I've only had my new Tuba a couple days now and am developing some impressions while tube rolling to try to hear any obvious differences. Keep in mind it's very early in burning in the amp and any of the tubes and I'm also not one who is very good at hearing differences except when very quickly A/B ing with volume matched sources, which I can't do with tubes.
My comparison is with the Pro iCAN in tube+ mode, using GE 5 stars, so not the stock GE 5670s. Volume matched using iPhone and a dB app. Since there tends to be a range within a single dB, I try to get them on the border between 2 values running pink noise. Also using the Chord TT2 via RCA to both.
This is all using 300 ohm ZMFs and mostly the Eikon. The most obvious difference is that the Tuba doesn't have the low end of the iCAN, but some of the tubes I've tried have helped, including very inexpensive Sovteks. Currently very much enjoying Electro-Harmonix EL84s. Other than that, they are pretty evenly matched, but the Tuba does seem to have an edge in airyness, and on some tracks in having a slightly wider soundstage, along with a little bit more of a romantic overall sound while also a little more sparkle. My favorite difference is that the Tuba feels a bit more energetic/exciting and that vocals are a bit more forward. Not hugely, but most obviously on the Verite Open, which can have slightly recessed vocals. On the tuba, they're more forward and closer to the experience I get with the Auteur.
Waiting on some NOS tubes I've ordered, though not the Amperex as I'd hoped. The Ei El84 are the only NOS on hand at the moment.
For the price, for it to even be competitive with an $1800 amp is pretty good, though the iCAN isn't solely a tube amp, but even if one considers the tube modes as making up half the value, that's still more than the Tuba sells for. It's also clearly a step up from the Valhalla 2 I had, even with my favorite WE-396A tubes on that.
So, so far it's meeting my hopes of being a good match with ZMFs, punching above it's price, and being overall better than the tube amp I already had. I've only ever heard the few tube amps I've owned and nothing in the $1000+ range. I'll probably get the Pendant eventually, which also uses some of the same tubes which is nice.
Update: Ended up getting the 58/59 Amperex D-getters, which I really should have started with. 10 sets of tubes later, and these are really on another level compared to the rest I bought, though also the most expensive. Interestingly, I also got some other used D-getters, unknown year, and just nowhere near as good.
My comparison is with the Pro iCAN in tube+ mode, using GE 5 stars, so not the stock GE 5670s. Volume matched using iPhone and a dB app. Since there tends to be a range within a single dB, I try to get them on the border between 2 values running pink noise. Also using the Chord TT2 via RCA to both.
This is all using 300 ohm ZMFs and mostly the Eikon. The most obvious difference is that the Tuba doesn't have the low end of the iCAN, but some of the tubes I've tried have helped, including very inexpensive Sovteks. Currently very much enjoying Electro-Harmonix EL84s. Other than that, they are pretty evenly matched, but the Tuba does seem to have an edge in airyness, and on some tracks in having a slightly wider soundstage, along with a little bit more of a romantic overall sound while also a little more sparkle. My favorite difference is that the Tuba feels a bit more energetic/exciting and that vocals are a bit more forward. Not hugely, but most obviously on the Verite Open, which can have slightly recessed vocals. On the tuba, they're more forward and closer to the experience I get with the Auteur.
Waiting on some NOS tubes I've ordered, though not the Amperex as I'd hoped. The Ei El84 are the only NOS on hand at the moment.
For the price, for it to even be competitive with an $1800 amp is pretty good, though the iCAN isn't solely a tube amp, but even if one considers the tube modes as making up half the value, that's still more than the Tuba sells for. It's also clearly a step up from the Valhalla 2 I had, even with my favorite WE-396A tubes on that.
So, so far it's meeting my hopes of being a good match with ZMFs, punching above it's price, and being overall better than the tube amp I already had. I've only ever heard the few tube amps I've owned and nothing in the $1000+ range. I'll probably get the Pendant eventually, which also uses some of the same tubes which is nice.
Update: Ended up getting the 58/59 Amperex D-getters, which I really should have started with. 10 sets of tubes later, and these are really on another level compared to the rest I bought, though also the most expensive. Interestingly, I also got some other used D-getters, unknown year, and just nowhere near as good.
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