This Tube transformed my rig!

Ern Dog
Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
edited May 2009 in 2 Channel Audio
Yesterday my Tung Sol 6550 (Audio Research label) tubes arrived and I immediately put them in. These tubes brought my whole rig to LIFE. It was like finding the missing piece of the puzzle. Now the music has this new element that I can't put my finger on, but all I can say for sure is that its 100 times more musical. Before I was using the stock EH KT88's.

I also notice that the music has soooo much more emotion in it that it brought me to tears on several occassions listening to the Gladiator soundtrack (track 13) & Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances (Reference Recording HDCD).

These tubes are a must for tube amps.

Very satisfying....
Post edited by Ern Dog on
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Comments

  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited May 2009
    Ha ha ha ha ha:D:D:D. Don't you just love it when that happens? lol That's what I love about tubes. Once in a while you come across that particular one and bam! Also great to have a whole bunch to tube roll.

    Did you get NOS Tung Sol or current production? The new production Gold Lion KT88 should give you another one of those magical moments.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited May 2009
    Glad to help. For some strange reason the Acoustic Research labeled Tung Sol 6550's sounded different than the other Tung Sol 6550's I have. I still have another quad of those tubes and I'm not letting them go. Enjoy the change.
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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  • wingnut4772
    wingnut4772 Posts: 7,519
    edited May 2009
    That's why I can't do tubes. I would go OCD nuts but I am glad you are happy.
    Sharp Elite 70
    Anthem D2V 3D
    Parasound 5250
    Parasound HCA 1000 A
    Parasound HCA 1000
    Oppo BDP 95
    Von Schweikert VR4 Jr R/L Fronts
    Von Schweikert LCR 4 Center
    Totem Mask Surrounds X4
    Hsu ULS-15 Quad Drive Subwoofers
    Sony PS3
    Squeezebox Touch

    Polk Atrium 7s on the patio just to keep my foot in the door.
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited May 2009
    wingnut4772 wrote: »
    That's why I can't do tubes. I would go OCD nuts but I am glad you are happy.

    I'm a newbie when it comes to tubes. My tube amp sounded like **** when I first listened to it and all I did was take some advice from others with more experience and Blam! Tubes aren't for everyone, but I'm finding out that they are a synergistic match with my speakers.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2009
    I'm a Tung-Sol fan as well....nice tube.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited May 2009
    organ wrote: »
    Ha ha ha ha ha:D:D:D. Don't you just love it when that happens? lol That's what I love about tubes. Once in a while you come across that particular one and bam! Also great to have a whole bunch to tube roll.

    Did you get NOS Tung Sol or current production? The new production Gold Lion KT88 should give you another one of those magical moments.


    Finding that Magic is like a religious experience, at least for me. I'm not sure if they are NOS or current, but I purchased them from 187CAM.


    187CAM- I don't blame you for keeping a pair for yourself.... definitely keepers. Where did you purchase them from?
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited May 2009
    wingnut4772 wrote: »
    That's why I can't do tubes. I would go OCD nuts but I am glad you are happy.

    THAT IS exactly what is happening to me...........and the tubes are very specific in an integrated amp I use in the office rig. I'm going crazy rolling and hunting for tubes!!!
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2009
    for me,, the hunt and roll are the fun part,,and when you find the ONE,, magic happens.;)
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited May 2009
    george daniel wrote: »
    for me,, the hunt and roll are the fun part,,and when you find the ONE,, magic happens.;)

    I agree 100%....that's what I've found so much fun but I'm just going to leave the tubes to my office rig right now. Thank god these are less popular tube types or I'd have a dozen pair already if they were a more popular designation :D. In fact an auction on Ebay ends in about an hour and I have 2 tube shipments already headed my way plus one in the bag already.

    Chinese stock tube was awful
    Russian Military 80's issue very good to excellent, nice bass, nice sound stage
    Siemens German (Falcon logo; Military issue) 70's have superb midrange for vocals and instrumental's a little shy in bass compared to the Russian an excellent tube
    I have a pair of 70's R-F-T's on the way
    Bidding on 60's GE which based on the code is a rebranded Mullard from the Blackburn plant. (fingers crossed)

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2009
    Good luck on the auction,, I just got a 6x4 rectifier,off e-bay,, made in Great Britian,, labeled Eico ,,and some Ge/RCA,IIRC ,,that were made by Mullard as well,,, good luck.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited May 2009
    Ern Dog wrote: »
    187CAM- I don't blame you for keeping a pair for yourself.... definitely keepers. Where did you purchase them from?

    I'm a tube hoarder. I keep my eyes open for tubes such as these. Since you were looking for something to roll I knew these would open your eyes and ears. I also have a nice assortment of 12AX7's, 12AU7's, 6SN7's and so on.

    Enjoy my friend.
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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  • danz1906
    danz1906 Posts: 5,144
    edited May 2009
    Congrats!!!
    Linn AV5140 fronts
    Linn AV5120 Center
    Linn AV5140 Rears
    M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
    Odyssey Mono-Blocs
    SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited May 2009
    Oh yeah!!!! Tungsol 6550's is what I use in my monos.

    I've said it a hundred times -- EH power tubes suck.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited May 2009
    george daniel wrote: »
    Good luck on the auction,, I just got a 6x4 rectifier,off e-bay,, made in Great Britian,, labeled Eico ,,and some Ge/RCA,IIRC ,,that were made by Mullard as well,,, good luck.

    I was the only bid so of course I won!!! Woo Hoo :p
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2009
    187CAM wrote: »
    I'm a tube hoarder. I keep my eyes open for tubes such as these. Since you were looking for something to roll I knew these would open your eyes and ears. I also have a nice assortment of 12AX7's, 12AU7's, 6SN7's and so on.

    Enjoy my friend.

    In your stash, whats your favorite 12AU7,, or the best au7 you've heard.?
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited May 2009
    Right now I'm liking the NOS clear top RCA's. But the siemens 5963 is giving them a close run.
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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