Mr D- The tubes that you auditioned(all but the Russian, which I never tried), all brought artificial warmth to my system when used as phase splitters or drivers in my Cary monoblocks. Trust me when I say that if you had tried a NOS pair of TungSol JAN CTL/6SN7GT round plates(40's), or Sylvania JAN CHS/6SN7W, tall bottles- your idea that tube rolling won't provide an across-the-board improvement like a resistor change is flawed. The improvements in transparency, sound stage(width and depth), dynamics, focus, frequency extension(both directions, without glare or bloat) and imaging that these tubes provide when compared to other 6SN7's is amazing(not quite as dramatic when compared to the Sylvania and Ken-Rad bottom gettered VT-231's, which are also excellent). They further allow the proper harmonic "bloom" that accompanies live instruments(without any excess) and accurate transient attack and decay. I can't live without them! Of course the resistor change provides improvements in transparency regardless of the tubes installed(so we're comparing apples and oranges here), and whether one likes an accurate, transparent presentation of what's on their recorded material or prefers the kinds of colorations some enjoy makes any comparison "subjective". Personally- I want my system to provide the qualities that I hear when I'm working as a sound technician, attending a live concert, or playing my guitar. Hearing live music 2 or 3 times a week for the past couple decades has given me a pretty good idea of what the real thing sounds like, and I can't abide noise/warmth/sibilance/sugary glaze or anything else that doesn't exist at a properly set up live venue. That there are others that want their systems to sound that way doesn't surprise me at all, or affect my tastes in the least. Enjoy your music, and the quest!
Top resistors
Many threads with opinions on boutique coupling capacitors, but very little consolidated information on the sonics of resistors. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the attributes of their favorite brands & types for specific tube and SS applications? How much of a difference does a good resistor make?
My interest in the topic increased after recently installing the latest Texas Components nude Vishay TX2575 in several SS and tube phono & LS components. This was a proverbial "Ah-ha" moment-- a stray resistor dropped into signal path here or there, surprising with an improvement that equalled or surpassed the impact of a switch to a top coupling cap like V-Cap or Mundorf.
My interest in the topic increased after recently installing the latest Texas Components nude Vishay TX2575 in several SS and tube phono & LS components. This was a proverbial "Ah-ha" moment-- a stray resistor dropped into signal path here or there, surprising with an improvement that equalled or surpassed the impact of a switch to a top coupling cap like V-Cap or Mundorf.
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Mr. R: Thanks, I will have to try more NOS. Of the lot that I tried, I rank Russian 6N8S tops, followed closely by Raytheon GT, followed by EH. All three have top-to-bottom continuousness, good bass authority, big dynamic envelop, spaciousness, and detailed & refined treble. These NOS slightly surpass EH in nuance of pitch & timbre, increased palp factor & realism-- but not by much. Also, at $12 a pop for EH one can enjoy more frequent retubings--allowing enjoyment of tubes in the prime of their lifespan. A related point for consideration is where to obtain the most cost-effective improvement. So far, I'm inclined to to posit that a few hundred dollars in premium R is the better spend. At cost-no-object of course one wants it all. |
I don't think Michael Percy sells TX resistors. I asked recently and he said no. You can buy direct from the manufacturer: http://www.texascomponents.com resistorinfo@texascomponents.com 713-468-3882 It's a small company with helpful and friendly staff that actually answer the phone. It's a pleasure doing business with them. |
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