[UntilThen]

GEC 807 VT60 has been burning in for 50 hours or so. These days I don't change drivers that frequently so I left the GEC A2900 and 6S3P there. The Tesla EZ81 rectifier has been there a long time. Didn't feel the need to change.

Some power tubes have been an instant hit with me and GEC 807 is it. The others being Telefunken EL12 spez and RT EL39.

Adapter for 5b/254a will arrive on Monday or Tuesday. Yet another tube to try.

 

[g0ldl10n]

Hey Matt,
yes, the 6BQ7A are really very good.
I will certainly buy some more.
Since you're going to Eric's soon, can I ask you to ask Eric if there's a lower gain driver tube that's below 12Au7/6Sn7 that would be driveable in the Ultimate?
I ask because the EL84 with 12AU7/6SN7 is still quite powerful.
Maybe there is something that would fit.
Have fun with Eric and give him my best regards.
It will certainly be informative.

Type 37 would be a lower gain driver that can be used with the same dual adapter one would typically use for 76s, sporting an amplification factor of only 9.2 with great looking plate curves.

Type 76 is lower as well but slightly higher than the 37s, having mu of 13.8

 

[UntilThen]

Hey Matt,
yes, the 6BQ7A are really very good.
I will certainly buy some more.
Since you're going to Eric's soon, can I ask you to ask Eric if there's a lower gain driver tube that's below 12Au7/6Sn7 that would be driveable in the Ultimate?
I ask because the EL84 with 12AU7/6SN7 is still quite powerful.
Maybe there is something that would fit.
Have fun with Eric and give him my best regards.
It will certainly be informative.

Having coffee with Eric. and watching him swap out my Miflex for FT3. The KT150 amp is ready but with timE transformers atm and waiting for Silk transformers, so I won't take it yet.

12au7 / 6sn7 is 20 mu. Anything less and it will be driverless.

For lesser gain 'drivers', try Mullard EL32 or Visseaux 6k6gt. These are not your traditional drivers but they work and Lory is fond of using 6k6gt as drivers.

 

[UntilThen]

Oh yeah I forgot @Deleeh you have the Junior Ultimate. The Super Ultimate with dual drivers is the way to go. I can't imagine life without it now.

 

[Deleeh]

Hmm Okay,
then I would actually have to buy the 6sn7 to 6J5 and 6v6 to 6j5 adapter to be able to use 6v6 or 6K6.
I thought there was something a bit lower.
This type 37 doesn't look too bad either, but again it needs an adapter.

Thanks @UntilThen and @g0ldl10n

 

[UntilThen]

I wanted another amp. A gEm or a Supreme or another traditional muscular KT170 amp but I have no space. I can't bear to part with any of these amps.

 

[Deleeh]

You create space for new things. where there's a will, there's a way, as they say in German.

 

[UntilThen]

You create space for new things. where there's a will, there's a way, as they say in German.

Yeah right. I actually love some of the old gear. Should have kept them all.

 

[Deleeh]

I can still see plenty of room in the room for new toys, haha.

 

[Deleeh]

Can only speak here mainly for high-cushion headphones like Zmf and perhaps even heavier riding ones like Suvara.
But the results of large output tubes like KT88,EL81 made a remarkable impression with 12Ax7.
I have to try other output tubes like EL38,KT63/66 maybe EL32.
It changes the whole production with 12Ax7 completely forward than with other driver tubes like 12au7/12At7 although I always found them more coherent.
Funnily enough, KT88 and EL81 make 2 jumps forwards directly.
Even if they differ tonally, the two output tubes with 12Ax7 have more meat, bite and good orchestration.
I spent the rest of the evening with EL81 Mullard, Ez81 Sylvania and the 12Ax7 I was testing and later switched to KT88.
The secret 12Ax7 was not quite as good with the KT88 SED WInged C as it was with the Nos 12Ax7 Tungsol Longplate.
Somehow there was a veil behind it that disappeared directly with the TS and is directly more coherent.
I'm actually more of a fan of less is more, but the 12Ax7 definitely makes sense here and Ultimate drives it excellently with KT88.
The potentiometer reaches a maximum of 9 o'clock with the Atrium, but it's enough to be able to hear it powerfully.

 

[UntilThen]

I don't use KT88 and 12ax7 as much as I should but since you mention it, I will have a listen before heading out to Eric's place. You could say this is my pride and joy. Listening with Susvara and the volume knob is at 12 noon.

GEC KT88 never fail to amaze my ears. It is the pinnacle of audiophilia. Treble, mids and bass, take that all together and mold it into a cohesive lump and there's your music. Nothing more nothing less. Just pure music.

 

[Deleeh]

Which 12Ax7 do you have in it?
Ultimate is definitely made to drive the Suvara with ease, if necessary there is plan B.
12 o'clock at noon with the potentiometer with Suvara shows how to drive it.
At 9 o'clock Atrium is the end with Auteur it goes a bit further.
Have fun with Eric, but you solder a capacitor yourself, don't you?

 

[UntilThen]

I have only one and only one 12ax7 and that is an Amperex with white paint on the top pointed end. It is claimed that white paint is surgical grade and have divine powers.

Believe it or not, I have not tried soldering despite Eric asking me to do it all the time. I will have to buy solder irons and get my hands on it. Replacing the caps on the Super Ultimate is easier because there is more room.

This is the Russian FT3. Perhaps paint it gold? Btw I will be comparing this with the Duelund and Vcap cutf when Matt's amp is ready. There might be a huge upset !

 

[UntilThen]

GEC KT88 autobias at 56.6mA and it sound as good in Ultimate as it did on Odyssey which bias at 60mA. Ultimate is a wonder amp the way it handles all these power tubes.

 

[Deleeh]

Life is very good with Ultimate, no question about it.