Aric Audio Super 2A3 owners - favorite tubes?

@evank Interesting! Well I might be interested should you choose to move them, depending on cost.

That's good re: the spatials. The new Q3 models (pretty huge) threw out one of the most 3D soundstages I've heard in person. Pretty magical!

@vthokie83 Please do! Would love to hear your thoughts (plus could be beneficial for others who come across this thread with the same questions).

@carlsbad2 Thanks. My amp is 2A3 only, so 300B is not going to work in it.

I'll check out the EML 5U4G though!

@tvad I'll keep an eye out for those!

@carlsbad2 oh interesting. I'll take a look at those. I didn't even realize that was a thing!

@tvad AFAIK 5U4G and 5U4 are one in the same. The G just refers to it being glass and the NOS G's tend to be the 'coke bottle' shape, with the GB being the straight bottles. Forgive me if I'm incorrect though. I currently have NOS RCA 5U4G (coke bottle) rectifiers in, which replaced the 5U4GBs that were in there stock (don't remember what they were off the top of my head though - nothing fancy).

@carlsbad2 that and the fact that they are near $900/each, which is probably an even bigger deterrent. Lot of money to spend for a test! 😅 I assume they'd likely be pretty difficult to re-sell too, if they weren't the right fit preference wise.

@alexberger I have actually looked into the Linlai e-6SN7. From reviews, they seem to be superb tubes. A bit spendy for new production, but if they have the performance to back it up, then it is worth it. In the Aric, the pre-amp tubes make an enormous difference in the overall sound. There's also plenty of space to accommodate those larger tubes from Linlai. I'll have to see if Grant Fidelity will do a trio for a deal versus buying a pair + overpriced single.

@evank Interesting! What didn't you like about them? What tubes do you prefer personally?

Also side note - how do you like those spatial speakers? I heard their new Q3 at SWAF in March and was entranced, to say the least.

@alexberger  i typically like to stay away from grey market or ebay for tubes (especially new production) unless they are cheap tubes. Like I'm not going to be upset if a $10 DHT tube for my DAC is bad but I'm going to be upset if $150 preamp tubes are. Just personal preference though!

Has anyone used the KR 54UG or Sophia Electric 54UG? Bonus if you've used them and compared with EML Mesh 54UG or NOS RCA 54UGs.

@vthokie83 Thanks for the heads up. I'd never come across his website before. I'll check it out!

@vthokie83 Congratulations! How are you liking them so far?

I just finished trying the Linlai e-6sn7 tubes vs my sylvania 6sn7GTs and I actually wound up preferring the Linlais, believe it or not. In my system, they just sounded more open and airy with a slightly larger sound stage. Pleasantly surprised and will likely pick up a couple more sets to have as backups.

Swapping from the 5U4GB to the 5U4G was an improvement for me - mostly better bass presence. I’ve yet to determine if there’s much sonic difference between brands of 5U4G just yet.

I’ve looked into PSVane tubes in the past, but have heard horror stories about the QC on them, with a large % being DOA or lasting not long at all before burning out. Grant Fidelity had big QC problems with them - even among their supposed pre-screened tubes - and ultimately stopped selling their tubes all together for a variety of reasons. Hopefully you have a better experience with them.

YMMV compared to my findings, but thought I’d share!

EDIT: should get some photos up on your virtual system page :)

@vthokie83 haha! I totally get what you mean. Huge amount of value from Aric's gear.

Interesting notes re: chinese tubes. I know that Shuguang is basically gone since they had a plant fire or something, and Linlai folks left PSVane due to a dispute and they have a...not great relationship. Lot of drama in the tube world haha.

Have fun tube rolling! It's an expensive endeavor for a while until things get settled, for sure. I'm still not done trying things out myself, and have spent almost as much as an amp in tubes alone 🤪

@1markr Will keep my eyes out for any of the Svetlanas. I've been waiting for the Linlai 5U4G to come back in stock with Grant Fidelity. Hopefully sometime soon. They're nicely priced. I have the opportunity to get some KR 5U4G tubes, but they are SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive.

@alexberger The Linlai E-6SN7 was a bit of a shock - and still is - since in my experience NOS was pretty much always better. But here recently, I've been especially impressed with these Linlais and the EML mesh plate 2a3s I got. I am glad that there are some contemporary producers making high quality tubes that sound fantastic. NOS will run out eventually (and continue to shoot up in price until they do), so can't rely on them forever!

The only bummer for me is that the Super 2a3 amp from aric has the 6SL7 and 6SN7 tubes too close together to accommodate these larger tubes. I'd love to experiment with using the linlai tubes in the amp as well. I could get away with replacing just one, though, so I may get 2 matched pairs when I order more and keep two for the amp - one for use and one for backup. Worst comes to worst and it doesn't work as well in my amp, I'll just have an extra set for my pre-amp and be set for the forseeable future. Never hurts to have extra tubes around.

I'll be getting some KR 2A3s in the near future and am interested in seeing how they compare to the EMLs.

@vthokie83 The problem is they are aligned right in front of each other rather than side to side, so its a front/back distance that is the issue and it's quite close. I'm not sure I'd want to put anything but standard sized tubes there from a cooling perspective. It would really need to be either significantly higher or offset by a couple inches.

I'm still using the bad boy 6SN7 tube there, plus a fairly expensive NOS RCA 6SL7/5691 red base that was something like $200 for just the one. I may swap the 6SN7 for a linlai just to test, but that's probably it I think! The NOS 5691 is pretty excellent.

@paul_lindemann I'll see if I can track down one of the Tong Sols. I only need one 6SL& tube for my amp, so it shouldn't be too difficult, I'd imagine!

@jake18aa Congratulations on your 2a3 from Aric! I still love mine. Over the past year, I've tried a few different 2a3 tube options...

Linlai 2a3 (stock)
Svetlana SV-2a3 (2C4C) NOS (ok but nothing special)
EML 2a3-S meshplate (close second)
KR audio 2a3 (current favorite, though somewhat hard to find)

For the 6SN7, I've used the Linlai E-6SN7 (not the china market model) and NOS Sylvania JAN 6SN7GT VT-231 2 Hole Bad Boy, Black Plate. I found using 3 (2 in my pre and 1 in the amp) of the same tube option to be a little much. For me, putting an e-6SN7 on the amp and 2x the JAN 6SN7GT on the pre balanced out the sound nicely for me. The sylvanias are nice and musical, but too much of a good thing can end up getting a little 'sloppy.' The E-6SN7s are a lot crisper and more detailed, but running three of them ends up getting harsh and fatiguing after a little while (though initially it can be a bit dazzling).

For the 6SL7 tube, I ended up going with an NOS RCA 5691 red base. I did not notice a huge difference in overall sound properties by changing this tube, however.

One thing I did pick up after a recommendation from a friend were the Herbies Tenderfoot feet for all of my aric amps. I was skeptical at first, but they really made a nice improvement overall, especially with vocals for me.

Couple more notes since I meant to talk about the 2a3s (oops):

The EML meshplates have a very big soundstage, but it's a little on the unnatural side of things sometimes, and can sometimes be a little too crisp for me. If you're okay with it being a little bit on the crazy side, they're wonderful! I still do like them, but the KRs just edged them out.

The KRs ended up being a wonderful middle ground - nice detail and bass without being too analytical and sharp. Musical and non-fatiguing. Nice soundstage without being over the top or unrealistic. They're a bit pricey and hard to track down, but worth the trouble.

Honestly though, the black glass Linlais are a really great value for the money. Performance is quite good for a new production, budget tube. To get much better you are looking at 3x+ the price point unless you get lucky with some random NOS models.

@jake18aa I have my virtual system posted on my profile if you want to see what else I am running, but my speakers are Coherent Audio The 18s.

Have fun tube rolling! It is fun, frustrating, and expensive all at once!

@jake18aa Thanks!

I used to have Tannoys - though not any of the really fancy ones or GR line. I considered upgrading down the line, but didn't feel like I heard what I was looking for until I got up to the Kensington and higher in the range, and they were too expensive and too huge.

I do love the dual-concentric/coaxial style speakers though. Very addicting sound!

Enjoy your new amp!!