Ok, Initial thoughts:
1) All things being equal (except for the Rectifier), I do hear a difference, and it's more than just minor
2) The difference boils down to one word - "weight" The Elrog simply imparts more heft behind everything. My examples (All music is from Tidal > USB > Pegasuses > Woos):
a. Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D Minor Op. 125 "Choral" - IV. Finale - Presto (Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra w/ the Mendelsson Choir of Pittsburgh)
--- The opening of this movement with the cellos (after the timpani) really rings "true", with natural reverb echoing in the hall where the recording was done. With the Brimar you don't get the same resonance of the cello bodies, the bowing isn't as present, and the brass overpowers the strings.
--- The Brimar does a fine job with this piece, to a point. It doesn't have the same sense of presence with the lower instruments and the midrange tends to be a bit thin. Brass is a bit brighter due to having not have to work through the strength presented in the low end. Because of this, it can be a touch fatiguing (not shrill, just harsh).
b. Chick Corea - My Spanish Heart - "Spanish Fantasy pt. 4" - The key here is the piano and drums under the heavy use of synthesizers and brass. With the Brimar, it becomes very cluttered and mushy. The Elrog has enough "Oomph" to cleanly push it all through without becoming cloudy.
c. Whitney Houston - "I Will Always Love You" - The richness of her lower register just fills out divinely on the Elrog. On the Brimar, it's ok, but you KNOW you're listening to a recording. It's very flat. The recording is full of wide open studio space. The Elrog shows it off nicely. The Brimar feels boxed in. Too close.
d. ZZ Top - "Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell" - A personal favorite of mine - this track is great for electric/blues guitar as well as Billy Gibbon's voice. It's a very close recording, and there's a certain timbre to his voice that comes through on the track. The guitar can be very harsh because of it's closeness as well, but rings true. This track is a fantastic example of something that sounds live on one tube and like a recording on another.
e. Mortal Kombat (2022) Soundtrack - "Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)" - If you want to punish a tube, this is it. LOTS of stuff going on here to push the strength of your tube to the max. The Brimar just runs out of steam and becomes very muddy. The Elrog handles it all with finesse. Towards the middle of the track the voiceunder is announcing the fighter names, and they just come through loud and clear on the Elrog. On the Brimar they're barely audible.
I could go on, but you get the point. Your standard Brimar isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but I do genuinely feel that the Elrogs are in a class of their own. YMMV. Should you go out and spend $600+ vs. a $50 Brimar? That's for you and your wallet to decide. Is there ten times the improvement? No. Is there enough improvement that if money isn't the deciding factor, then I say go for it. But then again we all know I'm a touch crazy, so....
Winner: Elrog 5U4G
Word of note - do NOT use an Elrog 274B in a Woo Audio WA5-LE. Something about plate voltage makes them not compatible. Don't know if the same holds true with the WA6-SE, but I'm not about to risk it.
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