Best Tubes For Cal Alpha DAC

I purchased a used Alpha from someone via the net. While they sent me the original tubes, the unit arrived with some tubes in it that supposedly were purchased from Audio Research Corporation ( ARC ). Since i also own two different Sigma's ( 16 bit and 24 bit ), i'm pretty familiar with the basic "CAL" sound. Having had them for a while, i have tried a few different tubes in them before. As such, these tubes DO sound very good in this unit. While i don't know if they really came from ARC or not, or if ARC "gain matches" or "hand selects" their tubes, etc... they are Sovtek 12AX7WXT's. I know that Parts Express sells these and i think that they can probably be ordered in matched pairs. Hope this helps... Sean
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Hi Greg...I also have an Alpha. I've tried several NOS tubes and like the Mullard CV4004s the best. I was actually going to sell the Alpha until I heard these tubes. It now is a 'perfect fit' in my second system. They improved soundstaging, brought out more detail and just made the music sound a little more 'analog-like' as compared to the others. BTW...these are also the tubes that Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio recommends for this unit. Good luck in your search!

I tried the Mullard and another tube from Kevin. I prefer the Sovtek's mentioned above. Then again, there is QUITE a bit of personal preference and system synergy to take into account here, so obviously opinions will vary. Sean
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