Modify your Woo 6. . Sophia and EML 274B . Images pages 32, 33, 34 of int. and ext. and discussion of the SE . . .

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif hope some of this helps.

It ALL helps a lot, thanks! You and John are great sources of Woo 6 tube info, both here and in the Woo 6 tube rolling thread.

 

[cAsE sEnSiTiVe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I am sorry I went. Bob, do you have the EML and the Sophia?

Still just the Sophia, John. I pretty much dismissed the EML after your findings, although it sounds like it could be making a comeback for you.

My feeling is that the Sophia is the rectifier for me, up until the day that it proves itself unreliable in my rig. As you know all too well, the sound is addicting.

Nonetheless, I'm curious why you're not hearing what others have with the EML. I'll be waiting to see what Takezo hears regarding your tube. Sounds like it could be not operating to spec.

 

[jamato8]

Well it went off to him today so I look forward to the comparison.

 

[cyd2025]

ok, i'll ask my wife to keep an eye out for the package.

btw, john, how many hrs. do you suppose you have on the eml?
i've got approx. 12hrs on it but will run it exclusively the next
couple of days to have it up to at least 50hrs. by the weekend.

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif ok, i'll ask my wife to keep an eye out for the package. btw, john, how many hrs. do you suppose you have on the eml? i've got approx. 12hrs on it but will run it exclusively the next couple of days to have it up to at least 50hrs. by the weekend.

I have maybe 150 hours. Plenty of hours for it to be right.

 

[cyd2025]

john, did your eml ever sound right? i mean at the beginning? like
at hour 1 to 10? or it just hasn't come out of its shell, ever?

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif john, did your eml ever sound right? i mean at the beginning? like at hour 1 to 10? or it just hasn't come out of its shell, ever?

It, to me, has never sounded like the Sophia in sound quality. Even if it was different, that is fine but the sound quality isn't there.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well it went off to him today so I look forward to the comparison.

I'm glad you took my advice. It makes sense to send it to him to compare to his own EML tube.

 

[jamato8]

Well it should be interesting. Lets say it isn't as good. How do I exchange it? The seller stated that the EML is better than the Sophia, but if this particular tube suffers in the sound department it will be a challenge. Well this is the cart before the horse. Maybe my Sophia is extras special! :^)

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif the princess is a very fine rectifier... it's neck and neck in the bass department with the gz34 large brown base... the princess has a larger soundstage than the brownbase and better focus at top... by focus i mean articulation, transparency and no digital artifice... the large brown base wins out in the mids though... pure liquid magic... the princess's mids are forward but transparent and articulate... the eml is starting to loosen up... the bass is almost in the same league as the large brown base gz34 and the princess... taut, springy and transparent... the other two has a more fearsome punch to it than the eml... yet, perhaps. the mids are not as liquid as the large brown base but very articulate and the highs are the best of all my rectifiers... i'm hearing things i don't hear with the others... music that is... very focused as well. separation of notes/instruments and soundstage are much better with the 274b rects vs the gz family of rects. the princess and eml are both excellent and comparable in this regard... the closest any other tube combination gets to the 274b and 6de7 is the 5r4gy brimar with fat bottle 6ew7... but not as articulate and focused. if i were you, i'd get both and sell the lesser of the two in your ears... both needs burn in to get to their sound characteristics... i prefer using them with the 6de7 output tubes... the fat bottle 6ew7 gives deeper sense of soundstage at the cost of focus and control at the top and bottom...

My conclusion from this excellent description is that the combination of 50's-60's NOS RCA 6de7's with the Sophia Princess would be ideal for rock music, while the 5r4gy with 6ew7 fat bottles would be a nice alternate set for jazz or any music where you wanted a more spacious, airy feeling.

I hope this is correct, because that's what I am working toward. I am actually getting a 1965 RCA 5r4gyb brown base because it is easier to find than the Brimar 5r4gy, hopefully it is close as takezo has mentioned elsewhere.

 

[cyd2025]

pretty much nailed it... but i'd consider getting more than one 5r4gyb... i have
4 and one of them sound worse than the other 3... thin sounding and not lively,
though it tests well on a tv7d/u... i think most of the -gyb were made in the
late 70's and 80's, when quality control was not the same as in the 40's to 50's.

the metal base gz34 is just as lively, energetic and lively for rock and pop...
with lesser inner resolution, separation of notes and smaller soundstage than
the princess and eml 274b. for classical and jazz, the gz30 and 6ew7 is my
favorite... transparent, great tight bass, smooth mids and soaring highs...
and only about $20+... the mullard gz30 are best... stay away from chinese
version as they are grainy in the mids... unless that's what is required.

 

[sclamb]

Going to give this a try tonight although it seems to be making a hum!!

 

[cyd2025]

sometimes a NOS tube will make sounds, which should go away with
some burn-in... probably no more than 10 hrs... the princess
is the only rectifier where i've experienced a long burn-in requirement
for the sq to settle at a sweet spot...

 

[sclamb]

I guess I am just wary of the tube making a humming sound after the issues with the 274B sparking etc. I just don't want to ruin the amp itself. Do NOS tubes make a humming sound that disappears with use? Are the amp internals affected? This tube looks like it has never been used.

 

[cyd2025]

got home to see john's package has arrived. i'll give a full report
later tonite. want to give each rectifier at least an hour of warm-up
before critical listening...