Thanks for the post Heymikey and Restock. The EI tube in my Brick just died and was searching for recommendations. Quite pleased with the La Radiotechnique you suggested. Thanks! |
Oldgrey -here are some more comments I posted in another thread a few months later: After getting the Benchmark, I got to improve the Brick a little more by doing some very careful tube rolling. With the Mazda Triple Mica, flow and coherence is a little better than the Benchmark, but it still looses control somewhat in complex passages especially for classical music. With a Siemens 12AU7, the bass of the Brick is tighter and drums are as explosive as with the Benchmark.
In summary, what I really liked about the Benchmark the most was how transients and dynamics are preserved. Many CDs sound very exciting whereas the Brick can be laid back at time. The Brick has its strength in the natural decay of tones, which the Benchmark sometimes cuts to short. For spatial presentation, the Benchmark has the better separation between instruments, especially in complex passages, whereas the Brick sketches a more realistic three-dimensional picture for single instruments. The Brick did particularly well with solo piano. Overall for complex music and electronic music I would give the nod to the Benchmark, for a more natural sound and small ensembles I would prefer the Brick.
One final comment: For the Brick tube rolling is essential. IMO it performs far from its best with the stock tubes. Try the Mazda Triple Mica or the Siemens 12AU7. Single 12AU7 NOS tubes are fairly affordable and can be found easily
Also, I should say that I had an opportunity to listen to a Brick v2 since - The newer Brick performs another step above the earlier Brick, putting the Brick significantly above the Benchmark in terms of resolution and drive. If you have a v1 I would seriously consider the upgrade to the later versions. Enjoy the Brick! |
Excellent --thank you. I'll have to give those a shot as well. As for an upgrade, I made the move to the v2 last year and, as you pointed out, the difference was enormous. I'm considering moving to a v3, but I'd like to learn more before I do.
I see Sangam is listed in "heavy rotation" on your system page --Eric Harland is amazing. Terrific album. |
