[Seba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seba /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Sylvania's were shipped on 20 Oct so they should arrive next week.

And they arrived about an hour ago...

 

[REB]

Finally got the Sylvania's. I'm listening to them through my K501 with K500 pads. Lisa Ekdahl sounds better than I've ever heard (well, from this amp that is). These tubes offer so much more refinement than either the Western Electrics or Philips tubes I tried. I liked those, but these Sylvania's are in quite another league. More detail, better instrument separation, better and much clearer highs. Bass is somewhat less though. Definitely been worth the wait.

 

[REB]

Funny, I also listened with my K500 with K601 pads and the highs were almost to bright. Overall, these tubes fit the K501 better than the K500.

 

[StratCat]

REB -

Thanks for your impessions.

How many hours on your new Syli's?

 

[REB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StratCat /img/forum/go_quote.gif REB - Thanks for your impessions. How many hours on your new Syli's?

About 3 now

... Now listening to Radiohead's OK Computer with a pair of K401s. The crazily wide soundstage these had with the Western Electric tubes has given way to a still large, but more realistic soundstage. The highs are crystal clear with no hint of sibilance, presentation is fast and forward. Bass is good. In audio nirvana right now

 

[StratCat]

^^

TY!

 

[Seba]

I find the Sylvania's as REB described. They will give the bass if needed. They are in another league than JAN Philips 6028. I find them so good that I'm planning to sell my MKIV SE to fund my other purchases.

BTW What OPA would be good for op-amp replacement? OPA Moon, Sun or Earth? I don't know anything about them but I'm very curious to find out how they would perform in my I+

 

[Dept_of_Alchemy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REB /img/forum/go_quote.gif Finally got the Sylvania's. I'm listening to them through my K501 with K500 pads. Lisa Ekdahl sounds better than I've ever heard (well, from this amp that is). These tubes offer so much more refinement than either the Western Electrics or Philips tubes I tried. I liked those, but these Sylvania's are in quite another league. More detail, better instrument separation, better and much clearer highs. Bass is somewhat less though. Definitely been worth the wait.

Wow, sounds like the Sylvania Gold 408A is the way to go with the 408A family. Not surprised though since the Sylvania Gold EF95 was one of the best in that family and I wished I had picked up a few pairs back when it wasn't sold out. Where did you get your pair?

 

[googan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dept_of_Alchemy /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll second that. Tubes like these are typically 30 to 60 years old and their measurements are all over the place, I've bought quite a few tubes from shady dealers that come terribly mismatched and that's why I only buy matched pairs from reputable dealers these days, I've found that it is cheaper this way in the long run not to mention the performance gains from running well matched tubes in your amp. - DoA

Well we'll see I guess. I bought 4 so hopefully 2 will match decently. I asked David over at Little Dot and he says the stock tubes he ships with the amp is unmatched as well.

If my tubes all turn out horribly unbalanced, I'll be out about $12 bucks. Live and learn

 

[googan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seba /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find the Sylvania's as REB described. They will give the bass if needed. They are in another league than JAN Philips 6028. I find them so good that I'm planning to sell my MKIV SE to fund my other purchases. BTW What OPA would be good for op-amp replacement? OPA Moon, Sun or Earth? I don't know anything about them but I'm very curious to find out how they would perform in my I+

Is it confirmed that these HDAMs work with the I+?

 

[taso89]

^^

No one has tried it because the HDAM will not fit in the I+ without having the bottom chassis plate off.

 

[electropop]

Hey guys!

Any of you compared the basic 6J1's to say WE408A's..?

The kick this amp delivers for your grados is unbelievable. I'm still running the stock 6J1's, but have a set of WE408A's. The chinese one's have been driven in and are more refined that they were without burn-in. But I'm still suffering from a little dryness and fatiguing trebles. (My graham slee voyager works around this perfectly, but doesn't give that kick).
Oh well i guess i should just find out. Hopefully the 408s are not brighter but just better detailed.

Thanks

-K

 

[StratCat]

Just wanted to weigh in with my impressions of LT1364 vs the stock MC33007 op-amp –

This is with the stock base price tubes (6J1).

Also, I’m listening to classical and using my K701’s.

I felt the purely stock LD 1+ had just a tad too much HF roll off and smoothness. It was a bit too polite. But just a bit. It might just be I’m getting acclimated to a tube sound vs my previous all SS experience. From my experience with op-amp rolling in my Zero I knew the LT1364 was a fairly bright choice with qualities I liked in my all SS Zero’s HP amp section.

Well, two hours in, I’m not exactly sure if I like the change. Actually, the LT1364 did much of what I hoped. It’s brighter, with more extended highs, definitely. But it may have gone too far over to the other side. I feel the LD 1+ lost a fair bit of its “tube-like” qualities, if that makes sense?

The upper mids and highs greatly increased. There’s also a bit of edginess. In my zero, I tend to like a bit of edginess. It’s just strange to hear it in the LD 1+. It’s not highly objectionable. Just more SS like. I also felt the original op-amp/6J1 combo had a slight upper bass/lower mids blurring and weighting which I didn’t particularly like. This has been removed, but at the expense of that round very deep bass “lushness”. The emphasis has definitely shifted to the upper mids and highs, and has become more SS in character. Imaging has become sharper.

I’m going to give the LT1364 some burn in time and my ears some time to adjust. I remember it took me two days to really come to appreciate the LT1364’s in my Zero when rolling from the stock NE55323’s. Oddly, the LT1364 has done much of what I thought I wanted (and expected). But doing so seemed to lose much of the LD 1+’s more tube-like character that differentiated it from my Zero sitting inches away, and which I A/B test often with the LD 1+ while rolling. Perhaps I don’t need an “LT1364 sound” in both amps.

I’ll see what some time and trials with my other cans does for my perspective. There have been positive improvements. I don’t want this to sound overly negative.

My $0.02 for now.

 

[Seba]

I'm planning to test AD8599 in place of LT1364. I have also 2xLT1028 and other op-amps worthy for testing.

 

[StratCat]

^^

LM4562, and NE5532 (currently in-house) for me over the next several days.

I also suspect the stock 6J1 tube is probably not helping me out a lot, either (I'm working on that, too).