@stereo5 your recommendation of the dealer is at odds with my experience this morning…I am trying to buy a set of tubes from the Upscale folks, and I got this back after the phone rang to VM:
“We stay away from giving really specific recommendations on tubes. We don’t ever want to promise something and not deliver.”
So what would you recommend for Vandersteen 2C ?El34, ???? |
@itsjustme what did you replace the 2c with? and how much better is it now?
Would like to understand what tubes I would be considering.
Or maybe I need to fix up the one VTL monoblock that is not working. But I got the PrimaLuna to give them a whirl, so... |
@stereo5 @holmz. He will give you recommendations on tubes for the Evo. I tried and that failed, so I tried email. My communication there also seemed to fail. We can sell our dealers Primaluna tubes at a discount but all other brands are sold at retail cost.
Service/Support Team - Upscale Audio
On Mon, Aug 30, 2021 at 7:35 PM, Holmz wrote:
Hi Josh,
Let me rephrase it then. I have a Prima Luna, and I need new tubes. What can I order from Kevin as the Prima Luna dealer?
X
Sent from my iPad
On 31 Aug 2021, at 9:03 am, Josh Phelps from Upscale Audio <service@upscaleaudio.com> wrote:
Hi X
We stay away from giving really specific recommendations on tubes. We don't ever want to promise something and not deliver.
Service/Support Team - Upscale Audio
On Mon, Aug 30, 2021 at 6:51 PM, Holmz wrote:
I saw Kevin Deal’s name mentioned on a forum, and I have a Prima Luna that I acquired from a friend.
I am running this into an older set of Vandersteen 2C speakers.
What tubes would you recommend, and can we do an order with a credit card over the phone?
Thanks,
X
+1-7xx-xxx-xxxx
Sent from my iPad Maybe we were both having a bad day? |
@Hardenx The tube suggestions above are good as well. I swapped out the stock 12AU7 gain tubes for Brimar CV4003 and immediately noticed a more defined top end and slightly more soundstage depth. I recently rolled in a set of KT120 power tubes and noticed more detail from lows to highs and more power and weight in the bass. The KT150s are a step up in horsepower from the 120s. You have to remove the tube cage to use the 150s, so not the best choice if you have young kids around which is wy I haven’t tried them. Thanking you sir! @keeferdog I own a PrimaLuna power amplifier. The stock Chinese EL 34 tubes sound like crap. Very anemic. I don’t care what Deal says. Buy a quad set of Tung Sol KT 150’s. HUGE, TALKING NIGHT N DAY DIFFERENCE. You’ll hear bass you didn’t know your speakers were capable of producing. Also, you’ll have to remove the tube cage with the large and tall “Christmas looking KT 150 bulbs”. Instant horse power! You can thank me later…. also thanking you sir! |
@jhills Where do you get the KT120s and what made you choose those over the KT150s? I am driving my quite challenging Maggie 1.7s with a Rogue Cronus Mag. II, running Tung-Sol KT-120 tubes and it has no problem driving them to any volume I care to listen to and the resolution, detail and stage is incredible . |
What does a red LED to the right indicate?(Their manual download from PL/HQ only has up to page 10) |
Well the red LED is Ultra Linear, and then green is Triode mode. |
@kingbarbuda how is it in triode?
and ultra-linear? |
@holmz My comments above are all within ultralinear. I have not tried triode yet. But I certainly will. Thanks. That amplifier allows switching on the fly… With the remote. The Taksman resistors “being so sensitive” sounds snake oily, They are used to limit currrent, and in dividing voltage. But I know people that do not like the sounds that athodium plated connection gives, so maybe they are better at it. |
@kingbarbuda it was not subtle when I poked the buttons. |
@kingbarbuda
OK - so our amps give similar results in terms of making a difference.
However mine sounded a bit airy and “hollow” in Triode.
And the bass fled the scene.
But I occasionally keep pressing the button anyhow.
Are you seeing a red LED or green LED with UltraLinear?(Seems like our observations are exactly opposite.) |
@kingbarbuda The Dialogue HP, which is a stereo amp. You text said: Triode bass was boomier, mids and trebles were subdued and less clear and distinct. Basically everything in triode mode was less clear and distinct. However I found the bass louder in UL.(i am not sure if that means “boomier”?) And also I found in Triode that the mid and treble was “airy”. It seemed like maybe it would be better with piano and vocals, but less appealing for use with TV sound tracks, and also less appealing with more of the mainstream rock/blues/etc. |
Don’t be too flattered, I am just trying to get a handle on what to expect.
The box of KT-120’s and the 6 input tubes came in today, so the ELs will come out. I probably should have waited, but was overly curious.
And I also got a couple of tubes from my pre-amp.
Enjoy your system Sir, and I’ll do similar with mine. |
