Nazo
100+ Head-Fier
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- Aug 24, 2008
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So I'm pretty new to tube amps. I've researched what I could and right now the one that suited my needs best (including not costing an arm and a leg) was the Schiit Vali 2. So far I am liking it, though the sound isn't as different from the Magni 2U as I thought it would be. To be fair, I don't have golden ears though. (Actually, I found out after my purchase it was a hybrid amp -- which is very clearly advertised -- but for some reason I had it in my head it was a pure tube amp and I have no clue why I thought that. However, as best as I could understand it seems like it's a proper hybrid with the tube doing the actual amplification and the digital section just handling the current, not a false one where the tube doesn't do anything that would color the sound and certainly it does sound different with different tubes to my ears by enough of a margin that I really don't think it is placebo.) So I don't know much about rolling tubes beyond a few basics I've googled. It shipped with a NOS ( a 6BZ7 -- GE if I understand correctly, but there is no labeling at all, so all I can say is that pretty much all the articles discussing the Vali 2 say it is a GE) and before I got it I went ahead and ordered an Electro-Harmonix 6CG7 as per this article's suggestion.
Now it's a bit soon to be 100% certain, but right now I'm thinking I actually honestly prefer the original NOS despite what that article says. (A key point for me was it mentioning adding an extra lushness, particularly to the midrange as the midrange tends to be a major focus for me.) A bit more burn-in is probably required on the EH (due to weather I've been afraid to leave it on and burning in) and a lot more is necessary on the NOS, but the EH just doesn't seem to suit me so far and I have enough hours into it at this point that I really don't think it's going to change significantly. I do not have golden ears and I have zero ability to really describe sound well, but it just sort of feels "lighter" or something like it's missing a bit of depth to it. I really like the NOS and it may ultimately be that I would never even want to use anything else, but that doesn't mean I should never try anything else... (After all, a key point of a tube amp is rolling to find that sweet spot.)
I see that article and several others suggesting (heck, Amazon in an almost creepy way made specific note of one of my searches and now is also suggesting) the Genalex “Gold Lion” E88CC. However, it's pretty costly, and the description there doesn't sound necessarily promising. (Well, to be fair, I did like the sound of my Magni 2U -- I assume the 3 doesn't sound so different -- but it didn't have that extra something that I think even the NOS that came with the Vali 2 is closer to providing.) I'm pretty strapped for cash now (so even if I try it I can't do so right away) but I am wondering if I should still try it. I don't want the sound to be too bright though (my ears are fairly sensitive -- particularly to the highs -- and it can almost physically hurt if a sound system has too much sibilance. The trick is, in the end, finding a good balance where it isn't dark and veiled but doesn't actually physically hurt. It's worth noting that I've gone through Grado's, Denon's and etc and ultimately landed on Sennheiser with the HD650 seemingly just about perfectly suiting me.) The price tag is a bit hefty for something so uncertain and I don't think the description sounds particularly great, but I sure do see a lot of people swearing by it as a great tube in this sort of range.
It goes without saying that something like the Western Electric 396A + adapter that article mentions is way too high of a price (and, as it mentions, if you're spending that much on tubes you may as well have bought a more expensive amp in the first place. If I had had that much to blow on this I would have.) Is there anything else more reasonably priced that I should be looking into though? Maybe the EH 6922 that article mentions but isn't exactly fawning over? Or should I just stick with the 6BZ7 that came with it and call it a day if nothing else is likely to go the sort of direction I want?
Obviously I've googled around a fair bit, but, to be honest, I don't entirely know enough of what I need to know to really search well. Sound descriptions are tricky (yes, even with guides) and very subjective by definition. I also don't entirely know how to tell exactly what is compatible beyond the basic designations Schiit mentions (which is tricky with tubes of course) -- plus of course they vary wildly even with just different brands of the exact same tube. (Basically it's my hope someone familiar with the 6BZ7 versus the EH 6CG7 might understand better what sort of thing I'm looking for.)
Now it's a bit soon to be 100% certain, but right now I'm thinking I actually honestly prefer the original NOS despite what that article says. (A key point for me was it mentioning adding an extra lushness, particularly to the midrange as the midrange tends to be a major focus for me.) A bit more burn-in is probably required on the EH (due to weather I've been afraid to leave it on and burning in) and a lot more is necessary on the NOS, but the EH just doesn't seem to suit me so far and I have enough hours into it at this point that I really don't think it's going to change significantly. I do not have golden ears and I have zero ability to really describe sound well, but it just sort of feels "lighter" or something like it's missing a bit of depth to it. I really like the NOS and it may ultimately be that I would never even want to use anything else, but that doesn't mean I should never try anything else... (After all, a key point of a tube amp is rolling to find that sweet spot.)
I see that article and several others suggesting (heck, Amazon in an almost creepy way made specific note of one of my searches and now is also suggesting) the Genalex “Gold Lion” E88CC. However, it's pretty costly, and the description there doesn't sound necessarily promising. (Well, to be fair, I did like the sound of my Magni 2U -- I assume the 3 doesn't sound so different -- but it didn't have that extra something that I think even the NOS that came with the Vali 2 is closer to providing.) I'm pretty strapped for cash now (so even if I try it I can't do so right away) but I am wondering if I should still try it. I don't want the sound to be too bright though (my ears are fairly sensitive -- particularly to the highs -- and it can almost physically hurt if a sound system has too much sibilance. The trick is, in the end, finding a good balance where it isn't dark and veiled but doesn't actually physically hurt. It's worth noting that I've gone through Grado's, Denon's and etc and ultimately landed on Sennheiser with the HD650 seemingly just about perfectly suiting me.) The price tag is a bit hefty for something so uncertain and I don't think the description sounds particularly great, but I sure do see a lot of people swearing by it as a great tube in this sort of range.
It goes without saying that something like the Western Electric 396A + adapter that article mentions is way too high of a price (and, as it mentions, if you're spending that much on tubes you may as well have bought a more expensive amp in the first place. If I had had that much to blow on this I would have.) Is there anything else more reasonably priced that I should be looking into though? Maybe the EH 6922 that article mentions but isn't exactly fawning over? Or should I just stick with the 6BZ7 that came with it and call it a day if nothing else is likely to go the sort of direction I want?
Obviously I've googled around a fair bit, but, to be honest, I don't entirely know enough of what I need to know to really search well. Sound descriptions are tricky (yes, even with guides) and very subjective by definition. I also don't entirely know how to tell exactly what is compatible beyond the basic designations Schiit mentions (which is tricky with tubes of course) -- plus of course they vary wildly even with just different brands of the exact same tube. (Basically it's my hope someone familiar with the 6BZ7 versus the EH 6CG7 might understand better what sort of thing I'm looking for.)
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