Audible Nectar

Fortified the tube stash today with a few top grade Philips/Holland 6922s. Crisp, clean, liquid - delicious

I'm curious about a couple of things...... One: What's the object of the bigger Tung-Sols and alternate rectifier rigs - I'm assuming more power? Two: I am interested in detail specific reviews on the Duelund and Jupiter caps. They seem to have changed the world of PIO design. Let's hear it from the cap freaks. Specifically interested in the midrange details and finishing touch on the treble. Sell me, sell me, sell me

Generally the rule is "buy in the summer months, sell in the other months." Summer tends to be soft for audio as people are more involved in outdoor pursuits. As a buyer, deals come in warm weather. This time of year tends to be when more people are buying. This was especially true before the '08 "crash" - the "winter peak" was higher, it seemed, back then - deals can even be had year round these days relative to what similar items sold for back then. Unless it's very rare or unique, the audio market on used gear is pretty good for the buyer in most cases these days. Back on topic, I picked up a small batch of Philips/Holland 6922s today - the last bastion of "tube need" for my gears - so I got what I wanted for the holiday season and beyond. As for others, my wife and I tend to think like Thaddeus does - it's more a "year round" idea than just doing it because the calendar calls for it. Some of the most appreciated and "impactful" gifts were given when the opportunity and time was right. It seems like when we "force" it because the calendar says so it doesn't turn out as well as when we "gift" when things line up right for other reasons. Sometimes it aligns with the holidays, sometimes not. We usually share baked goods in any case

I did a trial of the Russian Gold Lion KT88 in the VRDs and they lasted about 500 hours before going into a sparkshow. Had it happen on two different quads. After that, I stuck with the Penta Labs. I didn't think the GLs were enough of a difference to worry about vs. the Pentas on a sonic basis - in fact I liked the Pentas just a bit more, and I've had very good luck with them operationally. I've got about 8 quads of those in reserve, as well as 5 quads of the old Valve Art KT100 (also known as the KT88T) which are no longer in production, but was another KT88 that was an exceptional effort from Shuguang. Short of vintage Tung-Sol and real English Genelex GL I've tried just about all of the standard KT88s in this amp and the Pentas really are a good match for these. I settled on the circa 1960 version of the Philips/Holland (Amperex) 12AX7 and 12AU7 up front (large O getter versions) - crisp, clean, and sweet sounding. I quit rolling my VRDs a long time ago - I have them right where I want them, with good stock of replacement tubes to listen to them until I'm dead. Craig's preamp is next on the list.

They aren't necessarily hard to find - that certain auction site does have them - but you are correct that they aren't cheap. NOSValves's list is pretty comprehensive, and he and Maynard give good advice.

Stop me before I spend again All this talk about Jupiters.... I want to hear them. I have also been thinking about potential Belle upgrades to go big time on that midrange.

Nords - I have an Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CD player that I use in my tube system - McIntosh MX110 > MC30 > Belle Klipsch. The Tjoeb is a Modified Marantz tube buffered CD player (pair of 6922) that "vinylizes" those CDs very nicely. It has the ideal sound for such a system.

I sadly had to shelve my Njoe Tojeb here recently, its having issues and I need to find a tech to sort its problems out. After 11 years she needs some care. What kind of issues? It has a couple. Every once in a while, like every other song, it'll cut out, no sound for just a split second. On top of that the left channel is getting weak for some reason, its only putting out around half the sound the right channel is. I dunno, but it needs help. I need to contact Kevin and see where he recommends it being sent. Would be worth a shot. My machine had a similar issue with regard to the dropouts - turned out to be a tracking issue, which was resolved by swapping out the pickup module ($180), which can be done by the end user. Mine plays like new now. As for the weak channel, I have no clue what that's all about - calling Upscale would certainly be recommended in any case.

I sadly had to shelve my Njoe Tojeb here recently, its having issues and I need to find a tech to sort its problems out. After 11 years she needs some care. What kind of issues?

I am also a big advocate of tube buffered CD players with tube gears....I run an Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 (modified Marantz) into my vintage Mac system and it's very good. It "vinyl-izes" those discs quite nicely, and makes the CD medium MUCH more viable in the overall. Philips/Holland 6922s bring the sweetness many of those CDs need. Nice Fisher, BTW - good iron, good tubes, good rebuild, good looking, too - what's not to like?

My understanding is that once they got into the "letter codes" that it became a mystery, as the "decoder" sheets never got passed down. I have seen this question asked on audio forums before and this was the explanation given. Maybe someone out there has a better answer, but that's the best I can do as I know it.

The JBL 077 "cat's eye" is a helluva tweeter, but I'm not sure just how far back those went in terms of manufacture. '70's for sure, not sure if they were made in the 60's. Get yer wallet out, though....they are very expensive.

I'll play I think Chris A makes a good case as to the limitations of SET......that said, I would never tell someone who likes SET not to own one - just that they be aware of the limitations. And for someone thinking about SET - or any amp you're going to put some $$$$ into, try to hear one first. Real world demo can focus things in a LOT. When it comes to amplification, I'm in the Lay's potato chip camp - betcha can't have just one. Because no matter what you choose, there are going to be tradeoffs when we're talking about hooking them up to a set of audio magnifiers like the big Klipsch. We can hear all of those little nuances and differences between them. And when it come to "amps for Klipsch", there's a lot of great choices in the tube realm. What SET brings to the table is that micropower that is ohhh so "close". A well designed SET just has that intimacy that few others do. Really good with vocal and natural instrument material - small ensemble, chamber music, and so forth. But get into large orchestra, rock, anything "amplified", and SET shows it's limitations. I do find an allure with SET, but I elected to go a different direction while yet keeping what I liked about SET in mind. This was my foray into the Mac MC30 project. I wanted a very "midrange" focused amp, but even that was a long road of rebuilds and tube rolling. If I had done them up the "normal" typical way - with Illinois or orange drop caps, I likely would have sold them by now. I took a huge gamble (and so did another builder) and spent about $700 on coupling caps to try to rid the amp of those last vestiges of hazy chocolate without making the amp sound overdetailed. We finally succeeded - but I dare say that most would have never gone to that effort. And then the tube rolling, which also makes a difference in the end result - the best vintage tubes really made a difference. They really are "midrange kings" for those 60's and 70's recordings in particular. But in the total highest fidelity sense, there are recordings that show the shortcomings of the MC30 as well, which is what led me to the VRDs. These are an accurate pair in every sense, having the linearity and power supply to handle just about everything you throw at them. But they will also show you all the flaws in the recordings, so those 60's and 70's classics come off a bit less alluring. Which then begs the question: Is it wrong that I enjoy the MC30s so much, especially for those recordings that make up so much of my collection? I certainly don't think so - yet I am certainly aware that there is a more "accurate" solution that will beat the MC30s readily when fed the best recordings. I could have also considered a BAT or other larger power tube amp for this purpose as well. All of which to say there is no right or wrong answer for everyone. I would never tell an SET owner that he shouldn't use that - although I think it prudent that he know it's limitations. Same goes for a set of MC30s. Or anything else. While we might all seek the benchmark of "most accurate", that's not always what we will end up choosing - even when making an educated and proper choice. We choose what works and sounds best for our particular use and taste - and there's nothing wrong with that - so long as it is an INFORMED choice. Now if we could have all of our favorite recordings done like Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab or Telarc, we might be having a different discussion, but that's not the real world.

Sounds about right. Look at the code on the tube - it will read something like "f32 B2C4". Probably around '62-'66. Sadly while much of the print on this tube is still in good shape, some of it has rubbed off. The only things that are clear are: GZ34/5 EICO by Mullard. Made in Great Britain. ......212. Look more closely where the glass meets the base - there is an acid-etched code on the glass. This doesn't rub off. Would be shocked if it isn't there. AN, here are some photos of the EICO tube. Thats all the info visible on it I'm afraid. Could it be that since it was produced specifically for EICO they left off the etching? Nope. ALL Philips factory tubes of that era have the etching. In your case, it should be just above the top of the black base - near the bottom mica. It might be obscured by the "made in Great Britain" labeling, but that's usually the area it appears. It is small, and even at times will be faint/slight, but will be there. Since we have a picture, though, I can tell that it's a Mullard known in the hobby as a "fatbase", made from 1959-'61 typically, and in the Blackburn factory. Definitely a good one - while all Mullard 5AR4s are really good rectifiers, the earliest are the best. The only older version of the old Philips/Mullard types would be the metalbase - very expensive when you find them. I have a nice little stash of various Philips/Mullard types in house, including a few of the fatbase variety.

That's a 1983 Mullard made in the Mitchum factory. If it's anything like the CV4004 (12AX7) and CV4003 (12AU7) of the same era it's a nice tube. The CV4004 and 4003s are quite expensive these days - and BTW sound really good in the front end of VRDs.

Sounds about right. Look at the code on the tube - it will read something like "f32 B2C4". Probably around '62-'66. Sadly while much of the print on this tube is still in good shape, some of it has rubbed off. The only things that are clear are: GZ34/5 EICO by Mullard. Made in Great Britain. ......212. Look more closely where the glass meets the base - there is an acid-etched code on the glass. This doesn't rub off. Would be shocked if it isn't there.

Sounds about right. Look at the code on the tube - it will read something like "f32 B2C4". Probably around '62-'66.

That's the reason I like them. It took me a little while to get used to a little less bottom (in my case vs. an '80's US made JAN Philips, which is a much different tube), but what I came to understand was that the bass is more natural with the earlier Philips stuff.....and the mids and highs are really good - what I have tube gear for. The presence of the mids can affect your perception of the bass, as well as speaker positioning which can affect bass response too. Once you get used to the finer characteristics of the 50's to 60's era Philips and other similar vintages it can turn you into a picky SOB. There's a reason people pony up the $$$ for these.

I always give a minimum of a full day across a number of musical selections - and then if it isn't a complete "fail" I give it a few weeks. The subtle nature of the differences tend to take some time to sort out. Often it is "win some/lose some". Give that Philips some time, and listen for what is happening in the midrange and to the imaging. This is where that tube tends to excel. Many of the Russkie tubes are authoritative in the lower registers but get a little wooly in the mids/highs. An early '70s Siemens A frame is a lot like the Philips but has a bit more authority down low. I tend to prefer the Philips and Siemens in the 6DJ8/6922/7308 family. Of course in your gear YMMV.

Having worked with SS Mac and various tube gears on Heritage, here's what I can tell you: The midrange and top will be an improvement with tubes. A well rebuilt Fisher will do a lot for what you hear from the mids and highs, especially with good vintage tubes. BUT...... You will also miss something too - the "heft" and authoritative warmth that the Mac SS brings. To get the best of all worlds, you want tube gear with a hefty power supply. The VRDs excel in this - they give the best of all worlds, the excellent image and clarity with the authority in the lower registers. A pair of Mac 60's would also qualify. I like the Scott integrateds and Fisher receivers a great deal. They are well worth the money. That said, I was never truly happy in a long term sense for a main system until I looked at the more serious gear. If you're doing the Fisher as a second system, it's well worth it. Even the much revered McIntosh MC30s miss some in the lower registers. The mids and highs are legendary, but still a bit lacking in the power supply on material with complex/busy bass. VRDs fixed that in a hurry. You can go to great lengths (and expense) to get it totally right. For the $$$ though, the Fisher is a good way to go.

I thank the vintage gods that I stocked up on good vintage tuibes for my gear before the prices went crazy and the stocks became so rare. Once I began to understand my preferences in tubes for my specific gears, I stocked up. Ebay used to be a real treasure trove in tubes - especially back when people didn't really trust euro sellers. I've bought tubes from Sweden, Turkey, Germany, Canada....even Russia. I located all kinds of stuff, like Siemens and Phillips 6922 and 7308, as well as GZ34, Phillips Holland 12AX7 and 12AU7....all true NOS. I have a different take on tube rolling, though. I tended to listen for a few weeks before making any changes - assuming the sonics weren't a total "flop". I find that what is heard initially isn't always the best total impression. I want the tubes good and hot, and want to listen across a broad range of sources and music types before making a final decision. I like Philips Holland late 50's/early 60's in 12AX7, 12AU7, and 6DJ8 family tubes in most of my newer gears, and Tele 12AX7s for my vintage Mac stuff. And of course always use Mullard GZ34 as my exclusive GZ34. About the only current/recent production tubes I use whatsoever are the Penta Labs KT88 in my VRDs. Everything else are the old stuff. Using the best in vintage tubes brings out the best in my gears, and the totality of improvements really make a difference. Good parts and tubes in good gear make my gear "upgrade-proof". It took years to figure it out, though Totally worth it once done. These days I just listen

I've seen his listings for years. The reason he still has all this stuff for sale is that he wants insane money for his items. He has listed individual items at times over and over for months and months - desireable stuff - that never sold because his asking prices fell into the "Yougottabekiddingme" category. It's very interesting to drool, but I find it hard to take him seriously.

If one were looking for a new set of amplifiers, I would point them to the NOSValves VRDs without reservation. A bit of history on these: Time and time again, people were buying vintage tube amplifiers because they possessed all of the desired traits of amplifiers for Heritage - tube rectified, clear, sweet, powerful. There were lots of vintage options that fit the bill, but no doubt there were people who wanted a NEW solution. These amplifiers were designed as a "wish list" in amplifiers for Heritage - if one could draw it up custom in a single pair of full range amps, this is what we would do. Buy 'em and enjoy them for life without need or worry for upgrade, save for a few tubes if desired for finishing flavor preference. They are that good. A 30-50 year life cycle product, like the vintage predecessors, whose life can be extended with new caps for another 30 years. Nothing wrong with McIntosh either, but I prefer the early tube rectified stuff: MC30, MC60. MC225 is a good choice too in SS rectification. See also a Marantz 8B. These usually need rebuild, being as old as they are, and they benefit greatly from doing so with a well chosen parts package. The vintage amps tend to benefit more from top flight vintage tubes, as they aren't as simple as VRD's are - more stages to go through on vintage amps and therefore benefit from the best tubes. An MC30/60 pair well rebuilt with all the best vintage tubes are absolute sonic joys - but get yer wallets out to do it these days. Not as big of fan of the new Macs - all on complex circuit boards and have a tendency to need resistor replacement if power tubes flame out. Sound pretty good, though. There are also those who like the single ended triode approach, but those leave me wanting in the lower registers - bi-amping is necessary IMO. Owning VRDs and MC30 in a couple of different builds I see no reason to go through the process of building a bi-amp setup with triodes - in my view a complex solution to a simpler issue of choosing a very good two channel pair. There's no accounting for taste, however, so I'll never say never to an amp hunter because triodes do have their allure - but they also have limitations that the above listed do not have.

It is the limitation of the stock tweeters used in the Heritage line that is the limiting factor in the high frequency response. I don't consider this to be an issue though - in fact I like them that way. Especially the early round magnet AlNiCo versions - soft and sweet sounding - not too offending on anything less than perfect in terms of recordings. Yes, the use of top flight tweeters (like you see here in modded versions) will improve the high frequency response - more air, but more of the imperfections of the recording, too. When I made the decision to keep my tweeters original, it was a conscious decision, because I like the "forgiveness" and the overall sound of those tweeters. Even in one set having V-Cap networks and amps with teflon caps, those tweets stay sweet....and the benefits of tube rolling still remain in spades. I appreciate the modded versions in some respects, but I find that setting up my systems for that "uber-revealing" quality limits my choice of recordings too much. I listen to a breadth of material and have found my systems to be preferable for my tastes with the old round magnet K77s. I hear the aftermarket tweeters TOO well. It's great for the budget, too - no need for me to spend beyond the stock form. PWK did a lot right here.

I think this is correct. I am a Heritage listener through and through, mostly because the midrange is best to me. And with Heritage, the bigger, the better.