Just ordered my Supratek Chenin Preamp

Bartokfan.You bring up a good point.....What is it with these Supratek people! Why hasn't that Supratek thread DIED long ago,5 years old....crazy. Did you read where many of them had to wait up to 8 months for the bloody thing!!!And this is the guys first tube equiptment ever!!!I can't stop laughing while Im writting this. Hi Ait,Yes the Chenin in piano black and chrome are striking,wait till you see and hear it in your system. Cheers

Hi Ait,When you take delivery of your Chenin and log acouple of hundred hours on it.Heed Ecclectique advise on changing the power supply rectifier tube.With a good close matched sides n.o.s.rectifier.This single tube change will have a profound effect on the sonics of your Chenin.I have tried many,giving each one time to settle in for a period of weeks.My personal choice came down to a 1954 Bendix 6106,both sides measure exact,100%.I bought a few until I found one with exact matched sides.This tube was recommended by Ecclectique.Prices vary from $20.and up for single n.o.s.Bendix.You can spend up to $300. for a single n.o.s.1950s metal base Philips Mini Watt GZ-34....However,I find the Bendix equally good in my power supply.It boils down to liking a personal sonic flavour.Regulators are the next pair that will have a huge effect.Again tried a few,early 1950s brown base smoked glass n.o.s.matched Genelex KT-66s $$$,and Genelex Gold Lion $$$.Ecclectique recommended a 6F6G in the regulator position.This tube is old and was used in early radios,juke boxes,some early audio amps and t.v.s.It is a great audio tube. A n.o.s. pair can run from $8.00 apair at a vintage radio flea market and up.Audio tube venders are selling pairs of these 6F6Gs for $30.and up.I requested matched pairs from a vender and bought afew.I then checked them with my own tube tester.Good old Andy of Vintage Tube Services.According to Ecclectique it is very important to have a matched pair of regulator tubes,the closer the match the better.Im using late n.o.s. 1930s Sylvania 6F6g that are mirror matched.Thanks to Ecclectique and his expert advise.I love them.In the end I spent $50 for three replacement tubes,that sonically stomped the piss out of the stock Russian tubes that came with my Chenin.I put the stock tubes back in,listened to one side of a L.P.,out they came.The 6F6gs hands down out performed the $$$Genelex Kt-66s in the Supratek design .The key here is to be patient....Give your new Chenin time to burn in thoroughly....Then start with replacing the rectifier tube. Give the tube time to burn in,50 plus hours. The Bendix takes 100s of hours.If you find a good one,it is well worth it.Don't worry about the other tubes for now.You may like what you hear with the stock ones.

Dynaudio Special 25s, Quad 63s ,Atma-Sphere M-60 Mk2.2 monoblocks, zero problems.

Hi Jek, The Bendix 6106 electrical specs. are close to the 5y3gt and could be used as a substitute. However,the Bendix is a indirect heated full wave rectifier and the 5y3gt is a directly heated full wave rectifier.Meaning,if you used a directly heated rectifier in your power supply.The other tubes in your pre would recieve a blast of full voltage before they had a chance to warm up and stabilize in the circuit.This blast of voltage would strip the cathode out of your other tubes very quickly on start up......If you are going to try other rectifiers ,make sure test values on both sides are very close or even mirror matched.If not you could get a chugging weird noise out of it.Its also important that the regulators are matched very closely,the regulators work directly with the rectifier.If you buy these tubes from a vender,request matched sides in the rectifier and matched pairs for the regulators,within 1 to 2 MA.would be best.Your ears will appreciate the great 6f6g and 6106 combo.I have afew select n.o.s. mirror matched 6f6gs Im contemplating selling,including a n.o.s.factory 5 pack of Sylvanias that are all perfect matched, all five matched with in 1 MA.of each other......I was on Micks site last night and see his Malbec amps will be available very soon,anyone here going to be the first to order a pair?