My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
A symphony I recommend to those who have not had much exposure to classical music is Prokofiev's short (~ 15 minute) "Classical Symphony," a work that IMO is just about impossible to dislike. Here is an excellent video of an excellent performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5jL6Ma9tvk Regards, -- Al |
viber6453 posts01-17-2019 10:00ambigddesign3, right. I’ll add that those stoned people at the rock concert were more interested in the inner detail of the creature they were eyeing instead of the inner detail of the music, lol. >>>>>Ah, the voice of experience. 😛 |
WC, I absolutely applaud Al's recommendation of the Prokofiev Classical Symphony. You will enjoy it now, and your appreciation will grow when you get more experience with the classical style. The pieces I recommended are more flashy and dynamic, so I wanted to give you specific recos that would be least likely to put you to sleep. The most accessible example is the 1st movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Peter Schickele aka PDQ Bach gave a hilarious running commentary on the 1st movement in the 1960's as though it were a football game with all kinds of fumbles and turnarounds. You may know the quick theme, "da da da dum", which gets tossed around the orchestra like a football. It is repeated 100's of times in only a few minutes in various guises, loud and soft, bass to high pitched instruments in all the tonal colors. It is desirable to have a system with the highest resolution, so you can catch all the action with the utmost detail. It is easy to hear the theme in midrange/HF when it is loud, and harder to hear it in lower freq ranges when the orchestra may cover up the instruments playing the theme softly, so this is a great piece for audiophile testing as well. Enjoy, and I really mean it. |
To those who think concerts are a hour and a half, you never experienced the Allman Bros Band. Being old I saw them early on with Duane Allman, and many other iterations theough the years. Their average concert was 3 hours and in London in 1974 they played for 4 hours, ending with a half hour version of Whipping Post as the last train was leaving shortly. Many of us are like WC and enjoy extended listening at volume. There is a price to pay over time, but I would not trade my experiences. Different strokes for different folks as they say. All that said I enjoy early blues as well, listened to Willie Dixon’s Spoonful today as recorded by Howlin’ Wolf many years ago. |
Allman Brothers Concert 1975, Long Island, New York. I had just gotten my car, and really wasn't ready to drive there with not that much experience. So I let my older friend drive my Station Wagon (66 Dodge Monaco 383) along with 5 others. My 1st concert with General Admission, and it was as good as you could get from a band LIVE. 3 hours plus, and it was amazing how they could start jamming, and extend the songs when they felt like it. I was 17. Great time.... |
Of course, I meant classical orchestral and chamber music concerts, which are about 2 hours long. There are very long classical operatic works like Wagner's Ring cycle, which totals about 20 hours. Individual operas within that cycle are 4-5 hours, but there are intermissions, so there is about 90 min of maximum continuous music. Most operas are still only 2 hours or less. Performers are human beings who need rests from their intense work, as are listeners. It actually is work to listen carefully to best appreciate the music. |
If I understand WC’s passion for energetic music correctly, he might like something a little wilder than Prokofiev’s relatively tame Classical Symphony... Why not plunge directly into the quaking fires of The Rite Of Spring, by Igor Stravinsky... Don’t expect gushing romantic melodies here, folks.... This is a real tembler of a piece of music... Usually played by a giant orchestra with at least 113 members. Just be patient for the first three tame minutes or so, and then the chest-punching syncopating rythms start... Intoxicating, at least for me... Sure won’t be able to fall asleep with this here baby earthquake playing on the Neos *GGrins!* Many excellent performances out there.... I suggest Pierre Boulez: one of the firyest I ever heard... Talk about unrelinting timing, pace, and rythm! My negative recommendations for WC would be the recordings conducted by Igor stravinsky himself or Alfred Cortot.... Too matter of fact the former, and a little too slow the latter. I would also not recommend for WC Herbert von Karajan, which is on the lush romantic side. Of course, WC might dislike The Right Of Spring all together... And there would be nothing wrong with that. Saluti, G.
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Guido, Recently I sat up close in a 4 hand piano arrangement of The Rite of Spring. It was more violent than the orchestral version, believe it or not. This piano arrangement revealed so much that I didn't know from the orchestral version. It is extremely dynamic, but the piece has so much complexity that I think WC is better off at first with the popular pieces I mentioned. Also, the recordings of von Karajan are on the DG label, where the recording philosophy is lush and spacious which detracts from the excitement of these hard hitting pieces. Boulez recordings are on Columbia Records, now Sony Classical. Sony recordings have been criticized for stridency in some cases, but their upfront sound character suits these exciting pieces. WC, for a short exciting solo piano piece, go for the last movement of the Beethoven Moonlight Sonata, only about 5 min of fast, furious dynamics, especially in the recording by pianist Vladimir Horowitz. You won't doze off, but if you do, a few seconds later a loud quick outburst will charge you up. |
Ladies and gentlemen: tonight I’ve done more serious listening between the dac pacific Lampizator and ref10. This week I added the wireworld platinum 7 powercord to the dac and I am now using platinum 7 xlr from the ref10 to the amps. Last weekend when I did the shootout I was using wireworld silver 8 xlr to connect the amps to the preamp. I chose the ref10 over the pacific lampi because it was more forgiving with bad music and just threw a bigger sound overall. The dac was less forgiving but still stellar sounding nonetheless. Anyhow as I said above, I added the platinum silver 7 powercord to the dac and platinum 7 xlr to the preamp/amp connection. I’ve been listening to the dac as a preamp for the last 3 days after adding the platinum 7 powercord cord. I let my ears simmer in the sound and get as acquainted as possible with the sound. Today, I fired up the ref10 and began to do a/b comparisons and I am now gauging things better. The ref10 is huge sounding with air around the instruments and clarity in spades. It has been the only preamp that woke up my revel salon 2s in regards to the bass. It added a ton of fun to every single songs that I’ve played through it. It has never ever disappointed me. That said, I can now honestly say that things have shifted and I am now leaning towards the pacific lampi. Reasons why: 1. It sounds liquid and very detailed at low volumes. This volume level is what I mainly have to listen to when I do late night listening. The ref 10s relaxed presentation stays relaxed at lower volumes and that makes it a little harder for me to pick up the same level of detail as the Pacific DAC. 2. The dac sounds as if the singer brings the mic closer to his mouth while the ref10 does not. This effect helps tremendously when I listen to music videos (YouTube videos) which I do listen to here and there in order to see how much clarity a component can dig out from an old music video from the 80s or 90s. This exercise has been crucial for me in the past especially when testing a cable’s ability to absorb noise. 3. I had the wife sit down and listen to both while blind folded. She kept picking up the lampizator. She said the ref10s was somewhat warm sounding. With that said, this could be the start of a new adventure in terms of preamplification. I’m shocked to say the least but my ears have identified something that is stimulating and really amazing. I want to keep tweaking the sound of the lampizator with other things I have in mind. I also still need to get powecords for my monoblocks. The entire set up will have silver cables throughout in order keep things with synergy. This is super exciting and incredible. I never thought this dac would grow on me so much over the past few days but I can’t deny facts. What a spectacular component. I DO NOT REGRET FOR ONE SECOND not having bought the MSB dac. |
WC, Right on with your perceptive observations. Your wife has good ears also. How are you doing with some of the classical pieces rec by me, Guido, Al? The Prokofiev Classical Symphony rec by Al is only moderately loud at natural live levels. Peaks of 85-90 dB, most of it 60-70’s, much subtle details at 30-40 dB. You can listen to this piece at nearly live levels at night. The Lampi will reveal the low level detail best, which is important for full appreciation of classical pieces. Most classical digital recordings after 1990 are not harsh, so the ref 10 won’t be needed to soften the sound, and will be at a disadvantage by submerging the low level detail. |
WC, Question? They make a Lampizator Pacific with Balanced XLRs out and the Volume Control. I know that you already own a single ended one, but there is the possibility that the XLR version of the Pacific. It will have more gain and a lower noise floor for even blacker backrounds. XLR balanced to a high quality amp is usually better. I know that you would lose a little money selling your existing one....But the rewards could be more than any other upgrade or change you can make for your system. Also, who knows what will sound better.... no preamp or ARC Ref 10. You have come this far, and it is a possibility that the Pacific with XLR will bring better sound. Just a thought from the thinker, Me. |
Techno, i agree with you. Let’s just wait and see first if that’s the route I want to take. I need to try different xlrs with ref10 and the platinum powecords too. Before I decide to eliminate anything, I gotta be sure because all of the gear I own right now doesn’t show up on the used market often. 2 of my friends are advising against me selling the ref10. They say it’s a massive mistake if I’m going to continue trying amps. I agree with that statement. |
WC, Agree with bigddesign3. The most important thing to do is get the balanced version of the Lampi. You will get 6 dB more gain, which will make any additional preamp unnecessary for most music, unless you are still addicted to euphonics. For maximum detail, ditch the additional preamp with its distortions. Also, the optimum position of the volume control for the highest needed volume is near wide open, for purity and fine gradations of volume options. If an additional preamp's gain at your max volume is mid position, you are getting a little more distortion. The differences between RCA and XLR cables are much less than the big advantages of using the XLR for its additional 6 dB output. If you still want even more gain in order to try amps with very low gain, many preamps with less euphonics than the ref 10 would be suitable, such as ref 6, Lux C900 especially for its tone controls, Block, Momentum if it has tone controls, etc. |
Viber, You say a lot in this thread over and over and all to often you don't know what you're talking about. You have no direct experience with high performance DACs nor any of WC's equipment or anything remotely close to their performance. How can you make any judgements or critique of the Ref10's euphonics? Switching to many other preamps as you suggest will almost certainly destroy the magic that WC has achieved in this system. Been there done that with trying a ton of preamps in the 90s to the mid 2000s. It is damn difficult to achieve that magic and once you hear it, there is no going back. Time after time, a more detailed line stage is all too often a sterile line stage. Changing to a balanced DAC guarantees nothing! 6db is not that significant compared to a preamp's output swing vs. that of a source's output....unless that source too has a significant gain stage. And all too often, the source's volume control is not of the same caliber to that in many of the top tier line stages. |
WC, another thing to research is tube rolling in the DAC. Not only can this affect a multitude of audio parameters, it can also affect the resultant gain of the DAC. Many Lampizator products support several different kinds of tube types. Upon initial purchase, for some products, the buyer can select what types Lampizator will install. I have played with a number of different tube types and brands in the Lampi Big 6 for 4 years and the efforts have been very rewarding. Do some research on compatible types supported by your DAC, and contact the Lampizator distributor for some ideas here as well. WC, now is the time I really wish you had my Silent Source Ref IC's again. And a Dream State Dream Catcher power cord might also knock your socks off on the Ref 10 or DAC. Have you experimented with power conditioners at all? One very cheap thing to keep your eyes out for is a Running Springs Haley power conditioner. I tried a bunch of "conditioners" a decade ago in the $2-3k range. And then one day I tried the Haley and it significantly outperformed all I had tried before. I then took it to a friend's home. He was running a pair of Plinius 102's into updated Dunlavy SCIV's, and the detail and clarity was stunning. We inserted the Haley and it instantly outperformed his beloved Shuyata Hydra conditioner. The Haley would be perfect for the 3-4 components in your system...less the amps of course. They are $600-800 on the used market and you could sell it for what you paid for it if it did not bring anything more to the table for you after running with it for a month or so. |
jafox, Cut out your disrespect for my comments. Your musical expertise is unlikely to hold a candle to mine. Whatever equipment I haven't heard, I gain insight from WC's accurate descriptions, so my comments have validity. Euphonics as described by WC are the opposite of accuracy, which you may not value, but WC certainly honestly states the difference. |
Viber6 I have to agree with Jafox. you come off as almighty... like you know everything and everyone should listen to you because you know it all. It is you who is being disrespectful with your Almightyness You do not have the experience of most of the equipment that you talk about and comment on . Most people here know better than try to talk about equipment they haven’t heard. You go as far as trying to say that A is better than B.. even though you have never heard either. Above in your post you even try to tell WC where the distortion will come on the volume . Also, the optimum position of the volume control for the highest needed volume is near wide open, for purity and fine gradations of volume options. If an additional preamp’s gain at your max volume is mid position, you are getting a little more distortionWTF |
viber6 posted12-09-2018 12:52pmOK, my book here is now ending, except I will occasionally offer a brief thanks to anyone presenting interesting info in a dignified manner. I apologize if I have offended anyone disagreeing with me, but even in those cases valid points were made. I have learned from all of you, and I wish everyone well on their own personal audio journeys. For anyone who wishes to communicate with me, I welcome your emails, russlaud at gmail. I won’t post anywhere else. Thanks and good luck. No judgment, but Mr. viber, you really are proving to be a talking head, for better or for worse. |
Viber, Your musical expertise is unlikely to hold a candle to mine.This is the epitome of arrogance. You have no idea what my knowledge base is on the subject material here. This thread is not about "musical expertise" but about experience and lessons learned to assemble a musical system, WC's system, which has slowly become nearly the state of the art of home systems in the last 2 or so years. My comments were not disrespectful at all. You repeatedly comment here on subjects, e.g., strengths/weaknesses of specific components, how they compare with other components and within a system, etc., that you have zero experience. A number of other members here have stated the same about your comments. Whatever equipment I haven't heard, I gain insight from WC's accurate descriptions, so my comments have validity. Euphonics as described by WC are the opposite of accuracy, which you may not value, but WC certainly honestly states the difference.Yes he does, honestly indeed, and as he states, in the context of his system in his home, with his music and his listening biases. I too gain some insights from what he shares. But his comments do not validate anything beyond all those criteria. WC has become highly respected here, but as a number of readers have stated, they have some different experiences with some of the same gear. My system too would likely be described as euphonic by some. But I don't need to be a symphony orchestra member to know the accurate sound of an instrument nor the human voice. I can go upstairs and hit keys on the piano and then go back downstairs and compare/evaluate any two components in my current system and know which implementation more closely matches the overall character of what I heard upstairs. There is a delicate balancing act to achieve tonal accuracy, low-level information retrieval, dynamics and the 3-dimensionality. That last element is the attribute that again and again is lacking in so many systems I have heard in homes, dealers and shows. Long ago I chose to initially focus on that. And since then, I have slowly worked to address the other attributes to refine my system. If I did not value accuracy, I would not have spent a good part of my income over the last 42 years to chase the experience to achieve a hint of the real performance in my home. My college Marantz 2325 receiver, BIC 980 TT and Pioneer HPM 100 speakers would likely still be in use today. Let's be honest about euphonics. It was Audio Research almost single handily that responded to the sudden sterility of sound coming from the "modernization" of audio equipment based on solid state devices. The SP3,6,8,10, all were incredibly inaccurate and yet they brought the listener back to the enjoyment of the music. As an owner of the SP-10 long ago for 8 years, I was very aware of its flaws but at that time, it was outstanding compared to its competition. I followed it with ARC line/phono stages 4 or so ARC generations later, and then ultimately moved on through 3 other product lines to achieve what I have today. The SP-10 experience has much to do with my system's performance today and it was not the detail, it was the 3D. This IS EXACTLY what WC is experiencing today. He is now working to retain this magic with some system refinements. I applaud what he has done and to not let others push him to do what he does not want to do! |
Having met WCss a few times and hearing his system a few weeks ago, i can HONESTLY SAY he has in my ears one of the best systems i have ever heard and this INCLUDES DEALERS. Sure, he needs to do some room treatments and sure it would be better in a dedicated space where those Neoliths can breathe more, but DO NOT MISTAKE THIS. EVEN IN HIS CURRENT ROOM, things sound just insane. I happened to hear the Musical Fidelity Titan, the Lampizator Pacific and the block audios in his home. I don’t think i have met many people with so much amazing gear all in one place. What he is trying to accomplish is something that most of us couldn’t do either due to financial reasons or lack of patience to keep trying component after component. Think about it, how many threads are going on RIGHT NOW that have more audio equipment opinions than this man has here? NONE! and this is WHY we all keep coming back to read. I also don’t know how the heck he keeps doing this even after some of you are harsh or simply disrespectful with comments about his buying practices. He buys, tries, gives us his feedback, then sells it off in order to move on to the next item. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY AUDIOPHILES DO THIS??? ALOT! but they don’t have a blog like WCss does, but yet he still deals with the criticism. Finally, i applaud him for not letting anyone deviate from what he wants to review or do with his system. It is HIS MONEY and it is HIS BACK that does the lifting. He is not asking ANYTHING FROM US other than to be part of his journey and/opinions. If you have the chance to ever meet him, believe me you will learn so much more and he is far more transparent than many people i know. |
I believe that the Lampizator Pacific is a great DAC. Tubes are so nice to have somewhere in the system with Solid State amplification. I pointed out that the Lampizator Pacific is available with XLR outputs. And thus the gain is increased, and the noise floor is decreased. Even if you use the ARC Ref 10 in the chain... the XLR outputs should garner better sound. I don't think for a minute, that WCSS should sell his ARC Ref 10. Funny thing......... I own the Audio Alchemy DDP-1 with the PS-5 external power supply. It's a DAC/Preamp/Head amp. It's a perfect example of a DAC with all proper design elements. Having a volume control with the proper gain and separate power supplies for digital and analog. |
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I could see the Lampizator Pacific DAC run directly into the Block Mono's as an end to a long journey for me and many other posters on this thread but not for WCSS. I envision many more amps, maybe another DAC and possibly another pair of speakers flying through 'casa de Camaro' this year. I can't think of a better 'constant' or 'hub' than the Ref 10 to help evaluate any new gear....wouldn't let that one go.
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Hi all, im now switching some cables around and I’m using a gold 8 wireworld rca for the dac and the platinum 8 rca that was used on the dac is now the cable being used to connect the preamp to the amp. I find the presentation better but I don’t know if it beats the dac being connected to the amp directly. It’s EXACTLY what I’ve been saying before; the preamp widens the sound and makes recordings that don’t typically sound good such as rap, r&b, 90s, 80s, etc sound more pleasant. It feels like they are more impressive and smooth with great bass control. It’s as if the ref10 puts a layer of “butter” on the imperfect recordings and makes them sound extremely good. I also find the ref10 better when using xlr as the output cable rather than rca. It could also be the block audios just liking the xlr better. That said, the dac has an insane amount of clarity especially at that 90db and under. It becomes probably a tad more liquid and with a deeper midrange than the ref10. If you want to listen to the neoltihs at levels where you just want to see how impressive the presentation can get then the ref10 does it far far better. It has that extremely loud volume that can make the block audios scream and show you their potential at loud volumes. In addition to that, you don’t get any fatigue because the ref10 doesn’t let that happen. It’s a pretty difficult situation because one does excellent at a certain volume level and the other one at a different level. It’s like deciding between a 1/4 mile race car or top end car. Do you want to beat everyone in the 1/4? Or do you want to fly by them at 130mph and leave them in the rear view mirror ? Have you all ever watched a 1/4 mile race where one car keeps beating the other but that losing car was catching that car and if the race didn’t end at the 1/4mile mark then the other car would have passed the wining car? That is EXACTLY the best way to put it. |
A person with expertise is not to be called arrogant or spewing nonsense. In most fields, the expert is well paid, appreciated and respected. When you are a passenger on a plane, you don't persecute the pilot who holds your life in his hands. There are many other obvious examples. In the case of audio, it is impossible to have a valid opinion without enough musical expertise, otherwise it is just a random trial and error process of spending money on toys without anything meaningful being accomplished. I don't expect any payment for my musical AND audio expertise, and there are plenty of people who value my input. And I don't assassinate the character of anyone I disagree with. The real technical experts here, such as almarg and bill_k, just give useful info without engaging in any nasty comments. Forthwith, I won't respond to anyone not offering proper respect. |
Viber6
Spouting off at every opportunity as you do does not earn respect. You think you must comment on everything as if you know everything. .That is why you come off as a Pompus now it all. Your opinion is better served on equipment that you have heard or used. You try to tell people what is better than the other based on what others say, .This is not VALUABLE or wanted by others. Almarg and Bill_k are respected here because they do not spout of in the same manner as you. The people on thread have spoken, but, once again , you are too Pompus and Almighty to understand or be able to accept that. |
Hi WCss, After taking a lot of time to read through this informative thread, it looks like one of the components on my candidate amplifier list is one you would suggest (Diablo 300). I have B&W 803 D2's, and I don't think I listen as loud as you. One concern I have with the Diablo 300 is whenever you've compared with the Luxman 509X, you indicate that the Luxman is more musical and has sweeter mids. I know this is simply a comparison between these two, but would the Diablo be lacking in these areas compared with other options at the same price point? I'd be interested in the Luxman, but I'm guessing it would not be enough power for my 803 D2's and my rather large listening room (system is in a living room that is rather small, but is open concept and extends to dining room and kitchen, all with high vaulted ceilings). On the other hand, as I mentioned I do listen at lower volumes than you 70-85dB. Thoughts? |
I’d recommend that you buy the Diablo. You got a pretty big room and the Diablo would help with the bass since those speakers are bass shy. Nothing is really lacking with the Diablo and you wouldn’t notice what I mention because you’d need to own the luxman in order to tell them apart. Both are great integrateds but have a different presentation. Gryphon is muscular sounding and luxman is sweeter sounding. |
grey9hound, It is not necessary to hear every component yourself to have a valid comment. If WC or any reliable listener factually describes something as having a euphonic sound, you can make valid statements based on experiences with components you have heard that have this type of sound. In your case, you have heard solid state amps with dry sound that you don’t like, so if WC described the Boulder as such, you would not consider trying the Boulder in your system. You could make a totally correct statement that the Boulder PROBABLY is not good for a listener who wants sweet, laid back sound. If you went further and said the Boulder DEFINITELY is not good for a listener who wants sweet, laid back sound, I wouldn’t jump on you and accuse you of being the all-knowing ALMIGHTY--I would accept the possible inaccuracy of your statement but give you the benefit of the doubt and give you credit for a valid and useful comment. Useful, because someone who, like you, hates that type of sound, knows to avoid it, and also for someone who likes that type of sound, to consider it for their system. |
WC, Although I have no experience with either the Pacific or those tubes, I suggest you get specific info from your sources as to why they prefer something. Grey9hound made a specific tube recommendation if you wanted to soften the sound--that is more useful than a source telling you to get this or that. |
WC, The changing of the audio tubes can be very costly especially if you want to compare a few to each other. The KR PX4's are pushing $800-1000 for a pair. Also, the new Western Electric 300B is now available and these are $1400 a pair. I was about to jump on these for the VAC 30/30 amp I had but now it is sold. I suggest you send a message on the USA lampizator.com site and ask them if they have any insight as to the pros/cons of the above and others. The WE tube was a power amp tube so it may not be suitable here, but I would check. On the Lampizator europe site, here is some information about the tubes used for the Pacific: https://www.lampizatorpoland.com/ordering-pacific Be sure to ask about gain differences too. One quick and easy and cheap thing here is to play with the rectifier tube. The type stated here is 5U4G or 274B. My experiences with the Counterpoint and Aria preamps and the Lampi Big6 DAC is that rolling the rectifier tube can be a HUGE difference. Just get on eBay, and buy a few different kinds. They are crazy cheap compared to the audio tubes, and even if they are not NOS, you might get much life out of the them, or at least have them as backup when you have a failed stock tube. When I tried this process myself, I bought 3/4 different pairs and found that I much preferred the RCA version of the rectifier tube I got on eBay over the tubes that came with the Big6. Try the JAN, Sylvania, RCA, etc. They are $15-30 and they might just knock your socks off. John |
Just saw this "How It's Made" Video on this page when checking out those KR PX4 Tubes. It shows from start to finish. Pretty cool stuff. https://www.tubedepot.com/t/brands/kr-audio |
@WC if you are in cables you can check these japanese https://acousticrevive.jp/. WW cables actually have the same concept design which reduce eddy current phenomena that developed in japan in the 70s and this japanese made did a better job as that. I tried WW cables for my headphone and I consider WW very focused and clear sounding compare to other. and I believe that to do with eddy current things. |
Viber6 I said that you can get different tubes to give a more relaxed presentation. I did not have any in mind because I do not know which different tubes it can use .. I am not familiar with and have not used any 300B or equivalents But as far as 5U4G. I think my big 6 used that rectifier and I remember that I preferred the Mullard brown base Coke Bottle shape CV378 |
Hi WC, If the Lampizator uses a 5U4G for rectification you can drop in a 5R4GY. It draws less current for the filament so no problems there. I used these in rotation and like them both but used the later more. The 5R4GY has a slightly lighter, more detailed sound. Not expensive so pick a few different |
WC, that was posted before I had finished. Was saying try a few as they all sound a little different. The Western Electric 274B is reputed to be the best but because of the crazy price I have never tried one. A question for you. My treasured Mark Levinson 23.5 has developed a loud hum and I need to consider replacing it. It is ancient. I have earmarked either Sim audio 860 or the Plinius. Any suggestion. I know you sold the 860 |
Here is a bunch of tube trials in the Lampizator Pacific Dac http://hifiknights.com/reviews/sources/lampizator-pacific-the-glassy-story/ Where to buy these tubes https://best300b-com.myshopify.com/collections/bestsellers |
WC, Tube rolling is obviously a complex subject. I believe it all boils down to the specs of each tube, and not a particular brand. Manufacturing quality control is variable, which produces different specs. That's why I would call Roger Modjeski who grades the tubes according to spec tolerances. Discuss the Lampi and what sound you want with him. Nobody does transistor rolling for SS equipment--you expect the SS manufacturer to do the matching and get the designed specs of the whole circuit. But tube rolling is akin to redesigning the parameters of the circuit, which might explain the large variations in sound with different tubes, both in specs and material variations not measurable by standard specs. Just my intuitions. |
