[zachchen1996]

So I have about twenty five hours on the Ken Rad 3S4 and Raytheon 1U4's now. Both Mil-Spec from the mid 1940's, both date match and matched technically as well.

They have opened up nicely and have been deadly silent from day one. What can I say about them? Well, I think the best thing I can say is that I have simply forgotten to think about what are their strong points as I have simply been immersed in music!

They excel at everything, Bass, rich, deep, tight. Mids, creamy, detailed and atmospheric. Treble, extended, crisp,detailed, sweet and airy.

Beautiful soundstage, just right in width and depth. Instruments and vocals are easy to place and yet at the same time they feel as a whole with the performance. There is also a wonderful up and down sense with these tubes by which I mean you can feel the placement of the instruments or vocal lower or higher in the soundstage.

I have been listening a lot to two rips of CD's which are just wonderful for orchestral music. The first is an old Ted Heath recording of Glenn Miller's music and the other is James Horner's Bicentennial Man soundtrack. I just get lost in both, Horner's soundtrack is almost transcendental and these tubes make that even more so.

The Ted Heath album is the best I have heard it. Millers arrangements have never sounded better. Horns have punch and speed and yet one can hear the fruitiness of the trombones so well, rich and detailed. On Pennsylvania 6-5000 The bells which are rung were right in the center and just a little low, it felt like they were lodged in the middle of my neck!

Without a shadow of a doubt this combination of tubes is the best I have used yet and to be honest I simply see no point in changing them out again. Everything is there. They allow the amp to really shine. Just stunning tubes, I am quite taken aback actually at how good they sound and how they simply get out of the way and allow a recording to show its all!

 
can you pm the purchase link for these tubes?

 

[bmichels]

So I have about twenty five hours on the Ken Rad 3S4 and Raytheon 1U4's now. Both Mil-Spec from the mid 1940's, both date match and matched technically as well.

They have opened up nicely and have been deadly silent from day one. What can I say about them? Well, I think the best thing I can say is that I have simply forgotten to think about what are their strong points as I have simply been immersed in music!

They excel at everything, Bass, rich, deep, tight. Mids, creamy, detailed and atmospheric. Treble, extended, crisp,detailed, sweet and airy.

Beautiful soundstage, just right in width and depth. Instruments and vocals are easy to place and yet at the same time they feel as a whole with the performance. There is also a wonderful up and down sense with these tubes by which I mean you can feel the placement of the instruments or vocal lower or higher in the soundstage.

I have been listening a lot to two rips of CD's which are just wonderful for orchestral music. The first is an old Ted Heath recording of Glenn Miller's music and the other is James Horner's Bicentennial Man soundtrack. I just get lost in both, Horner's soundtrack is almost transcendental and these tubes make that even more so.

The Ted Heath album is the best I have heard it. Millers arrangements have never sounded better. Horns have punch and speed and yet one can hear the fruitiness of the trombones so well, rich and detailed. On Pennsylvania 6-5000 The bells which are rung were right in the center and just a little low, it felt like they were lodged in the middle of my neck!

Without a shadow of a doubt this combination of tubes is the best I have used yet and to be honest I simply see no point in changing them out again. Everything is there. They allow the amp to really shine. Just stunning tubes, I am quite taken aback actually at how good they sound and how they simply get out of the way and allow a recording to show its all!

 
Since they seems to be your "final choice", have you thought to improve them even further by having them cryogenized ?
 
 I heard that it "clean" the sound quite a lot !

 

[ianmedium]

I see no point to be honest, apart from the cost there is the risk they may break and I am already perfectly happy with the sound.

 

[bmichels]

I see no point to be honest, apart from the cost there is the risk they may break and I am already perfectly happy with the sound.

 
Well it was my French "audio optimisation gourou" that told me that once he had the tubes of his amp cryogenised, and when he installed them back in the amp, the AMP sounded so much better.  This was done for him by "Tubeworld.com ".
Just an info...

 

[ianmedium]

Yeah, I have heard that it does do that but to be honest as I said, they sound just perfect for me as they are and I would not want to ruin them by making them "better"!
Here is a picture of the Ken-Rads.

 

[bmichels]

Yeah, I have heard that it does do that but to be honest as I said, they sound just perfect for me as they are and I would not want to ruin them by making them "better"!
Here is a picture of the Ken-Rads.

 
Well, I also have some (4)  KenRad 3S4, and they seems to be also military and also date matches ( Dec 1st, 1950)
 
It says on the box "VT-174 - USArmy signal corps", But the printing on the tube and boxes is different than yours...
 
--> (IAN) are they the same type than yours ?
 
 
 
but... I remember having tested them already associated with Telefunken DF904 and Lorenz DF96, and... I was not impress !  (
 
 
so I have just now to find some  Raytheon 1U4  to give them a second chance  
 

 

[smial1966]

bmichels,

You do make a very interesting point as the subject of cryogenic alteration of cables and tubes is extremely contentious, as there seems to be vociferous support for this deep freeze treatment and equally ardent opposition to such practice. From my perspective it seems scientifically improbable that essentially inert compounds could be molecularly altered by extreme cold. Intense heat would obviously cause molecular transition, but sub zero temperatures cause stasis and immobility, which sonically does nothing. But I am amenable to other plausible explanations as to why cryogenic temperatures work.

Andy.

Since they seems to be your "final choice", have you thought to improve them even further by having them cryogenized ?

 I heard that it "clean" the sound quite a lot !

 

[ianmedium]

Good points Andy.

On another note I just got my Nixie watch! Here are a quick couple of shots!




What shocked me most is that it is very comfortable and being made of aluminum very light. I am loving it!

I also have five spare tubes which are all British made ITT tubes.

 

[ianmedium]

Just found out that ITT was STC in Britain who made Brimar tubes!

 

[AnakChan]

Good points Andy.

On another note I just got my Nixie watch! Here are a quick couple of shots!
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

What shocked me most is that it is very comfortable and being made of aluminum very light. I am loving it!

I also have five spare tubes which are all British made ITT tubes.

 
I thought you guys were joking about the Nixie watch thinking it was photoshopped or something but it's an actual real watch ! This is really cool!
 
Ian, I've kinda lost track of this thread. What are those additional switches on the side of your TU-05b please?

 

[ianmedium]

Sean, I know, you would think it something not real but it is and it is so cool to wear, really easy to read the time and super comfortable I am finding.

The red switch is the power switch and the other is the impedance selector. Initially my amp being an early one had the combined power on/off headphone socket which failed so I sent it back to be update which Shikada San did for free.

Here is a link to Cathode corner, the maker of the watch. It is a really good deal considering each one is hand made by one person to order, wonderful build quality, the threaded cap is super smooth to undo.

http://www.cathodecorner.com/nixiewatch/index.html

 

[AnakChan]

I see. Cool that he can implement an impedance switch.
 
Thx for the linky to the Nixie watch. May look into it .

 

[ianmedium]

No worries, must admit I have been wearing it all afternoon and absolute love the way it tells time!

 

[smial1966]

ianmedium,
 
The NIXIE watch is surprisingly comfortable due to the slight curvature of the underside and you wear it well on your manly wrist!  

 
The only thing I'd change is the strap, as it's too new looking for a thermionic timepiece. A nice dark tan distressed leather strap would look great, or a woollen tweed like this - 
 

 
Cheers,
Andy.
 
Quote:

No worries, must admit I have been wearing it all afternoon and absolute love the way it tells time!

 

[ianmedium]

Andy, where are those straps available?

I must admit I do like the plain strap, it appears to be good quality but I must admit I love the strap you have shown!