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(Quasi-repost) Sub-$1K tubes to pair with Belles?


GriffinFL

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1 hour ago, mboxler said:

 

Autotransformer types and values:

 

T2A(3110A)   -3, -6, -9, -12db

T3A(3465-M)  -6db

T4A(3485)  -4db

T5A(3496)  -6db

T7A(3504)  -10db

T8A(3507)  -8db

T9A(3540)  -3db

T10A(3542)  -9db

T11A  -12db

 

Looks like the T9A has only one tap, tap 4, which is -3db.  It would be the same as a T2A using tap 4, also -3db.

 

Looking at the schematics above, it looks like you can convert any AB to a Type A as -3 db is needed.  This is good to know. 

 

I am going to save the above info in my server. 

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1 hour ago, GriffinFL said:

 

I guess there's a relativity thing going on here.  Probably the sheer brightness of the space with the tile and glass everywhere is accentuating the high frequency output (via reflections) that might be darker in a different environment.  All I know is that even with a shitty stereo receiver and badly corroded old Monster cables, it's smooth, detailed, and dynamic, just like I remembered in the Heritage room back in '04. 

What receiver did you get with the speakers? 

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22 minutes ago, tigerwoodKhorns said:

What receiver did you get with the speakers? 

 

His Marantz wasn't Bluetooth capable, and since the rest of my audio equipment is still in a Pod in Orlando, I grabbed a cheap Sony (STR-DH190) stereo receiver just so I could enjoy them and also monitor how the sound changed as I added treatments, to make sure I didn't over-correct against the room reflections. 

 

Tomorrow I'll be replacing the speaker cable with some basic 16-gauge stuff, but also getting spade ends and pin ends to make sure my connections are on point to both speakers and amp.

Edited by GriffinFL
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Technical observation:  I do think the dampening curtains I ordered (due in Thursday) will help immensely, because I suspect there's some HF comb filtering going on here in the current space.  There's a definite lack of "air" range in the listening room that one can actually hear directly outside the room through the glass sliders.  

 

Because the room is not square/rectangular (more of an L shape with various outcroppings and odd corners), I'm not having similar null issues in the bass range, which makes me think bass traps will be unnecessary in here.  

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Okay, so I've had the chance to get acquainted with these badboys, but my situation has also changed a bit.  Turns out the Sony Bravia we just bought, as much as we're happy with the picture, it can't sync via bluetooth with the receiver (odd, didn't Sony used to be ALL ABOUT all their components working together perfectly?) and its only audio output is optical. 

 

A couple of hours of cursory googling (also searching this forum) has me thinking that the Dared MP-5BT might be a good choice, not only as an initial shift to tubes, but also to serve later down the line as a preamp for what I figured would be the final stop, which would be a pair of monoblocks.  The Dared amps seem to be well-received around here, and the MP-5BT gives me all the connectivity I need for our lifestyle, plus the preamp outs that would make it a keeper as a front end later down the line. 

 

(edit) 
 

Ah crap, I just realized it does NOT have optical input, though it does have a USB in specifically for a DAC, which I'm not even sure I want to go that far. 

Edited by GriffinFL
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  • 4 weeks later...

OK, so I ended up going with a Denon HEOS Link ($300) as a DAC, but it's also going to serve as a pre-amp for at least a few months for the Quicksilver Horn Mono pair ($1500) that just came in today.  I went over budget, but I feel pretty comfortable with the investment.  Definitely will be taking my time looking at preamp options before I make a commitment, but I'm already pleased with the improvement from the cheap Sony to these monoblocks.  

 

In fact, I'm feeling like I'm at a point right now where I'd spend to swap out the crossovers before I'd worry about upgrading the pre over the very clean gain the Denon gives me. 

Edited by GriffinFL
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