To be fair, I'd start ringing if you were looking at me... no... that's running...
We have to remember that tubes are electro-mechanical devices - have a primary electrical purpose - but also can convert vibrations into an electrical signal.
Stranded in a vacuum, highly strung little wires are wound around a small volcanic core that heats in excess of 800C. The thermal cycles alone are enough make ringing and dinging. Confined by nickel plates, some audio hipster makes the electron cloud dance like Travolta - scrutinized for correct harmonic tone while amplifying what kids these days call music. A little microphony - a cry for help - is not surprising.
Comparisons between Sylvania 6SN7GT "Bad Boy" & Sylvania 6SN7GTB.
I will refer to both as just Bad Boy & GTB going forward.
Used HD800S, LCD 4,Topping D90 & Schiit Lyr +
Overview:
The Bad Boy definitely has more detail in the midrange and instruments just "pop" more than the GTB. The imaging and soundstage also sound a bit better and more open and is especially more noticeable on the 800S. They have now has notes extending to the outer reaches on the 800S. The GTB was a terrible match with the 800S as it sort of sounded a bit muddy and not as clear or as precise as my Topping A90D. The Bad Boy is more relaxed in the treble region and more dark which is now a perfect match with the 800S. You get crystal clear mid range and no notes are missed or smoothed over and you get a vast and ever extending soundstage unlike the Topping A90D. The timbre of instruments is spot on with the Bad Boy with 800S now and no longer muddy sounding and its been a great joy to go back to this headphone as I have only used it for mostly gaming these days. Lastly because I get fatigue from higher frequencies with the 800S, the Bad Boy now has put that peaky ness down and is a vastly better experience.
The LCD 4 also benefits with the Bad Boy as the bass hits harder with better imaging and detail. The weak point is the treble region as vocals don't have the same amount of body in the higher frequencies which makes you sort of miss the clarity with the GTB however, this is the only win with the GTB.
Bass:
More control and impact on the Bad Boy. Bad Boy - 9.5/10 GTB - 8/10
Detail:
Better detail in the background and more instrument separation on the Bad Boy. Bad Boy - 9.5/10 GTB 8.5/10
Vocals:
More body and clarity to the vocals in the GTB. Bad Boy 8.5/10 GTB 9.5/10
Treble:
Better treble extension and sparkle up top for the GTB however headphones like the 800S will much better benefit the Bad Boy. For treble on 800S the Bad Boy is 9.5/10. GTB 8/10. On the LCD 4 the Bad Boy is 8/10 and GTB 9.5/10
Soundstage & Imaging:
Ultimate soundstage for both 800S & LCD 4 with the Bad Boy and the imaging feels more precise especially in the stereo imaging. Bad Boy 10/10 GTB 9/10
Overall:
I just wish the Bad Boy had kept that vocal clarity and it would have been the perfect tube. Alas, the advantages with the Bad Boy in mostly every other department will mean it will be my main for now. The 800S has been given a fresh lick of paint and you get better detail in the midrange and better bass impact and control. If you are a treble head the Bad Boy isn't your tube.
After about 40 hours on this Westinghouse GTA D getter (1960, tested NOS) I find that it still is slightly too bright up top in the Lyr+. Significantly brighter than the SS input stage or the new production tung sol. It does layering well and sounds pleasantly saturated. But I'm finding it to be a little lacking in dynamics and detail while being really bright.
I think reviews noted that the + has a little bit brighter presentation naturally than the 3. Knowing this, is there any tube y'all might recommend that has a fairly neutral sound signature but great layering and soundstage? I've been considering a NOS Tung Sol or PSVane UK. I'd love to try more tubes out! Giving the WH 60 more hours until I put it away for good.
I have 4 of the WH Reliatron D getter tubes and would never characterize them as bright. I have the Lyr 3, so maybe that's it, but the fact that you think they are too bright would indicate a big departure from the previous Lyr 3 house sound.
I have 4 of the WH Reliatron D getter tubes and would never characterize them as bright. I have the Lyr 3, so maybe that's it, but the fact that you think they are too bright would indicate a big departure from the previous Lyr 3 house sound.
Im also entertaining the idea that the circuitry reacts differently to various tubes than the 3. In the + thread, not many have auditioned many NOS tubes for whatever reason. Lots of PSVane, EH, and some NOS Sylvania. We've found the new production Tung-Sol to also be a little grainy on the top end.
I have 4 of the WH Reliatron D getter tubes and would never characterize them as bright. I have the Lyr 3, so maybe that's it, but the fact that you think they are too bright would indicate a big departure from the previous Lyr 3 house sound.
They are the same as long as the physical traits are staggered black plates and top D getter. IIRC, the pre-60's were Reliatron and 60's were just WH. Same tube -- same sound. I also have 3 of the non-Reliatron and they are physically identical and sound the same as Reliatron branded.
This one's got the black ladder plates that are staggered. The only oddity of my tube was long scratches from the mica inside the glass and crooked internals. I doubt that would cause an unusual sound signature though. When I first got it, it also had a massively bloomy mid-bass that since calmed down to a pleasant level.
Well, after getting some HD800's in and setting up an EQ profile I like for them, the Westinghouse D getter is my favorite again. The layering it gives me is crazy. I am curious to try a Melz 6n8s or Sylvania VT231 now...
I have that same tube, with the Lyr 3. Very enjoyable as a preamp to my Jotunheim 2. I warm my Lyr 3 up 1 hour before listening. My Bifrost 2/64 is on constantly.
I'm currently using the Valhalla 2 as a preamp to a solid state headphone amp, much like you use the Lyr.
I've never had the Lyr, but curious what the differences in characteristics might be compared to the Valhalla 2, specifically when used in this manner.
The V2 is of course an OTL, whereas the Lyr is hybrid...
Im also entertaining the idea that the circuitry reacts differently to various tubes than the 3. In the + thread, not many have auditioned many NOS tubes for whatever reason. Lots of PSVane, EH, and some NOS Sylvania. We've found the new production Tung-Sol to also be a little grainy on the top end.
I think that's a fair assessment. Why? Perhaps has to do w/ expectation and more importantly, what people are accustomed to. A lot of today's buyers didn't come up with analog sound, so didn't start there and look for their quality in familiar ways, i.e. high-end solid state gear. Different sound obviously - and the new tubes combine a bit of the old fashioned analog sound with a bit more ...I don't know if I want to say more detail, but maybe more pronounced details than you'd get with a solid state offering or with NOS tubes.
I dropped my EH back into my Lyr+ yesterday after listening to NOS KenRad and Sylvania VT-231s, and some of the mid-high details and nuances that I get there are so pleasant but very different. I don't get the same stage w/ EH as I do w/ the (new) Tung Sol or even the 40s KenRad, but ...it sounds better w/ pop music than the NOS tubes do.
Somehow my Sylvania VT-231 has this horrific glare that I didn't notice or hear at first. Cabling maybe - not sure I have the right cables, maybe made to make consumer stuff sound, "audiophile-like" by pushing certain frequencies which may be incompatible. I switched and compared and I can't stand the cheap cables either now so I'm in between. Thus the EH - and I quite like the result, and the mid-high detail is ...really nice but I'm listening to more pop-ish and upbeat EDM than classical/ jazz as a result.
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