Preamp Deal of the Century

I've been listening to the Ken-Rad 7193s in my Chenin for about a month and one half now, and I decided to try an experiment last night. After listening to a few songs with the 7193s in place, I switched back to my RCA grey glass 6SN7s for comparison.
The difference was quite startling! The sound I used to think was very warm and full (the RCA 6SN7s) now sounded quite constricted and flat, compared to the 7193s - they just have so much "air" and sparkle at the top end that the 6SN7s just can't match.
It was back to the 7193s in very short order for me! I don't think I'll be repeating that experiment any time soon.

I just received most of the parts to do the 7193 conversion to my Cortese. I still need to get the wire. I will keep you posted.

Picked up a pair of NOS Tung-Sol 5881 (6L6WGB) tubes for $25.00 at an antique radio swap meet this weekend. They have light brown bases and look to be 1950s vintage. The seller said they tested new, and they looked perfect, so I went for it. I've seen these online for $210.00/pair, and I know they are very popular with the guitar guys, but I figured I'd give them a whirl as regulators for my Chenin.

Verdict: They are an improvement over the stock Sovtek "5881" regulator tubes, providing a fuller midrange and slightly tighter bass, with no noticable ill effects. They are definitely a good match with the 7193 linestage tubes. I don't think I would pay $210 for them, but for $25 they are a nice upgrade. I was thinking of selling them at a profit when I picked them up, but I think they are staying put in my Chenin. My rectifier is a NOS GE 5AR4 (the one with the copper sides).

there's a pair of piano black/chrome malbecs on eBay for $3500 plus shipping if anybody is interested. they aren't mine for what it's worth. i just found it interesting that supratek gear is popping up on eBay.