[Sid-Fi]

Hi Grokit, thanks for weighing in. Am I understanding you correctly that you really like the Treasure driver tubes now with your 596 and 7236, and recommend them? I wasn't sure if I was interpreting your last comment right, that you had them but didn't think highly of them until you're current setup. It's nice to see we have the same exact amp and tube combination aside from the driver tube. That should make your impressions extremely relevant and useful.

Does anyone else have experience with using the Treasure along with the 596?

I have the same setup as you but with different drivers, for the past year or two I have been using the Shuguang Treasure CV181. I also reluctantly switched from my favorite rectifier, the Princess, to the "mighty" 596.
I came on to this tube combo when I was trying to figure out which tubes will drive both the HD800 and LCD2.1 well, with the help of this article:
www.positive-feedback.com/Issue54/woo.htm
I already had a pair of the Shuguangs, but did not like them with the tubes I had briefly tried them with and they were at the bottom of the box.

 

[grokit]

Yes, my combo was 7236/Treasure/Princess like in that article, now it is 7236/Treasure/596. Sometimes I want to go back to the Princess but the 596 is just too good. Other than that I'm set.

edit: As far as the Treasure drivers go, I was surprised to find that I had a pair of them in my tube collection (I got a big box of tubes with the amp). I must have tried them before but maybe I didn't because the previous owner didn't think much of them for some reason. But he thought the Princess buzzed and I've never been able to get it to do that so who knows. It could be that I never tried them until I read that article and found them.

 

[nututubes]

Quote:

If money is no object, the TS BGRP 6SN7 is the best I heard from WA22 and the Brimar CV1988 (black gold) is very close. There is another one that I never tired and forget what it is (it is Mullard) that I can not justify.
EDIT, it is Mullard ECC32

 
I agree with John on this. I have both TS and ECC. 99% of the time I use the ECC32 with TS 7236 and EML mesh rectifier.

 

[DarknightDK]

Quote:

Hi Grokit, thanks for weighing in. Am I understanding you correctly that you really like the Treasure driver tubes now with your 596 and 7236, and recommend them? I wasn't sure if I was interpreting your last comment right, that you had them but didn't think highly of them until you're current setup. It's nice to see we have the same exact amp and tube combination aside from the driver tube. That should make your impressions extremely relevant and useful.
Does anyone else have experience with using the Treasure along with the 596?

 
The Treasures with the 596 sound excellent with the LCD-3, but not so much for the HD800. With the HD800, I use the Syl 6SN7W for the drivers and they sound tight and punchy, perfect with the HD800.

 

[jc9394]

Quote:

Thanks JC. I think I am leaning mostly between the TS BGRP you mention and the Sylvania 1952 " bad boy".
I found the TS BGRP to be nice using the Sophia Princess, but in the end felt it just a tad too analytical for my tastes compared to my current RCA smoke glass and Sylvania chrome top (although more refined). However, I get the strong feeling it would pair much better with the 596 than it did the Princess. Perhaps with the 596 it would retain the refinement but loose the cold edge to it that kept it from feeling really immersive.
The 1952 bad boy Sylvania is supposed to combine the lush warm characteristics the Sylvania tubes of the 40s and 50s were known for, but also have impressive and full bass which all the other Sylvania variations tend to lack (personal preference to be sure). The only concern with this option is that my Sylvania chrome top don't seem to go well with the 596 at all. It just sounded off overall and the bass was even more anemic than normal (which is wierd cuz the 596 really brought out and improved the bass in the RCA smoke glass) I wonder if the bad boy might have the same lack of synergy with the 596. My Sylvania chrome top went from easily being my favorite with the Princess to well behind the RCA smoke glass with the 596 (truly impressive now). Just goes to show how much of a role synergy between rectifiers, power, and driver tubes plays, let alone the rest of the chain.
I'm getting the feeling this is turning into lunatic tube addict rumblings better served for the 6sn7 addicts thread hehe.

 
If you think TS BGRP a little too analytical, you really should give the Brimar CV1988 a try and EML 274B with TS 7236.  I found this combo the most romantic sounding but does not overly colored and lack of details.

 

[grokit]

Hi Grokit, thanks for weighing in. Am I understanding you correctly that you really like the Treasure driver tubes now with your 596 and 7236, and recommend them? I wasn't sure if I was interpreting your last comment right, that you had them but didn't think highly of them until you're current setup. It's nice to see we have the same exact amp and tube combination aside from the driver tube. That should make your impressions extremely relevant and useful.

Does anyone else have experience with using the Treasure along with the 596?

The Treasures with the 596 sound excellent with the LCD-3, but not so much for the HD800. With the HD800, I use the Syl 6SN7W for the drivers and they sound tight and punchy, perfect with the HD800.

I really like the HD800 with the Treasures, that's the featured combo in the review I referenced as well. Are your Syl 6SN7W chrome domes or bad boys?

 

[Sid-Fi]

Thanks for everyone's feedback and ideas on the tubes. I'm leaning toward NOS TS BGRP or the new Psvane Premium CV181-T (new spinoff of the treasure backed by Grant Fidelity). It's hard to know what will go best with my HD 650 since they are so different than the flagships everyone has like HD 800 or LCD2/3. I'll have to pull the trigger on one or other and see how I like them. If they don't mesh I'll list them for sale and try the other option. Of course at some point ill have to upgrade to a flagship can.

 

[Sid-Fi]

Man, this hobby is tough. After a few nights being in love with the 596 and RCA vt-231 smoke glass combo, tonight I started feeling like the wow factor might be due to overemphasis of the bass and mid regions at the expense of recessed and dulled highs (HD 650 surely a part of that). So I put the Sophia Princess 274b and Sylvania 6sn7 GTA back in. That extra wow factor isn't quite there but it is still very immersive with a more balanced frequency response. The highs are definitely back and sound more appropriate :0.

I'm not sure where this leaves me lol. It's funny how the bass on the Sylvania sounds full and perfectly adequate on the Princess but became anemic with the 596. Despite the Princess sounding nice and polite and balanced, it seems the 596 adds extra energy to the equation. Because of that I think it will still likely be the main rectifier when the dust settles. I keep getting the feeling that the TS BGRP will compliment it nicely with how balanced and refined they are.

 

[Silent One]

Welcome to the wonderful-wide-world of tube rolling...and emotions.

 

[San Raal]

Quote:

 
The Treasures with the 596 sound excellent with the LCD-3, but not so much for the HD800. With the HD800, I use the Syl 6SN7W for the drivers and they sound tight and punchy, perfect with the HD800.

 
Albeit not with the 596, I found the opposite suited my ears in my gear - the Treasures suit the HD800 well

 

[DarknightDK]

I really like the HD800 with the Treasures, that's the featured combo in the review I referenced as well. Are your Syl 6SN7W chrome domes or bad boys?

My Syl 6SN7W are the chrome domes. I find the Treasures lack resolution and speed when paired with the HD800.

 

[jc9394]

Quote:

My Syl 6SN7W are the chrome domes. I find the Treasures lack resolution and speed when paired with the HD800.

 
X2 on resolution but I do think speed is fine however it is a great match for LCD-2.

 

[VisceriousZERO]

Joining the club!

Current setup is:
 
Turntable combo:
Denon DP-A100 - Pro-Ject Tube Box SE II - WA6-SE - Audez'e LCD-3
 
Computer combo:
Macbook Pro Retina - Musical Fidelity M1DAC - WA6-SE - Audez'e LCD-3

 

[Dubstep Girl]

ooooh WA6-SE! awesome choice, goes very well with my LCD-2, i'm sure it sounds just as great with the LCD-3!!!

 

[VisceriousZERO]

Quote:

ooooh WA6-SE! awesome choice, goes very well with my LCD-2, i'm sure it sounds just as great with the LCD-3!!!

Its an amazing pairing... xD