It's been noted that the participants of this thread have laudably avoided engaging each other in divisive battles of defensiveness. I think thats due, in no small part, to Charles1dads leadership role. Im saying this because I don't want anyone to think that this is a response to the consensus that Takatsuki is superior to the Royal Princess. Ive never heard the Takatsukis so I cant speak to that at all. But Ive decided to share something that I wasnt going to share because I thought it it might sound like some kind of sour grapes. That, and the fact that it just seems goofy to me. Its simply this: The Royal Princesses have a very, very long break-in period and RP buyers will have to be extremely patient to hear these tubes at anywhere near their best. Were not talking about the kind of break-in where youre almost there after a 100 hours with only subtle improvements to follow. I bought these tubes in February 2011. I wish I had logged usage hours but Im going to estimate fifteen hours a week. Last month there was a unexpected and startling improvement in my systems performance - I did not jump to the conclusion that it was the tubes. I think weve all experienced those inexplicable good music days. But after a week of listening to CD after CD, the fact is, that there was an unmistakable and very significant improvement in detail, resolution, and coherence, particularly noticeable in the lower mid-range and upper base (sorry fellas, I cant speak to real base because my speakers frequency response starts rolling off below 50Hz). I haven't changed or altered anything in my system or room since inplimenting the RPs. I reluctantly called Richard Wugang at Sophia - reluctantly because I thought it was nuts to think there might be a really significant improvement after all this time. I asked him if it was possible to have real break-in occur at 800-1000 hours. He said it was possible but very unlikely to take quite that long. But he elaborated that there are other influences, for instance, the duration of the listening sessions and the amplifiers demand on the tubes. Richard went on about carbon plate vs. metal plate break-in. He said the RP carbon plate typically needs a minimum of 400-500 hundred hours in a SET application and considerably more in a push-pull (big "ah-ha!" moment since my amp is a push-pull). He admitted that its been a problem getting customers to demonstrate that kind of patience, but that when they do, he will put these tubes up against any 300b on the market including the Takatsuki which he claims benefits from a relatively short break-in period. That of course is where that subjective thing comes in. But the one thing that I can definitely verify about the Royal Princesses, is that after 13 months of nearly daily use, theres been a startling improvement in all of the music Im playing. Once again, the intention of this post is, in no way, meant to rebut the magnificent reports on the Takatsuki 300b - I believe every word of them. I just want to alert those, who more recently purchased the Royal Princesss, that the best is yet to come.
