SilverSport Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Just a quick note as I listen to my just now arrived Juicy Music Audio Blue Berry Mk I that has just gone in for a check up and the upgrade from 6DJ8 to the 6H30 Super Tube... History in a nutshell: I have had a BlueBerry Mk I (Colorful Faceplate no standby) for some time coupled with NOSValves VRDs and a Heart CD 6000 OSE LE Tubed CD player and a Technics SL-1300 with Shure V15 Type III...very nice set up that I have enjoyed but I have had a nagging problem with my 6DJ8 Tubes...started with an expensive pinch waist...noisy...then there was that beautiful sounding Bugle Boy...until that went South...while trying to find out why every 6DJ8 I try still gives me a bit of noise through the mighty Klipschorns with their AK-4 crossovers...I posted the problem here... Enter Mark from Juicy Music Audio..."Hey Bill...why not send it in for a tune up and going over...and Hey...we can upgrade for a sligt fee to the 6H30 Super Tube...should eliminate the noisy 6DJ8 problems your getting..."...Hmmmm says I...I need to have a minor repair done to one of the interconnect feet to the Pre...off to Juicy... A short time later I have a response that it made it safe and sound back home to California...we agree to what will be done to the patient...a very short time further...the BlueBerry Mk I (I don't think it is really any more)...is on its way back to cold Chicagoland...a bit of added time so UPS can catch up with the Holiday packages and it arrives a bit ago. Everytrhing hooked up and flip the early version metal toggle to on...a little warm up and the VRDs are switched to life while I place a CD on the Heart...while waiting for music I listen to theose 105dB K'Horns...pretty well dead calm quiet...something they NEVER were with the 6DJ8s...any of the three different ones I had tried... Still early but the BlueBerry is sweeter and much quieter...thanks Mark! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Well it is the SUPERTUBE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 My Peach is due back early next week from its upgrade trip. I am anxious to hear how Super this tube really is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtnfoley Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 a bit of added time so UPS can catch up with the Holiday packages and it arrives a bit ago.Bill You shipped a BB via United Package Smashers during the holidays??? That's brave! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Nope...I shipped before the Holidays VIA FedEx (not that it matter who you use these days...I've had bad experiences with any of the big three) and it was finished after Christmas...just saying what the email from UPS stated...seems to be the case as I had other things coming and going during that same time and heard others affected... As for the BlueBerry...my Maple cabinet seemed a bit warmer on top and there was a whiff of "lumber yard" that I attribute to this unit and its new stuff burning in...the sound was better at the end of the night (Steeley Dan sounded great)...looking forward to hearing how that Peach sounds...! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 ...there was a whiff of "lumber yard"... I think you've just invented a new cologne! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 fini...I'm wearing it right now...NOW try and enjoy your breakfast!...[] Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Mark, How does the 6H30 upgrade compare to a BBX using a really nice and quiet 50s Seimans Cca? Any thoughts? Impossible to answer? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 This is a topic that interests me greatly. The question: All other things being equal (lets say a BBX or Peach), is the 6H30 setup in a JM preamp better than a good NOS 6DJ8 family tube in (like Seimens 7308/cca or Philips Holland)? I find a common theme/issue in the recent Russian manufactured tubes: They seem to possess an "inner detail wooliness" and/or stridency in the micro-edge details (particularly in the upper mids). It is to be expected that current tubes wouldn't be as good as thier NOS counterparts....and NOS tubes (properly selected) can be found to address those issues. The options in the 6H30 are a much shorter list, so not as many choices for rolling, but seem more reliable and quiet, and certainly less expensive (the apparent benefits to the 6H30). So I wonder if any of our pickiest JuicyMusic using audiophreaks have sampled the BEST in 6DJ8 family against the 6H30 setups. If you are experienced in using NOS tubes and know their benefits, I'm very curious as to what you think. .....and I wonder about one other thing: Has anyone sampled the early 1980's 6H30 in the latest JM preamps? There's a seller out there who offers a "DR" suffixed NOS version of this tube, which seem to be developing a following amongst 6H30 users of other preamps. Certainly on a "need to know" basis, as the info garnered will influence my preamp choice. Would be nice to get some insight before I buy, if at all possible. Any public or privately messaged opinion would be welcome here. Might need to take a road trip...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Thanks Mark. I think that answers my question. My Seimans in dead quiet and since transparency is my goal as well, I'll keep my BBX the way it is and hope the Cca lasts a very, very long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Mark, Your reply completely mirrors my own personal experience...I had two strong 6922s...a Bugle Boy (best sound to me but mine was noisy) and an Amperex Pinch Waist (nice but microphonic)...I keep calling them 6DJ8s but I was using this in the generic form...the original 6922...Philips was far quieter but at the expense of detail compared to the other two (IMO and apparently yours and others) but it too was a little noisy at idle in my application...this 6H30 is VERY quiet (I can still hear just a bit of sound out of the K'Horns at idle and that can be a number of factors) and worlds different than what I had experienced before the upgrade... I only got to listen about two hours before lights out last night and it was best at the end of the night...as I said, the last Steeley Dan song was very nice... Thanks again...[] Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Thanks Mark. I think that answers my question. My Seimans in dead quiet and since transparency is my goal as well, I'll keep my BBX the way it is and hope the Cca lasts a very, very long time. That makes total sense Gary. You have a superb tube in there. It don't get any better than what you have. Mark, great idea to offer the 6H30 upgrade for those Juicy loyalists out there (me!!!). As you may recall, my Peach I is set on your superloz mode ninety-nine percent of the time. I run the two Siemens CCas in the superloz slots, and a nice (but not fantastic) Amperex in the BB slot. Very quiet - and magnificient sound. Given that I run the superloz mode all of the time - and with Siemens CCas in those slots, would I benefit from a 6H30 upgrade? Like Gary, I love my "Rolls Royce" Siemens CCas, but I'm always interested in learning about tweaks for the future. And even the CCas should last virtually forever, you never know somtimes....... Also, do you still offer the Peach remote upgrade for existing units? As always, thanks for your thoughts. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Just to pile on....My 6H30 upgrade is brilliant !!!!! Run don't walk if your on the fence.....[] [] [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I would suggest that you all wait to update your Peach or Blueberry until after I sell my stash of expensive 6DJ8/6922 tubes []. Having said that I have to say that I love my Supertube BBX. Prior to the BBX I was using an early version of the Peach (actually I believe it may have been the first Peach) and was extremely happy with it. I did not change to the BBX because of noisy tubes or any other issue. I had tried a number of 6DJ8s and ended up with a 50's Siemens that was dead quite. Hard to know if my preference for the BBX is due to the tubes as I loved the Peach and really only changed to eliminate ( phono stage) a piece of equipment on the rack. I can say that I enjoy the BBX as much, if not more than the Peach with very expensive tubes in it, tied to a George Wright phono stage. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Is the super tube upgrade a standard service? I.E. what's it cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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