..Enjoy your system and once in a while get off couch.Happy New Year
DON:T WAIT! Replace Those Old Power Tubes!
For several years I've cobbled together the required quad of 6L6GC power tubes for my Raven Audio Integrated amp. I say 'cobbled' because out of two sets I culled four which would perform what I perceived as reasonably decent sounding. Being on the last best four I feared one more failing tube would put me out of the music. So, I ordered another quad from Raven Dave (Thomson). At first I thought to just saved them for an emergency but on a whim I decided to just put all the Chinese New Old Stock (NOS) in place. APPARENTLY, and obviously, my smorgasbord set in place previously had various quirks including but not limited to: hum, occasional buzzing, and a bloated`slow tone. My wife immediately stated: I don't hear anything in the background. Indeed there isn't anything but dead silence. NOS tubes are always a "Russian roulette" deal but their unique and amazing "real-ness" is worth the gamble. (IMO) So if you have been waiting until you absolutely have to, DON'T WAIT any longer. The improvement is profound. These tubes are as old as I am! Only difference is I've not been in a box traveling around the world for over 60 years!
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Once you decide to stick with tube equipment, I advise keeping an eye out for a decent tube tester. Knowing their relative strength and testing for shorts, that is way beyond the world of darkness that you live within without any kind of testing ability. I check all my tubes routinely twice a year, and have the benefit to check, know their status when I buy them new or used ones I find or friends give me; or whenever any issue pops up, like the imbalance I just traced to a poor connection of a cable that never gave me trouble before. Today I am changing the connectors to these compact ones, see the video Tight RCA Connectors, screws, no solder needed
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“ Chinese NOS “ ? That’s a new one to me, but I don’t get out much. A tube tester is a must have. Not owning one, I utilize a neighbor that’s in the local radio club. As far as NOS , I prefer them for input, and rectifier positions. In regards to power tubes I have NOS, Current Production, and 1 set of higher quality Chinese. I find new production Gold Lion and Tungsol nice. But to your original statement, with power tubes being a wear item, putting in fresh tubes is almost always a realization of how worn your current ones are. The only tube failure I’ve had that actually caused damage was a brand new Gold Lion KT-77 that failed and damaged my amp. |
Yes a tube tester is on my short list of "important" items needed. Honestly that level of commitment was what I feared originally about tube equipment but despite myself I'm overcoming my xenophobia. The quality of musical reproduction is so "human" that I'm getting braver and beginning to embrace the cool details of tube design and magical sound quality. I'm so techno-phobic that tubes seemed unnecessarily demanding. But, contrary to my stubborn comfort zone addiction, I've begun to embrace the additional knowledge set that tubes require. "Old dogs new tricks" adage rings true for me except gaining amazing music quality beyond anything I've ever thought I could own has lead me down a path which contained delights worth the uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty. Yes, Chinese NOS which, I'm reliably informed, far out performs current production models. Not cheap though at $400 per quad for Raven Heads through Raven Dave of Raven Audio but my ears have never experienced such a treat!!
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