Yes- Only changing two tubes(either V1 & 2, or V3 & 4) will generally provide you with a good slice of what can be expected, if all are swapped. I’ve avoided counterfeits and junk, by only purchasing from reputable tube mongers. ie(for nine pin miniatures): Brent Jesse, Tube Depot, or this guy from whom I’ve purchased the most: https://www.ebay.com/sch/audiotubes_de/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from= Upscale only refuses to sell their NOS tubes, for use in pro audio equipment. They have lots of NOS 6DJ8 types, for home audio. I found everything that Siemens made, after the early/mid 60s, grey shield CCa, a bit too zingy/bright for my tastes, but- that could just be the rest of my system, ears or preference. I only said what I did, about live music, because after extended listening in good, live venues- one sometimes gets spoiled(perhaps, educated) and the average home audio system MAY then sound, "broken".
Tube Rolling for Pre-amps?
I have an Audio Research LS-16 that feeds a Madrigal Proceed HPA2 solid state amp.
I did not choose this equipment; it was given to me. From what I can tell the original owner spent a good bit of time matching up these two components with the speakers, Aerial Acoustics 7Bs.
The tubes in the AR are original. Probably 10-15 years old? But with an extended period of not being used.
The system sounds good to me. I don't need to change anything.
However, I've been told that the tubes are old and may need to be replaced soon. I've also read a little bit about tube rolling but most of the articles I've seen talk mostly about tube rolling with amps and not pre-amps.
So I have some questions:
1) If the original owner wanted a system that sounded like a 'tube' system, why not have a tube amp and pre-amp? Does it make sense to have a tube pre but SS amp?
2) Other than outright failure, how will I know if my tubes _need_ to be replaced?
3) With a SS amp, will changing tubes in the pre-amp have a noticeable impact on SQ? In other words, is tube rolling for a pre-amp played through a SS amp a thing?
4) For someone like myself who is happy with the system and who is also easily frustrated by A/B testing is tube rolling the pre-amp even worthwhile? I can almost always hear a change when comparing various components but only rarely am able to say A is better or worse than B.
( I probably can't even articulate effectively what I look for in terms of SQ except that I like the bass to be tight, precise, well defined and not boomy. I do not like the music to be overly bright or tinny. I like depth and lushness but not overly warm. Not sure if these are things you alter with tubes.)
Thanks for any advice.
I did not choose this equipment; it was given to me. From what I can tell the original owner spent a good bit of time matching up these two components with the speakers, Aerial Acoustics 7Bs.
The tubes in the AR are original. Probably 10-15 years old? But with an extended period of not being used.
The system sounds good to me. I don't need to change anything.
However, I've been told that the tubes are old and may need to be replaced soon. I've also read a little bit about tube rolling but most of the articles I've seen talk mostly about tube rolling with amps and not pre-amps.
So I have some questions:
1) If the original owner wanted a system that sounded like a 'tube' system, why not have a tube amp and pre-amp? Does it make sense to have a tube pre but SS amp?
2) Other than outright failure, how will I know if my tubes _need_ to be replaced?
3) With a SS amp, will changing tubes in the pre-amp have a noticeable impact on SQ? In other words, is tube rolling for a pre-amp played through a SS amp a thing?
4) For someone like myself who is happy with the system and who is also easily frustrated by A/B testing is tube rolling the pre-amp even worthwhile? I can almost always hear a change when comparing various components but only rarely am able to say A is better or worse than B.
( I probably can't even articulate effectively what I look for in terms of SQ except that I like the bass to be tight, precise, well defined and not boomy. I do not like the music to be overly bright or tinny. I like depth and lushness but not overly warm. Not sure if these are things you alter with tubes.)
Thanks for any advice.
- ...
- 75 posts total
@elizabeth : It takes an effort to keep the 'inner audiophile' tame. Even some of the stuff I consider to be wacko beckons at times. But I also have an inner Scotsman that delights in high bang-for-buck ratios which becomes a hobby in itself and helps keep my over-the-top hobby tendencies at bay. I love a bargain that fits a need! @lowrider57 : I don't think I'll end up being a tube geek. Having a back up set makes sense and I'll probably do that if I can do it affordably. But then that's the first step isn't it? Get the back up tubes. Can't resist trying them out. Like the way they sound. Wonder about a different set............. @rodman99999 : Currently my live music consists of the symphony 3 - 4 times a year, opera maybe once a year. But that's not what I tend to listen to on my system. I go to loud rock shows a few times a year. SQ at those shows is never great. Fun shows though. |
These were the best tubes I tried in my LS16MKI when I had it. https://www.upscaleaudio.com/collections/vacuum-tubes/products/matsushita-national-pcc88-7dj8?varian... I tried a lot of different tubes with all my ARC gear. These are really, really good and aren't that expensive. I was lucky and started buying tubes over 40 years ago when they weren't in vogue like they are now and were cheap. I have drawers full of tubes. Could probably retire on what they are worth now... |
- 75 posts total