MLGrado
500+ Head-Fier
Bought an Icon Audio amp back in February based on the Leak Stereo 20 design.. the Icon Stereo 20PP. The beautiful thing about this amp is it nicely pulls double duty in my bedroom system as a headphone and speaker amp. The headphone output comes straight off the output transformer's windings. I assume there is a resistor in line, otherwise a 15 watt headphone amp might be a bit much lol.
Anyway, the Icon is a nice little amp that can be made truly good, if not superb, via tube rolling. I have been on a journey ever since I bought the amp, and much to my chagrin have probably spent more on tubes at this point that I paid for the amp in the first place, so take WARNING. Tubes and tube rolling can be RIDICULOUSLY ADDICTIVE.
The Icon's tubes are as follows
1 12ax7 preamp
2 12au7 phase splitters
4 EL84 power tubes
I am currently running either RCA cleartops or a pair of Sylvania Blackplates made for Conn Organ in the 12au7 spots, and am running Sylvania long blackplates, Baldwin branded EL84's/
As for the all important 12ax7, I have tried various US blackplates, 5751's, Military spec, double/triple mica... you name it! Mullard to RCA to Amperex to Raytheon windmills..... you get the idea.
Today I tried one tube that promises to end my madness, my holy grail 12ax7.
The Ken Rad (GE) silver/nickel longplate 12ax7.
WOW. Better than anything I have tried. Tone, tone and more tone, with tight bass, shimmering highs, and is listenable all day long without any sense of fatigue. These Ken Rads, while not cheap by any means, still seem to fly under the radar. You don't hear a lot about them. The seller I dealt with says he expects that to change, and in the next few years as more and more of the other desirables dissapear, these will see prices skyrocket. Based on their sound, I see no reason why his prediction won't come true. I am going to snatch up as many as I can afford.
Anyway, the Icon is a nice little amp that can be made truly good, if not superb, via tube rolling. I have been on a journey ever since I bought the amp, and much to my chagrin have probably spent more on tubes at this point that I paid for the amp in the first place, so take WARNING. Tubes and tube rolling can be RIDICULOUSLY ADDICTIVE.
The Icon's tubes are as follows
1 12ax7 preamp
2 12au7 phase splitters
4 EL84 power tubes
I am currently running either RCA cleartops or a pair of Sylvania Blackplates made for Conn Organ in the 12au7 spots, and am running Sylvania long blackplates, Baldwin branded EL84's/
As for the all important 12ax7, I have tried various US blackplates, 5751's, Military spec, double/triple mica... you name it! Mullard to RCA to Amperex to Raytheon windmills..... you get the idea.
Today I tried one tube that promises to end my madness, my holy grail 12ax7.
The Ken Rad (GE) silver/nickel longplate 12ax7.
WOW. Better than anything I have tried. Tone, tone and more tone, with tight bass, shimmering highs, and is listenable all day long without any sense of fatigue. These Ken Rads, while not cheap by any means, still seem to fly under the radar. You don't hear a lot about them. The seller I dealt with says he expects that to change, and in the next few years as more and more of the other desirables dissapear, these will see prices skyrocket. Based on their sound, I see no reason why his prediction won't come true. I am going to snatch up as many as I can afford.
