I have an SP6B and must say that it sounds more like current tube gear. The secret is that the prior original owner modded it death so it would be a wire with gain did I say gain. So it's arguable. Agree with CJ .
I don't miss tubey sound. I have vintage circa 1962 Sherwoods actually the 3 Sherwood 5000 series integrated amps. All stereo all repleat with controls for everything like a rumble and scratch filter.
In any event the one I was after is the S5000 II a 7868 output tube amp. It came with Telefunkens x 5 I think, for preamp functions, which was what they used originally.This one clearly sat around in someones console for a long time. The original S5000 uses EL-84s Mine came with burnt Mullards but they work! The last I got was the S5500 with the Sherwood rebranded ?Sylvania 7591s wich crumbled.
To add to the vintage sound I own JBL Signature series speakers. One is a 1959 C38 the other bought in 1960 because there was little stereo and no money, those are my fathers speakers. About 7 years back I bought a mint driver pair not the cabinets or veneer, of almost the same speaker, but in a vertical enclosure C36 with D-131s instead of D-130s Each pair has the original bullet compression horn 075 tweeters. Every driver is 16 ohm.
They are supremely efficient because no one had much power except the few who had Marantz and the 6L6 and other EL-34 amps. Reportedly they are a mere 95 Db/W/M. I think they "out- loud" my Klipsch LaScalas with a rating of 104DB/W/at 4 feet. Some have said somewhere between 98 and 102 Db which I think must be true.
The extended range main speaker has fabric surrounds and niether pair needs replacement to this day. The tweeters are all "red wax" sealed. Now that's quality control, both the amps and speakers work fine, and are about 50 years old or just shy of 50. How would you like it if your gear went without repair for 50 years and still going.
My current WAF and main listening rigs are all tube except for the TTs or CDPs. They sound really good but nothing like the droopy syupy overwarm Bing Crosby or the voice Frank S. crooning. I am still thrilled by the new tube sound it's very fast and has that famous layered halographic 3d staging and much closer to neutral than not sonics which I think are great.
I don't miss tubey sound. I have vintage circa 1962 Sherwoods actually the 3 Sherwood 5000 series integrated amps. All stereo all repleat with controls for everything like a rumble and scratch filter.
In any event the one I was after is the S5000 II a 7868 output tube amp. It came with Telefunkens x 5 I think, for preamp functions, which was what they used originally.This one clearly sat around in someones console for a long time. The original S5000 uses EL-84s Mine came with burnt Mullards but they work! The last I got was the S5500 with the Sherwood rebranded ?Sylvania 7591s wich crumbled.
To add to the vintage sound I own JBL Signature series speakers. One is a 1959 C38 the other bought in 1960 because there was little stereo and no money, those are my fathers speakers. About 7 years back I bought a mint driver pair not the cabinets or veneer, of almost the same speaker, but in a vertical enclosure C36 with D-131s instead of D-130s Each pair has the original bullet compression horn 075 tweeters. Every driver is 16 ohm.
They are supremely efficient because no one had much power except the few who had Marantz and the 6L6 and other EL-34 amps. Reportedly they are a mere 95 Db/W/M. I think they "out- loud" my Klipsch LaScalas with a rating of 104DB/W/at 4 feet. Some have said somewhere between 98 and 102 Db which I think must be true.
The extended range main speaker has fabric surrounds and niether pair needs replacement to this day. The tweeters are all "red wax" sealed. Now that's quality control, both the amps and speakers work fine, and are about 50 years old or just shy of 50. How would you like it if your gear went without repair for 50 years and still going.
My current WAF and main listening rigs are all tube except for the TTs or CDPs. They sound really good but nothing like the droopy syupy overwarm Bing Crosby or the voice Frank S. crooning. I am still thrilled by the new tube sound it's very fast and has that famous layered halographic 3d staging and much closer to neutral than not sonics which I think are great.