Changing of the Guard

[rollo]

  When the new TT was installed we noticed a slight favoring of the left channel and some minor distortion.  OK adjust the azimuth. Pete fozogometered the sucker and still a stronger left channel about 2db.
   Using 10 pairs of NOS tubes in amp and pre and another pair for CD. When the Qol tm was in the result was just not right.  More left sided than before and two dimensional. When I adjusted the gain of the crossover to the left channel all was well. A huge difference. Was it the Qol ? TT ? New Cart ? Cables ?     
  Puzzled as to what was going on led me to try reversing tubes putting the left ch tube into the right and visa versa. 
   To make a long story short 7 out of the 10 pairs were spent. So picked up the phone and ordered all new tubes from Tubeworld. Luckily found a matched quad of Bugle Boy 6DJ8s from audiogon for a great price. Got real lucky there.
   The all newly tubed Pre, mono power supplies, input and driver tubes for the amp did the trick. Problem solved. Just did not realize what I was missing. I just kept blaming break in, recordings and every other reason but the life of the tubes .
    So if you have those tubes in there for a few years change the guard and be as surprised as me.
    Other issues such as some brightness, bloated image and bass at times and a out of focus overall sound was blowing my mind. Thinking it was the new additions that were the issue after some serious time with them in the system.
   Nope just da tubes. Which brings me too " Changing of the Guard" Just how long or how expensive are those NOS tubes gonna be to buy in a years to come. A SS Preamp or Phono stage is being considered. 7 pairs NOS tubes for the Loesch & Weisner Pre. Leaving only 3 pairs of NOS for the Amps.
   I'm considering a Stan Klyne with phono, Miracle Audio separate phono and pre, Levinson, Pass and MBL.
  Since the preamp affects two components the source and amp it seems to be the logical choice for change.
   So the Nervosa begins again. If it were not that NOS tubes are getting harder to find and afford I was done. Chitt Man I stand corrected one is never done.


charles
   
   
   

[tmazz]

Never ever ever.... 

[musicfile]

"I stand corrected one is never done".


Those are words of the wise 

[Triode Pete]

Until the fork is in your ass, you'll never be done!

[topround]

I am a tube lover and consider tubes not critical but required for good sound. But tubes have gotten crazy expensive so I have gone solid state
Naaa just kidding...but I am looking now for gear that has less tubes and tubes that are not too expensive.

Tube prices have reached critical mass, where only the crazies will pay top dollar for these tubes. Also tube vendors are passing off shit tubes for big bucks as the supply dwindles. They are trying to get their last payoff! Trust me, I am right on this.  NOS my ass, most were cleaned up pulls from older gear, sqeaky clean tube pins from NOS tubes??  just  cleaned to hide the marks from tube sockets!!. And the squeaky clean brushed pins makes us feel so good! Hah!
Perfectly matched...my ass, NOS ..my ass  expensive?  for sure.

I love tubes, but as the supply dwindles the prices go up and the quality goes down. Same exact things goes in my business, as the supply of meat dwindles price goes up and quality goes down.

I remember once tomatoes were going for $50 -60 a case , up from 11 to 15 dollars a case, people were flipping out at the prices and the quality was shit to boot, it is just the nature of the market, no way around it.

So be prepared to pay top dollar and expect to get less than what you thought.  Perhaps designers will start to look at using different tubes in their designs  other than 6sn7's, 12a..'s, and 6dj8's, and perhaps we will get better results

[BobM]

The world is going digital, including amps. We'll be seeing systems the size of cigarette boxes within the next 5 years. Tubes will be so yesterday - except for those of us who are bitten by the curse.

[tmazz]

........Tubes will be so yesterday - except for those of us who are bitten by the curse.

What do you will be so yesterday?   

Tubes have been yesterday's news for everybody but us audiofools for the better part of 40 years now. 

When is the last time you saw a current production mass market item with a vaccum tube in it? 

[Face]

........Tubes will be so yesterday - except for those of us who are bitten by the curse.

What do you will be so yesterday?   

Tubes have been yesterday's news for everybody but us audiofools for the better part of 40 years now. 

When is the last time you saw a current production mass market item with a vaccum tube in it? 

Just recently: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/03/samsung-htib-audio-dock-soundbar-ces2012/

[richidoo]

Sexy dock!    

[BobM]

Sorry, but this is a Sexy Doc

[tmazz]

If that was my doctor I might have even enjoyed turning 40 !