I have tried many tube combinations so many that I have to look to remember what I have plugged in at the moment. The latest tube changes have been rectifier tubes. I have Mullard GZ34 in the CSP2 and Shuguang 274B in the Taboo and ZP3. I should add that the Shuguang factory also produces tubes for Sophia and Valve Art. I suspect they are all the same tube with different logo on the glass.

The Mullard is used so it was already broken in but the Chinese 274s were new direct from the factory ($24.95 + $15 shipping, 20 days). My first impression was wow nice bottom end then that nasty top caught my ears. Not terribly bad but bad enough to notice. I left the system running with CD source for a few hours and returned to listen. Not as bad but still not great.

Today the mail ran and I got more Herbies Audio Labs tube dampers, put them on and fired up the glass menagerie. The whole thing sounded pretty good this morning listening to Steely Dan Aja on MFSL CD then some Jethro Tull from a Chrysalis box set. The tube damper for the 274B is kind of expensive compared to the rest,  it takes the Ultra Sonic 65 and I swear the glass is big enough to raise goldfish inside.

Last night there was a shootout between the Taboo amp and a NYAL Moscode 75 with George Kay upgrades. The NYAL is a very good amp and only at the highest levels of play does it beat the Taboo but not in imaging or clarity. New 6L6 for the GTA SE-40 should arrive next week and I will put it and the McIntosh MC 40 monoblocks  in the ring. I am hosting a Cinco de Mayo party May 5th for a few neighbors and I know some will want to hear the new system.

I am now convinced the HAL Little Fat Gliders are the footers for me under the ERR speakers. I can't say enough good things about the sound and the ease I now have moving them about the room. I am on hardwood floors so these may not work for everyone but if you are in a similar situation you should consider giving them a try.

The only new vinyl is a couple of Test Pressings one by Phil Everly (has a Warren Zevon song on the list) and a never been played Joe Cocker. I wonder if anyone would really know or care if I played it once?  :)

Lon I keep saying I need to try the Styx speaker cables. Are you using them bare ended or did you have Steve terminate them? I'm pretty adept at sleeving things to make them pretty.

Richard, I crimped some Radio Shack terminations on them.  Not ideal, but didn't notice any difference between bare end and crimped end.  (Except bare ends don't work well with the size of the binding posts).

Don, I'll post here if I decide to get rid of any pieces.

Well, I'm glad that you are happy and comfortable with your system. That means so much.  I WANT to listen to music, not hardware and I know you do too.

The source becomes more and more important with these systems and their transparency and impact.  That's the hardest thing.  I now think I understand why there are incredibly expensive source components!

Yes, that's definitely a problem with these systems.  Most of my recordings are mediocre, some great, a few more good, quite a few bad.  Finding the source to add a little euphony to make it all listenable is not easy.  I found that in the Sony ES SACD player I'm using, the Redbook is amazing.  I will try the ZCD again when I get the Torii II. . . that may be the ticket then.  There's no one right answer with thousands of recordings. . . .

Jeff I have been listening to the Shuguang 274B in my Taboo since Saturday and don't think it's a bad tube. I also got mine from the factory taking 20 days for them to get to me. I bought 2 for $39.95 including shipping. They say they also make the Sophia and Valve Art tubes. I prefer the Mullard GZ34 or the Mazda 5Y3GTB but tube rolling gives me something to do when I'm bored.  :)

Thanks Lon. Got the 6L6 set for the GTA SE40 today so next shoot out is probably going to be Sunday.

And I played that virgin Joe Cocker test pressing, don't tell anyone.