After a long wait, I got my Torii MK4 last friday

My first impression on the sound quality was very good...from the first song from the fresh Torii I was very sure it wins my previous one - Mcintosh MC275 reissue 50th anniversary...which was around double in price than the Torii Mk4 I paid for

the air, the depth, the resolution and the "music"... was simply unparalleled

I have a Supratek Cortese preamp with Linn Renew DS streamer to play songs from NAS...

I run-in the Torii and the sound keeps changing every day I listen to it  ... last night the highs very really sharp which was kinda unbearable... , no matter how i dial down the treble switch and tube rolling...I used the stock tubes...and rolled all NOS tubes for trial

I suspect it was not the edges from the highs but from the midrange

but it kinda mellows down tonight and become sweetness

I have prepared whole set of NOS tubes for the Torii
the NOS tubes I have include:
RCA OA3
6dj8 amperex D getter
GEC KT66 grey glass
Brimar 5R4G rectifiers
RCA 5Z3 rectifiers (with converter to 5U4G)

but the difference of the NOS tubes from the stock tubes was smaller than I expected.. the quality of the stock tubes is not bad

The speaker that Torii is driving is Souns Faber Guarneri Homage bookshelf..which is only 86dB sensitive... before the arrival of Torii, I was a little worried about the bass that it will produce... but really the Torii control and produce the bass really well....with appropiate punches, good depths and layers ... that were unheard with my mcintosh

This combo suits my smallish listening area of around 100sq ft..

More burn in of the Torii to share more listening impression

I think the switches are in the back because of parts layout, they're situated so that no additional wire is needed to wire everything together and this provides a sonic benefit. I agree it can be difficult to use them.

Ryan, thanks for sharing your beginning impressions.  I've got just a couple of weeks more on my MK IV.  I agree with your assessment of the ergonomic placement of controls along the back.  As Lon pointed out I know why it was done but it forces me to get down on my knees to turn it on and off.  My Torii sits on the bottom shelf of my rack.  The other controls once set won't be so frequenty changed.

I find it interesting that you are running 86db sensitive speakers.  How are you finding the volume levels?  My JansZen zA2.1 speakers are rated at 87db, but can be as much as 90dB if I crank up the tweeter and bass controls on the speakers to their highest settings.  I do keep the bass up but the tweeter controls are currently much lower.  Long story, but I just got all new upgraded woofers applied to my speakers and they haven't broken in yet so I have to keep the upper frequencies tamed, at least for now.   I am getting all the volume I need.

I have both the EL34s and some Tung Sol KT66s.  I seem to prefer the 66s.  You look like you have the 34s in with your pictures.  Do you prefer those?  I also tried some Phillips 5R4GYS rectifiers that were touted on Upscale Audio, but they also are adding too much treble so I went back to the stock set.  I know I'm tinkering too much as both the speakers and the amp are both breaking in, but it is fun.

Scott

Quote:


Those are some of my favorite tubes in the Trainwreck guitar amps!

(I wish this one were mine)

I have more than ill ever need if you need a pair .  they are Raytheons and got them for a song . on ebay . Did not  think he would ever sell out of them. Wrong!

The stock OC2 are already Raytheon..
I want to try different NOS OC2 on the Torii

Already tried 2 pairs of OB2...
CBS Hytron and France GE... I did not feel good with them...