Psvane KT88 tubes in VAC amps

sorry for the delay in replying. Yes the CV-181's replace Kevin's stock maroon-based 6SN7's and blow them away-not cheap for tubes of their type, but worth every penny. Psvane now produces a TII version of the 88's with a gray coating and I've read with some credence that an all-Psvane complement creates an effect greater than the sum of its parts. Kevin's stock SC's are no slouch, but then we always want more, don't we ?

-john

The Psvane TII's arrived super-promptly from Hong Kong today, thankfully sans tacky 'gift boxes.'

Right out of the box, their midrange is luscious, highs a bit chiming and raw, bass still undefined. Quiet as all hell but not yet transparent. Leading transients are soft. Not much dynamics but musicality lurks beneath the surface. Supposed to take 150-300 hours.

My power tubes are the Psvane CV-181-T's, thoroughly broken in. I can't wait to hear what the full complement of Psvane sounds like in the Phi.

Anyone know already ?

Listening to them open is at once frustrating and rewarding.
I've yet to identify a sonic signature for the full complement of Psvane's, but I can say at this point that they are very refined. Refined and correct. Maybe that's a function of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

ECM live recordings of Schiff's Beethoven cycle are a pretty reliable benchmark for piano sound. But for finesse, try Kissin's version of Glinka's 'The Lark'; the Psvane's handle its upper octaves with breathtaking ease.