I use a Denis Had Firebottle SEP "HO" (high output...heh heh) or a Pass XA-25 with very efficient speakers. Swapping between these amps and noting their differences (subtle, and both sound amazingly good) is fun. Also, the Had amp can be used with many different tubes and those differences are also interesting, leading to my drawer full of tubes. All manner of GLs...88s, 77s, 66s...all sounding a bit different...currently KT120s. 2 power tubes in that amp...that's right...2...ha. All my small tubes are NOS GEs because I like 'em...4 in my Freya preamp, 1 in the Had amp, and none in the XA-25 (I suppose I could put a tube in it but it would just rattle around) although when in use it I can look at the tubes in the Had. Another ha...
Amplifier Power tubes - important to sound?
i replaced all the small tubes on my mono amplifiers and now I'm left with replacing the stock Power tubes, kt88.
I like what I hear with 12 new small tubes - telefunken nos 12ax7 and 12at7.
Now I am left with replacing 16 kt88 stock JJ tubes. will Probably use Siemens 6550 nos.
How much will this impact what I hear do you think? I recall hearing that power tubes don't make that much of a difference.