Ken, I'm sure you are enjoying every bit of the amp now. Let's discuss more after 200hrs run in of the amp. The stock rectifier tubes are Philips 5U4GB. Sylvania VT-244 are better replacement. But I will get the GEC U52 next Monday. I will let you know the result.
GEC U52 rated 250mA. 5U4GB, no good tubes for replacement. Do you have any suggestion? But I am very very very happy with the Sylvania plugged in today.
Ask Graham la. See if all of the 275mA are actually needed.
If not, you can have a lot more fun tube rolling :-)
Alternatively, if you really need the juice, maybe the big-bottle CV378 can be used as well. The CV375 are indirectly heated, and so the voltage come up slower, and gives a slightly higher voltage. Given the 211 is being driven lightly (given the 12W output...) The sound is completely different, but does give you tremendous lower octave power. The sound is more elastic, and the bass much more "bouncy". At 12W, you may need every extra bit of power you can get.....
ps. As Ptsang can attest, the WE274B, which CANNOT sub a 5U4GB, but can do 5U4G, is a hell lot more transparent than U52. If the Telstar can take it, 274B will be IT.
What tron telstar amazes me the most is: very 3D and open sound. The rhythm of the music allows me to follow music easily. I spinned some 45rpm Jazz LP last night. i exactly feel like sitting in a jazz bar of some sort. There is no sensational mid range to begin with, everything is very balance.
What is your latest thinking on the choice of amp to match with the Algame? Of my discussions with PT, to find a tube amp to suit everybody's need is almost impossible. One can push the envelope to the extreme but in the end the ultimate barrier is on the inheret design of the tubes being adopted, be it 211, 300B, 805, 833...What is your view?
Have you listened to the Tron Telstar? It's better for you to have a taste of Graham's 211 single end circuit before the discussion. I am sure you are well aware of my attitude towards "Asian colorations" - apparent in Kondo, Wavac and to a lesser degree Zanden. How do you like your 805mk2?
I really love this amp. I am quite surprised by the bass performance. It is well controlled. But this amp needs at least one hour of run in to stabilize. The first 15 minutes sound very strange.
The Telstar runs at 1000volts on the HT. The most you can run a 211 is 1250volts. This will get you 19w class A instead of 12w at the expense of tube life. A pair of original 211/VT4-C's in the Telstar should last about 10 years if run at 1000v.
I have spent 2 hours listening to the new 211 in PT's system together with Mr. DV tonight. PT was kind enough to go home and switch on the amp before joining us for dinner so that the amp has had enough time to warm up.
In the first hour, the amp gave me a very relaxed, open and transparent musical presentation a bit different from the other amps that I have listened in PT's system, the latest being the Zanden mono blocks. On vocals, 211 is undoutedly leaner than Zanden but it only tells the character of Zanden is a bit overlapping with DV in the depiction of vocal (ie midrange). With 211, the midrange is cleaner, treble is calm if full details of harmonic decay, no harshness at all. Bass contour is extremely vivid under 211, control is good enough without overdamping. On symphonies, it is not as impactful as the other amps that I have listened to, including my 805Mk2 but still it throws out an appropriately sized soundstage with clarity and ambience.
In transiting in the 2nd hour, frankly, I began to develop a 'regretful' feeling like Voy to have sold my Syren. For Voy, he has a worry that this 211 may not match with Algame, but in my experience, it drives very well the Alpha with ease. For me, I have to release the $ and space for the Vekian Signature. Syren has been one of my most favourite phono preamps but in light of Tidal taking up the place as my house preamp, I have decided to release it recently. If I had known the Pound is dropping, the 211 is so astonishingly ground breaking,...etc etc...my path might be different. Anyway, still good enough for me to have a chance to listen to it in PT's place. I may run out of control when PT takes my traded in Syren to match with this 211...I beg PT to do it earlier to complete my dream of listening to this combo...killing me softly with his Tron....woo woo woo...
A pleasant experience indeed! Voy, I share what you feel when you said 'damn' above !
Oh my dear Marvel bro, I'm glad you understand my emotion. I said the "damn" word a few thousand times everyday but this "damn" truly echoes your "regretfulness". Do you understand my reservation about "Asian colorations" after first hand experience with Gram's unique 211 single end experience? It just play lovely music, isn't it?
Comments
Marvel
AFAIK 5U4GB has higher spec than 5U4G/U52. May not be OK to substitute that way... 5U4G rated 225mA output versus 275 of 5U4GB.
If not, you can have a lot more fun tube rolling :-)
Alternatively, if you really need the juice, maybe the big-bottle CV378 can be used as well. The CV375 are indirectly heated, and so the voltage come up slower, and gives a slightly higher voltage. Given the 211 is being driven lightly (given the 12W output...) The sound is completely different, but does give you tremendous lower octave power. The sound is more elastic, and the bass much more "bouncy". At 12W, you may need every extra bit of power you can get.....
ps. As Ptsang can attest, the WE274B, which CANNOT sub a 5U4GB, but can do 5U4G, is a hell lot more transparent than U52. If the Telstar can take it, 274B will be IT.
What tron telstar amazes me the most is: very 3D and open sound. The rhythm of the music allows me to follow music easily. I spinned some 45rpm Jazz LP last night. i exactly feel like sitting in a jazz bar of some sort. There is no sensational mid range to begin with, everything is very balance.
What is your latest thinking on the choice of amp to match with the Algame? Of my discussions with PT, to find a tube amp to suit everybody's need is almost impossible. One can push the envelope to the extreme but in the end the ultimate barrier is on the inheret design of the tubes being adopted, be it 211, 300B, 805, 833...What is your view?
Marvel
In the first hour, the amp gave me a very relaxed, open and transparent musical presentation a bit different from the other amps that I have listened in PT's system, the latest being the Zanden mono blocks. On vocals, 211 is undoutedly leaner than Zanden but it only tells the character of Zanden is a bit overlapping with DV in the depiction of vocal (ie midrange). With 211, the midrange is cleaner, treble is calm if full details of harmonic decay, no harshness at all. Bass contour is extremely vivid under 211, control is good enough without overdamping. On symphonies, it is not as impactful as the other amps that I have listened to, including my 805Mk2 but still it throws out an appropriately sized soundstage with clarity and ambience.
In transiting in the 2nd hour, frankly, I began to develop a 'regretful' feeling like Voy to have sold my Syren. For Voy, he has a worry that this 211 may not match with Algame, but in my experience, it drives very well the Alpha with ease. For me, I have to release the $ and space for the Vekian Signature. Syren has been one of my most favourite phono preamps but in light of Tidal taking up the place as my house preamp, I have decided to release it recently. If I had known the Pound is dropping, the 211 is so astonishingly ground breaking,...etc etc...my path might be different. Anyway, still good enough for me to have a chance to listen to it in PT's place. I may run out of control when PT takes my traded in Syren to match with this 211...I beg PT to do it earlier to complete my dream of listening to this combo...killing me softly with his Tron....woo woo woo...
A pleasant experience indeed! Voy, I share what you feel when you said 'damn' above !