Totally Tubular: The Tube Thread

HiFi Guy said:
This concept is coming up before I've completed my full review of the Souls, so you'll want to look out for that. It'll be delayed for a couple of weeks because @AnthonyI is coming by while on vacation and I'd like him to post his impressions as well. He's the best to do this as our systems are nearly identical.

Zus (at least the Souls bit I expect the entire line) are a completely different listening experience. Whether or not you get it is up to you. I'm totally on board- they are a game changer. It's no longer about "hi fi"- it's about tone. I don't expect anyone to understand this unless they've heard them. As I told @AnthonyI in a DM, these make every other speaker I've heard sound broken. I've heard hundreds of speakers.

For amplification, I'd not look at your choice. I'd look at a Musical Paradise MP-301 amp. No experience but I'd spend my own money on it (and nearly have). Get Tung Sol 7581A output tubes and upgrade the input tubes- I can't find the right ones right now but they are RCA military spec tubes encased on red. I'll follow up on this. In any case, about $120 total. I can vouch for the 7581A. Damn near as close to perfect as I've heard.

The downside to your idea? The constant half off Polk sale kills your resale value.
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I haven’t heard that Musical Paradise amp, but the price is certainly right! I have heard the MP-D2 DAC in a couple systems, and I consistently liked it, even more than a couple higher end DACs we A/B compared. It makes me curious about their other gear.

AnthonyI said:
Like you, after picking up the Zu cables I took more interest in the company
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Their eBay sales are a truly genius marketing move. I honestly gave them a much closer look after getting their cables.
 
Once again getting a whistle on my Gold Lions - not sure if the faulty tube is the replacement or not, but it’s frustrating.

I don’t want to keep paying shipping to play the cross-country tube lottery!
 
HiFi Guy said:
This concept is coming up before I've completed my full review of the Souls, so you'll want to look out for that. It'll be delayed for a couple of weeks because @AnthonyI is coming by while on vacation and I'd like him to post his impressions as well. He's the best to do this as our systems are nearly identical.

Zus (at least the Souls bit I expect the entire line) are a completely different listening experience. Whether or not you get it is up to you. I'm totally on board- they are a game changer. It's no longer about "hi fi"- it's about tone. I don't expect anyone to understand this unless they've heard them. As I told @AnthonyI in a DM, these make every other speaker I've heard sound broken. I've heard hundreds of speakers.

For amplification, I'd not look at your choice. I'd look at a Musical Paradise MP-301 amp. No experience but I'd spend my own money on it (and nearly have). Get Tung Sol 7581A output tubes and upgrade the input tubes- I can't find the right ones right now but they are RCA military spec tubes encased on red. I'll follow up on this. In any case, about $120 total. I can vouch for the 7581A. Damn near as close to perfect as I've heard.

The downside to your idea? The constant half off Polk sale kills your resale value.
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This is why I love posting here. You can digest thousands of words on all corners of the internet but I feel like this forum is the ultimate audio sanity check.

The "it's no longer about "hi fi" - it's about tone" is pretty universally echoed in reviews throughout the Zu line as well, and that's another reason I've been drawn to them. I'd rather have my ears be happy than have the most analytically perfect soundwave.

The Polk resale value is a bummer for sure, but I'd virtually have to give them away to still not come out way ahead after that Adorama deal of the century where I got them. ;)

AnthonyI said:
I really like my Polk LSiM 703's, and I've been kind of pushing the speaker upgrade off until a listening room comes along, but once @HiFi Guy posted pics of the Souls I kind of sat there going, wait a tick, those don't stand any higher or take up a bigger footprint that my Polk's on their current stands, lol. Like you, after picking up the Zu cables I took more interest in the company and everything I've read about the Soul's is a bit hard to break down, and is followed by a "If your looking for XYZ sound, you'll really like them" which doesn't help at all.

Luckily as @HiFi Guy mentioned, I'll have a chance to hear them first hand and in a pretty much identical system.........of course the Grado Woody will probably be running at that point so there will be that to contend with, lol. I'm looking forward to it, very curious about how they sound with their unique design. I can't help but look at them and think, how can they sound THAT good............we'll see :)
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Indeed. Can't wait to read both of your reviews! Better than any audio publication review we could get... It's been a fun journey seeing both of your systems (and others who post here) morph over the last few years and getting the reviews along the way.
 
Looks like Upscale will replace the bad tube once more, but cannot accept a full return. So I guess if this second replacement is no good, I’m out $120.
 
I have a Vincent PHO-700. Does anyone have recommendations on which tube to replace the stock Chinese one with and any advice on the best way to do so?
 
wmeugene said:
I have a Vincent PHO-700. Does anyone have recommendations on which tube to replace the stock Chinese one with and any advice on the best way to do so?
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It uses a 12AU7 so there's lots of choices. Electroharmonix are very inexpensive and I like them a lot. The important thing is to pay a little more and get low noise and balanced triodes.

To replace the tube, unplug the unit from AC power. Remove the lid. The tube pulls straight up. Replace the tube. Use a tissue or napkin to wipe skin oils from the glass envelope. Replace lid. Connect power.

New tubes usually take 50-100 hours to sound their best.

Tube Depot
 
kvetcha said:
Yeah, but they have a nice contemporary walnut base at no charge that would go nicely with my Fortes. 😬
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I was playing around with configuring one after this decware convo started. I think I'd go with walnut and those gold knurled knobs - real sharp! Oh and the $1500 zen integrated balooned to $2,800 after all my pretend upgrades. Still not horrible for what you get...
 
Splunders said:
I was playing around with configuring one after this decware convo started. I think I'd go with walnut and those gold knurled knobs - real sharp! Oh and the $1500 zen integrated balooned to $2,800 after all my pretend upgrades. Still not horrible for what you get...
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I think mine’s around $1900. Couple line inputs, variable output, walnut base. It’s tempting.
 
Hogues said:
Looks great. I just ordered a Reduction to dip my toe in the DIY water. I am hoping that it goes well so I can move on to other bottlehead products.
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Good luck! I almost went the Reduction route but figured I'd want the Eros eventually so I waited for the sale and spent part of my bonus on it instead. You might already be a pro for all I know but I'd definitely recommend a temperature controlled soldering iron if you're at all shaky on soldering like I was. Much easier than I remember it being using my dad's old constant wattage one when I was a kid.
 
HiFi Guy said:
It uses a 12AU7 so there's lots of choices. Electroharmonix are very inexpensive and I like them a lot. The important thing is to pay a little more and get low noise and balanced triodes.

To replace the tube, unplug the unit from AC power. Remove the lid. The tube pulls straight up. Replace the tube. Use a tissue or napkin to wipe skin oils from the glass envelope. Replace lid. Connect power.

New tubes usually take 50-100 hours to sound their best.

Tube Depot
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Ordered as described. Will let you know how it works when I get it!
 
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