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ARC Ref 3: Tung-Sol 6550 in power supply?

I have sourced a new production Tungsol 6550 from The Tube Store in Hamilton (Ontario); I intend to use it in the power supply of my ARC Ref 3. Has anyone had any experience with the Tung-Sol TS6550 in the Ref 3? Have you compared it with the original Winged "C" SED 6550C shipped by ARC with this
line stage? Preferences? Reasons?

See:
http://thetubestore.com/tungsol6550.html
guidocorona
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Elberoth2, I would give the Tungsol a couple hundred hours of playing time at various gain levels to stabilize. G.
ethannnn
45 posts
 
I would recommend the (blue label) GEC KT88 for this pre. I experimented with Gold Lions and Gold Monarchs as well. These are 3 variations of the vintage Genalex KT88, not re-issues. While the I preferred the GEC best, it leaned towards the euphonic side. Despite its imperfections, it made going back an impossibility. I decided to either use this pre with the GEC or not at all. I still have the GEC if anyone wants to try it.
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
That's very interesting Ethannnn. Would you care characterizing in some detail the sonic results of the various tubes you tried on Ref 3? Thanks, G.
ethannnn
45 posts
 
My recollection were all Genalexes had truer midranges. The Gold Lion was most detailed and dynamic, the Gold Monarch was most neutral, and the GEC was most full bodied. The GEC had the most impact while the other two were more subtle. In my system, the midrange magic of the GEC outweighed its shortcomings.
oneobgyn
410 posts
 
I know Ethannn and find him to be an honest audiophile. He has been to my house several years back and is an ardent tube roller. What he says about the mid range is exactly what I found and for those who love mid range any and all KT88's instead of the 6550 is the way to go BUT at the expense of deep bass. So pick your poison. How come Posbwp555 was unable to answer my question with all of his $20K in stockpiled NOS tubes.
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