I Feel Overwhelmed....Please Help

Speaking from the tube-hugger corner, I would advise you to wait a little before exploring new tubes - make sure everything is broken in first, and that you have whatever isolation you chose, optimally positioned, etc. It's great that you're happy right out of the box so there's no need to rush anything. For me, there is the first impression of new components followed later(sometimes quite a bit) with the much more useful assessment needed to make beneficial adjustments.

I agree with above suggestion. Behaviour of new gear can be deceiving while breaking in. Give it some time to settle in.
Get to know your new gear, and only then evaluate its weak and strong points. Address the isuess accordingly, either by tube rolling, cable tunning (Morrow spk. cables are know to excell in bass, mids - OK, hights OK) or isolation and vibration control tweaks to help you get the sound you want.
It might be also nessecary to reposition your speakers and add some acoustic treatments.

But for now.........just wait and enjoy it.

Cheers

Mariusz

Mariusz is right, the speaker positioning can have a ton of impact on bass. Don't be afraid to move them back closer to the rear wall.

Dave

That is exactlly what I had in mind David......thanks.

Mariusz

Chap_cat

Again, congrats on getting your feet wet. AS is being said… it takes time for good things to arrive. Searching, deciding, buying, shipping, and then breaking in. The last one being the hardest for me. The buying isn’t terribly easy either. ;-)

I really don’t see myself as a ‘tube hugger’, ‘half baked’, or one that just serves up something they ‘think’ is the case. I merely share what I’ve done.

I’m not a ‘sand lover’ or ‘switch gear’ devotee either, though I’ve had my share of SS gear. Tube and SS gear, and now an all tube power train.

Somewhere down the road I probably will try out some of these new ICE pieces.

I’m not against any topology, nor 100% for any. I’m about a sound I like. Period. I think it’s like anything else, red heads, V8s, front wheel drive, scooters, vanilla or chocolate.

Whatever floats your boat… past that it’s all rhetoric or subjective controversy.

The notation made about SS having better bottom end isn’t always true. Sure enough the inherent traits of SS provide speed, damping, and by so doing, control. Large drivers that are controlled better do seem to give off better slam and presence generally speaking.

However I’ve not tried 250 wpc tube amps either… or anything like the big VTL monsters pumping out 600+ wpc. I’ve heard big CJ amps pushing 170 per side and found the bass very good… on plannar speakers too! As you said yourself relating the visit to G. C’s outlet.

Hang in there, my exp shows bass to be the last player in the game to show itself for true. Cables, components, and definitely with power cords… always the bass isn’t set well initially and seems to develop last. It can also be enhanced simply by tweaking the rack itself.

Prior to the following comment, and so I am not misunderstood, some clarity for us all needs be interjected…. again.

From the Meriam Webster free online dictionary:
Advantage - noun
1: a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor
2: benefit, gain.

Now, first hand, you are about to realize the advantages tubes have over solid state for their possessor..

A primary factor or circumstance presented to you now is the user serviceable parts, eg., da tubes demselves! No need to ship off the box to a dealer or upgrader for exchange, replacement, etc.

The benefit is both time and cost savings for no other reason than that of not incurring added shipping expenses back to the seller, and thus no extraneous delays.

A second noteworthy ‘gain’, or ‘benefit’, is the sound can be tuned, without degradation of the signal by passing it through attenuators, ie., tone controls.

A third, will be in the opportunity to increase the stock performance level in this exchange… ie., the user serviceable parts.

Your mention of the noticeable less bass presence is one item I’d point to in reference to a performance increase. (Folks, don’t make me go find the definition for ‘increase’ please… looking up advantage about wore me out), simply by making a single change of my 12AX7’s in my preamp, I gained, imcreased, and improved the level of bass in my system. In fact the NOS Amperex white label Bugle Boys improved extension at both ends of the spectrum, along with added leading edge definition.

There’s no way around that being a performance level boost.

I’d also say those not inclined to move wholely into the glass menagerie are predisposed to chide or discount the obvious and are less intelligent about the genre for no other reason than the lack of experience with tube systems.

Take care to differentiate between offered speculation and real world practice.

I have seen items right out of the box sound extremely good. Great in fact, and their level of noted increase after run in was far more than any 5%. An assessment of only a 5% gain being the end result after break in borders on the ridiculous… or the most conservative assessment I’ve ever heard stated so broadly. Or it’s a clue to the knowledge level of it’s issuer.

There will be far more than any incremental increase. Just pay attention, and do some research in the meanwhile on what tubes do what, in general.

One item which will seem to speed up the tube running in process is just leaving the thing on. Even without volume, it’ll help. With volume it’ll help more. Even if it’s low.

Simple Google searches on the tube type will reveal all sorts of info. Tube halls of fame, tube museums. Specs. Schematics. Predominate sonic signatures offered by critics and users alike, and more.

Tube vendors previously named in this thread will further enlighten you to some degree, though many are hesitant to say a certain this or that will do such and such in your gear. For many, what happens when they exchange tubes in & out of their gear is a lot of fun.

For me the mechanical aspect is no fun at all…. The end result is my fun.

My paitience level predisposes me to not spend lots of time researching and talking about things lately. I used to do just that. The best answer and always issued here is this:

”you’ll never know for sure until you try it in your rig.”

It’s also solid advice, just not always what one wanted to hear.

As I’ve said before, there’s no such thing as perfection in this world. Tubes are no exception. A trade off or compromise might be the end product. With the Amperex tubes I mentioned here, the subjective trade off was a more forward (geographically) set sound stage in my system. Not to worry though as other factors can amend that positioning… IF desired.

Oh, this just in, the same goes for solid state, digital class amps, and switching amps.

That’s why it’s called a system, I suspect. The shortcomings of one item can be enhanced or overcome by the advantages of another as you go about adding & exchanging components in your rig’s building exercise.

Everything makes a difference. You judge if the made change is better or just different. Both can be acceptable.

I’ll offer these last thoughts, tube rings & isolation footers, and if you can fill those steel tubes supporting your rack, (which also usually adds to the bottom ends region) that too will have you well down the road to refining your systems attributes.

I’m very glad to hear your report as a satisfactory one. It’ll get better too.