ZMF Aegis Official Thread

[tholt]

I found the U52 to be the warmer and more natural-sounding, while I found the MB GZ34 to be the thinner and more analytical-sounding.

I'm also in this camp, though admittedly I have the black base Amperex/Philips Holland f31 of the GZ34. I guess I assume there is a similarity to the metal base but I could be (quite?) wrong. But between that tube and the GEC U52, the former is more linear and neutral as @ckhirnigs113 finds, the U52 sounding warmer and rounder to my ears.

Regardless, great write up @betula and very informative. Appreciate the impressions!

 

[idairyou]

In terms of the 5U4GBs, anyone have any info on the Toshiba Realistic model.

Are they like the GZ34s where Mullard tooling was used, or are these rebranded?

 

[DACattack]

Chilly early summer morning here in Minnesota, and everyone else in the house remains asleep. I'm on my second cup of coffee and in the mood for some music. Listening to Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood's fabulous Out Louder record on Aegis and my Bokeh Opens.

So, a general question for the collective. After reading hundreds of pages of tube impressions and suggestions and combinations, I'm curious about this. For those who have had their Aegis for a while--whether its a DIY or from ZMF (looking at you @Wes S, @Toonartist, @theveterans, @ckhirnigs113, @betula, @AnyDave, and any others) is there a specific tube roll you keep returning to?

Now I get it: One of the wonders of Aegis is the nearly infinite ability to tube roll; and I understand how easy it is to change things up, whether that's due to your mood, getting (a) new tube(s), or perhaps new set of headphones to try, or simply wanting to tweak the sound that particular day. However, all that said, after such day-to-day variations, if you find yourself returning to a particular combination of tubes, care to share what's your go-to roll?

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Happy listening.

 

[Toonartist]

My 75% tubes… as in use 75% of the time are Philips Miniwatt EL50 MB, Takatsuki 274b and Mullard ECC35 but those Mullards are in 100% of the time.

Philips 4654 Mesh Plate, GEC KT88 Top getter, GEC U52 & Elrog 274b occupy the majority of the other 25%. Sometimes more depending on mood / genre.

The other tubes also receive some TLC as well when I fancy a change. Also, if I’m listening to my AC, then the GEC KT88 with the either of the 274b are used the most. I would never get rid of any that I have as I do enjoy them all. Change is as good as a rest

 

[theveterans]

So, a general question for the collective. After reading hundreds of pages of tube impressions and suggestions and combinations, I'm curious about this. For those who have had their Aegis for a while--whether its a DIY or from ZMF (looking at you @Wes S, @Toonartist, @theveterans, @ckhirnigs113, @betula, @AnyDave, and any others) is there a specific tube roll you keep returning to?

I don’t chase rectifier roll anymore because I find the RCA 5R4GY DD to be an excellent all rounder, master of none but benefits from every aspect of the sound the most to me such as layering, tonality, bass and treble.

With Susvara, I never needed to roll tubes ever from what I have because it literally ticked all if its boxes with the following:

Input: TJ Full Music 6SL7
Output: TJ Full Music KT88/c

With Bokeh Open or sensitive headphones, I prefer to roll lower gain input tubes (since it gives me a better range of volume as well as potentially lower noise (Aegis is already noise free though with 6SL7). Also, there is something special with EH 6CG7 that I love with Aegis more than any 6SN7 and 6SL7 I tried. I bet it’s similar to the 7N7 experience that WesS and Chris(ckhirnig) experience too but with 3x gain than the 6CG7. Be careful with the plate resistance values for those low power tubes and just don’t go with plate resistance values lower than 6SN7 / 6CG7 for now. You can certainly do 2x 6J5 for crazy rolling potential too

Regarding power tubes, I prefer the sound of KT66 which to me is an all rounder type of sound and just tweak slightly with input tubes for fine tuning

 

[DACattack]

@Toonartist Thanks for that. I'm hoping to eventually get both the Mullard ECC35s and some EL50s. Those Mullards in particular are venturing into unobtainium territory these days, sad to say.

@theveterans Cool. I read your earlier post about how you're enjoying those EH 6CG7, and I may eventually look at that them too. Happy you were able to settle on your roll relatively quickly. That's always advantageous to one's wallet. I've gotten the RCA 5R4GY DD from a kind member on this forum already, and it's the first tube I've started to roll in Aegis. I moved from the JJ/Sovtek stock tubes after about 3 weeks of continuous listening, onto the TAD bundle now, and am currently breaking them in. I went back to the TAD 5U4G rectifier from the RCA simply to give all the tubes in the TAD bundle more time to burn-in and settle. Another two or three weeks and I'll start doing some serious rolling. By then, my Bokeh Opens ought to have properly burned-in as well.

 

[SunRa Fan]

Chilly early summer morning here in Minnesota, and everyone else in the house remains asleep. I'm on my second cup of coffee and in the mood for some music. Listening to Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood's fabulous Out Louder record on Aegis and my Bokeh Opens.

So, a general question for the collective. After reading hundreds of pages of tube impressions and suggestions and combinations, I'm curious about this. For those who have had their Aegis for a while--whether its a DIY or from ZMF (looking at you @Wes S, @Toonartist, @theveterans, @ckhirnigs113, @betula, @AnyDave, and any others) is there a specific tube roll you keep returning to?

Now I get it: One of the wonders of Aegis is the nearly infinite ability to tube roll; and I understand how easy it is to change things up, whether that's due to your mood, getting (a) new tube(s), or perhaps new set of headphones to try, or simply wanting to tweak the sound that particular day. However, all that said, after such day-to-day variations, if you find yourself returning to a particular combination of tubes, care to share what's your go-to roll?

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Happy listening.

Probably the safest way to keep from constantly wanting to roll tubes is NOT to read this thread daily. I’m certainly also finding that there are some tubes that are suited more to the Caldera(kt90, 6l6gc) than the Atrium.

 

[DACattack]

Probably the safest way to keep from constantly wanting to roll tubes is NOT to read this thread daily.

Wise words. It certainly makes sense that whichever headphone you're using would influence which roll you prefer, given how responsive the Aegis is to rolling. Of course, perhaps folks have discovered tube combos which seem to work well with most any headphone...?

 

[jonathan c]

Probably the safest way to keep from constantly wanting to roll tubes is NOT to read this thread daily.

.... then how does one get this advice?

 

[Wes S]

Chilly early summer morning here in Minnesota, and everyone else in the house remains asleep. I'm on my second cup of coffee and in the mood for some music. Listening to Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood's fabulous Out Louder record on Aegis and my Bokeh Opens.

So, a general question for the collective. After reading hundreds of pages of tube impressions and suggestions and combinations, I'm curious about this. For those who have had their Aegis for a while--whether its a DIY or from ZMF (looking at you @Wes S, @Toonartist, @theveterans, @ckhirnigs113, @betula, @AnyDave, and any others) is there a specific tube roll you keep returning to?

Now I get it: One of the wonders of Aegis is the nearly infinite ability to tube roll; and I understand how easy it is to change things up, whether that's due to your mood, getting (a) new tube(s), or perhaps new set of headphones to try, or simply wanting to tweak the sound that particular day. However, all that said, after such day-to-day variations, if you find yourself returning to a particular combination of tubes, care to share what's your go-to roll?

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Happy listening.

I have a group of tubes ("The A Team"), that I rotate through to keep things fresh. All of the tubes on the team are highly resolving, and all have excellent grip/dynamics, with each having their own special magic mixed in. I don't think there is really one roll to rule them all, but I will say whichever combo I am using at the moment usually sounds best to me at that time. That said, after a while I usually get the itch to try something different regardless of how amazing the sound is, and that's where "The A Team" comes in. All tubes on "The A Team" work well with all the headphones I have on hand, as well as all the genres I listen to, and they are all just different flavors of awesomeness. The only tube I don't roll currently is the rectifier, as the one I have landed on really is in a league of its own, so no need to change that.

Output - Mullard EL33 Mesh Plates, Mullard EL35 Mesh Plates, Philips 4654 Mesh Plates, Mullard EL50 Mesh Plates, Philips EL51 Dual Trough Getters, and Cossor ATS25 Dual Cup Getters

Input - 7F7 "Dark Tops", 7F7 "Shiny Tops", 7F7 "Chrome Tops", 7F7 "Copper Support Rod" (All four versions have black carbonized plates and are from the early 40's, and they all smoke any 6SL7 ever made including the 5691 and 1579)

Rectifier - Mullard 5U4G Black Welded Plates w/ Inverted Trough Getter

Moral to the story, get yourself a couple of different flavors of awesomeness, and you can keep things fresh and stay engaged forever.

 

[iamoneagain]

I’ve been chasing a certain sound and swear I’m done now. I like a very lively, energetic, punchy, engaging sound.

This is my combo I’ve settled on.

Rectifier: Mullard gz34 fat base f31
Output: EI kt90
Input: RCA 5691 red base

 

[Wes S]

I’ve been chasing a certain sound and swear I’m done now. I like a very lively, energetic, punchy, engaging sound.

This is my combo I’ve settled on.

Rectifier: Mullard gz34 fat base f31
Output: EI kt90
Input: RCA 5691 red base

Now just get a couple of backups of each, and ride off into the sunset.

. . ."swear I'm done now.". . . If I had a nickel for every time . . .

 

[theveterans]

Wise words. It certainly makes sense that whichever headphone you're using would influence which roll you prefer, given how responsive the Aegis is to rolling. Of course, perhaps folks have discovered tube combos which seem to work well with most any headphone...?

Most tube combo works really well with most headphones. It’s really a matter of finding that special sound that I want with each of my headphones hence multiple tube combinations

 

[jonathan c]

Now just get a couple of backups of each, and ride off into the sunset.

. . ."swear I'm done now.". . . If I had a NIB NOS GEC 6AS7G for every time . . .

FTFY....[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021.]

 

[theveterans]

FTFY....[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021.]

Might be too low of plate resistance for Aegis though