LaScala dac with telefunken tubes

@jred57-

Hi!

I have the La Scala set up as Lalit describes- it’s a really nice DAC. The presentation is very revealing and is especially nice with instrumental recordings. What DAC are you currently using?

@whipsaw-

I’ve not tried the newer Gold Lion tubes in my La Scala as it was made prior to Aqua making the change from Telefunken. I haven’t experimented with tube voicing in my DAC- as you know there are many opinions and options out there.

I have to say though that after switching to the NOS Tele the difference was immediately noticeable- especially in bass reproduction. It would be interesting to see how the Genelex compares to the NOS tubes I have- maybe I’ll pick up a set.

@whipsaw-

I agree with that statement- no doubt that Aqua would have made that change if they didn’t feel it to be a vertical move. I do find the subject of “tube rolling” fascinating though and personally wouldn’t be opposed to experiencing the available options. It definitely requires a level of trust with a reputable dealer as only each individual can define their preferences and the world of NOS tubes can become an expensive habit! 
I’m not sure how much research you’ve done on the subject but I found the descriptions at Brent Jesse’s site to be interesting. The tubes for the Aqua La Scala can be found here

@cey-

I can’t really comment on the difference between the newer Gold Lion vs Tele (meaning the $50 tubes available today). I know this happened sometime after the Optologic version of the DAC was offered but not sure what drove the change. My Optologic was made in 2018 and came with Tele’s (which is why I upgraded a NOS Tele).

@terry9-

Do you regularly try different tubes for voicing the equipment you own? Which suppliers do you use?

@tomcy6-

The Telefunken tubes that came in my DAC were not NOS tubes (as stated in my post). I upgraded to NOS after the tubes supplied with the DAC had been used for 3 years.