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Cary Audio SLI 80 - Owners Unite! - Page 4

post #46 of 75
4/29/11 at 8:45am

The EAT ECC88 is built to original Telefunken specs with a higher degree of quality. I have not heard a better tube in this class.   

Thank You. Drew Baird, P.E. Moon Audio 308 Chrismill Lane Holly Springs, NC 27540 919-649-5018 drew@moon-audio.com http://www.moon-audio.com
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sennheiser HD 800 Balanced
post #47 of 75
4/30/11 at 3:44pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for sharing!

 

I assume you are using re-issued Gold Lions - Which tubes did you come from, I have Electro Harmonix KT88, which were stock, I assume (go it used)

 

About the 4/8 ohm switch.  Would it be safe to try the 4 ohm position with my 8 ohm speakers (Rega R7)

Quote:
Originally Posted by davo50 View Post

 

I have an SLI-80 sig F1.  I had a Woo WA5 a while back but couldn't make it work for me with speakers, so I sold it and replaced with an SLI-80 primarily for speakers and a WA22 for headphones.   I wasn't sure about the headphone out on the Cary, but turns out it doesn't lose much to the WA5 or the WA22 - it's an excellent head amp also.  Loses a notch in dymanics to the WA5, but gains a little in the mid-range.  

 

It took some tube and speaker rolling but I now absolutely love it with speakers.  When I first got it, it seemed a little boring but have now found the right tube / speaker combination and I am absolutely thrilled.  Mid-range magic without giving up detail, bass, or dynamics!

 

I am using Gold Lion KT-88s, Tung Sol 5u4g (coke bottle), Sylvania bad boys (3 hole), and Amperex gold pin, white label PQs with Proac Studio 140's.  Also just a tiny bit of EQ in Pure music / Voxengo Marvel GEQ boosting both ends (just a touch!).  I use the triode mode with the 4 ohm taps.  The 4 ohm taps seem to provide slightly improved bass with these speakers.



 

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post #48 of 75
4/30/11 at 8:41pm


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ardilla View Post

Thanks for sharing!

 

I assume you are using re-issued Gold Lions - Which tubes did you come from, I have Electro Harmonix KT88, which were stock, I assume (go it used)

 

About the 4/8 ohm switch.  Would it be safe to try the 4 ohm position with my 8 ohm speakers (Rega R7)



 


Hi ardilla - Yes, my Gold Lions are re-issues.  I bought my amp used also and the previous owner sent it with some nearly dead 6550's along with fairly generic other tubes.  I completely re-tubed it.  And it's perfectly safe to try your 8 ohm speakers on the 4 ohm tap - no harm can be done.  Different speakers react differently to the different taps.

 

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post #49 of 75
5/1/11 at 2:30am
Thread Starter 

I'll definetly try the 4 ohm mode. Love the flexibility of this amp :)

 

OK - so you never compared the stock Electro Harmonix KT88 with the Gold Lion. Anybody else did?

 

Which tubes did you find to make the biggest impact on end results?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by davo50 View Post

Hi ardilla - Yes, my Gold Lions are re-issues.  I bought my amp used also and the previous owner sent it with some nearly dead 6550's along with fairly generic other tubes.  I completely re-tubed it.  And it's perfectly safe to try your 8 ohm speakers on the 4 ohm tap - no harm can be done.  Different speakers react differently to the different taps.

 



 

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post #50 of 75
5/2/11 at 8:59am


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ardilla View Post

I'll definetly try the 4 ohm mode. Love the flexibility of this amp :)

 

OK - so you never compared the stock Electro Harmonix KT88 with the Gold Lion. Anybody else did?

 

Which tubes did you find to make the biggest impact on end results?
 



 


The 6922 input tubes will make the biggest impact on the sound.  Next the 6sn7 drivers, then power tubes, then rectifier.  It's what I have been told anyway.

 

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post #51 of 75
5/2/11 at 12:05pm
Thread Starter 

OK. Nice info. 

 

How where should I start when I want to get the bass on my speakers slightly less dominant, or tighter? 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by davo50 View Post

The 6922 input tubes will make the biggest impact on the sound.  Next the 6sn7 drivers, then power tubes, then rectifier.  It's what I have been told anyway.

 



 

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post #52 of 75
5/2/11 at 12:09pm

Try the GEC Winged 6550 power tubes.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ardilla View Post

OK. Nice info. 

 

How where should I start when I want to get the bass on my speakers slightly less dominant, or tighter? 
 



 



 

Thank You. Drew Baird, P.E. Moon Audio 308 Chrismill Lane Holly Springs, NC 27540 919-649-5018 drew@moon-audio.com http://www.moon-audio.com
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post #53 of 75
5/2/11 at 1:18pm


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ardilla View Post

OK. Nice info. 

 

How where should I start when I want to get the bass on my speakers slightly less dominant, or tighter? 
 



 


And... if possible, play around with positioning - distance from rear wall, etc.  Moving out from the rear wall should decrease / tighten up bass.  After that, room treatments, bass traps, etc.  As far as tubes for that, Drew knows more about that than I do.

 

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post #54 of 75
5/2/11 at 1:32pm
Thread Starter 


Google indicates that GEC Winged 6550 seems hard to find? Lots of hits on Svetlana winged C, though

 

Any suggestions for thighening bass with some of the smaller tubes?

Quote:
Originally Posted by drubrew View Post

Try the GEC Winged 6550 power tubes.

 



 



 


Edited by ardilla - 5/2/11 at 1:34pm
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post #55 of 75
5/5/11 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 

Are you refering to these?


kt88advert.jpg

Quote:
Originally Posted by ardilla View Post


Google indicates that GEC Winged 6550 seems hard to find? Lots of hits on Svetlana winged C, though

 

Any suggestions for thighening bass with some of the smaller tubes?



 



 

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post #56 of 75
5/5/11 at 4:29pm
Thread Starter 

 

 

kt88advert.jpg 

or these

large_517.gif

 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ardilla View Post


Google indicates that GEC Winged 6550 seems hard to find? Lots of hits on Svetlana winged C, though

 

Any suggestions for thighening bass with some of the smaller tubes?

 

 

    Quote:

Originally Posted by drubrew View Post

Try the GEC Winged 6550 power tubes.

 



 


 

 

 

 


Edited by ardilla - 5/5/11 at 4:45pm
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post #57 of 75
5/5/11 at 4:55pm

SED "Winged C" 6550C 

SED "Winged C" 6550C

These are the ones you want. You can buy Reisuse, that I can get, but see if you can get these instead first. Made before 2000.

 

Svetlana 6550C 

Svetlana 6550C 

These are what I can get at this point

 

Thank You. Drew Baird, P.E. Moon Audio 308 Chrismill Lane Holly Springs, NC 27540 919-649-5018 drew@moon-audio.com http://www.moon-audio.com
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post #58 of 75
5/6/11 at 1:49am
Thread Starter 

Thanks - I'll check it out :)


Edited by ardilla - 5/6/11 at 1:55am
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post #59 of 75
11/8/11 at 2:33am
Thread Starter 

Trying to revitalize this thread :))

 

How do people think the SLI-80 compares to other high-end headphone amps, the Leben 300/600s for instance?

 

Do you have any favorite phones with the SLI-80? 

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post #60 of 75
1/31/12 at 4:19am
Thread Starter 

Keeping this thread alive:

 

I use the HE-500 with this amp a lot now - it is fabolous!!

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