[sahmen]

Seems that’s it’s only one tube, too high of a price. What if fails ?

It is not. It actually says next to the photo : "0 available / 2 sold"... Both were sold to yours truly for a total of $140, which is the offer I made, although he was originally asking for $190 (i.e. $95 a piece).

 

[Wes S]

It is not. It actually says next to the photo : "0 available / 2 sold"... Both were sold to yours truly for a total of $140, which is the offer I made, although he was originally asking for $190 (i.e. $95 a piece).

Nice! That is great, and I look forward to hearing your impressions. Assuming the 2 tubes are matched, that is a strange way to list them. Had I noticed that there were 2 matched tubes, I would have bought those a while ago.

 

[sahmen]

Nice! That is great, and I look forward to hearing your impressions. Assuming the 2 tubes are matched, that is a strange way to list them. Had I noticed that there were 2 matched tubes, I would have bought those a while ago.

There was actually only 1 of them listed previously. I had told the seller that I needed a pair and he promised me that he would look for another one and let me know when he finds it. So when he found the second one, he simply doubled the quantity in the listing and sent me the email alert so that I can buy it. So it is this weird history of this particular transaction that explains how it is listed.

Still, I have sent another e-mail to the seller to confirm that the two he sold me are properly matched. I'll see what he says.

***PS and Update: Here's the response I just received from the seller to my request for confirmation of matching status:

"You're good to go, this pair has no lopsided triodes which is what buyers ask about, I test Gm% which is THE test you want done, as well as audio circuit tested before I shipped them out, which is tied w/ first as most important lol.

Keep in mind though that all these old stock tubes need a break-in period of 48 hours at least (or several sessions). Transconductance numbers often change after a tubes fully broken in, usually for the better. Plus the sound changes for the better.

Either way, all systems are different w/ different plate voltages, so if either of the tubes gives you an issue, just let me know before hitting up ebay, and ill send a replacement out, as ive got more arriving.

regards"

 

[Wes S]

There was actually only 1 of them listed previously. I had told the seller that I needed a pair and he promised me that he would look for another one and let me know when he finds it. So when he found the second one, he simply doubled the quantity in the listing and sent me the email alert so that I can buy it. So it is this weird history of this particular transaction that explains how it is listed.

Still, I have sent another e-mail to the seller to confirm that the two he sold me are properly matched. I'll see what he says.

***PS and Update: Here's the response I just received from the seller to my request for confirmation of matching status:

"You're good to go, this pair has no lopsided triodes which is what buyers ask about, I test Gm% which is THE test you want done, as well as audio circuit tested before I shipped them out, which is tied w/ first as most important lol.

Keep in mind though that all these old stock tubes need a break-in period of 48 hours at least (or several sessions). Transconductance numbers often change after a tubes fully broken in, usually for the better. Plus the sound changes for the better.

Either way, all systems are different w/ different plate voltages, so if either of the tubes gives you an issue, just let me know before hitting up ebay, and ill send a replacement out, as ive got more arriving.

regards"

Sounds like a great seller! I have him saved now. I like to keep record of good tube dealers on ebay, and this guy just got added to the list. Not sure about the transconductance numbers getting better when broken in, but the sound sure can change for the better.

 

[Shane D]

I got my Amperex tubes today. I am going to wait a week or two to put them in.

 

[pichu]

Hey all, any tube amps that stand out as being better to you than the Liquid Platinum. My amp is the last part of my upgrade chain and trying to decide if I should stay with the Liquid Platinum or not

 

[TK16]

I got my Amperex tubes today. I am going to wait a week or two to put them in.

Do you know what tester was used in testing the tubes? If NOS testing is 12,500 I'd give them a quick listen for noise/microphonics. Testing seems to be rather low numbers based on 12,500 Gm readings.I've had lower testing tubes that tested mediocre to sound absolutely fantastic but some that didn't have any magic left in the tube. Think you're ok though, got life left in the tubes.

 

[deuter]

Hey all, any tube amps that stand out as being better to you than the Liquid Platinum. My amp is the last part of my upgrade chain and trying to decide if I should stay with the Liquid Platinum or not

This amp is the top one you can get, I have tried numerous amps over the last few years and this one leads the way.

 

[Shane D]

Do you know what tester was used in testing the tubes? If NOS testing is 12,500 I'd give them a quick listen for noise/microphonics. Testing seems to be rather low numbers based on 12,500 Gm readings.I've had lower testing tubes that tested mediocre to sound absolutely fantastic but some that didn't have any magic left in the tube. Think you're ok though, got life left in the tubes.

I have no idea what he used. Apparently it is an old business in Ontario and the founder is not well. His kids are liquidating the stock.

They were pretty cheap at 4 for $100.00, shipped, in Canuck bucks.

I will try them in a week or two.

Do those numbers make sense to you? Are they good? What should I be aiming for?

9000 9000
9500 9500
8500 8500
8500 8850

 

[TK16]

I have no idea what he used. Apparently it is an old business in Ontario and the founder is not well. His kids are liquidating the stock.

They were pretty cheap at 4 for $100.00, shipped, in Canuck bucks.

I will try them in a week or two.

Do those numbers make sense to you? Are they good? What should I be aiming for?

9000 9000
9500 9500
8500 8500
8500 8850

Not awful testing, not great testing if 12,500 Gm is NOS. Should have plenty of life in them, that's why I recommend testing for noise now.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Hey all, any tube amps that stand out as being better to you than the Liquid Platinum. My amp is the last part of my upgrade chain and trying to decide if I should stay with the Liquid Platinum or not

I see you have Auteur. Lots of love for the Pendant paired with various ZMF cans. For me, between my LP and my SS DSHA-3F, my a.nervosa has been in remission as far as amps are concerned. But then again, I've never been a fan of a wet sound. Plus, I can tell that I might easily spend 3 - 4 grand on an amp and then the same again (or more) on tubes -- that's just not feasible.

 

[sahmen]

I have been wondering why we do not have the best sounding tubes for the LP in some kind of ranked order somewhere. After all, it has been nearly a year and a half since the LP was released, and after so many months discussing tube rolling options, one would normally expect there to be some kind of consensus about, at the very least, the top five types of tubes that sound best with the LP, especially since we are all using the same amp. In my case, I have mostly gone by random individual recommendations, amassing a whole set of tubes, some of which I have never even used before.

To be frank, some of those I have tested on my LP have not sounded as awesome as I expected them to be by following the recommendation of others, but that is not too surprising, since my chain of components is different from those of the recommenders. Still I have also received some recommendations that turned out to be really awesome (Reflektor Holy Grail '75 6N23P SWGP Silver Shields, and some pre-1960 Telefunkens: 1957-1959 - Gold pins, Gold rods, Fat O Getter) and that's how I identified what I consider to be the two best sounding sets of tubes that I keep rotating on my LP.

I am far from claiming that those are the two best sounding tubes for the LP anywhere. In fact, I am not sure that they are the two best sounding types among those I have amassed in the past year, as I have not had the time to test many sets that were recommended to me by others in any thorough way. The mentioned Reflektors and Telefunkens were just the first two I auditioned that seemed to get most things right, as compared to the stock tubes that came with the LP, and the gold lions which were the first replacement tubes I bought. I have mostly been too busy listening to the Reflector Holy grails and the Telefunkens during the little leisure time I have to tinker with other sets and audition them. As far as I am concerned, everything remains to be determined.

I still think it would be helpful if we had some kind of consensus about the top 5 or top 10 best sounding Liquid Platinum tubes (however provisional the ranking might be), which could serve as some kind of rough guide for new owners, and even old owners alike. I know that there are variables in subjective preferences and all that, but there are also variables when it comes to preferences in amps, and that has not prevented most of us from settling on the consensus about how awesome-sounding the LP itself is at its price point, when compared with other amps. I would personally create some kind of forum for that ranking of LP tubes, if I was as knowledgeable on the subject of tubes as some other posters on this forum are, or appear to be. However, I started experimenting with tubes only when I purchased the LP, and do not consider myself much of an expert on the subject, alas.

 

[pichu]

I see you have Auteur. Lots of love for the Pendant paired with various ZMF cans. For me, between my LP and my SS DSHA-3F, my a.nervosa has been in remission as far as amps are concerned. But then again, I've never been a fan of a wet sound. Plus, I can tell that I might easily spend 3 - 4 grand on an amp and then the same again (or more) on tubes -- that's just not feasible.

The Pendant and Glenn amps were the two tube amps I wa slooking at. It's a shame i havent been able to hear them as ive heard good about both. I could also keep the LP and look into tube rolling it.... at this point maybe that is the best option

 

[LCMusicLover]

The Pendant and Glenn amps were the two tube amps I wa slooking at. It's a shame i havent been able to hear them as ive heard good about both. I could also keep the LP and look into tube rolling it.... at this point maybe that is the best option

If you're still on the stock tubes, that probably makes sense. Since LP is a 'tube-hybrid', tube-rolling doesn't have the same impact as it does on 'full' tube amps. But it can still move the sound around some and enhance or reduce various characteristics. Frankly, I wouldn't be as high on the LP if I could only use the stock tubes. Mind that's JMHO, and there are some who disagree, although I think they are in the minority.

It can be a challenge to find the 'right' tubes for a given set of cans and your musical tastes, since there are so many options and opinions out there.

GLTY

 

[Malcolm Riverside]

The Pendant and Glenn amps were the two tube amps I wa slooking at. It's a shame i havent been able to hear them as ive heard good about both. I could also keep the LP and look into tube rolling it.... at this point maybe that is the best option

I owned the Pendant and LP at the same time. Admittedly I didn’t do a lot of tube-rolling with the LP but that was because I thought the Pendant was a better amp in just about every way. It’s got a lot of power, way more tube-rolling options, plays well with lots of different headphones, and has a sound that is almost hybrid-like in its speed, detail retrieval and sonic presentation. It’s much more expensive though! But it’s built with a level of craftsmanship and care that the LP can’t approach. It speaks highly of the Cavalli though that it is still in the conversation with tube amps costing a lot more.