[JoeyB]

Then after you spend a bit with the MJ2, you can send it to @ksorota for a nice cap mod. Lol. There's where the insane change happens.

Welcome to the thread bro! And thank yourself for finding these recent posts about the Footscray. You just saved yourself a ton of money and time rolling tubes lol.

Thanks, I feel like I cheated to get to these tubes, I did just save a lot of time and money! I saw about cap mod, I need to go back and read that again. I’m trying not to trigger upgraditus until after I get Gumby, and had a chance to break in amp and tubes

 

[jonathan c]

I was hoping they were that close if not identical! 95% and 61%ish sounds like we are in business for a long time at a cheaper investment. I can't wait to get mine now.

It's so surreal how abundant this tube is now whether cv4033 or cv455. Un -fricken - believable! Unobtanium for so long.

What this and the last Brimar iteration tells/teaches me is that:

~ well constructed, a triple mica 12AT7 is one hell of a tube and sonically beats double mica 12AT7 (Footscray versus Whyteleafe);​

~ with adapters if feasible, the Brimar triple mica 12AT7s are wonderful driver tubes for the h/p/a that can use them;​

~ the Footscray, Rochester, and Whyteleafe factories turned out amazing products - even more so when heard sixty+ years later;​

~ the qualitative range of realism among the various Brimar / Mullard 12AT7s from the factories above is audible but NOT WIDE...this is not gold descending to tin;​

~ if asked to rank, my tally goes: CV4033 KB/FB (Footscray), CV455 KB/FB (Footscray), CV4033 KB/FD (Rochester), CV4033 KB/DC (Whyteleafe). Again, refer to the point above;​

~ in any event, we answer YES! when we hear “tu-be or not tu-be, that is the question”. ​

​

 

[JoeyB]

Like you, I purchased an MJ-II immediately before product termination. At first, it was to be black - taken off website; then I reordered - silver, shipped, then taken off website. I had the MJ-II shipped directly to @ksorota who did the capacitor swap. No more describing the benefits of that now: plenty of discussion in this MJ-II forum.
I am happy that you enjoy the Footscrays. There is nothing like going straight to the top as a veteran or rookie tube roller (I am in between). Believe me, the Footscrays are the peak of the 12AT7 mountains.

Seems like we both lucked into amp at just the right time. I wish I could’ve done cap mod before I even heard amp, but I had to hear amp first and make sure it worked and I liked it. I’m afraid to read about the mod now cause I’m gonna want to do it lol. I still have to get Gumby(hopefully in a couple weeks) in chain first, and I’m already looking at ZMF HP. I love the Footscrays spending a ton of time listening thinking I can’t believe how good this sounds already and getting lost in the music

 

[jonathan c]

Seems like we both lucked into amp at just the right time. I wish I could’ve done cap mod before I even heard amp, but I had to hear amp first and make sure it worked and I liked it. I’m afraid to read about the mod now cause I’m gonna want to do it lol. I still have to get Gumby(hopefully in a couple weeks) in chain first, and I’m already looking at ZMF HP. I love the Footscrays spending a ton of time listening thinking I can’t believe how good this sounds already and getting lost in the music

Better late than never. @ksorota for the capacitor replacement. If you thought that the Footscrays take you to new sonic territory now, wait until you hear them post-cap-mod! As I said a while back, the mods turn the MJ-II into “a musically state of the art” headphone amplifier without the “ionospheric” price. In the meantime, .

 

[Wes S]

When you say that the Pendant SE > RH-5, before Footscray, were the two amps using the same tubes where possible? Tube difference vs circuit / topology difference...?...

Yes sir. I was using the Raytheon 7730 Long Plate Square getter in both. The Pendant SE slightly out resolves the RH-5, and just has more magic with my Verite Closed. The RH-5 is no slouch, and actually has a very unique soundstage (biggest and widest I have still ever heard), and the best bass response ever with insane grip paired up with my Atticus, so I will be keeping both.

 

[Wes S]

Update on the Brimar CV455 KB/FB:

1. The four jazz/R&B recordings used to audition the CV4033 KB/FB were used to audition the CV455 KB/FB.​

2. The headphone used was the ZMF Auteur.​

3. The h/p/a used were Woo WA3 —> Woo​

WA6 —> MJ-II.​

4. The sonic attributes of the CV455 are those of the CV4033. The overall level of musical realisation by the CV455 is really close to that of the CV4033. If the CV4033 is the ionosphere, the CV455 is the upper stratosphere. The CV4033 has that ne plus ultra quality in its gestalt; the CV455 is ‘only’ outstanding and is just a trace behind. To me, with 95-ish% of the sound and 61-ish% of the price of the CV4033 KB/FB, the CV455 KB/FB loudly declares: “own me!”​

5. I did not want to tick off the audiophile boxes one-by-one. I was more interested in the musical narration by the CV455. ​

6. I hope that this is of use to you fellow HFers and “tube cases”...​

Thanks bro! I will be picking up some of those and recommending them as well, as the stock is quite plentiful and the price is right.

 

[Wes S]

What this and the last Brimar iteration tells/teaches me is that:

~ well constructed, a triple mica 12AT7 is one hell of a tube and sonically beats double mica 12AT7 (Footscray versus Whyteleafe);​

~ with adapters if feasible, the Brimar triple mica 12AT7s are wonderful driver tubes for the h/p/a that can use them;​

~ the Footscray, Rochester, and Whyteleafe factories turned out amazing products - even more so when heard sixty+ years later;​

~ the qualitative range of realism among the various Brimar / Mullard 12AT7s from the factories above is audible but NOT WIDE...this is not gold descending to tin;​

~ if asked to rank, my tally goes: CV4033 KB/FB (Footscray), CV455 KB/FB (Footscray), CV4033 KB/FD (Rochester), CV4033 KB/DC (Whyteleafe). Again, refer to the point above;​

~ in any event, we answer YES! when we hear “tu-be or not tu-be, that is the question”. ​

​

Amen brother!

 

[Guidostrunk]

Well folks. Here's the code list for STC, Brimar and Mullard. There are other plants that produced these tubes. I do believe that the A2900 was produced in the Hammersmith plant.
I'm sure those others will be impossible to find but who knows. They could pop up at any time. What we do know at this point is Footscray is the champ lol.

 

[TK16]

Well folks. Here's the code list for STC, Brimar and Mullard. There are other plants that produced these tubes. I do believe that the A2900 was produced in the Hammersmith plant.
I'm sure those others will be impossible to find but who knows. They could pop up at any time. What we do know at this point is Footscray is the champ lol.

I'd add KB/HR think is Hivac. Have a pair of the ECC82 welded plates.

 

[Wes S]

Well folks. Here's the code list for STC, Brimar and Mullard. There are other plants that produced these tubes. I do believe that the A2900 was produced in the Hammersmith plant.
I'm sure those others will be impossible to find but who knows. They could pop up at any time. What we do know at this point is Footscray is the champ lol.

Number one tube on my list to look for, is the one with code KB/N.

 

[Wes S]

I'd add KB/HR think is Hivac. Have a pair of the ECC82 welded plates.

Dude! If you ever want to sell those, I'm your huckleberry. I have been looking for that tube, for years.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Number one tube on my list to look for, is the one with code KB/N.

me too

 

[Guidostrunk]

I'd add KB/HR think is Hivac. Have a pair of the ECC82 welded plates.

The Hivac tubes are great tubes.

 

[TK16]

I'd add KB/HR think is Hivac. Have a pair of the ECC82 welded plates.

I'll keep that in mind when I decide on them in the near future.

 

[jonathan c]

Yes sir. I was using the Raytheon 7730 Long Plate Square getter in both. The Pendant SE slightly out resolves the RH-5, and just has more magic with my Verite Closed. The RH-5 is no slouch, and actually has a very unique soundstage (biggest and widest I have still ever heard), and the best bass response ever with insane grip paired up with my Atticus, so I will be keeping both.

Would a 12AT7 be usable in lieu of a 12AU7 in the RH-5? Is that too much gain? The other characteristics should be equal...