[bcowen]

My weekend with Odyssey + He6se V2. Love this combination.

Nice! And that's a sweet looking wartime VT-229 front and center. What's the tube behind it?

 

[triod750]

What's the tube behind it?

I don't think you really want to know that .

 

[bcowen]

I don't think you really want to know that .

I bet even @UntilThen doesn't know without going to look at it.

 

[OctavianH]

Hmm, a rectifier?

 

[triod750]

Hmm, a rectifier?

I guess it is a GEctifier.

 

[bcowen]

I guess it is a GEctifier.

Then it would be called a wreckedifier.

 

[UntilThen]

Nice! And that's a sweet looking wartime VT-229 front and center. What's the tube behind it?

That VT-229 is your recommendation and the tube behind is a Mullard gz34.

 

[bcowen]

That VT-229 is your recommendation and the tube behind is a Mullard gz34.

Do you like it (the Sylvania)?

I'll assume you like the Mullard. I'm not a big Mullard fanboy myself, but I really *do* like their rectifiers...using a pair of GZ37's (CV378) in my Jota amp currently.

 

[UntilThen]

Love the Sylvania 6sl7. They are as good as my other Brimar, GE red base and Tung Sol 6sl7. Just different flavours. Sylvania are very clear and cutting edge.

Mullard rectifiers are very good !

 

[DecentLevi]

When I received Eternity people asked to come back after some time and tell them what I think about it.
So I wrote a few words about it and, overall, about my experience with UltraSonic Studios.
It is not a review, more the story of my purchase and how I see it after around 3 weeks of use.
If someone is interested, the file is attached.

PS. Don't take it too seriously, I have a strange kind of humour, some might not appreciate.

Octa, just got around to reading your casual impressions - from 7 months ago no less, look at how busy I am! And starting tomorrow working 7 days a week.

Firstly I was impressed by your system! You seem humble for someone touting an Mscaler + TT2 with Neotech NEI-2001 UPOCC interconnects! I actually have a custom NEI-2001 cable as well thanks to advice from our old friend Hypnos1, but the rest of my system is in flux DAC-wise, I did have a Qutest which I miss (with custom linear DC PSU); it would be astounding if DACs could get any better than this! I was also surprised that it seems you only have one pair of headphones. For me I often 'roll' headphones and cables which can be an enjoyable alternative to tube rolling for a change of sound signature. With enough headphones on hand you can even make the same 'bad' tube combo sound good sometimes.

You had a lot of interesting points in there and things I agree on like a fairly flat sound preference with a slight nod to warmth, and I also often like a liquid like sound. For the limited time I got to try an Ultrasonic amp before I also had an odd experience of adjusting to a different type of presentation. By definition superior with elements such as instrument separation and sense of 'air', but an A/B to your old equipment can make you have a preference for the former in some way; it takes time for brain burn-in to realize the newer one really is better.

So KT77 are your favorite powers here? You only tried GEC, right? I remember many / all who tried this tube class on Feliks Audio amps held it as a favorite as well. But what about larger successors like KT120, 150 or the others mentioned recently by UT... EL158 or the monster KT170's any plans to try those? Of course YMMV using different amps.

 

[UntilThen]

I believe in 3 tube amps and 5 headphones.

 

[jonathan c]

I believe in 3 tube amps and 5 headphones.

That makes me a zealot: 5 & 12…

 

[UntilThen]

That makes me a zealot: 5 & 12…

Check into AA now without delay.

 

[UntilThen]

You had a lot of interesting points in there and things I agree on like a fairly flat sound preference with a slight nod to warmth, and I also often like a liquid like sound. For the limited time I got to try an Ultrasonic amp before I also had an odd experience of adjusting to a different type of presentation. By definition superior with elements such as instrument separation and sense of 'air', but an A/B to your old equipment can make you have a preference for the former in some way; it takes time for brain burn-in to realize the newer one really is better.

So KT77 are your favorite powers here? You only tried GEC, right? I remember many / all who tried this tube class on Feliks Audio amps held it as a favorite as well. But what about larger successors like KT120, 150 or the others mentioned recently by UT... EL158 or the monster KT170's any plans to try those? Of course YMMV using different amps.

On your statement above in bold, Odyssey is all that and more. I wouldn't call it fairly flat sound because Odyssey has the Berocca Bounce which gives the lift in every frequency spectrum. Slight warm - checked ; liquid - checked ; revealing high frequency - checked ; kick ass bass - checked ; to die for midrange - you have to ask?

Now for the best part. Which is the best tube on Odyssey. Every power tubes that you can use on it. Mainly KT88, EL34. EL12 spez is special. EL39 is ungodly. KT150 and EL156 - supreme being. 807 - cheap and good. 6550 - one of a kind.

That said Odyssey is the only amp where I stopped looking for more as I regard it as the ultimate amp. Quiet on low impedance headphone like the He1000se, cool, powers any headphones including the He6se and drives speakers. What more do you want? Short of making your morning breakfast, it does everything.

 

[OctavianH]

Octa, just got around to reading your casual impressions - from 7 months ago no less, look at how busy I am! And starting tomorrow working 7 days a week.

So KT77 are your favorite powers here? You only tried GEC, right? I remember many / all who tried this tube class on Feliks Audio amps held it as a favorite as well. But what about larger successors like KT120, 150 or the others mentioned recently by UT... EL158 or the monster KT170's any plans to try those? Of course YMMV using different amps.

Yes, for me GEC KT77 were the best on Eternity but they were sounding very different from what I heard on Elise when I tried them. Elise being a warm and less detailed amplifier, was not a good pair for these. At that time I tried the GEC KT77 and russian Gold Lions KT77 and neither were in my preferences. Here they are different, and I started to listen to KT77 or EL34 constantly. But I have to mention here that my impressions are biased by the type of sound I am looking for. For rock EL34 is the king and KT77 is a kind of premium EL34 for me. For classical I would go for KT88 and for soft acoustic music for KT66. So what to say, there is no general answer. Everyone has to search for its own sound signature. The good part is that the amplifier is flexible enough to let you find it.

I never tried KT120, but I have a pair of KT150 and I did not liked them on Elise and neither on Eternity. A kind of muscular synthetic sound. Maybe this is good for electronic music but for me this was definitely nothing I was searching for. So my pair is for sale and KT170 is not on the priority list because I have a feeling will sound the same.