Preamp Deal of the Century

Richmon,
thanks. Seeing them in the picture I just couldn't figure out what they were for.
Best,
frankiealverti

Supra upper mids/lower treb? Are people always working on that part? Ken Rad black glass 6SN7's? Hmmmm....Has anyone listened to how Kondo deals w/ upper mids/lower treb while still maintaining dynamics?

Not me!!!!

IMO, this is too much to ask solely from the preamp. The Supratek is not a magic tool. It is a very good preamp but needs to be mated, to maintain synergy, with good components too. The preamp is now telling you the truth about the systems shortcomings base on your preference and you have to single it out as the culprit? Not wise IMHO!

For the record, I too was dragged to "tube rolling" here regarding how much improvement you can benefit from it. In fact, I fired some of my recommendations as well while I am at it. But in all honesty, as I mentioned before trying to report about how good the preamp really is without canging anything but just waiting patiently for it to settle, the stock tubes that Mick shipped are the tubes where the preamp is calibrated. Granted that not two people are alike, it might be wise to let the thing run for a while before constantly buying and replacing the tubes to tailor the sound. So far, the only tubes that I replaced that I am succesful are the two 6C4 tubes in my Chenin.

Been there, done that, never again! FWIW, did you guys noticed long time Supratek owners in the last 3 months (myself included)un-loading here at Audiogon NOS tubes they accumulated and found out they do not need? My point is, some of us got so carried away from recommendations of such tubes and when the dust settled found ourselves in full circle journey by accident. That is, putting back all the stock tubes shipped with the unit and was shocked that the preamp sounds better with them than the costly NOS tubes.

Of course, YMMV and I am just reporting my experience.

cheers

Greetings, Supratek community!

I am not new to this thread, having come across it a couple years ago. Which planted the seed in my mind to someday get a Syrah (now, of course, the Chenin).

Well, I just picked up my Chenin from a fellow A-goner. Despite my high expectations, I'm stunned with what it reveals in the music. And obviously pleased.

My system is already pretty resolved: Nottingham Spacedeck with Anna arm and Benz Ebony H cartridge, Audio Aero Prima CDP, Belles 150A Reference amp, ICs are all Kimber Select 1021 and speaker cable is Kimber BiFocal XL. Two dedicated circuits (amp, other), Shunyata Hydra 2 (amp) and Hydra 4, and all power cords are Shunyata Taipan Helix. The weak spot in the system (or so I thought), was my speakers: Kef Reference Model Twos.

I had been using an Audible Illusions Modulus 3A MM phono preamp, tweaked with gold fuses (from The Cable Company) and upgraded Super Low Noise Yugoslavian NOS 6922s (from Roger Mojesky of RAM). The AI was damn good sounding.

System was very open, broad soundstage, good imaging on CD or vinyl (I listen to 75% vinyl). Bass was tight, but not as extended. Highs were good, but not what I've heard with a good ribbon tweeter setup (like Dali Helicon).

What motivated me to change, you say? Well, mostly a desire to experiment with lower output MC cartridges without breaking the bank on a phono stage or Hovland pre. And all the Supratek hype on this thread gave me some confidence the Chenin could perform.

So what difference did the Chenin make? A HUGE one! A level of detail and clarity that astounds. More vertical soundstage and more depth. An ability to relay the information on CD that brings it much closer in sonic quality and enjoyability to vinyl. My wife was upstairs in her office when I was running the Chenin through it's first paces. When she came down, I asked her if she could hear the difference. She said, "Yes, it sounds clearer."

In fact, so much more information is being passed through the Chenin, that I am no longer anxious to upgrade from the Kefs. That vintage (1994-96) of the Kef reference Series (especially the Two and Three) are probably the best speaker they ever made. With the Chenin, the highs (cymbals on jazz trios) are much higher and crisper, with more air. The bass is more extended. Not down into the low 20's, but FULL all the way down to the 40 hz range these speakers go. I may yet upgrade (looking at the Helicon 800's, VR-4 jrs, maybe Chapman), but there's no rush.

So with that introduction, I'd like to ask the community for some advice.

What's missing: While there's overall more sonic detail in the Chenin, the imaging is less precise and focused. A vocalistor guitar sounds like they're in a certain spot, but then the notes sort of smear out to left and right as the music modulates, rather than staying in the same focus range. Is this normal?

The soundstage width has shrunk. My speakers are 9.5 feet apart (listening position is 10' away). Soundstage used to extend 2-4 feet outside of the speakers. Now it seems to be confined between.

Tubes that came with the unit are all stock: EH 6SN7, Sovtek 5881, Philips 6J6, an 'FSCM' 6922, and Mullard rectifier 5AR4.

I have some 6922s to play with: Amperex, Matsushita, and the RAMs.

I read with interest the suggestion by ecclectique that changing the rectifier tube to a metal base GZ-34 was the single most significant tube upgrade. Then I checked the tube world website and saw it was $350+! Is it that good?

So, stiltskin, slipknot1, fiddler, ecclectique, others:

...any suggestions how to regain the precise imaging and/or wider soundstage?

Thanks in advance,

- John

John-
The imaging issues you are experiencing have not been a problem in my room. I have also not spent any serious effort tube rolling, save for the swapping of the 6SN7s for a pair of RCA grey glass VT231s which I really liked. Like you, I have been interested in doing something about the stock 5AR4 rectifier by going with a GZ34 - but not for that kind of money. I figure Mick knows what he is doing when he ships the tubes it comes with, so I have just been enjoying it.

Re: the imaging: have you experimented with speaker toe in/out since putting the Supratek in your rig? At 9.5 ft apart and 10 feet away, you may have some wiggle room there to account for the overall presentation of the soundstage as reproduced by the Supratek.

Hi, Slipknot1. Thanks much for your insights!

My speaker placement has been stable throughout all of my equipment upgrades to this point, not by neglect or stubbornness, but because there hasn't been any need to change. Leads me to think that the decreased imaging/focus has something to do with the Chenin with its stock tubes.

I will probably give a try to adjusting speaker placement if no other logical options present themselves, but from my previous experience with the sonic effects of changing tubes, it just seemed to me that tubes might be the starting point.

Make no mistake...I am totally thrilled with the dramatic improvement in sonic performance of the Supratek Chenin! Like most, I'm just hoping to 'get it all.'

Hoping for others with helpful experience to chime in!

Two other questions ('cause I'm not an electrical engineer):

1. I know the 6922 is part of the phono stage. Is that just the only one pair? Put another way, which are in the line stage?

2. Just what does the rectifier tube do to the rest of the system sonically??

Best regards, John

Hi John,

Check your manual! It outlines the tube for the phono section. My Chenin have the 6922 and 6C4 tubes for the phono.

The linestage tubes are the 6SN7's (or liestage output tubes). The 5881/6L6 are the regulators. The 5AR4 is the rectifier.

The way I understand it, what the 5AR4 does is to convert the AC voltage (from the wall) to DC voltage to provide the rail voltages needed (B+, B-) by the preamp base on the design criterion. The regulators as the name implies regulates the voltage level so that any sag of the rectified voltage will not produce a ripple on the DC voltage affecting the performance (bias etc. ) of the tubes.

regards

Ikkyu, See my post dated 31-May-06 & Amadarae post dtd. 14-May-06. For very little money you can have a significant improvement with the Sovetek KT66 tubes. These are the same tubes Mike sent as stock for the Six Moons review.

Thanks Amandarae and Dilly. I will look into the Sovtek KT66. At under $50 bucks there's not much risk.

Best, John

Hi John. Firstly, congrats on your new addition: amazing eh. Amandarae...a very good description regarding the duty of the rectifier and regulation. John, are you experiencing this image wander artifact with the phono stage only.... or is it noticeable with cd playback as well? The supratek preamps exhibit the most focused and stable imaging out there, and to this day the best yours truly has ever heard in that regard. I would hazard to guess this image wandering to be a tube related issue as opposed to speaker placement. The rectifier being the usual suspect here and the common denominator. It would be a good idea to test your rectifier,making sure it test's strong and matched on both sides.... a weak or an unbalanced rectifier will surely exhibit some image shift or wander. For example: the sovtek 5ar4's are notorius for image shift and wander in many high rez tube circuits. I wasn't aware that Mick is now supplying nos Mullard rectifiers as a stock tube with his preamps, kudos to Mick. The nos Mullard 5ar4/gz34 will traditionally last for many many years however, being that they are a full wave rectifier... I have seen more than a few with unbalanced halves. Further more: mismatched regultors can also exhibit this artifact.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Sovtek KT66. This being my first tube preamp, I swore I wasn't going to get entangled in Tube rolling.
I've had the Chenin for a week and I just ordered a pair of the Sovteks. This preamp is making me unreasonable, it sounds magnificant, yet I want MORE!

Ecclectique, thanks for your VERY helpful analysis.

And for the helpful vocabulary: "image wandering"...that's exactly what it is! The pianist strikes the note and you hear it left center, but then it spreads out, sometimes to the left and right, sometimes just to the right. Similarly with sax or coronet. When this happens with most of the instruments in the music, the soundstage is reverberating within itself. (There does seem to be more focus with high impact, high frequency sounds like snare drum and high hat.)

Not surprisingly, this quality is less a negative with orchestral work...probably because it simulates some of the reverberation in a concert hall. But for jazz it is crazy-making.

My rectifier (stock) is Sovtek 5AR4. It says "Made in Russia" and "04 04" on it, the latter being the production date I suppose. Looks like it's "Bye bye Sovtek!"

So I've read your glowing endorsement for the Philips Miniwatt GZ34, Made in Holland, 1957 as the best. At $350 it should be. Does one really need to spend that kind of $$ to make the Chenin sing? Are any of the $100 NOS up to the task? Where would you say the point of diminishing returns is?

I'm ready to take the next step.

Thx, John

PS - Oh, in answer to your question. The image wandering is for both CD and phono, but it is more pronounced with phono (maybe cause the sound is going though more tubes?).

i'm using a bendix 6106 in the rectifier position and have never noticed any type of image shift in my chardonnay. i also use eh 6SN7 and sovtek KT66 tubes. i think there are still several bendix 6106 at tubedepot.com for $30 per tube. it's definitely worth a try in my opinion.

I was wondering if I could hear from people who have replaced a TVC linestage with a Supratek and experienced a large increase in dynamics and any other positive effects?

I've been very happy with my TVC but have noted that my system does lack SOTA dynamics. Just not quite there. So, I am looking into active linestages once again and the Supratek gear is high on my list.

Thanks!

Thanks Dilly and all.

The Sovtek KT66's arrived today (from Tube World) and made an immediate improvement out of the box over the stock Sovtek 5881's in the Chenin. After an only an hour they're really settling in. Greater clarity, less reverberant 'mush', better focus. We're getting there.

Bendix 6106 rectifier is on its way here from Tube Depot. Will report back soon.

Back to the music . . .

OK so here I am looking for a new preamp and really considering the Conrad Johnson LS17. I would rather have the 16, but i can't afford that right now. I'm really close to pulling the trigger on the 17 when i decide to come here and see what others are saying about it when I stumble across this thread.
I am a die hard CJ fan. But I keep reading about this preamp (Chardonnay) bettering the CJ 17 (and maybe the 16 but I haven't read that far yet). So now I am intrigued and have emailed Mick to see what the lead time is on the Chardonnay. Maybe there was a reason that I hadn't pulled the trigger on the 17 yet. Anyway, thanks. I hope I can get one soon. I had heard of Supratek but didn't realize it had such a cult following. Then too, i haven't been looking for a preamp......till now.
The only reason for a change of preamp is that I want to see what a good tube preamp will do for my system. Anyone running a CJ MF 2500A with the chardonnay? Is it a good match?

Artemus,I had that combo for a bout a year,,,worked great!!

Hi Artemus, Raytheprinter had the Conrad Johnson Chardonay combo.Rays a good guy and I'm sure he will help you out. Speaking of tubes,the E.H. gold pin 6SN7s and Sovtek KT66 [Thanks Abe] perform very well in my Chenin. As for the rectifier, the stock Sovtek works very well. I have a half dozen metal base Philips Mini and other early production GZ-34s,Telefunken,Siemens,Mullard and Bugal Boy. They all worked very well in my Chenin.However a $20.00 n.o.s. Bendix 6106 will do nicely also.....

For the record, I too was dragged to "tube rolling" here regarding how much improvement you can benefit from it. In fact, I fired some of my recommendations as well while I am at it. But in all honesty, as I mentioned before trying to report about how good the preamp really is without canging anything but just waiting patiently for it to settle, the stock tubes that Mick shipped are the tubes where the preamp is calibrated. Granted that not two people are alike, it might be wise to let the thing run for a while before constantly buying and replacing the tubes to tailor the sound. So far, the only tubes that I replaced that I am succesful are the two 6C4 tubes in my Chenin

Ooops! Correction! I forgot to add the Sovtek KT66 works wonders for me in the preamp also. It's been a long time since I worry about the tubes on my Chenin. So I thought I still have the Sovtek regulators in there.

Stiltskin, glad to hear that you like the tubes.

Regards

Just a report back on the replacement of my stock regulators (Sovtek 5881). The Sovtek KT66's have settled in and the image wandering I was experiencing is basically gone. From what I've been reading, it would seem to have less to do with the tube type (plenty of endorsements for the Sovtek 5881) and more with condition (alas, I don't have a tester).

Also put in the Bendix 6106 rectifier to replace the Sovtek 5AR4. I think these take many hours to break in, but after about 3 it seems better..clearer, more solid in the low end; the highs seem a little cut off, but again, it's early.

I got it from Tube Depot and the box has a label on it that said: "This tube is a Bendix 6106 / 5Y3GT. Richardson mis-labeled them as 5AR4 years ago. This tube is NOT a 5AR4." Obviously, the tube is labeled 5AR4. Has anybody encontered this?

Best regards,

Hi Ikkyu2, Yes ,the Chenin is an incredibly good preamp for the money. The phono stage is the icing on the cake so to speak! I like what the Bendix 6106 does in the lower midrange on down,I have not experienced any cut off in the upper treble from this tube.From new the Bendix takes along time to burn in. Some members here have had problems using the 6106.Test done on my 6106 shows strong values and both sides match the same. A discoloration formed on the getter spot on my Bendix, also on a couple of my metal base GZ-34s. This is normal. However the stock rectifier was in use as much as the others. It does not have any coloration on the getter spot at all. Hmm.

Ikkyu2:

the labelling on your 6106 is correct. i believe the main difference between the 5AR4 and 5Y3GT (6106) is that the 6106 has a longer rise time than the 5AR4. the 6106 rises considerably slower than the 5AR4 as i'm sure you've noticed. for all intents and purposes though, the 6106 is interchangeable with the 5AR4 in the supratek circuit. check this thread for more discussion about the 6106 in suprateks:

Supratek Tubes and Tube Swappin' for Everybody

My used Chenin arrived yesterday and after settling in, it sounds really great, really more like musical instruments and less like electronics than any other preamp I have heard. Ah, those timbres! And those flowing dynamics, more like the real thing than the razor-edged, "I-am-your-amp-here-I-am" dynamics you find elsewhere... I would like to stress that Mick Maloney is a class act. This guy has provided and keeps providing extraordinary service and help with a few issues (tubes) I have. And mind you, I bought my Chenin used and not directly from him. I really wish the high-end industry was full of persons like Mick Maloney. Then our fine hobby would be more widespread, I dare to believe. Now I understand the cult following that Supratek enjoys.
Best,
frankiealverti

I'm thinking very seriously about ordering the Chardonnay but I have a few questions. From my reading of the first couple of pages of this thread, it seemed that the theater bypass was problematic and caused some troubles? Has this problem been solved with the newer preamp? What is the cost of the theater bypass option? Also, what is the procedure if there is a problem and the unit needs service? Is there a place in the US that does repairs?
On another note, how does the phono preamp in the Chenin compare to a Wright phono preamp? i have the wright and am very fond of it. has anyone compared the two?
Thanks

Me,me,me!

how does the phono preamp in the Chenin compare to a Wright phono preamp? i have the wright and am very fond of it. has anyone compared the two?

I had the Wright WPP100C (see my sytem pics). It was "tubed" with Mullard 6ER5 and Telefunken 12AU7 and/or RCA 6ER5 and RCA 5814 Black plates when I was using them. It is a good phono preamp but it was noisy when the pots were about 1/2 position of the total gain. I have tried many tube combos on the 12AU and 6ER5 positions but the one I posted above was the combo or combos plus a Tungsol 6X4 where tube rush was at minimum. Nevertheless, it is a good preamp whose performance is above its price point IMHO.

Compared to the Chenin phono section, my Wright phono pre was clearly inferior in terms of dynamics, quietness, and focus. Eliminating another set of IC's and SUT's maybe contributed to the outcome but the circuit design and the sound of the phono section of the Chenin, after two year ownership and counting, is always very good to my ears. There's one caveat, however, that is you can only use an MC cart with output not higher than 2.5 mV.

Who cares right? For the life of me, I have never owned an MC cart with an output higher than 0.8 mV! I tried a Denon (0.25 mV)with a 1:18 transformer to the input of the Chenin's phono (that is 4.5 mV output!) and it works. I cannot detect any "overload" symptoms but my experiment only lasted few LP tracks. It is better to be safe than sorry!

With regards to loading, my pre comes with four settings through a slider switch (47k, 1k, 100, 10). But this is not a problem because you can always use a tee to change the load for different values not readily available from the switch settings.

BTW, if you check my sytem pics, there are two other phono preamps I have currently (one will be gone in a few weeks cause my friend is buying it from me). I am using the Chenin and I am convince that it is better. It is my "heavy hitter" per se!

cheers

artemus:

the ht bypass issue has long since been corrected. my chardonnay has the ht bypass and it works flawlessly. i can't remember the exact amount i paid extra, but you can email mick directly and he'll tell you. i don't think it was more than $200 extra if that much.

on the supratek site, mick addresses the issue of what happens if the supratek needs servicing. he states:

It shouldn't but if it does getting it sorted takes priority - the best way is to get it fixed in your home state- while Supratek products are unique they aren't complex and any good technician should be able to solve any problems. With email I can send circuit diagrams and discuss any problems with the technician. The robustness of all Supratek products means that any problems will be minor. I am setting up a circle of good technicians around the globe as I'm able. Naturally I pay for any repairs.

as far as the phono section is concerned, i can't speak to that as i don't use vinyl. from what everybody has said, the phono section of the supratek is first-class.

I would like to add from the excellent post of Kgturner above with regards to repairing the Supratek preamps. I read that the unit can be send to Kevin Covi in Upstate NY for repair as well. I hope that someone can confirm this.

Also, when I was having a paranoia regarding the channel imbalance of my preamp about 14 months ago, Mick sent me a schematic (plus phono)with info on the test points and levels to be measured. I measured all the voltages spot on. I found out that it was not the preamp responsible for the problem that I noticed after all and was able to isolate it to the source being use at the time.

rgds

Thanks Amandarae & Kgturner. I thought that the HT bypass issue had probably been resolved by now, but the length of this thread (about 6.2 million & counting) is prohibitive in finding out. I had also heard good things about the phono section but wasn't sure how it compared. I'm very fond of the Wright but not so much of the Tranny and extra IC's. Maybe the Chenin is worth pursuing though i've never been a fan of built ins because they are usually inferior.

Amandarae: RE "...you can always use a tee to change the load for different values not readily available from the switch settings..." [47K, 1K, 100, 10]

What's a 'tee' and how does one use it to set the load between the four settings on the slider switch?

Thanks!

fyi:

i got the email from mick today stating my malbec's were ready. looks like christmas is coming a little early for me this year!

Congrats Kgturner! I am as excited as I am sure you are. That is great news. WOW, what a Christmas present. Be sure to keep the rest of us posted.

tom

Amandarae: RE "...you can always use a tee to change the load for different values not readily available from the switch settings..." [47K, 1K, 100, 10]

What's a 'tee' and how does one use it to set the load between the four settings on the slider switch?

Oh yeah, its an RCA tee. One end is male, the two remaining are female. What you do is to use one for each channel. The male end goes to the preamp as normal. One of the female end is where the tonearm signal cable (L or R) connects to, the remaining female end is where you solder a resistor so that it will be in parallel to the load setting of the slider switch on the preamp. After that, you can calculate the effective load from the combination.

Whew! It is hard to explain it here but once you see a picture, then you will understand the concept right away. Go to AA(under Vinyl) and type "resistor loading" or such.

Can somebody tell me if the stock feet on Chenin and power supply are removable? I'm going to try Herbie's tenderfeet under it, but afraid stock feet are taller than Herbie's.
It looks like the feet holding screws might be holding something else on the chassis.

i've never taken the feet of my power supply, but the feet on my chardonnay are easily removed. the screws that hold the feet on also hold the bottom plate on as well.

Kgturner,
Thanks for the response- so the screws need to be reinserted after the feet been removed. Would they go all the way into the chassis?

the screws aren't very long at all so any penetration inside the chassis is minimal at best from my recollection.

Artemus,If you have any questions concerning the CJ ,Chardonnay combo please feel free to email me.

Thanks Ray. I think I will wait till the first of the year and get the Chenin. I am told that its phono stage is better than my Wright so it seems to be worthwhile to get it. Also it seems that I have read that the Chenin has adjustments to help optimize its performance with the amp. Is that correct?

I wonder if Mick will ever make a stand alone phono stage.
I don't want to bug him to ask him, but I bet it would be great.
I like my phono stage seperate, thats why I got the Chardonny. I am now using a AES PH1 that I built from the kit, which I love, but I think if he ofered one I would be very tempted to change.

I have wondered lately about the idea of separates when it comes to the phono stage. I know that separates have been the generally accepted way to obtain higher resolution, however I am not entirely sure of all the ramifications. Separate power supplies seem to be one big reason for separates. But is it a bad thing for the preamp/phono stage to share a power supply? Then too, what other compromises must be made for an all in one preamp? Or do compromises need to be made? I don't know the answer, but I'd like to hear from someone knowledgeable about circuitry.

The only disadvantages I see to seperates is maybe the extra cost of the unit, extra cables and maybe a extra shelf on the rack.
Other than that its all better. There is less on one chassis, less heat, less interferance, if something goes its easier to service.
As for performance, seperate power supplies are allways better, you have the flexability to upgrade either one without the other, and of course the main one for us tweakers, you have another whole box to tweak.

Did you guys consider grounding (hum) with regards to separates? The Supratek is a two box solution so having a separate power supply as the main advantage of "separates" is not really 100% accurate when you compare the Suprateks to an independent phono preamps.

With all due respect, I do not subscribe to the theory of separates is always better. To me, it all depends on how good the circuit design was executed. On my Chenin, I can crank up my volume pot with the gain pot on both channels max in the phono section and can barely hear a sound from my active speakers. With separates, doing the same exercise, will produce humm and hiss when volume pot is at 80% or more, at least in my experience because there is always some imbalance when SUT is being use.

As for tweakers like us having separates, then I understand the desire. But one thing for sure, it also creates paranoias like "Do I have the correct SUT?", "What about the interconnects between the SUT and preamp?" and so on.

Just a thought, the Supratek phono section is like "free" or a steal on the Chenins. In my case, I virtually paid <$500 for the phono section when I bought my preamp as compared to the linestage only version! IMHO, for $500 which was the price difference between linestage only and the full function when I ordered my unit, you will not find an MC phono preamp in the market today that is tube rectified, tube regulated, hybrid (low noise FET) input with tube output that has independent variable gain adjustments for each channel(ala dual-mono) to compensate for using non-matched tube pair(and overall gain balance between L&R channel) and sounds like or close to the Supratek's. I could be wrong but is there one that I might not be aware of?

Oh, I forgot to add, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Hi, is the 6F6GT as adequate and as good as the 6F6G for the Syrah? I was offered a pair of plastic based, straight-glassed Sylvania 6f6GTs. Thanks and happy holidays.
Frankiealverti

Grounding Hum!! Never had it, never heard it.
If you had it or heard it, something wasn't right in your system.

Grounding Hum!! Never had it, never heard it.
If you had it or heard it, something wasn't right in your system

Can you please tell me your set up? What SUT are you using? Cartridge? Phono pre? What is your total gain from phono preamp to linestage? What loading? What table? Just curious, maybe I can copy it.

Oh sorry, you have the Chardonnay. Well, so much so for discussing the phono section of the Supratek being a steal at <$500 then........

Kgturner,

Has your Christmas present from Australia arrived yet, or is it in customs "hell".

i received the tracking numbers from mick today and called dhl. they anticipate i'll have them by thursday or no later than friday. the amps arrived in los angeles today and have cleared customs as of noon today. now i get to enjoy the agonizing and constant checking of the dhl site for the next two days. but i'm still looking forward to a very merry christmas.

At first, i do not have a lot knowledge about the tubes.The previous owner has chagned some of the tubes on the Syrah.I need your help on buying the stock tubes on my Syrah that i play only linestage. can you point out exactly what tubes (model) are the stock tube for playing linestatge only and also where is the best place to buy them.

Thanks.

Houstonreef,

you have to read the thread or at least large parts of it. I made it in six days... There are some marvellous recommendations on tubes from really experienced people.
One thing I remember is many were excited at the sound of the Electro Harmonix 6SN7 tubes. A couple or three have also recommended the Sovtek KT-66.
Enjoy your Syrah and good luck,
frankiealverti