Preamp Deal of the Century

Guys, consider giving this thread a rest and starting new, topic-specific Supratek threads. It is incredibly hard to sift through the information on the 1850+ posts.

Philips never made a GZ37. What you have is a rebranded Mullard.

For the record, my 6106 never matured to something I appreciated. I have recommitted to my double D getter metal base GZ34.

6SN7s really aren't anymore prone to microphony then other tubes. It's really the fault of the Supratek implementation. I have never heard a line stage so sensitive to tube noise then the Supratek. When shopping for Supratek 6SN7s, request "phono grade" tubes if your dealer can test for microphony.

Depending on your system, you might prefer passive preamps versus active. It's never been the case for me though. I've always enjoyed a good pre (such as the Supratek) between my source and CDP. FWIW, I use SETs for the most part.

Tbg, nice effort to knock the product line. But I'm sure you'll tell me that wasn't your intention.

Oops I meant "source and amp," not "source and CDP" (which obviously makes no sense).

Regarding high versus low gain position, it's unwise to make blanket statements on which is better. It ultimately depends on your source and amp's gain. For example, if your amp's gain is very low, you are better served with your Supratek set to high gain. Otherwise, the sound is lifeless as Slowhand experienced. But if your amp has relatively high gain, your Supratek will sound more transparent set to low gain, almost in effect acting more as a passive then active linestage.

jpms, some of the posts in this thread deter me from contributing, but I can help you with your questions:
1) U54 is another designation for GZ37 and CV378. It's not a GZ34, but it's listed as a suitable sub in Mick's owner's manual.
2) All indirectly heated rectifiers have "slow start." Not all indirectly heated rectifiers can be safely sub'ed in your Supratek though. Nothing personal, but I find a lot of the recommended tube substitutions in this thread way too liberal.

Jpms,
The Visseaux 6L6G (as with most 6L6 tubes in the regulator spot) are a lot more full and warm then the WE350B. The Visseaux 6L6GT (the straight bottle version) is not quite as warm as the 6L6G ST/coke bottle version. Having experiented more with the GT and G versions, I prefer the GT version because it sounds more controlled.

IMO, the 350B is an outstanding regulator for vocals. The mids and treble are on par or better then the other suitable 6L6-type tubes. The 350B has terrific spatial seperation and detail. However, I find it lacks full tonality. The bass is wonderfully tight but somewhat deficient in my system.

The Mullard EL37 is somewhere in between the 6L6 and 350B sound, and it is my preferred regulator tube at present time. It simply sounds the most balanced out of the group.

mustang, has Mick confirmed it is okay to use such substitutions in your preamp? The PX4 and 45 are significantly different triodes.

I use my Supratek with my Merlin VSM. It's not exactly the same as the TSM (which I've also owned), but I will say that I enjoy the combo immensely.