2359glenn | studio - Page 45

Your advisory is better than any in-car GPS unit - "Warning...accident up ahead...405 & 105 Freeways...LAX traffic please exit at..." Now, I can better invest time in chasing other tubes. Thanks, Xcalibur255.

Oops upside my big box...Denon wearing...re-cabled D7000 head! Thought I was done and could focus on the Fivre synergy with the Russian tonight. Just opened the cabinet to find, I've still a few Sylvania's to try and another Fivre. 

No worries, I am curious! Off cycling for now...

Back from a brisk and fantastic ride at sunset! Now, where were we...yes, I sailed through a few pairings with the Russian rec thinking I was done. And earlier today I found another six drive tubes.

After the amp warms and I luxuriate a bit, I'll get widit!  Still to come:

Fivre 6SN7GT Italian Navy; TS-6SN7GT; Sylvania Short Base; 6SN7GTA; 6SN7GT; Baldwin 6SN7GTB. The Fivre Italian Navy tube is making noises when turned upside down; no idea.  Something is loose and rattling. For those of you scoring at home, I opened up the box and removed the tube from an upside down position. When righted... but we're warming it up anyway (w/fingers crossed).

@ Clayton SF

Congrats on using the correct symbol for the Russian. I'm almost certain I've an international keyboard option somewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent One 

In-session with Ronnie Laws...

 

 

Last night, I took the rig outta the driveway and down the street. Riding with me is the 5U8C, 5998's & Fivre Brown Base 6SN7GT. The 5U8C and the Fivre isn't really a good pairing. I had to stop a few times on this drive. 

 

 But, not because I was going to put one or both of them out on the street. It's because I thought I heard something. And I did. Despite this pairing suffering in this way and that, I noticed its ability to do something the other 6SN7's I evaluated overnight haven't done very well with the 5U8C, with the exception of the TS-BGRP.

 

Although, the 6SN7's tested did better with the '596,' my focus is on the 5U8C and potential synergy with the Fivre. And despite a poor showing, there's something about it that makes it worth listening to. And if I can put a finger on the quality in question, it could help in finding the right tube for the Russian.

 

I hope to put more words to this within the next 16 hours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosgr63 

Have you discovered the SO's boson of music?

 

Can't wait!

Down to more earthly stuff, I am evaluating some Bendix 6080WB's with a FIVRE 6SL7 driver.

 

Music: Empresarios - Sabor Tropical

I figured it out! I figured out what the Russian is doing; what it's influences are. This is my second night blasting through drive tubes like a golfer in a rainstorm...and that's when it hit me!

However, there's good news and bad news. The good? My workout tonight will leave me energized for Monday. The bad?! Physically and mentally exhausted from said workout. This maybe for the best - sleeping on my audio suspicions and sharing my silent notes Monday evening.

Yes, a rejuvenated SO still to come...

Silent notes made audible...and visible.

I finally figured out what the Russian 5Ц8C is doing. And why it's alluring.

(Post in progress...)

I've come to learn that, as the Dog Days of August are upon us, I no longer  have Doggie hearing! BUT, I hear well enough. And if no one needs their hand held, I'll just get to the dirt. On second thought, the members here are fantastic and deserve respect, so... Disclaimer: my evaluations are operator, system and recording dependent. Your results may vary. 

To date, this Russian double rectifier tube has got to be the most fascinating I've heard in either of my vacuum tube amps. The USAF "Mighty 596" remains my best sounding rectifier, but the Russian is the most fascinating and seems to have even greater potential. But it's simply not being fully realized. Can't Two-step this tube around Texas. You go down there talkin' 'bout this tube got potential, and they'll tell you "You mean it ain't done nuthin' yet!"

Back to the opening sentence, what the rectifier is doing and why it's alluring. It is inverting the sound stage. And has a strong emphasis on the mid range from the ground up (noise floor through mids).  I found this out by playing vinyl rips and even a dbx undecoded cassette track, and the noise floor can be higher with this rec on some tracks like these. Other rectifiers and even drive and power tubes can influence the sound stage - size, spacing and what notes are more prominent over others. But they tend to be more subtle about it. The Russian? Obviously bold if not blatant. And turns the entire sound stage on its head!

Yes, examples would be helpful. Let's take a track - not a specific one just yet - and give it lead vocals, background vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, drums, congas, piano-electric piano-synthesizer. And the track is mastered so the placement of all these sounds are balanced both side to side and front to rear creating a sound stage if you would. Again, this is just for example purposes.

Foreground: vocals; guitar; some keyboards

Background: background vocals; rhythm guitar; some keyboards; bass; drums; congas; micro-dynamic low level information from synthesizers; sound effects; movement in studio ect.

The Russian rectifier is moving some of the voices and instrumentation from the foreground of the sound stage and making them less prominent. And emphasizing some of the background material with more prominence. It isn't done with every single sound or note but most of them most of the time. Can't tell you how many tracks I sampled (lots!) and found this to be the case each and every time. Regardless of mastering or genre. 

I will add that mastering, as well as the other tubes will determine the severity or gentleness this is done. But it is always done. And this is the reason why the rectifier returns an alluring presentation. One that is big, wide and open. Because inside this new found openness and expansion, we're hearing details like never before. Micro-dynamic, low lever detail and once background information has moved forward. This aspect alone is down right delicious! I'm hearing low level detail at normal listening levels.  Like singers shuffling song notes on the podium. Musicians moving their feet. People whispering, dropping things on to the floor, breathing, coughing...just stuff in the room that ain't normally heard!

A few moons ago, I use to learn songs by recording tracks inside an associate musician's 24-track home studio. I'd pick a fav track and make 8 different copies - one with bass only. Another with bass and drums. And perhaps, the remaining six tracks each with different combos of 4 out of 24 tracks selected to better focus on the better presentation. Once learned, every time I'd hear the song in the club or the stereo system, I'd hear that micro-detail clear as a bell! And got use to disassembling and reassembling sound stages.

This Russian rectifier is a data retrieval hound like no other I've heard. Initially, this is fun and exciting. But, there are trade offs - no free lunch. Lower mid-range, bass and sub bass notes suffer; loss of control even at low to moderate volume. The presentation also lacks drive, impact, energy, focus, clarity and definition at times, especially when turned up some. Many songs still have bass in terms of loudness, but it rings hollow, no density. Nothing is really lost. It's all there! It's just that the rectifier has re-prioritized things with  new emphasis. The results do not sound natural or accurate. 

But, did I mention this rectifier has got potential?! 

This inverted presentation isn't correctable by EQ either. The vocals a good deal of the time (again, it's mastering dependent) will suffer from being reduced, squeezed and tonally wrong. Even sounds veiled at times, yet detailed. How is that possible? you ask. Think of your listening room say, the living room with properly placed speakers...and your seat has a sweet spot. In the middle of a track, you get up and walk to the adjacent kitchen (to get some ice-cream?). The presentation complete with detail can still be heard, but now that you're outside the sweet spot and ears no longer at direct mid-range & tweeter level, it sounds a bit off (understatement). But sounds fine as background music. 

I keep thinking that maybe, since I do not know this powerful rectifier, that more time might do it some good...I am hopeful. There's a lot to like in this rectifier. I'm still amazed that it could drop me into a bigger room yet, return more low level detail. You'd think the bigger the sound that micro-dynamics would get lost or obscured.

So, having had this experience, now what to do? I will shoot for additional hours. But in the event nothing changes, I'm willing to bet a solution could come electronically at the adapter level.   Just being hopeful...at least I know what I'm now up against.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wotts 

 

Looking forward to your thoughts! I'm still feeling a little rough after my tumble off the Trikke and this is just the kind of thing I need.

It's great to see your spirits up after going down. It's fast approaching 0130 hours on the West coast and I just finished a very late dinner, dessert and kitchen duty. I'm running some 8 hours behind schedule due to urgent matters earlier in the day.

Time to jump in and finish sharing my notes...

Update: finished notes; look above.

It would be interesting to see what an additional run of 300-500 hours brings to the rec. We're gonna find out one way or another and should know something by mid to late autumn. I'd also like to hear what Glenn hears in his own amp of a different design with this rec. And I really wanna hear this rec with the incoming 13D1! 

There appears to be a lot of audio goodness locked up inside this bottle. Extracting more of it or all of it makes for a very entertaining thought over here.

Submission Saturday...

It looks like my wish has been granted. Next week, I'll be receiving the voltage quadrupler and Brimar 13D1 tube to play with.