[MrPanda]

I have the Russian 6922EH, which sounds wonderful with everything including the Drop Hifiman HE-4xx... Nice entry level planers for $130ish.
Enjoy!

Plus, the 6922EH has a nice little tube glow

 

[Bassic Needs]

Which planars are you using? I like both the stock RCA tube and EH 6922

I will probably run Vali 2 with Monoprice M1060C at office, and Lyr 3 with Hifiman Anandas at home. Some of this stuff is still in the mail, so I could change my mind over time once I see and hear it.

 

[MrPanda]

I will probably run Vali 2 with Monoprice M1060C at office, and Lyr 3 with Hifiman Anandas at home. Some of this stuff is still in the mail, so I could change my mind over time once I see and hear it.

I'm curious about the planars... I only have 400i's and Dekoni Blue - Mobius by Audeze too, but that's a different thing

 

[Bassic Needs]

Is it worth choosing and paying for "balanced triodes" on some of these seller's sites? And especially for new production tubes (as in 6SN7 tubes for Lry 3. Not sure if new production exists in the 6922 category...?)

 

[bcowen]

Is it worth choosing and paying for "balanced triodes" on some of these seller's sites? And especially for new production tubes (as in 6SN7 tubes for Lry 3. Not sure if new production exists in the 6922 category...?)

With a single tube design like the Vali 2 or Lyr 3 where one triode in the tube is used for the left channel and the other for the right, there could be some value in paying a nominal upcharge to assure the triodes have decently balanced GM if you don't have a tube tester to verify for yourself. Even new production tubes can have a big variance in emission or GM between the two triodes. But they should specify what constitutes a 'balanced' tube from their perspective (usually as a percentage variance between the triodes), and if it's more than 10% I wouldn't personally consider that to be very well balanced. With a variance of 10% or less it's unlikely that it will be audible. More than that and it could be and manifested as channel imbalance depending on the overall emission output of the triodes (which will of course decline over time).

 

[Denosha]

Running a EH 6922 Gold on mine. Sounds really sweet with both my LCD2 and Arya. And basically everything else i throw at it actually..

 

[Grado Diesel]

Just downloaded Sticky Fingers Deluxe and Let It Bleed 50th anniversary last night on HD Tracks with their killer sale prices. Both of these albums were only available at 44.1kHz 24 bit. I’m playing them thru my FiiO X3ii into my Vali 2 into my Sennheiser HD6XX’s. I noticed these recordings sound “hot” right at the edge of distortion, sometimes actually distorting and sounding saturated. For comparison I‘ve previously loaded both those albums to flac 44.1kHz 16 bit from the CDs. I noticed those are much cleaner and sound great. What’s the deal with these 44.1kHz 24 bit tracks? I rolled different tubes - mouse ears, chrome dome, 6CG7 EHX gold pin and settled on my E88CC Genelex Gold Lion as it seemed to handle this hotness the best but I’m still puzzled over the distortion.

 

[Mr Trev]

Just downloaded Sticky Fingers Deluxe and Let It Bleed 50th anniversary last night on HD Tracks with their killer sale prices. Both of these albums were only available at 44.1kHz 24 bit. I’m playing them thru my FiiO X3ii into my Vali 2 into my Sennheiser HD6XX’s. I noticed these recordings sound “hot” right at the edge of distortion, sometimes actually distorting and sounding saturated. For comparison I‘ve previously loaded both those albums to flac 44.1kHz 16 bit from the CDs. I noticed those are much cleaner and sound great. What’s the deal with these 44.1kHz 24 bit tracks? I rolled different tubes - mouse ears, chrome dome, 6CG7 EHX gold pin and settled on my E88CC Genelex Gold Lion as it seemed to handle this hotness the best but I’m still puzzled over the distortion.

Granted, this is just speculation on my part since I haven't heard either version, but…
Welcome to The Loudness Wars.
Typically every reissue/remaster is just an excuse to dynamically compress the bejeesus out of the recording (read: make it louder) now a days. Quite often the recordings get so compressed they start to clip, which could explain the distortion you're hearing.

 

[Mr Trev]

Are these things even remotely worth the asking price?
Seriously, that's Bangy money…
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/6cg7-Marcon...lve-rca-sylvania-lot-12bh7-12au7/254410615802

 

[bcowen]

Are these things even remotely worth the asking price?
Seriously, that's Bangy money…
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/6cg7-Marcon...lve-rca-sylvania-lot-12bh7-12au7/254410615802

LOL! Value is, of course, a personal perspective kind of thing, but I would go away quietly with the guys in white jackets if I was ever caught spending $800 on a pair of 6CG7's (yeah, there's $50 in there for the actual $15 in shipping cost). I've seen a number of that seller's ads, and his prices are beyond ridiculous in every case. He should consider changing his seller name to 'I'm_high_tubes'.

 

[Kevwheez]

LOL! Value is, of course, a personal perspective kind of thing, but I would go away quietly with the guys in white jackets if I was ever caught spending $800 on a pair of 6CG7's (yeah, there's $50 in there for the actual $15 in shipping cost). I've seen a number of that seller's ads, and his prices are beyond ridiculous in every case. He should consider changing his seller name to 'I'm_high_tubes'.

Yeah, that is other worldly kind of stuff! Whether it’s the Franken tubes that be Bcowen turned me onto or the 7A4’s that Old Deaf Donkey loves, they’re both more than enough for me; and at $10 a pop why would I spend hundreds an hundreds more?

 

[Joe Garfield]

Hard to spend that kind of money when you can get imported Italian macaroni for $2.50 at the grocery store.

 

[bcowen]

Yeah, that is other worldly kind of stuff! Whether it’s the Franken tubes that be Bcowen turned me onto or the 7A4’s that Old Deaf Donkey loves, they’re both more than enough for me; and at $10 a pop why would I spend hundreds an hundreds more?

This is more in line with my wallet.

 

[Kevwheez]

This is more in line with my wallet.

Funny that the shipping is half-again the price of the tube itself! LOL
FYI - I purchased my 4th Frankie earlier this week; I think I’m good for a while!

-Kev

 

[bcowen]

Funny that the shipping is half-again the price of the tube itself! LOL
FYI - I purchased my 4th Frankie earlier this week; I think I’m good for a while!

-Kev

Here's another pair with a much better price-to-shipping cost ratio. LOL!

I like the way the prices are moving on these...may have a better return than Amazon stock if at some point I decide to down-stash.