Slowhand the 5965's GE "5 Star" NOS Platinum 1% pair 1970's (equivalent to 12AV7's) can be purchased from Brendan at Tubeworld.com. He seems to have found a cache of these. Very nice tubes. I have since replaced with Tung Sols but plan to put the GE's back in with the various 12AT7's I have on hand. The mixing matching possibilities are seemingly endless but it is the only way to find the magic that just "gets it right".
So far as the ERS mod goes, what is most notable is how much quieter or blacker things become, a lower noise floor. The result of elimination of RFI which you aren't aware of until its gone. The sound is so much more relaxed and effortless yet at the same time more resolving and dynamic. The effect of this change allowed me to actually *feel* the bass from the VSM speakers which is a first. Of all the mods and tweeks I've done to the amp including Still Points and cryoed tubes,upgrading coupling caps, this one is definitely the most significant, a must.
Asa mentions a few things above concerning the Berning and Supratek combo which I would tend to very much agree with, it is imperative that the right tubes be used. The Berning could be misconstrued by some, those that have listened to SET OTL amps, yours truly included, to be a bit lean in comparison. Actually it is lean compared to a Joule (what isn't?) but which one would be more preferable? The question is rhetorical and of course taste would dictate which would be best, both are great amps but are offered as contrasts in a direct comparison of different schools of thought in how reproduced music sounds. The real point here is that mixing and matching tubes with the Berning can tailor the sound more to a particular taste and balance. I doubt that the Amperex are going to best the Tung Sols so would consider the latter mandatory for this amplifier based on its tonal balance. I will keep you posted on the Amperex when I get the chance to evaluate extensively. Too many changes at once including evaluation of speaker cables. It sure seems the Supratek is a great candidate for extensive tweeking as well.
