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My New Manely Steelhead

I just received my new audiogon Manley Steelhead preamp. I let it warm up and I checked the tubes to make sure they were seated properly. I put it into the rack and turned it on. Lights are always a good sign. I turn the knob to MM and 47K for my cartridge Grado The Statement. The only settings I know to change. I played it for a couple hours thinking this sounds dry analytical. It did not have any life. I switched from a ARC PH3 and I was missing the romance of the PH3. The Manley does top to bottom better but lifeless. I looked at the Manely thinking what am I going to do. Sell it, but I just bought it. Then I noticed the gain setting was on 65. I changed it to 55 and immediately the sound stage grows wider and the music comes alive. Wow I just wasted 2 hours. The PH3 is now going. What a great unit. I hope nobody else makes the same mistake.
coxhaus

Showing 3 responses by apachef1

apachef1
164 posts
 
Probably one of the best. I have the vs.2 and this is one very flexible phono pre.
If you have the extra $ get a quad of 50's Bugle boy 6dj8's and a quad of Tungsol Late 40's ladder black plates. You will throw the stock tubes in the trash. What a huge difference!

Play with the settings and never mind the MC MM standard settings, you can really tailor the sound with all the setting combinations given. Manley recommends to tweak away.

apachef1
164 posts
 
My bad only two Bugle boy 6dj8's from the 50's or early 60's Tungsol 5687 black plate quad (very rare but can be found) I buy all my tubes here on the Gon from a small handful of purveyors. You dont need NOS but a decent matched pair & quad will keep the cost down

They are not gonna be cheap for NOS but the combination sounds incredible if you plan on using a higher end MC cartridge
apachef1
164 posts
 
Tube rolling never ends. I tried some Tele's 6922 and no real significant change It seems the 5687 are the key tubes to roll into the Manley Hold out for the Tungsol black plates from the late 40's Simply the best in the Manley

The 6922/6dj8 Bugles Seimans Tele's and so on will be better than the stock tubes but from one tube to another I'm not sure there is any real significant change. So I did stop with the Bugle Boy's, I have a good supply of them.

TheSteelhead is a tweakers dream!
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