[auricgoldfinger]

How much of this sound difference would you attribute to using a micro-rendu with LPS, and how much to converting the ethernet to fiber? I found that just putting the last ethernet switch onto my regen and the rendu (and now a SOtM SMS-200) onto a LPS made an improvement in the noise floor. Have you compared before and after with the fiber conversion in place?

I have to say if the prices in that article are accurate its worth trying out, I'm just not getting my head around how introducing that conversion actually helps. The MC100CM with have some 'electrical noise' itself, why would that get into the rendu any less than noise from an Ethernet switch on good, regen'd power?

I would say roughly 65-70% of the improvement is a result of the microRendu and the balance is the ethernet to fiber conversion. Adding the LPS to the second MC100CM has a more subtle effect. For example, the zils on the tambourine have more depth and sparkle, and guitar strings have better separation and resonance. I wouldn't recommend spending a lot of money on a dedicated LPS just for a 10-15% improvement, but something inexpensive might be worthwhile. In my case, I had an available port on the JS-2, so there was no incremental cost. The reader comments in the original article that I linked have a couple of inexpensive suggestions. iFi Audio also makes a $50 product. I have no experience with any of them.

I'm not going pretend that I understand how it works. I suppose that there could be a type noise that the microRendu doesn't filter, perhaps due to frequency or wavelength. Possibly, the microRendu has a finite filtering capacity, and the ethernet to fiber conversion removes the overflow.

I take your point about the MC100CM being a noise source. I wondered about it myself before taking the plunge. All I can say is the noise from the MC100CM is negligible in comparison to what is removed upstream of it.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

I've received the 6N1P single wire and it's a great tube, for me nr.3 after the tripe mica 6N1P and the 6BQ7AGB. It's impressive that it just bested the 6N1P-EV. For brief impression it has a very good low and mid range but still the high end is a bit lacking as with all 6N1P for me.

Keep in mind that @auricgoldfinger and I aren't talking about run of mill 6N1P/EV's that you find on the bay and the likes. You can find single wire slanted getters for $1.99 a tube: they aren't inherently special or good sounding. What we are talking about are carefully selected, tested, treated, cleaned and retested Perl tubes. Perl literally would go through 1000's of tubes to find the best, then clean and cryo them. They are, if you can find them, well over $100 a single gold grade tube and much more for a Gold Gr+.

 

[RubyTiger]

I'm happy to hear someone else likes the single wire 6n1p and yes, you have to go through a few clams to find a Pearl. I spent $20 on one last week that did nothing for me, but another head-fi member loved his. I prefer the voskhod's but some say the rare box plate 6n1p Nevz Novosibirsk above sound very neutral. Re-listening to the Perl cryo tube and it's still better.

 

[m17xr2b]

Have I reached the end of the line? Sure sounds like it. Finally got the RCA single plates and with the 422A and the box plate 6N1P I get the best sound I have ever heard period with the LCD-4. The most remarkable thing about the single plates is the ability to make all my other power tubes sound veiled. I have a hard time describing sound but this setup makes me stop analysing and unravels me on each instrument and voice of every song so much so that I don't want to ever stop listening. I have been to a couple of meets and listened to all sorts of gear but nothing touches the super Stratus. I did a couple of tube swaps just to be sure I wasn't having a good day with super hearing but even the KR is no match for this kind of musicality.

The bad news? On of the tubes might be bad as it distorted a couple of times. Not sure if it's a temporary thing or a sign of it dying so be wary of old tubes. .

 

[auricgoldfinger]

What is the Tube Monger?

 

[m17xr2b]

Because of my excessive tube rolling on input tube I might have damaged the socket as I sometimes get a scratching sound when adjusting the volume. Until I get it shipped back to Donald for repairs I'm using it as a socket saver so I don't do further damage.

 

[DMck2000]

Hey I'll be getting the Focal Utopia in November (hopefully the Stratus will arrive then as well) and am wondering what tube combinations sound amazing with it. @froger what are your recommendations specifically? Knowing that you have a plethora of tubes and the Utopia on deck.

 

[auricgoldfinger]

Hey I'll be getting the Focal Utopia in November (hopefully the Stratus will arrive then as well) and am wondering what tube combinations sound amazing with it. @froger what are your recommendations specifically? Knowing that you have a plethora of tubes and the Utopia on deck.

The WE 422a seems to be the consensus best rectifier among those who have tried it. As for power tubes, people are all over the map, depending on their personal listening preferences. There has been some good recent discussion on input tubes. You many want to review the past 5 or 6 pages of this thread. Input tubes seem to vary a lot in quality even within the same manufacturing plant/architecture, so while one person may have had a great experience with a particular tube type, another may have experienced the complete opposite (and both are correct). In my experience, you have to go through a lot of these tubes to find a really good one.

 

[DMck2000]

The WE 422a seems to be the consensus best rectifier among those who have tried it. As for power tubes, people are all over the map, depending on their personal listening preferences. There has been some good recent discussion on input tubes. You many want to review the past 5 or 6 pages of this thread. Input tubes seem to vary a lot in quality even within the same manufacturing plant/architecture, so while one person may have had a great experience with a particular tube type, another may have experienced the complete opposite (and both are correct). In my experience, you have to go through a lot of these tubes to find a really good one.

Thanks for the advice! Will take into account. I've been going through this thread for about 7 months straight screenshoting every bit of tube advice with any headphone I have (HD800, HD6XX) or may purchase in the future (Focal Utopia, HE-1000, Abyss-1226, etc). There haven't been any on the Utopia that I can recall except for one post that described how the Utopia got too fatiguing after 30 minutes of enjoyment. I believe that post was by Froger, but I do not remember.

 

[froger]

Yes, I found Utopia fatiguing at the beginning. It's a thing of the past now. Currently, I am using Shuguang Natural sound 2A3 and EML 5U4G. I also own WE422A, but I could not find any 2A3 combination with the WE422A that I prefer, over what I am currently using. The irony after all the tubes rolling, is I am back to the combination that I first started out with, ha...

 

[DMck2000]

Yes, I found Utopia fatiguing at the beginning. It's a thing of the past now. Currently, I am using Shuguang Natural sound 2A3 and EML 5U4G. I also own WE422A, but I could not find any 2A3 combination with the WE422A that I prefer, over what I am currently using. The irony after all the tubes rolling, is I am back to the combination that I first started out with, ha...

Just to make sure, the Shuguang Natural Sounds are the 2A3C-T, right?

 

[ogodei]

Just to make sure, the Shuguang Natural Sounds are the 2A3C-T, right?

Yes, those them. Great to tame the Utopia's a bit, also wonderful with HD800.

 

[DMck2000]

Yes, those them. Great to tame the Utopia's a bit, also wonderful with HD800.

Will definitely consider them! They're quite expensive for a pair of them at around $283 on Amazon. Any other reputable sites to get tubes for better prices?

 

[m17xr2b]

I finally get to compare my two favourite amps. More to come

 

[ogodei]

Will definitely consider them! They're quite expensive for a pair of them at around $283 on Amazon. Any other reputable sites to get tubes for better prices?

Those particular tubes are by Psvane and the price new has stayed between $240-280 from what I've seen. They show up gently used occasionally.