Varail
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2016
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Got it
Good to compare DACs
Thank you
Good to compare DACs
Thank you
I'd agree with you, the Psvane 12AU7-Ts in my TU8500 preamp are knockout and astonishingly transparent from top to bottom. I was listening to that preamp nearly all day yesterday while working on rebuilding a Marantz Model 1030, the preamp was running through a just finished Luxman SQ507X amplifier that has been completely re-capped and I was running in the refurbished power amp modules (new driver transistors too), running into a pair of old Pioneer CS-100 speakers, it all sounded amazingly alive and transparent and full of rhythmic fun.Got some genelex gold lion kt66's and some tungsram hungary 12au7s, and they sounded pretty dang good, I thought I was finally done with tubes for a while... at least until one of the tungsrams started crackling and making loud POP noises, it's definitely a dud and I'm surprised it got past testing. I've been ordering through Viva Tubes and I think they are a dud too, still haven't gotten the refund from my last pair of 12au7's that sounded like crap and now they send me an obviously troubled tube. Great, more waiting... nos tubes are such a pain in the ass, should have just gotten some psvane 12au7's....
I should have waited. I just purchased a TU-8200DX kit a few months ago.Revised TU-8200R will be displayed in AXPONA 2019
The revised TU-8200 will set another new standard for low cost SET AMP.
Please stay tuned .. Another wonderful design from Mr Fujita (Master of Tube Amp in Japan)
Stereophile Review - TU-8600
https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-27-elekit-tu-8600r-amplifier-kit
Hello, Victor, might there also be any upgrades for my TU8500 preamp? Say, an Alps volume pot, for instance? I pre-bought both the Amtrans resistor kit, upgrade op-amps for the phono stage and Mundorf Evo caps for the phono coupling stage before buying the kit, so that I had everything there - unfortunately at the time not realising I also needed two quality caps for the line stage, so I used the Mundorfs in the line stage and two other very nice polypropylene caps for the phono coupling. Replacing the stock 12AU7s with two top level Psvane 12AU7-Ts have transformed the preamp from an already wonderful preamp into an even greater level of neutral transparency that I've not heard from anything even remotely approaching the price of the TU8500 with it's upgrades. Absolutely brilliant piece of kit and I'm looking forward to the TU8200R in the near future.There is an upgrade kit to replace Unit 1 and 2. (the power transformer and OPT are the same for both versions)
The ALPS R27 is an option. For sure the R27 is better than the stock volume pot.
Also I am working with Lundahl to design an opt for TU-8200 .
The upgrade kit is affordable for everyone.