~ I love the Brimar CV455 KB/FB (Footscray) tubes and keep/roll them in LTA MZ3, Woo WA2, Woo WA6, Valhalla II (all with adapters). But they are 12AT7s…
~ By coincidence, I have been looking at Mazda 12AU7s in the Brent Jesse listings…
The Mazda are very polite. They have an unreal and beautiful tone to the treble that shows extension and air. They also have a beautiful finesse that is common to French made tubes. Compared to a nice pair of Mullards that I was running prior to the Adzams I'd say they were balanced but shy in sub-bass. If you mostly listen to classical, chamber music or jazz, I'd say that these would be ideal. The Mullards had more meat on the bones so to speak. Also the classic Mullard mid-range which plays so well with both male and female vocals. The issue I had with the Mullards was that I didn't get the clarity, separation, and imaging that I get from the Adzams. Also the low end seemed to smear and was bloated. If the Brimars can successfully handle the issues I had with the Mullards then I'd be all in.
The Mazda are very polite. They have an unreal and beautiful tone to the treble that shows extension and air. They also have a beautiful finesse that is common to French made tubes. Compared to a nice pair of Mullards that I was running prior to the Adzams I'd say they were balanced but shy in sub-bass. If you mostly listen to classical, chamber music or jazz, I'd say that these would be ideal. The Mullards had more meat on the bones so to speak. Also the classic Mullard mid-range which plays so well with both male and female vocals. The issue I had with the Mullards was that I didn't get the clarity, separation, and imaging that I get from the Adzams. Also the low end seemed to smear and was bloated. If the Brimars can successfully handle the issues I had with the Mullards then I'd be all in.
. . .they do and I even prefer them. The CV491 Footscray are actually my favorite Brimar, and I have owned the CV4003, CV4034, CV455, CV4033, and 6060 Footscray Square Getter. However, these below do it all even better than any other tube I have heard in the RH-5.
~ Impressions on RH-5 (with Sennheiser HD-600, Arctic Cables Icon cable, Brimar CV4003 cryogenically treated). Fantastic!
~ Soundstage is immensely w-i-d-e, even by HD-600 standards, and is filled in with full detail existing in the proper space. Ambience and reverberation are pristinely conveyed with totally natural / plausible decay.
~ Also, voices have the right mix of throatiness, chestiness, and projection. Importantly, voices are not ‘disembodied’ from the person.
~ The Oscar Peterson trio is right with me! Oscar Peterson’s dexterity, range, and command of the piano engulfs me. Ray Brown on acoustic bass just works those strings to joy. The basic tone, the overtone, the curling of the strings is beyond evident. The varying dynamics of snare / cymbal brushwork by Ed Thigpen is a marvel and is clearly and fully portrayed by the RH-5.
~ So far, in my view, the RH-5 is in the same sonic neighbourhood as the LTA MZ3. They both share dimensionality, image solidity, tonal balance, absence of classic “tube-ness”, and dynamics. Further comparison will be gleefully done.
Good stuff bro! I had a feeling you were gonna say the RH-5 could hang with the MZ3. Welcome to the soundstage dreams are made of. . .Roll in a pair of these and get ready to be even more blown away.
OK fellas, I have found another stellar tube for the RH-5! The RFT ECC82 Folded Plate Foil Disc Getters are a stunner folks.
RFT ECC82 Folded Plate Foil Disc Getter
This tube has the biggest most expansive soundstage I have heard from a tube in this family. The bass is super powerful and tight with amazing texture and detail, with impact you can feel. The mids are super transparent with pinpoint imaging and huge images. You will hear little details and nuances most other tubes can't produce, and I have rolled a ton of very well known tubes to confirm this. The highs have really good extension and air. While listening with this tube, the headphones seemingly just disappear and I am transported to a space with just me and the musicians. I call this space "There". This is the tube of dreams folks, with amazing balance top to bottom and transparency to make the music sound very very lifelike, and is widely available and affordable. My number 1 recommended tube for the RH-5 is this tube, and here is where I bought mine.
After rolling a bunch of very rare, expensive and highly sought after tubes (including every tube mentioned in this thread), these are my top 2 tubes in the RH-5, and the one's I recommend. These tubes are well balanced, transparent and sound very lifelike, which is what I look for in a tube.
After rolling a bunch of very rare, expensive and highly sought after tubes (including every tube mentioned in this thread), these are my top 2 tubes in the RH-5, and the one's I recommend. These tubes are well balanced, transparent and sound very lifelike, which is what I look for in a tube.
Nice! That's the Brimar I am talking about and a latter completely different version of RFT I have not heard yet. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on both.
Hi, does anyone use tube dampers like the Hal-O III Stabilizier or the Ultrasonic Rx that Herbie's Audio Lab sells? Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions on whether these tube dampers help or harm sound quality. Thanks for any feedback. Regards.
Hi, does anyone use tube dampers like the Hal-O III Stabilizier or the Ultrasonic Rx that Herbie's Audio Lab sells? Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions on whether these tube dampers help or harm sound quality. Thanks for any feedback. Regards.
So I use Herbies Hal-O III on my SET, ALO Audio Studio Six amp.
I don't use them with the RH-5, yet. I know @Wes S isn't a fan of them. I personally like them and believe in the idea of stabilizing micro vibrations of the tubes that can cause low level distortion or veil micro details.
It's really a personal thing. For me I'll most likely get a pair for the RH-5 in the next few months. Probably when I get my new pair of Brimars. I'll just install them together in one shot.
As always Robert, thank you for your opinion and feedback. I'm listening to "Like A Hurricane", Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Live From Alabama. Enjoy your evening.
Hi, does anyone use tube dampers like the Hal-O III Stabilizier or the Ultrasonic Rx that Herbie's Audio Lab sells? Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions on whether these tube dampers help or harm sound quality. Thanks for any feedback. Regards.
I personally feel that if the tube is not having microphonic issues, then there is no reason to use them. Tubes breathe and resonate naturally and I don't like to hinder this. I feel like tube dampers do just that, and over dampen the tube which I feel hampers it's performance. That's just my thoughts and how I look at it. For instance, if you have a real expensive and rare pair of tubes that are just bit microphonic and you can't find another pair of that tube, then I will try some dampers to be able to continue to use the rare tube. They have kind of worked for me in the past with this scenario, but if the tube is really microphonic nothing will help. So other than that scenario, I don't use them. Also, I have yet to experience any microphonic tubes in my RH-5, and in fact I have actually used tubes that I know are microphonic in my other amp, and they were fine with no microphonics in my RH-5. So, with that said I really would not worry about dampers for the RH-5, if it were me. I would just use that money to buy another pair of tubes. The way I look at it is if you don't need them (non microphonic tubes), why use them?
Hi, does anyone use tube dampers like the Hal-O III Stabilizier or the Ultrasonic Rx that Herbie's Audio Lab sells? Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts or opinions on whether these tube dampers help or harm sound quality. Thanks for any feedback. Regards.
I agree with @Wes S on this topic. Also, consider that the RH-5 is a headphone amplifier. The tubes in it should not be subject to airborne vibration since loudspeakers are not being used. When loudspeakers are used, tube dampers might be advisable in preamps, amps, integrateds. Lastly, make sure that the RH-5, like any tube h/p/a, is on a stable non-resonant surface.
I agree with @Wes S on this topic. Also, consider that the RH-5 is a headphone amplifier. The tubes in it should not be subject to airborne vibration since loudspeakers are not being used. When loudspeakers are used, tube dampers might be advisable in preamps, amps, integrateds. Lastly, make sure that the RH-5, like any tube h/p/a, is on a stable non-resonant surface.
An additional thought about the tube dampers…The surface area of the glass for a 12AU7 / ECC82 is quite a bit less than that for, say, a 5U4G rectifier or a 300b power tube…less of a potential issue to solve…
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