My experience is with the 17ls series I. I have heard the series II but not in my system so my comments are limited to the 17ls I as it compares to the 16ls II. The 16ls II is much more detailed at all frequencies and more musical with a much deeper soundstage........a substantial improvement over the 17. However; the sonic signiture is similar, so if you like the 17 you will love the 16.
As for tubes I use EH 6922 gold pins and feel they offer the best all around performance. I have tried other tubes such as JAN Philips and JJ Teslas but ended up going back to the EH. I have never experimented with what I call the exotic NOS tubes because of their price and limited availability. Hope I could help.
As for tubes I use EH 6922 gold pins and feel they offer the best all around performance. I have tried other tubes such as JAN Philips and JJ Teslas but ended up going back to the EH. I have never experimented with what I call the exotic NOS tubes because of their price and limited availability. Hope I could help.