[TonyNewman]

  ...Do they have a huge bottom end, no, not in the same manner as the SERP's do....
 

 
I am struggling with the idea of going with the Elrogs or not. I already have the SERPs and like them a lot in my WA5.
 
I know this is a hard question to answer, but how much more do you get with the Elrogs compared to the SERPs?
 
Appreciate any light you can shed on this.

 

[kokushu]

From what I read Tony that the SERP seem to be the one to go for if you like stronger bass.  I never heard it so I can't give the definite answer.  The Elrog seem to paint a very clear picture to me.  I don't know how the SERP does clarity and the technical stuff. 

Also my driver tube and rect tube might make this sound from other who has the elrog 300b.  I have the tung sol 6f8g and everybody said it the same as 6sn7 tung sol so I am assuming that it does the same thing; but I also have the WE 422a and everybody else have the Mullard Metal Base instead.

 

[isquirrel]

Tony,
 
The Elrog's are a very different sound to any other 300B, they illuminate the music from within, my partner, they are her favourite tube. She feels that they draw her more deeply into the emotion and performance of the music than any other tube including the Takatsuki's.
 
But then after the Takatsuki's have been in for a few days she falls in love with them.....
 
I cannot say which is the better tube, they both have their strengths:
 
The Elrog's really breath life into the music, in some systems, different headphones, drivers & rectifiers I could imagine they could sound a little to revealing.
 
The Takatsuki's have a beautiful lush airy presentation, they sound every bit as good but with a more traditional 300B presentation.
 
The best of both worlds is to have both. I generally spend a week listening to one and then swap, the Takatsuki's now have 150 hours on them. 
 
When its appropriate both tubes produce good bass, the SERP's were on the dark side of neutral & perhaps that helped to emphasise the lower end. In the end I went another way in my system. However if you love your bass then maybe their the best choice for you.
 
It all comes down to personal preference and your musical tastes. IMHO the Takatsuki's and the Elrog's are the cream of the 300B's.
 
They both handily surpass the golden reference, the WE300B's in most area's and that says a lot.
 
Matt has both when his amps are finally run in, he will no doubt have a different perspective. Our musical tastes couldn't be more different and being almost fifty I am quite sure my hearing is not as good as his 

 

[Fririce0003]

Hahaha, working in the construction industry probably hasn't helped my hearing too much... I do wear earplugs all the time though :S
Impressions may be a while off, up to 130 hours on my amps out of 5-600 for burn in. Then another 150-200 for each tube set. I'll be sure to post my impressions when that's all done though Elrog, Takatsuki, SERP, KR, and a host of drivers and rectifiers.

 

[TonyNewman]

Thank you very much for that comparison - very helpful

 

 

[musicman59]

Does anybody know of a good source for a pair of Mullard GZ34 Metal Base?

 

[isquirrel]

Does anybody know of a good source for a pair of Mullard GZ34 Metal Base?

Very hard to find and getting harder, best to either contact a good vintage tube agent or they occasionally pop up on eBay. The good news is they last forever so its safer buying these than most other tubes. There are some printed with Philips labels on them, that's okay, same tube and can be a little cheaper. 
 
I have attached some photos with the labelling, the production date stamp is on the base, 56H means 1956 Holland, does not matter if they are not matched pairs - though its ideal. I have bought singles and also matched pairs. They all the same date stamp, no difference in SQ.
 
There os one guy I know of who bought a pallet of these years ago, and usually sells one or two a month on eBay - they are new, he charges US $800 each.
 
Hope that helps in your search.
 

 

 

 

[TonyNewman]

 
Very hard to find and getting harder, best to either contact a good vintage tube agent or they occasionally pop up on eBay. The good news is they last forever so its safer buying these than most other tubes. There are some printed with Philips labels on them, that's okay, same tube and can be a little cheaper. 
 
I have attached some photos with the labelling, the production date stamp is on the base, 56H means 1956 Holland, does not matter if they are not matched pairs - though its ideal. I have bought singles and also matched pairs. They all the same date stamp, no difference in SQ.
 
There os one guy I know of who bought a pallet of these years ago, and usually sells one or two a month on eBay - they are new, he charges US $800 each.
 
Hope that helps in your search.
 
 

 
Apologies for jumping the subject - any comments you care to make regarding Takatsuki(sp?) 274B vs the GZ34 metal base?

 

[isquirrel]

   
Apologies for jumping the subject - any comments you care to make regarding Takatsuki(sp?) 274B vs the GZ34 metal base?

Mostly listening to the Takatsuki 274B ATM. Just sourced some WE274B's, waiting on them to arrive.
 
GZ34 is cooler, different solid bass, good for electronic etc, has a lovely euphonic quality.
 
Takatsuki does the mid range so well, warmer, rhythmic does vocals, singer songwriter material beautifully, suits the T 300B's perfectly (as you would expect)
 
Both work well with the Elrog's as well.
 
GZ34 + Elrog for speed, immediacy
Takatsuki combo for lush, vocal
 
Both are rich and musical. I will mix and match today as I received a new toy this week (Mac Pro) so have some coding and photoshop work to catch up on and planned to spend the day messing with different tube combos while working (playing with new toy 

)
 

 

[TonyNewman]

Thank you

 

[isquirrel]

  Thank you

No problem Tony,
 
Warming them up for you now, haven't used them in a while so will have to give them a few hours to wake up 

 

 

[TonyNewman]

 
No problem Tony,
 
Warming them up for you now, haven't used them in a while so will have to give them a few hours to wake up 

 

 
Nice! I really like the looks of the WA234. Wonderful design.
 
I have pulled the trigger on a pair of Elrog 300Bs - should them in a couple of weeks. My final tube setup in the WA5 will be something like this: Brimar rectifiers / NU 6F8G drivers / Elrog 300Bs (with the SERPs handy for when I want to go a bit darker). Not quite at the GZ34 / Takatsuki 274B + TS BGRP level, but close.
 
The current pricing on TS BGRPs is just nuts

 

 

[bpcans]

I've got this Sophia Electric Princess rectifier tube sitting unused that I bought with my WA6, and I was wondering if there's a complimentary set of driver tubes that actually work well with the S/P in the WA6?

 

[joseph69]

I've got this Sophia Electric Princess rectifier tube sitting unused that I bought with my WA6, and I was wondering if there's a complimentary set of driver tubes that actually work well with the S/P in the WA6?

I enjoy the SP from time to time with the 6SN7's for a change…otherwise you can try the 6DE7's and hear if you like the combo.
You must be spoiled…I wonder why???

 

 

 

[Porteroso]

What people will generally tell you about the WA6 is to first, get the 6SN7 adapters. Once you have those, you have access to a ton of great tubes. Some of us also have 6F8G adapters, which are just cheaper 6SN7, but you still need both sets of adapters for those. Writing this post made me put my Sophia back in, and at first, I was using the RCA grey glass, and it was just too murky. Popped back in my new pair of National Union VT-99, and man, this is actually pretty good. Such a fun sound to listen to. Reasonably detailed, very extended, and while the Sophia does lack the clarity, separation (not soundstage), and the dynamic of the Brimar 5Z4G (you will want to pick up a few of these from Langrex), the NU really is a great tube with the Sophia.
 
I posted earlier about TS v NU, and that the NU added a sort of edge to the music. I hadn't considered its pairing with the Sophia. It really makes the Sophia sound much less murky/muddled down low, and up high, you get a very musical presentation. This is the first combination where I've found the Sophia really quite good. I will listen to this for a while, I think.
 
Still, pick up at least 1 Brimar. And if you are sticking with stock tubes, the brand does not matter so much for the 6DE7, I found, but getting fat bottles does. If you try to experiment with brands, then you just need to get the 6SN7 adapters, as the best of the 6SN7/6F8G just blows the 6DE7 away.