get2it1:
Save yourself some money and call Sean Parque at AV123.com and order replacement Melody-branded 5881 power tubes. They only cost $10 per tube and they're decent tubes for providing good-to-great music out of your Onix SP3. I have this wonderfully affordable amplifier and I have found that the stock 5881s are fine. As Tooter recommends: where you can really make a vast improvement in the audio quality is replacing the two stock 12AX7 preamp stage tubes with two Groove Tubes 12AX7-Ms. These 12AX7 "Mullard reissues" will really open up the soundstage, improve the imaging and extend the frequency response. For about $40 per pair of the Groove Tubes 12AX7-Ms, you can't go wrong. Later on, if you want to upgrade the power tubes, you can get a matched quad set of the SED 6L6GC power tubes.
Save yourself some money and call Sean Parque at AV123.com and order replacement Melody-branded 5881 power tubes. They only cost $10 per tube and they're decent tubes for providing good-to-great music out of your Onix SP3. I have this wonderfully affordable amplifier and I have found that the stock 5881s are fine. As Tooter recommends: where you can really make a vast improvement in the audio quality is replacing the two stock 12AX7 preamp stage tubes with two Groove Tubes 12AX7-Ms. These 12AX7 "Mullard reissues" will really open up the soundstage, improve the imaging and extend the frequency response. For about $40 per pair of the Groove Tubes 12AX7-Ms, you can't go wrong. Later on, if you want to upgrade the power tubes, you can get a matched quad set of the SED 6L6GC power tubes.