Some more tube rolling.
Previously,
I opted for the preferred series 7025 as my favorite. Plugging this to heddphone, everything sounded so intimate lively and fun!
However, when I used VH2 as a preamp, connecting to KGSS DX - Stax L700, everything it sounded so hollow and lifeless
I don't know why this is the case, but I was shocked and disappointed how "situational" this tube was.
One of the headfier recommended RFT ECC81. While I was at it, I bought ECC82 (12AU7), and Tung Sol 12AU7 as well.
Here is a quick impression of these three with my Stax L700.
My goal for this was to find a tube that sounds good in both of my grails (heddphone and L700)
As said before, I hate the neutral sound. I hate HD 600's sound signature. I love vocals. I love rap, r&b, etc.
I prefer anything that sounds lively and intimate.
Please keep that in mind.
Tung Sol 12AU7: I don't know what to say. I don't like it. It sucks.
RFT ECC81, ECC82: I like to review these two at once because these two are the best sounding tubes IMO. They sound really really freaking different thou.
RFT ECC 82 is the tube you need to buy syrupy sound. I always didn't understand when people say tube amplifier makes sound syrupy and gooey. That changed when I listen to Gloria Tells - Come Clean. This is sticky! Some tubes are tuby in a bad way (e.g. Tung Sol 12AU7). They are too dark, muddy, and lifeless. However, ECC82 accentuates the bass just enough to keep things lit! Bad and Boujee sounds badddddd.
While this is the perfect tube for ppl who primarily listen to rap/r&b, this tube is not good for soft vocals. For example, when I listen to kpop by BOL4, her soft whisper-like vocal is just faded behind the instrumentals. This was the main reason I choose to run ECC 81.
RFT ECC81 is quite the opposite in terms of the sound signature. Great treble and highs. Pretty lacking bass. I really like that vocal is forward on this one. However, it is fatiguing over time. I am mainly running this as my primary tube because it doesn't sound bad on bass-heavy songs, while does well with female vocals.
That being said, I might change back to RFT ECC82 if the sound doesn't change after burn-in. This is just too fatiguing.