Clipsal,
What are you using in the 6sn7 position? Have you tried a 6f6g in the regulator position yet? |
what position are most people using on the gain switches behind the 6sn7s? (forward or back) |
Larry,
the contact info for Revelation Audio can be found here:
http://www.revelationaudiolabs.com/contact/index.htm. |
I'm new Chardonnay owner and new to Audiogon. As I have tried to follow this thread, I'm wondering ..What preamp/benchmark did you all own prior to the purchase of your Supratek? |
Kgturner,
What tubes have you settled into with your Chardonnay? |
Did you have the stock Sovtek 5881 prior to the KT66?
My Chardonnay is sounding a bit 'closed-in'. After only two weeks of light use, more burn-in hopfully will open it up? |
Colink04,
Thanks. What a wonderful community. It is nice to see all of the enthusiasm, exploration, and sharing of ideas. I have always had a place in my heart for tubes but have been on sabbatical (kids, work.. etc) from the hobby/passion for sometime. Supratek was a new name for me and I stumble across them (strangely enough) while googling for a tube preamp with HT bypass. At first sight, I was quite enamored by the form, style and grace of the Supratek product line and, after reading this tread, was pushed (maybe a leap of faith) to buy a yet un-auditioned preamp from a distant time zone.
So here I am with a new Chardonnay, patently waiting for the burn-in and perhaps going through a similar process many of you have experienced. As so many on this thread have said...be patient. So I will be patient before touching the rectifier tube:).
One thing is for sure, this ‘looker’ of a preamp does a great job at differentiating recorded music. There sure is a lot of poorly recorded/produced music out there! I'm wondering what impact the mp3 generation will have? I began my journey with the album, then came the promise of CD, and now I have MP3s on my phone music for the masses .
A topic for another thread Alas, this thread is for Supratek and all it captures excitement, fun and exploration. |
How would you compare the sound of the Syrah to the Cortese? |
Any opinions on a CD player that works well with the Chardonnay in the 2-3 k range?
I’ve read positive reviews on both Lector and Rega products. |
Slowhand,
I understand from the thread that a significant difference is heard in the Chardonnay/Syrah when swapping the stock rectifier for something else. The predominant rectifier tube experience is split between the bendix 6106 and the 5AR4. Were to start the tube rolling, with a NOS Philips Miniwatt METAL BASE or a bendix 6106? IMHO the 5AR4 seems more consistent with the Supratek documentation but there are many happy listeners out there with the 6106. I want to first commit to a rectifier and then swap the other tubes out in a systematic fashion. |
Has anyone ever hear a hum emanating from the power supply after extended play time. Sounds like a transformer hum. Not a ground fault problem...nothing from the speakers, just from power supply. |
Are Suprateks 'hard' on tubes? How many hours can you get on a strong set of 6sn7 tubes? A good Rectifier (metal base)? With the high cost of 350b tubes, what is its liftime as a regulator? Mick's info suggests 10,000 hours. Is this playing out in the field? |
Kgturner,
How are your Malbecs sounding? Over time, has their sound changed during break-in? |
Bopo,
I'm not sure if this is similar to your situation but I had a problem with transformer hum coming from both my SS amp and Chardonnay power supply. The hum/buzz came from the power supply and not from the speakers and was audible from several feet away. Through some experimentation.. unpluging various AC sources, I discovered that when my plasma TV was on the same AC circuit the hum/buzz appeared. Now with the plasma TV is on a separate circuit and a PS-Audio Hum Buster in line, everything is nice and quiet. Apparently rogue DC current on your AC line can 'rattle' transformers.
Dave |
Here is a link with some more info on transformer hum induced by DC on your AC line.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-83784.html |
Hi King,
Not sure if you caught this great thread (http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1112733965&) on tuberolling in the Supratek.
I have a Chardonnay that I purchased last year. After some of burn-in with the stock tubes, I found the sound a bit thin and subsequently did some tube rolling per the experience and recommendation on this thread. After trying many different 6sn7s, and regulator tube varieties, and also many different permutations of each, I arrived at my current tube components which are also, BTW, sited by many on this thread! (National Union 350b, Tung-Sol 6sn7gt RP and a Bendix 6106). With this line-up the sound is big with a lot of weight and substance.(Brimar CV1988 and Kenrads are also quite nice in the line stage.) I have also tried the Philips metal base GZ34 but find the 6106 provides a more focused presentation. You should give both of these rectifiers a try and see what sounds best in your system. |
Yea, consensus is tough...kinda like herding cats!
Explore different tubes and listen for what you like!
Above all...Have Fun |
Happy Anniversary Everyone!
Five years! ....and still going!
Thanks Slowhand!
Dave |
Can a 6L6GAY Be used in the regulator position? Is it similar electronically to the 5881 and 6L6GC?
Thanks,
Dave |
Tvad,
Those toggles change the output gain. They are provided, as well as the gain contol dial on the rear to 'work with' the specific input sensitivity of your amplifier.
Try various positions and see which one you like best. My toggle is usually 'foward'. |
Cab owners:
What are the setting of the Bass circuit output impedance toggles? How do you use these controls? |
Try Aydn
http://www.aydn.com/product_info.php?products_id=180 |
Does anyone have the gain specs on the Chardonnay? I've seen a value of 20 something somewhere??
Thanks |
Are the Malbec owners happy? Are you using EL34? KT88? |
Once your "Sweet Package of Joy" arrives from Oz, are there any surprises with duties or taxes come April 16th. What does the customs brokers @ Fedex do with your Tax ID#? |
Ivamorten,
What I'll say has been writen before in this thread but I'll recapitulate and provide some personal spin.
I have found that Chardonnay takes some time to break-in. Let it break-in for a few months with the stock tubes. This will stabilize the sound and acclimate you to the tubes that Mick voiced the preamp with. If you still want to roll, now you have a baseline.....
I've rolled many of the tubes mentioned on this thread. I highly recommend that you find a reputable tube dealer that will provide good tubes. The Chardonnay is very transparent and 'deserves' the best! I've wasted too much money on 'fleabay'. Caveat emptor!
Tube rolling is system dependent and I like to think of it as the bass/treble controls or system equalization. A given set of tubes will provide a very different response in your system. For example, a bendix 6106 rectifier will sound different with the Kt66 vs a bendix with a set of Tung-sol 6L6s.
For my particular set up I like the 6106 over the metal base Gz34. I like the 6F6GT in the regulator over the Kt66 with the 6106. However, the combo I've settled on is the 6106, 350b in the regulator and the Tung-sol 6sn7gt.
Enjoy the magic of Mick's preamp and save some money for your music! |
Kgturner,
Thanks for sharing your experience with your Malbecs. I'm thinking about taking the plunge but I'm a bit hesitant after hearing about your ordeal. Must have been frustrating! Not much chatter on the forum about the amps.
Looking foward to hearing your impressions on your Cab Single. What tube config did you opt for? |
Clipsal,
As Stiltskin says, only use "g" do not use metal cans(6F6). Both the 6F6g and the 6F6GT are identical tubes. The only difference is the shape of the glass. The 6F6gt has a straight side.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_6f6gt.html
I have several of each type (Visseaux 6F6G; Tung-Sol 6F6g; Tung-Sol 6F6gt) and can hear no difference between the tung-sol 6F6g and the tung-sol 6F6GT. The Visseaux 6F6g, while maintaining the qualities of the tung-sol 6f6g (speed,resolution), is not as linear. They have a bit more high end extension. Now this difference can most likly be contributed to diferences in the 'house sound' between Tung-Sol and Visseaux.
I find the 'tung-sol sound' less fatiguing during long listening sessions. I also like the look of the tung-sol 6F6GT, not unlike tung-sol 6sn7gt on steriods!
Last night (with a 6106 and a pair of tung-sol 6sn7gt RPs) I tried a pair of tung-sol 6L6WGB from the 50's in the regulator position. Great big rich sound with some substance! No comparison to the sovtek 5881 or the sovtek kt66 which in comparison have a small and anemic presentation. Not sure if it's sovtek in particular but these new production tubes have lost the Mojo!
Enjoy the music! |
Clipsal and V21,
My bad, the previous post/response was for V21.
Clipsal, can you further describe your Cabernet version. I was under the impression that in the most recent version of the Cabernet Dual, the 6sn7s drive both the 6H30 and the 101 stages. Is the bass bloat you describe in the 6h30 or the 101 portion? |
Baranyi,
The 6106 takes some time to break-in. Give it at least a month. The 6f6's are good out of the box.
There's some great info about supratek tube rollin' in the link below.
Enjoy!
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1112733965&read&keyw&supratek+tube&&st0 |
Clipsal,
The 101 stage of the Cab Dual is best voiced for midrange and above while the 6H30 stage is optimal for low frequencies. (The right tools for the right job when biamping.) The 101 is not a stellar tube at low frquencies and maybe what you are experienceing is the 101's bass weekness. The 350b is a very linear tube and perhaps it accentuates the 101's inabilities in the bass department. Try the swapping the 350b with the KT66 and the EH 5881 while listening to the low frequency with the 6H30 stage. Any differences??
You can also try a Kenrad VT-231 in the driver seat...they always give something special to the bass. (at least in the Chardonnay)....Then of course maybe all this does not translate to the Cabernet Dual circuit (I hope not). Have fun and find what you like!
As a former Sauvignon owner, I would love to hear your impressions of your new Cab. How does it compare? What prompted your move up the 'food chain'?
BTW, Santa brought a Cab Dual and its burning-in as I write. The stock Sovtek and EH tubes will be the first to go!! ... you beat me to the punch. :)
Enjoy the Magic! |
Clipsal,
Nice set of speakers!
I'm glad the Kenrads are working out for you.
Cheers! |
Srajan's reviewed a older version of the Cabernet Dual. The review version used the 6sn7 tube for the low frequency. The most recent version (manufactured Dec '07) uses a 6H30 for the low frequency stage. There is a master control pot on the front of the chassis and a low frequency pot on the top of the chassis in between the 6H30 tubes. On the rear of the unit there are no gain controls, just a switch for xlr or RCA output. |
Srajan further suggests that Mick uses auricaps in his equipment.
Curious, if Mick does not like v-caps why would he ship units with them?
I just popped my bottom cover off my Cab Dual (manufactured less than a month ago) and I see both auricaps and v-caps TFTF. Hopefully the v-caps are in a benign position???
Clipsal, do you have v-caps? |
SWEET!
I thought you got a single?
Enjoy the Bliss! |
Does anyone have Kevin Covi's most recent contact info.
His email address @attglobal.net bounces back.
Please send me a PM.
Thanks in advance |
Slowhand,
How is the 7193 conversion? |
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