Post by Randy in Caintuck on 12/21/07 at 13:31:19
It seems that the seller in Ukraine is a straight up guy ..... 8-)
I received an email from him this morning with the following attachment :
Randy
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https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Sophia 274 in Select? https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1196920941 Message started by stone_of_tone on 12/06/07 at 06:02:20 |
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Title: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by stone_of_tone on 12/06/07 at 06:02:20 How you guys doin: 1) I can use a 274 in my Zen Select; right? 2) .....274B or A? 3) If I recall Randy has used one of these? Thanks in Advance, Stone of Tone 8-) Sophia Electric™ 274B/274A Rigid & Mesh Plate Tubes Sophia Electric standard 274B Pricing: Rigid Per Unit Mesh Per Unit Option 1 with one year warranty: $150 $175 Option 2 with 30 days warranty: $99.99 $125 Princess 274B Pricing: Rigid Per Unit Mesh Per Unit Option 1 with one year warranty: $165 $190 Option 2 with 30 days warranty: $115 $140 |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Rob on 12/06/07 at 17:17:55 Not sure about the "A", but I have used the 274.... outstanding. |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/06/07 at 18:31:34 Stone, You might want to take a look at the Valve Art version before you spring for big money. I used one for about a year with very positive results, and no failures. They were my fav rectifier till I discovered NOS ( 1950's vintage ) Svetlana black plate 5U4g. Be advised, though, ( I'm relying on memory here ), the data sheet calls for a max of 8uf ? for the first cap on a cap input filter. While I had no issues when I used the Valve Art for a year, I would think twice about putting in an expensive rectifier w/o lowering the value of the first cap. If you're willing to spend that kind of money, you might want to look at the Emission Lab's 274 offerings.. They also offer a mesh plate 5U4G that looks very cool. I have 3 VA 274b that are doing nothing. If you pay for shipping both ways, you're welcome to try it out to see if you like the 274 family sound. PM me if interested. Cheers, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Randy in Caintuck on 12/06/07 at 21:43:41 Howdy Stone, I do indeed have two Sophia 274Bs ..... a solid plate and a mesh plate. The info already stated about the cap value is correct, but it is my understanding that this value was determined at a time when capacitors were not as "refined and forgiving" as the caps made today. I have used these tubes off and on for the past several years with no problems. They certainly have a different sound than any of the other rectifiers normally used in the Select. As noted by Crazy Bill, the Valve Art 274Bs are a lot cheaper. I bought one of the early ones, and while it has a distinct mechanical "ringing" that can be heard when the music is not playing ..... the sound does not come through the speakers. Valve Art stopped making this tube for a while and then resumed production. The new ones might not have the ringing issue, but I can't say with any certainty. The one I bought sounds just fine to me ..... for a lot less money than the Sophias ..... 8-) Regards, Randy |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/07/07 at 02:31:20 Hey guys, Buy only the B version, which uses an octal socket which is what is in the select. The A version uses an UX4 socket, which will not fit in the select. Otherwise they are identical. As far as ringing goes, I believe I have the newer versions, and they are dead quiet. Cheers, Crazy Bill. :) BTW, the offer to listen to my VA 274b's are for anyone willing to pay the postage ;D |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by stone_of_tone on 12/11/07 at 04:49:18 Thanks guys (Rob, Crazy Bill & Randy), I am going to try one. Thanks for the offer Crazy Bill....but I just went ahead and ordered one. Happy Holidays, to you all. Cheers, Stone of Tone 8-) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by erimille on 12/17/07 at 01:36:24 stone_of_tone wrote on 12/06/07 at 06:02:20:
Caveat... My Sophia 274 lasted about a year in the Select. That said, it was fantastic while it lasted ;-) --e |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/17/07 at 03:49:19 Here's something I would do to my PS if I were committed to the 274b rectifier. Change first cap to a PIO, Russian NOS preferred ( great price/performance ratio ), MAX value 10-15uf, up second cap to 80-100uf. While Randy is correct in that modern caps are not as hard on the rectifier as older electrolytics, the cap VALUE still determines the pulse currents that the rectifier must face to charge the caps, and the lower the cap value, the lower the peak currents that the rectifier faces, and the longer it lives. My wife is tired, so I must turn off the computer. More to follow. Happy holidays everyone, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Scrapiron on 12/17/07 at 13:52:14 Hey Bill- I"m running a Sophia 274B in my CSP and another 274B in my Taboo. I looked around on ebay and noticed Svetlana black plate 5U4gs that seemed pretty inexpensive. Am I looking at the right thing? They say NOS and I've never bought tubes off ebay (just direct or from a dealer), so I'm wary. Thanks- Skot |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Randy in Caintuck on 12/17/07 at 21:23:08 Hi Skot, A 274B is one of the rectifiers recommended by Steve for the CSP2 ..... and he has it listed as a suitable tube for the Taboo as well ..... 8-) The 5U4 is also listed among the rectifiers for the CSP2. There are some very nice old stock 5U4s available for a reasonable price that sound superb. Take care, Randy |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/18/07 at 14:04:50 Hello Skot, These are the tubes I am using. They must have a man.date of the 50's or 60's. As I understand it black plate tubes were phased out of production after that time. I'm sure Eli could elaborate further. All I know is these tubes are WAY better than my VA 274b's, or RCA or Chinese 5U4G's. I have no expereience with the newer Svetlana rectifiers. I'm sending one off to EV this week for him to have a listen. He has heard the other good 5U4G variants, and he'll post on his forum how he thinks these compare to the others. I'll post a link here when that happens. http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-SVETLANA-5U4G-5C3S-TUBES-BLACK-PLATE-IN-BOX-of-4_W0QQitemZ140191187211QQihZ004QQcategoryZ67816QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Cheers, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Scrapiron on 12/18/07 at 15:08:14 Thanks Randy and Crazy Bill. I've got a TJ mesh plate 274b in the Taboo and the Sophia in the CSP. These are Brad's old stuff (and sound fantastic). So the link to the Svetlana black plates- that seems like a pretty good deal.. four tubes for $50? As I said, I'm wary as that particular seller has no feedback from buyers and he's in the Ukraine. I'll hunt around for another seller, but that price sure beats replacing a 274b (if and when they need replacing). -Skot |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by erimille on 12/18/07 at 18:44:11 Crazy Bill the Eel Killer wrote on 12/18/07 at 14:04:50:
Those look *very* interesting and I'm in need of a new rectifier for my Select. Crazy Bill, are you using these in an un-modded / stock Select? --e |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/19/07 at 00:59:06 Hello e, My amp no longer resembles the select, but I first bought and used the black plates before I started modding my amp. They made a significant improvement to the stock select, and I can't recommend them highly enough. The 5U4G is capable of handling significantly higher current ( and voltage ) than what it will ever see from the select. The select is a stroll in the park, STS. Four of those babies will last you a lifetime. Go for em. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you hear. I think they're a steal at the price. Happy holidays, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/19/07 at 01:03:27 Hey guys, Buy this lot. I've purchased from him before, and the transaction was quick and easy. http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-SVETLANA-5U4G-5C3S-TUBES-BLACK-PLATE-Lot-of-4_W0QQitemZ250190379627QQihZ015QQcategoryZ58174QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m118 Cheers, Crazy Bill ;D |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Randy in Caintuck on 12/19/07 at 21:57:45 Howdy Bill, I just ordered some ..... but there was a "detour" when I went to pay ..... It seems that the seller cannot directly accept PayPal and uses a third party to receive funds. Even so, it was no big deal and I'm looking forward to checking out the tubes. Thanks for the heads up ..... 8-) Randy |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/20/07 at 01:36:28 Hello Randy, I'm glad you were able to source some. It'll be a good Christmas in Caintuck !!! :) ( Where the hell is that anyway ?) :) Be advised they benefit from some break-in, but they still beat the VA's right out of the box to my ears. And the price is certainly right. Merry Christmas Bill P.S. I thought that might be you when I checked out the listing today. |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Randy in Caintuck on 12/20/07 at 02:12:39 Crazy Bill the Eel Killer wrote on 12/20/07 at 01:36:28:
Well ..... the legend goes that it was a derivation of the name used for Kentucky by the original inhabitants ..... and associated with Daniel Boone. A quote from The Meade County Messenger © says : "Born in Pennsylvania, Boone spent most of his life exploring the new West and is credited with leading settlers to the new found “Caintuck.” In later years, finding his new home “crowded,” Boone took his family further west, settling in the “wilderness” of Missouri. It was here, in 1820, he was buried, prior to his relocation to Frankfort. While in “Caintuck,” which was later “anglicized” to become the present-day Kentucky, Boone explored, fought Indian tribes during the Revolutionary War, built forts (one of which is well preserved and now a state park), surveyed, farmed and told his friends to settle here." I decided to incorporate the name when planning The Caintuck Audio Fest which has the dubious distinction (as far as I know) of being the only audio gathering in history where Steve Deckert and Ed Schilling were both in attendance ..... 8-) The "Randy in Caintuck" moniker was coined in respectful imitation of another forum poster, John in CR (Costa Rica) ..... :) Randy |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by erimille on 12/20/07 at 16:29:09 Randy in Caintuck wrote on 12/19/07 at 21:57:45:
Yep. Paypal transactions are not (yet) authorized to the Ukraine. Quote:
Agreed! After a bit more research I contacted the seller and ordered 6 of the NIB black plates. I'm really enjoying Steve's 6P15P-EV Russian (military SV83) in my Select and I'm hopeful these military grade 5C3S's will complement those nicely :) Thanks! --e |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Scrapiron on 12/20/07 at 17:17:14 Well, looks like he's doing some good business this week! I ordered a quartet as well. I experienced the same issues as Randy, but muddled through it. We'll see how they stack up against the Sophia mesh plate and TJ 274b. The price sure is right! Thanks for the tip Crazy Bill. |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/21/07 at 03:59:24 Hello all, Thanks for the history lesson, Randy. Enjoyed reading that immensely !! I'm glad you all were able to source those tubes. I really love what they do to my amp. You should have them in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions. The next step in the journey will be to have them cyroed. I have a pair of 6p15p-ev, and 3 prs of the same tube cyroed. No contest, cyro version clear winner. I expect the cyroed rectifier will outperform the standard version. FWIW, to those of you who like the 6n15n-ev, I would source a pair of the 6n14n-ev. These are true EL84 types, whereas the 6n15n-ev are SV83 types, The EL84 variants to my ears have a little fuller upper base and lower midrange. I prefer them, but YMMV. the only way to tell is to listen to both. They're still cheap on Ebay. Make sure you get only the EB or EV versions. Happy holidays to all !! Cheers, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Randy in Caintuck on 12/21/07 at 13:31:19 It seems that the seller in Ukraine is a straight up guy ..... 8-) I received an email from him this morning with the following attachment : Randy |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Scrapiron on 12/21/07 at 14:51:13 Sweet! I didn't get a picture, but he said it was in the mail. Wait... where have I heard that before? ;) Okay Crazy Bill- stop it. Now I've got to not only find a place to cyro a couple of the 5U4Gs, I now need to try a pair of 6p15p-ev and 6p14p-ev! Next you'll suggest some input tubes. Aaargh.. :) No, keep those suggestions coming! For the price of those 5u4Gs I can stand to find and try different tubes. Thanks. |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 12/22/07 at 01:40:16 Sorry Scrap !! [smiley=biglol.gif] http://cgi.ebay.com/6N1P-EV-6DJ8-ECC88-Tubes-Lot-of-10_W0QQitemZ160192192297QQihZ006QQcategoryZ67816QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Buy these now. You won't regret it ! MY CHOICE for the input tube. But be advised I also changed the bias to suit these tubes over the 6922 types. While the Select can use either, Steve's chosen operating points favor the 6922 types over the 6n1p types. But they both sound great where Steve is hitting them. At this price, buy em and you decide which you like best. Happy hunting !!! Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Scrapiron on 12/22/07 at 13:20:32 10 tubes!!! Hehehehe... How will these work in my Taboo? Thanks! |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by DrN on 12/22/07 at 16:06:40 Just got a batch of 6n1p from this guy on E Bay. Very good shipping within 2 weeks. He does take PayPal. D http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190174515224&ssPageName=STRK:MEAFB:IT |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by rayd on 12/23/07 at 11:24:38 DrN wrote on 12/22/07 at 16:06:40:
Den sent me a couple of these to try out and as a driver in the Select, I like it (them) very much. Very detailed. Best part was hearing more of Diana Krall's breathing and lips parting (sorry Elvis C. - are they still married?). 8-) Tube is marked "6H1N-EB". Thanks again Den! - Ray |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by rwg on 12/31/07 at 21:12:18 hello i have a se84b amp will 274b rectifier work. any sujestions |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Andy831 on 01/01/08 at 20:50:40 Thanks for the heads up Crazy Bill, Order two lots from Sergay which I understand are now in transit to England. Bit of a crazy way of ordering and paying but like several others a bit of muddling and i got through it. Andy |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 01/27/08 at 03:38:37 Hello all, In case you're wondering whether you got a good deal, here they are http://thetubestore.com/nos-5u3c.html Have you got them yet, and let's hear some initial impresssions. Cheers, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by erimille on 02/05/08 at 18:48:16 Crazy Bill the Eel Killer wrote on 01/27/08 at 03:38:37:
Er... wow! Quote:
I like these.... a lot. So much so, that I've been spending more time listening and less rolling; thats a good thing ;-) I don't think I like them as much as the Sophia 274 (which blew up after a year), but equal if not better than my RCA in my Select. I think Steve should seriously think about these as the default tube. Same price (via the Ukraine) as the stock Ruby, but *far* better. --e |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Crazy Bill the Eel Killer on 02/11/08 at 13:24:50 Hello all, Glad they're working out for you --e. At this price I do think they're a steal, and six should last a lifetime and then some. I sent a couple down to EV last week. As soon as he gets a chance to listen to them, he's going to post his impressions on his website. I'll provide a link when that happens. Cheers, Crazy Bill :) |
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Title: Re: Sophia 274 in Select? Post by Scrapiron on 02/14/08 at 18:17:07 Wow indeed!! We got a great price!! I tried my new black plates in both a CSP and Taboo, but I prefer the 274B slightly, if I really listened. And to be fair, that was with just about 4 hours fired up. Thanks again Crazy Bill for the tip! |
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