ILLusion Liquid Air Umbilical for Modwright units

Brownsfan,

I lived with the LA for a year before moving up their line but I can tell you that the LA is very good and moving up to an Illusion will get you more refinement, precision and blacker backgrounds. But with the level of your system, I would get the Illusion.

I'm in agreement with your comment about DC verses AC improvements; all of my AC PC has made a difference in tonality and removing the veil but the LA changes are heard the moment you install it and gets better with 200+ hours.

At the moment I'm using the Mullard for their texture and ambiance retrieval but I have re-issue Gold Lions and Create that I like also, especially the GLs.

Thanks Wig. I take it you are sticking with the GZ34s rather than the 5U4-G type rectifier.
I have been tempted to give the EML 5U4 a try, but it is rather pricey for a rectifier. Pretty cool looking tube, though!

I have not considered the EML 5U4 but I may read up on it to see what folks are saying...

Wig, I found some older references on Audio Circle to a fellow using the EML with his MW transporter. He had some issues due to the voltage to the rectifier being too high.

I'm having a little trouble figuring out what the deal is with the 5U4 tube, and if the 5U4G tube is actually a suitable tube for the 9.9.

I did mention once to Dan that I wanted to try the EML tube in the 9.9. He didn't dissuade me from doing so, but I would want to know more before shelling out that kind of money.

The eml tube is supposed to be a superb rectifier. I am still using the Gold Lion 5AR4s in my 9.0 and 9.9. Every once in a while I roll the Mullard back in, but I just prefer the GLs hands down to both the Create and the Mullard.

I will give Jerry a call soon on the umbilicals and see what he says.

The 5U4G is a drop-in replacement if you have a hole cut in the top of the case to allow for its extra height. The 5R4GYS is also a drop-in replacement; it needs both a hole in the top and a piece of the back panel cut off to fit. There are also some 6___ series rectifiers which are electrically appropriate replacements but need pin adapter sockets.

Which Mullards are you using? There are many different ones and they are far from equivalent either in price or performance. The consensus I have been able to gather suggests that pre-1960 is best except for the relatively rare 1962 4-notch Blackburn made ones which are also good.