[dmhenley]

Hey Oskari,
I've a couple photos of the other side as well as the original boxes.
I'll need to look closer for any etched codes.
 

 

 

[Oskari]

  Hey Oskari,
I've a couple photos of the other side as well as the original boxes.
I'll need to look closer for any etched codes.

 
Ah, the "SDA" should mean AWV in Australia.

 

[DarktoreS]

Hi ,
I received the 5654 RT Radiotechnical Philips France Matched Pairs ! For me they literally disappear while the other tubes that I had, Mullard (5654 / cv4010),  6HM5 Sylvania, General Electric 6HM5, Amperex 6HQ5 ... I also Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV that I have not tested yet but these RTC tubes are more open, detailed, dense, beautiful voice, wide soundstage ... You'll understand I like them a lot, so much that I do not listen to the PANAM with Concero dac of Resonessence Labs ! I like the PANAM works wonderfully alone with my LCD-2 Fazor or my Oppo PM-2, I expect next week a Ultrasone Signature PRO ! I have in mind the tubes that will wonderfully with SIGPRO are the General Electric 6HM5, less spacious but a bit on the mid-bass !

 

[dmhenley]

Week 2 with the Pan Am and AKG Q701's -
CV4010 vs Mullard 5654
 
Switching back to the Mullard 5654 after some time with the CV4010.
 
Generally, the 5654 have richer mids. Not congested, but more present. More touch, and texture.
Vocals are closer, and more tactile. This character extends into the bass. Bass has more bloom here.  
More colorful in comparison. Saturated. Stage is more intimate - smaller.
 
In contrast, while the CV4010 have similarly great mids - they are recessed in comparison. So, more air as the highs share the spotlight. They are more relaxed and natural in presentation. They don't sound dry to me, but are, set against the 5654.

Stage is deeper, light reaches farther into that space. Slightly less tactile, and more airy. Less saturated.  

I love both of these tubes.They are closely related, but of slightly different character. 
 
I am going to hang with the 5654 for a while now, as they put a bit more meat on the Q701's bones.

 

[dmhenley]

Cifte 5654 on the way!
Looking forward to doing another comparison.

 

[dmhenley]

 
Here's the current ranking - based on 150+ hours listening - with the Pan Am and AKG Q701:
 
1. Mullard 5654
2. Cifte 5654
3. RTC 5654
4. CV4010
5. Siemens 6AK5
 
The Siemens are last, but aren't bad at all. Paired with the Q701, the sound is too lean for my taste. The others are, of course, all similar in sound. The Mullard deliver in every way with this setup. The RTC are very similar to the Mullard, but the low freqs aren't quite as extended or defined. The Cifte have a bit more air up top, great mids, and a slightly leaner low end.
Rounding it out, I'm going to try the Tung Sol 6AK5 soon. 

 

[dmhenley]

The last roll - for my Pan Am.
Tung Sol - 6AK5. Right out of the box, these sound excellent.
I'll give them a few days.

 

[BattousaiX26]

The last roll - for my Pan Am.


Tung Sol - 6AK5. Right out of the box, these sound excellent.


I'll give them a few days.

 


waiting for impressions

 

[dmhenley]

The last roll - for my Pan Am.


Tung Sol - 6AK5. Right out of the box, these sound excellent.


I'll give them a few days.

 


waiting for impressions

I really dig these Tung Sol!
I should get another post up Monday.

 

[dmhenley]

I finish my dive down the rabbit hole with ALO Pan Am, AKG Q701, and the Tung Sol 6AK5 (1949). Approx. 25 hours of time on them.
 
Shared an email with Dave Hollander (Arizona Tube Supply  - arizonatubesupply.com) and he explained that based on the code assignment and internal construction that these were likely manufactured in 1949. 
Excellent quality tubes and service!! If you're hunting, I recommend checking with Dave for your NOS (no new production) tube needs. He's on Ebay as well.
 
These are fast, linear, with a smooth and slightly recessed midrange. (at least in comparison to the Mullard 5654) No grain. High frequencies are smooth and revealing. Loads of detail, though some recordings will sound slightly harsh. So, they may be too bright for some rigs. Linearity = less texture and touch for me. Bass is excellent - tight, fast and defined. 
 
Overall character is less saturated in comparison to the Mullard 5654 and Cifte 5654. Drier, but not lean. Accurate. Complex music is presented as a coherent whole, with a well defined stage (wide) and clear spatial cues. 
 
I really dig these tubes. They make my Q701 really fun - bass performance may be the best of all the tubes I've tried. The trade off for the linear sound is a sometimes biting high end, less texture, and so a cooler blue presence. Less warmth than the Mullards.
 
Gear:
AKG Q701/ALO Pan Am-Gateway/Parasound Zdac/PC/Fidelizer Pro/Roon-Tidal
 
Music Reference:
Deafheaven, Bjork, Elbow, Fiona Apple, Joshua Redman, Father John Misty, Charles Mingus, The Tallis Scholars, The Bad Plus, James Blake, Gary Clark, Jr., Sparklehorse, Jeff Buckley, M83, Nils Frahm, Open Mike Eagle, Portishead, Peter Gabriel, Typhoon, Grant Green, Eri Yamamoto, The Flaming Lips, Mark Hollis, Refused, Sean Jones Quartet, Spacemonkey, Throwing Snow, Talk Talk

 

[raze94]

Hey fellas and recommended US seller for a matched pair of Mullard CV4010? Thanks!

 

[JoeDoe]

edit

 

[JoeDoe]

Any of you Pan Am-ers try a Sylvania Gold brand? I know that the other tube familes in this line usually get good reviews, so I'm wondering if the 6AK5 fares well also...

 

[roguepp88]

  Any of you Pan Am-ers try a Sylvania Gold brand? I know that the other tube familes in this line usually get good reviews, so I'm wondering if the 6AK5 fares well also...

I have it, its a nice balance overall, but I found the highs a bit shrill, prefered the telefunkens more.

 

[JoeDoe]

Hey tubers, can anyone help me out here? I ordered these Mullards through Tube Maze and didn't really until afterwards that they look identical to the RTC's ALO sells for ~$10 less. Is the price difference justified?
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171776958181?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
Thanks in advance!