greg928gts Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I recently purchased 3 RCA 2A3 ribbed black plate tubes that looked to be NOS and were dated 1943 on the boxes! It was really cool getting these as I'd been looking for some RCA black plates. Jeff told me he thought those were the best sounding in the Horus'. I got the house to myself today around 3:15, and for 45 minutes I listened to the same song over and over again, all the way through with the Sovteks, then switch over to the RCA's and listen to it all the way through again, and so on. Much to my dissapointment the Sovteks sound better than the RCA's. The Sovteks were more midrange forward and the RCA's more laid back in the midrange, which sounds at first like that might be a good thing, but the Sovteks just had a clarity to them that kept all the instruments separated and distinct. The high end was cleaner with the Sovteks too. At first I thought the RCA's were punchier, and actually they might be a bit punchier in the bass, but in the end I preferred the smoothness and clarity of the bass from the Sovteks. I'd like to try some meshplates next, but I don't want to lay out the cash for them without knowing how they sound. Does anyone have and would you loan me a pair to try? That's asking a lot I know. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Sure. Mine aren't brand new, but still measure within spec. for the 2A3. This week is not good for me for packing and shipping, but I'm off for spring break next week. Try these first before spending what you would need to for brand new ones -- they are not cheap. I'm using KRs in my Horus amps right now. Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 double post... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 ---------------- On 2/28/2005 7:27:55 PM greg928s4 wrote: I recently purchased 3 RCA 2A3 ribbed black plate tubes that looked to be NOS and were dated 1943 on the boxes! It was really cool getting these as I'd been looking for some RCA black plates. Jeff told me he thought those were the best sounding in the Horus'. I got the house to myself today around 3:15, and for 45 minutes I listened to the same song over and over again, all the way through with the Sovteks, then switch over to the RCA's and listen to it all the way through again, and so on. Much to my dissapointment the Sovteks sound better than the RCA's. The Sovteks were more midrange forward and the RCA's more laid back in the midrange, which sounds at first like that might be a good thing, but the Sovteks just had a clarity to them that kept all the instruments separated and distinct. The high end was cleaner with the Sovteks too. At first I thought the RCA's were punchier, and actually they might be a bit punchier in the bass, but in the end I preferred the smoothness and clarity of the bass from the Sovteks. I'd like to try some meshplates next, but I don't want to lay out the cash for them without knowing how they sound. Does anyone have and would you loan me a pair to try? That's asking a lot I know. Greg ---------------- Here is a proof that there is no absolute in audio. I personally prefer the RCA over the Sovtek. Even my beaten up RCA. For the wallet, blessed is the one that prefer the Sovtek over the RCA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 ---------------- On 2/28/2005 8:36:40 PM Painful Reality wrote: Here is a proof that there is no absolute in audio. I personally prefer the RCA over the Sovtek. Even my beaten up RCA. For the wallet, blessed is the one that prefer the Sovtek over the RCA. ---------------- Now there is a common sence post. I love it when people say buy this tube or use these caps there the best! Its all subjective the poor guy getting the advise may hate the sound. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Mobley Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Kelly used to like the Sovtek 2A3s too. IIRC, that's what he normally ran in his moondogs. He had some "special occasion" RCA blackplates or something like those 1943 versions too, but normally listened to the Sovteks. Been awhile since he was around, but I still have respect for his knowledge on tube stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenc319 Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 hi, The path to audio nirvana is unending and thats the fun of it ! Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 tubes sound different in each amp...you have to find what sounds best to you in your amp, with your music, etc., etc...there is no free lunch, you have to decide for yourself just like you do with sources and amplification. I found most of the top tube recommendations were not my favorites in my amp, ended up with cheap sovtek 2A3 outputs and expensive NOS tungsol drivers...regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 ---------------- On 2/28/2005 9:03:24 PM Tom Mobley wrote: Kelly used to like the Sovtek 2A3s too. IIRC, that's what he normally ran in his moondogs. He had some "special occasion" RCA blackplates or something like those 1943 versions too, but normally listened to the Sovteks. Been awhile since he was around, but I still have respect for his knowledge on tube stuff. ---------------- I've tried these "special" 2a3's in my Wavelength amp and found them dull compared to the globe 45's that I was using. They did have a lush midrange but the base and highs were too soft. The KR's that I've tried had much greater extention but seems like that didn't have any midrange. Overall, The 2A3's just didn't do it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 I agree the KRs have more top end extension. The first pair I tried were sent to me by Edster, and I liked them very much. Another long-absent forum member and fellow Moondog owner and friend very generously gave me the pair of KRs he wasn't using -- and this is when I really started to like the tube. Unfortunately, one developed a short in the filament supply, and blinked out for good. I'm now using it as a back up tube for the KRs we got late last year. For my part, I have no experience with this lack of midrange related to the KR. If there wasn't any midrange, in my opinion, I wouldn't be hearing over 90% of the music coming from my speakers. I think the midrange might not be quite is lush or euphonic as what I get with RCAs, GEs, and some other vintage examples, but the response is clean and good sound.......to me. There was another forum member who had acquired a pair of these, but told me that he never tried them -- simply because yet another forum member told him they weren't worth even auditioning. A situation like that is kind of unfortunate, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Greg, sorry to hear of your disappointment. The lushness of the RCA is typically what emotes the positives from listeners, but what you like is all that counts. I have a pair of Sovteks and ran them in my Hori for awhile, then replaced them with the AVVT meshplates and found them to be hands-down better. They have a very nice low end, but the midrange is wonderful and well articulated without being brassy. If you are in the neighborhood down here in MA sometime, bring the RCA's down and we can tube roll the three pairs in mine. These AVVT's are so expensive and huge, I really can't bring myself to ship them up to you. I'd be heartbroken if they were damaged in transit. _______________________________ Music Hall MMF-7 Turntable w/ Goldring Eroica H MC Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CDP with 24 bit/192 KHz Upsampling Wright Sound WPP-100C Phono Stage JF Lessard Pantheon 6SN7 SRPP Preamp w/ RCA 5R4GY & Sylvania 6SN7 JF Lessard Horus Parafeed Cobalt 2A3 SET Monoblocks w/ Tung Sol 5687 & AVVT 2A3 1976 KCBR Klipschorns with ALK Crossovers Gear Online: Two Channel & Home Theater Systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Big suckers -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 Erik, thank you so much for the kind offer. Please take your time, there's no rush. I was surprised that I liked the Sovteks better. As I was listening I kept trying to convince myself that the RCA's were providing something better than the Sovtek's, but in the end, they just weren't as good. At least to my ears, on that day, at that time, with that song! With the Sovteks, I was able to more clearly distinquish the 3 different tracks of guitar layered one on top of another, among other things. I'll hang on to these RCA's and try them again sometime. Chris, I would love to try the AVVT's, but I understand your hesitation about sending them. Does anyone have a source for purchasing AVVT's? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 Double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Greg, I still have this pair of low hours KR's. I can ship them over to you for a test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Greg leave the RCAs on in the Horus for a week steady to burn them in before judging. It has been my experience that it takes at least 100 hours to do whatever happens inside the tube to equalize things. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Greg: No problem! There's no problem, but it would be good for you to get these sooner than later. They still measure ok on my tester, but they don't test like brand new tubes. They still sound good, though, and I'm using them in the Moth amp right now. I have gotten many great hours of listening with the AVVTs, and I can send you them to test out before making the comparatively larger investment -- if you decide you'd like to get some. If they go kapoot while you have them, that's ok. I think you might like what you hear, though, and they are certainly very quiet tubes -- more so than the pair of Sovteks I have. Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 http://www.jacmusic.com This is the source for AVVT's, in Germany. The guy is nice to deal with, too. I really enjoyed the AVVT's in my Wrights. They have a wonderful midrange and the tubes are impressive in their looks, too. On balance, though, the RCA's were my all round faves. In the Wright's the Sovteks were, to my ears, quite close to the RCA's in performance and especially nice for their economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssh Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Greg, The AVVTs, in my amps, were astonishingly better that the Sovtecs. Mine are a different design from the Horus, but still Jeffs handiwork. I was really, really happy with every spent penny. Dee's adress is the one to use; there were quality control issues with some others, as Jeff explained to me. SSH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Thanks, Dee. I had also heard there had been some noise or hum-related issues with the AVVTs but these, from Dee, have been very quiet and very enjoyable to listen to. Again, it's just fun to switch from time to time, which is much harder to do with SS amps. Greg: Send shipping info. when convenient. Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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